Weekly Record

11th May 2008

The Cathedral meal at 60 Hope Street last Tuesday was a great success. Thanks to the Restaurant for their support, and for Claire for coping with all the added stress in co-ordinating people and the detailed arrangements which made it such a success. Everyone was very generous in contributing towards the raffle which alone raised more than £1,300.00 Archbishop Patrick was the proud winner of the Dyson Hoover and rumour has it that he was up early the next morning trying it out –his existing hoover had been inherited from Archbishop Worlock - he has now discovered that the carpet in his hallway is green!

You may have read or heard on the media the announcement regarding the establishment of a Cathedral Girls Choir this week. This should have come as no surprise as I have referred to the possibility of this a number of times in past newsletters. St Edward’s College have been keen to offer a similar number of choral scholar places to girls as to boys in each year group and it will give us the opportunity to extend the weekly number of sung services as well as giving the teenage girls an opportunity to develop their singing skills and musical education and take a more active part in the Cathedral Liturgy.

This weekend we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost which is the Anniversary of the Consecration of the Cathedral (41 years ago) and also of the visit of Pope John Paul 11 (26 years ago). Archbishop Kelly will be with us all day – presiding at 8am mass, to be broadcast live on BBC Radio 4, at 11am Solemn Mass and will, with the other Church Leaders on Merseyside, lead the service at 3.00pm which begins in our Cathedral. The sculptural monument to Bishop Sheppard and Archbishop Worlock is finally up, but I have not been able to have a close look at it due to the workmens barriers. The detailed carvings on the work record the important moments of both their lives and are meant to remind us of some of the important events of our City and our church life. They have certainly left it to the very last minute for it to be ready in time for the dedication this Sunday.

For most of this week the Cathedral will be host to the Joint Conference of Cathedral Organists and the Choir Schools Association. This is the first time they have met together. I include a few highlights of their visit. On Tuesday about 150 choristers from Cathedrals in England and Wales will perform a short concert in the Cathedral from 1.30-2.30pm. It is open to all and is free and probably the first time that this many choristers from so many different Cathedrals have sung together. There will be Sung Evening Prayer at 5.15pm in the Cathedral on Tuesday involving all those at the conference. The normal 5.15pm evening Mass will be celebrated in the Crypt Chapel and will be followed by the Friends Annual General Meeting. The high point of the Organists Conference will be the Concert on Wednesday evening with Dame Gillian Weir. This begins at 7pm with a talk followed by the Concert at 8pm. Tickets for this are £10.

This seems to be the season for AGM’s and the Guides are holding theirs in the Art Studio on Saturday, and the Choir Association on Sunday. It is good to hear the summary of the year at these meetings as it gives us a good flavour of all that has taken place within the Cathedral and how much each of the organisations do, very often unnoticed, to contribute to the life of the Cathedral.
Finally their will be another Art Market on the Cathedral Piazza next Sunday afternoon from 12-4pm

Canon Anthony O'Brien
Cathedral Dean