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The Union of Catholic Mothers would like to thank Archbishop Malcolm McMahon for taking time out from his very busy schedule with the Synod to celebrate our annual Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral on Saturday 26 June. It was a lovely occasion, with so many of us coming together for our special Mass.

The following weekend, on Sunday 4 July, the UCM committee and many members from his previous parishes were invited to Father Grant Maddock’s celebration of the 25th anniversary of his ordination. What a wonderful occasion it was at Our Lady’s, Lydiate, with a Mass concelebrated by his priest and deacon friends. The UCM members from St Gregory’s played a part in helping with refreshments and we even managed to stay dry during the 15-minute storm that arrived at the end of the afternoon by hiding under the huge canopy erected in the grounds. Thank you, Fr Grant, for a lovely afternoon.

Another thank you goes to all the delegates to the Synod who worked so hard on our behalf; we pray for success for all their efforts. We send our congratulations, meanwhile, to Canon Tom Neylon on his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool. Many of our members have fond memories of him as a young priest in Skelmersdale.

Now, how good do you think I am at forecasting the future? Well, I am going to try. The Annual General Meeting of UCM Liverpool will be held on Saturday 14 August at 1pm at St Albert the Great parish, 31 Hollow Croft, Stockbridge Village, L28 4EA, followed by Mass. This will be followed by our next bi-monthly Mass at St Anne’s in Ormskirk on 15 September at 7.30pm. So you see: if restrictions are lifted, I can clearly see what will happen!

Finally, I hope you are all putting on your volunteer hats for the soon-to-be-vacant positions on the diocesan committee. Keep safe and God bless, Madelaine McDonald, media officer

The Knights of St Columba celebrated their National Memorial Mass for deceased members at the Metropolitan Cathedral on Saturday 12 June. The Mass is held every two years and this was the Mass originally scheduled for 2020 but postponed owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. Admission was by prior booking and 175 people – members and their families – attended with many more watching the live broadcast on YouTube and Facebook.

During the Mass, supreme knight Bertie Grogan announced that a donation of £3,000 had been made for the upkeep of the cathedral’s Columba Chapel. In response, Canon Tony O’Brien, the cathedral dean, thanked the KSC not only for their donation but for the help that those based locally provide in the cathedral all year round.

Brother Bertie has been made a Knight of St Gregory and he was the subject of a special presentation by Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, thanking him for all he had done for the order and conveying the blessing of the Holy Father. • Continuing our series on the centenary of local KSC councils, Brother John Hamilton – a past provincial grand knight – gives an account of how Council 18 Widnes was formed:

In 1921 a group of Catholic gentlemen in Widnes applied to the supreme knight of the KSC for permission to form a council. The application was made by Mr P Caldwell together with 13 other men, following the first supreme council meeting to be held in England, at St George’s Hall in Liverpool. The supreme council discussed the application and decided that a new council could be formed in Widnes and would join the other new English councils (9, 12, 13 and 14) in the newly formed Province 2 (Liverpool).

The Widnes group took the name Council No18 and on 29 May 1921, the charter was signed and issued with the names of their chaplain, Rev Fr F Mulholland, and the officers and the positions they would hold.

Websites: www.ksc.org.uk www.kscprov02.weebly.com Email: dpokeane@aol.com

Congratulations are in order for Professor Gerald Pillay, ViceChancellor of Liverpool Hope University who was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to higher education and to Steve Atherton, former Field Worker for the Justice and Peace Commission in the Archdiocese of Liverpool who received an MBE for services to the community in Liverpool. Steve Atherton Professor Gerald Pillay