Weekly Record

December 2008

I was told this week that ‘The Priests’ album is the top of the Christmas best-selling classical album list and it looks like they will more than justify their million pound contract deal. There was a semi-marketing documentary on them late one night this week on TV and it was interesting to see the juxtaposition of their parish life with all the trappings of promoting an album and the recording of the music. It was a mix of two very contrasting worlds. At one point it was said that working with the priests there were no tantrums, no rude words, bad temper or storming out – it doesn’t sound like diocesan clergy to me. I hope their album does well although it is a shame that it is a blend of all the predictable standard religious classics – but that is commercial market forces for you!

There are very few events or activities on the final few days run up to Christmas. On Christmas Eve there will be morning and midday mass as usual but no 5.15pm mass. The girls choir will sing Evening Prayer 1 of Christmas at 3pm and then there will be nothing until Midnight Mass itself. This year the Mass will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 4 from 11.30pm and so people will need to be in their places from 11.10pm. The Mass is scheduled to last for an hour and fifteen minutes. Recording engineers will be setting up the few days before Christmas to prepare for this but it will be ‘small fry’ disturbance compared to the onslaught of TV crews and their lighting and camera scaffolding rigs. Archbishop Patrick is involving the other Church leaders on Merseyside in his Homily so I will be interested in seeing how the sound technicians and Archbishop himself deals with the challenge of a number of different voices speaking after one another. We shall see!

There will be no Evening Mass on Christmas Day and the Cathedral itself will close at 1pm. The Polish Mass will be the final Mass of Christmas in the Crypt at 1pm. On Boxing Day mass will be at 10am and on Saturday 27th at 9am with morning prayer 15 minutes before each service. The weekend after Christmas is the Feast of the Holy Family and mass times are as normal.
We are holding a special service here on New Years Eve to welcome in the New Year. The Cathedral will be open from 10.30pm and the service will begin at 11.15pm ending at Midnight. The City will be having a formal celebration in January to mark the end of the year of Culture, which will be on a big scale and hi tech, etc. The Cathedrals New Year Service is a joint involvement of both Cathedrals and will be more reflective and as well as a thanksgiving for the year it will be looking forward to 2009 and asking God’s Blessing for the year to come. All are welcome.

All that remains is for me to thank all our staff and helpers for their hard work over these days leading up to Christmas. There is so much involved behind the scenes in preparing the services over the Christmas period and also getting the building ready for the special celebrations. I am grateful for their commitment and dedication. Also to wish you all a very Happy and Blessed Christmas.

Canon Anthony O'Brien
Cathedral Dean