Happy Easter.
May the Joy and Blessing of the Risen Lord be With You All.

Holy Week is the busiest week of the year in the Cathedral and it is important, as we begin the Easter season, that we acknowledge the hard work of the many people who ensured that the services were celebrated with such dignity and splendour. The welcome people received, the preparation and the planning of the services, the hard work to ensure that the liturgy was right, the music rehearsed and the Cathedral suitably adorned for Easter. We owe a debt of gratitude to staff and volunteers for all their hard work.

Over the last few weeks the conference Room in Cathedral House has gradually been taken over by a steadily growing pile of Easter Eggs. The room has acquired an aroma of chocolate and it has been a daily temptation having to hold meetings or even go into this room during these last weeks of Lent. Sadly now that Easter has arrived they have all disappeared and the ‘phantom Easter egg pilferer’ didn’t manage to get his hands on any of them (obviously someone who had given up chocolate for Lent). On Maundy Thursday we took half of them to the womens refuge being welcomed by a few ‘wows’ from the children who watched us bringing them in. The rest have been removed for the raffle after mass this Sunday- worse luck. Many thanks to you all for your generous donations of eggs.

This coming Wednesday, 15th April, is the twentieth Anniversary of Hillsborough. The main commemoration will be a memorial service at Anfield football stadium and ceremony at the Town Hall. Both Cathedrals will hold a few minutes silence on Wednesday, just after 3pm, and the bells will be tolled in memory of those who lost their lives in this tragedy.

The Italian Consulate have asked if we could hold a service next Saturday to pray for those who have lost their lives or are caught up in the earthquake disaster in Italy. I am not sure of precise details at present but it is likely that it will be in the form of a midday mass.

Let us celebrate and enjoy this Great Feast – The Lord is Risen – let us live in the light of His love.

Three crosses and three crowns carved into the
fascia of the Cathedral Bell Tower.
Designed by William Mitchell.

Canon Anthony O'Brien
Cathedral Dean