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Clergy Appointments

Canon Aidan Prescott – Vicar General Rev Philip Inch – Episcopal Vicar for Pastoral Development Rev Matthew Nunes – Moderator of the Curia Rev Sean Riley – Vice-Chancellor and Tribunal Canon Peter Stanley - Canon Penitentiary Rev John Hindley – Dean, Croxteth and Walton Pastoral Area Rev Mark Moran – Moderator of St Wilfrid, Widnes and Dean, Widnes Pastoral Area Rev Raymond Anyanwu CSSp - Pastoral experience/Parochial Vicar, Warrington Pastoral Area Rev Thomas Clarke – Assistant Priest, St Wilfrid, Widnes Rev Graeme Dunne – Parish Priest, St Oswald, Coppull Canon Christopher Fallon - Parish Priest, St George, Maghull (from January 2022) Rev Anthony Kelly – Parish Priest, Our Lady, Queen of Martyrs, and St Swithin, Croxteth Rev Joseph Kiganda CSSp – Parish Priest, St Mary and St Columba, Castletown and Port Erin Rev Carl Mugan – Parish Priest, St Teresa, Norris Green Rev Benedict Ogbuevule CSSp – Parish Priest, St Mary and St John, Newton-le-Willows Rev Chima Opara CSSp – Parish Priest, Our Lady of Walsingham, Netherton, and Assistant Chaplain at Aintree University Hospital Rev Dominic Risley – Parish Priest, Our Lady Immaculate and St Joseph, Prescot, and Parochial Administrator of St Leo, Whiston Rev Thomas Skeats OP – Parochial Vicar, St Wilfrid, Widnes Rev Mike Thompson – Parish Priest, St Luke the Evangelist, Whiston, and Whiston Hospital Chaplain Rev Andrew Unsworth – Parish Priest, St James, Orrell Rev Laurence Mayne – from St Oswald, Coppull to retirement

Permanent Diaconate Rev Paul Rooney – Assistant Director for the Diaconate Rev Andrew Cleary to St Paul and St Timothy, West Derby and Liverpool North Pastoral Area Rev David Lawson to St Austin and St Teresa of Avila, St Helens and St Helens Pastoral Area Rev Alan Molloy to St Mary and St Columba, Castletown and Port Erin and the Isle of Man Pastoral Area Rev John Sargent to St Mary Magdalen and St Teresa, Penwortham and Leyland Pastoral Area. Rev Keith Ballard to St George, Maghull Sr Mary is remembered on anniversary

Maricourt High School fondly remembered the first anniversary of founding headteacher of Maricourt, Sr Mary Magdalen who died peacefully in her residence in McAuley Mount residential home in Burnley. She was the headteacher of Maricourt for 32 years before retiring in 1989. Ken McCabe, Lay Chaplain at Maricourt said: “In 1957 she was asked by her order, the Sisters of Mercy, to go to Maghull to open an independent girls school following a request from the local community. The school was to be known as Mater Misercordiae High School. “On 12 September 1957, the school opened in the convent parlour with only 16 eleven-year-old girls. This tiny institution grew and, by 1964, became a girls grammar school with voluntary-aided status from the then Bootle Education Authority. “After only four years as a grammar school, the Reverend Mother at the time was approached by Archbishop George Andrew Beck to annexe a newly built, but as yet unoccupied, parish secondary modern building, and to undertake co-ed comprehensive education for the area. “Mater Misercordiae was transformed into Maricourt and had its first intake of boys as well as girls in September 1968 under the Lancashire Education Authority. “Sister Mary Magdalen was tireless in her work and efforts to make Maricourt a great school, serving the needs of the local community and giving so many young people a fantastic education. As a result of her efforts the school grew in numbers and between 1968 and 2005 had no fewer than 19 major building developments to house its 1,500 pupils. Many of the developments were initiated and supervised by her and funded by the Sisters of Mercy.” Sister Mary retired at the age of 65 at Christmas 1989 but remained as a governor. She became chair following the sudden death of Bishop Kevin O'Connor in 1994. She remained a member of the Maricourt community until 2017 when, due to failing health, she moved to the Sisters' retirement home, McAuley Mount in Burnley. Ken added: “We will be forever grateful for her vision and her dedication to Maricourt. She was loved and respected by so many and, despite retiring in 1989, she was always asking after our staff and students whilst keeping the school in her prayers. We, as a school community, will mark her anniversary in our prayers.”

