I had intended sorting out my
office and getting rid of old files during the quiet of August but
didn’t actually get round to it until this week as August wasn’t really
that quiet. What a palaver! There were three years worth of
documents relating to Cathedral and other committees etc. Anyway I am
now £20 better off after a surprise discovery in the corner of a
drawer, the shredder is now broken after many hours constant use, I
found a number of things that I was convinced I had never received –
oops! - and after about ten bin bags of rubbish I am now as up to date
as I’ll ever be. Unfortunately it won’t take long before the mounds of
paperwork build up again. Who said electronic information would do away
with paper!
This Sunday we celebrate the annual ‘Cathedral Community’ Mass.
Archbishop Patrick, who has been away for a month and who arrives back
this Sunday morning if all goes to plan, is due to preside at this
Mass. I will not try to second guess what he will talk about but we
should not underestimate the importance of coming together to pray for
the Cathedral and acknowledge the fact that in our different ways that
we are the living stones that make up the building. By dedicating
ourselves to serve and support the Cathedral in different capacities we
are engaged in the Lord’s work and building up the kingdom.
These next few months, apart from the visit of the relics of St Therese
of Lisieux later in September, there are no extraordinary events taking
place. But that doesn’t mean that there is little happening.
For instance there are only three Sundays between now and Christmas
when there is not at least one extra service over and above the normal
Sunday timetable. Every aspect of our lives is celebrated here in some
way and within the normal annual cycle so many church or vocational and
support groups gather in large numbers to hold services here or to
meet. It is to the credit of all our staff and volunteers that the vast
majority of these people experience a friendly welcome when they come
here and comment on the helpful service of Cathedral personnel.
Fr Jose Salvosa, who has been on a three year placement here from the
Diocese of Tagum in the Philippines, is due to return to his home
Diocese at the end of this week. As well as serving here at the
Cathedral he has celebrated Mass at weekends for Filipinos in many
parts of the North West. We will miss him in Cathedral House not least
because at times it sounded as though he had an assembly line in his
room, making shelves and cupboards and assembling motorbike parts to
ship back home. I will probably need to get a structural engineer to
check over the floor in case the ceiling falls in on the offices below!
I hope he travels back to his Diocese with fond memories of his time
here and we pray that he has a safe journey and that God will bless his
future ministry in the Philippines. Fr Jose will be replaced by Fr
Bruno Gennaio who will be arriving here in early October. Fr Bruno has
been family life co-ordinator and was a former Chancellor of his
Diocese so I’m hoping he will be able to keep us on the right side of
Canon Law.
Canon Anthony O’Brien
Dean of the Cathedral
P.S. I have just read that Tesco have decided not to open a
store on Hope Street. All credit must be given to their
senior management for listening to the views of the local community on
Hope Street and recognising its unique place in the City.
I had intended sorting out my
office and getting rid of old files during the quiet of August but
didn’t actually get round to it until this week as August wasn’t really
that quiet. What a palaver! There were three years worth of
documents relating to Cathedral and other committees etc. Anyway I am
now £20 better off after a surprise discovery in the corner of a
drawer, the shredder is now broken after many hours constant use, I
found a number of things that I was convinced I had never received –
oops! - and after about ten bin bags of rubbish I am now as up to date
as I’ll ever be. Unfortunately it won’t take long before the mounds of
paperwork build up again. Who said electronic information would do away
with paper!