Weekly Record
22 March 2009
Archbishop Patrick has been in Rome last week and one of the meetings
arranged, while he is there, is with the Cardinal responsible for the
congregation for appointing Bishops. His meetings are to prepare for an
international deaf conference in Rome. At present we are still awaiting
the announcement of the appointment of the next Archbishop of
Westminster and there is much speculation regarding who this will be.
It would have been fun, if I had known in time, to simply refer in
print to the Archbishops being called to Rome for a meeting with
Cardinal Re and see if it caused a flutter of reaction in Westminster
and the press. But sadly the chance has gone by. Perhaps it is not too
late to ask the question does the appointment of the Cardinal in
England and Wales always have to be automatically linked with the
Archbishop of Westminster or could it ever be bestowed on one of the
other Metropolitan Bishops? Just to assure you I am not on commission
for this idea - there are precedents in other countries for the red hat
not being linked exclusively to one diocese.
At present the final elements of the landscaping between the rear of
the Crypt Concert Hall and the new building on Brownlow Hill are
underway. The change in the weather has brought on a flurry of outdoor
activity. I must admit to feeling guilty that I have not got around to
choosing the plants for the troughs donated by the Cathedral Friends to
add a splash of greenery and colour at the entrance to the Underground
Car Park. The last time I filled planters I did it before I had placed
them in situ and then found it back breaking to move them so I won’t be
making the same mistake again particularly as these containers weigh a
ton without any soil in.
This Sunday we welcome some of the clergy, choir and congregation from
Liverpool Cathedral who will join us for a joint Choral Evening Prayer
at 3pm. Canon Cynthia Dowdle will preach at the service and I think it
will be the first time a female Anglican Canon will have preached in
our Cathedral.
The weeks seem to get busier as Lent progresses and considerable time
needs to be spent this week on finalising the service details for Holy
Week and Easter so that all is ready to go to print. Saturday provides
a more varied mix of activities with our monthly Car Boot sale in the
morning, the Guides and Interpreters lunch at Liverpool Cathedral and
our Lenten Reconciliation Service at 4pm in the Cathedral led by
Archbishop Kelly.
“To know full forgiveness and the first stirrings of a healing, we must
yield our self sufficiency. Forgiveness is essentially a surrender to
those others, God as well as a faithful community, who alone can give
us the healing we absolutely need but can never offer ourselves”.
“A person cannot forgive up to 490 times without forgiveness becoming a
part of the habit structure of their being. Forgiveness is not an
occasional act; it is a permanent attitude” M Luther King.
Please note that due to St Edwards Founders Day
Ceremony taking place
next Sunday at 1.30pm Choral Evening Prayer will be at 4pm.
Canon Anthony O'Brien
Cathedral Dean
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