Obituary of Father Joseph (Joe) Duggan SJ

by Father Denis Blackledge SJ Parish Priest of St Francis Xavier, Liverpool

Father Joe, as he was usually known, was a Joseph both by name and by nature. A quiet man, who preferred to be in the background, a reverent and just man, who served his sisters and brothers unstintingly and unobtrusively in so many ways. Joe was an only child, born to Joe and Vera on 30 May 1944, and brought up in St Matthew’s Parish, Clubmoor, where he attended the parish school, and tended to be top of the class. Most of his cousins were much older than himself, apart from Elaine, a regular chum. Joe passed his 11+ and went to St Francis Xavier Grammar School, then sited next to SFX Church near the city centre. From an early age he wanted to be a priest, and when asked by the Head at SFX in 6th form if he’d like to be a Jesuit, he readily said ‘yes’. He was only 17 at the time and had just gained a State Scholarship. Not a sporty type, Joe was a backroom boy at SFX, spending most of his time in labs setting up for classes, or doing all the lighting and technical for the big affair of the annual school play. He had two close friends from SFX, Bernard Aspinall, now deceased, and Bill Ryan, very much alive and a family man and Deacon. Joe went through the gates of the Jesuit Noviceship in its final year at Manresa House, Roehampton, on 7 September 1961, and took his first vows two years later at Harlaxton Manor, near Grantham. After three years of philosophy at the original Heythrop College in the north Oxfordshire countryside, he went to Campion Hall Oxford and did a degree in physics. He taught at Wimbledon College for a year after that, before being one of the first entrants into Heythrop London in autumn 1970. He was ordained priest at his home parish on 14 July 1973, and stayed in London for his pastoral year, whilst working in St Ignatius Parish, Stamford Hill. He carried on there as a curate until Tertianship at St Beuno’s in North Wales 1976-77. He had short stints working in parishes in Clitheroe, Manchester, Preston and Stamford Hill until he was made parish priest at St George’s Worcester, where he stayed from 1983-90. In 1991 he moved to Corpus Christi, Boscombe, where he soon became parish priest. After a spell of sabbatical in Brussels – he loved going to Europe - he spent four years as parish priest in Wardour and Tisbury 1999-2003. Time at parishes in Stonyhurst, Clitheroe, Preston and Manchester followed, before he came back home to his native city to SFX in 2016, until he died, collapsing in the sacristy at Corpus Christi Boscombe just before Mass on 22 August, and dying two days later in the ITU of Royal Bournemouth Hospital. Joe had an amazing memory, kept a few very close friends for decades, looked after the Jesuit liturgical Calendar for many years, was ‘revisor’ of all the Jesuit British Province’s Accounts for a long time, kept up his love of photography to the end, and had almost certainly supplied in more parishes than any other British Jesuit, as he was always ready to help out. In fact he was due to supply in his home parish of St Matthew’s, Clubmoor, for three weekends in September. A man of deep humility, a quiet charismatic who for years had the gift of tongues, more than anything, Joe loved the Eucharist, and had an immense reverence for the Real Presence. He also loved to serve others, and nothing was ever too much to ask of him. He’s already much missed, but he’s already enjoying the rest he never gave himself.

Maricourt’s Wellbeing Champions

Maricourt High School have trained up a team of Wellbeing Champions ready to take mental health and wellbeing to a new level in the new academic year. The team was originally formed in 2019 but the pandemic brought things to a halt for them. Rosa Parks said ‘Maricourt have a strong wellbeing system in school and we feel we can take this to a new level’. The wellbeing champions took part in a two-day training programme in preparation for their new role. This consisted of expanding their knowledge on what the school has to offer and to gain an understanding of the resources available so they can signpost peers for support. Learning Mentor Alison Turner said, ‘students more than ever are starting to open up about their mental health and wellbeing, having a team of passionate pupils around school, will give us an extra layer of support and ensure that no student is left behind’. Learning Mentor Michael Kirby, ran the role play sessions with the students, his observations were ‘the students really blew me away with their care, compassion and empathy, they were able to put their training into practise straight away, recommending apps, journaling and encouraging students to refer themselves to the mentor or school chaplain’. The wellbeing champions are a fantastic addition to the team, timed well with a newly formed partnership with the Sefton Mental Health Support Team. The school Chaplain, Mr McCabe’ continues to run the Rainbows support programme and provides a support service for students. To go with the Wellbeing Centre, Student Services staff have given up their lunch time to revamp the wellbeing garden. With the extra commitment and resources and constant developments the school hopes to achieve the Mental Health and Wellbeing Award by 2022.