Weekly Record

23 August 2009

Contrary to indications last week the bucket and spade never came out of the case and the knotted handkerchief is so last year on Anglesey that I had to invest in a £2 designer special baseball cap from TK Max to keep up with the Jones’s, of which there are many throughout Wales. Anyway if you want the Deans rough guide to Anglesey here goes. The Island is pretty flat (compared to the rest of Wales) and the coastal path now runs almost the entire length of Anglesey - hence great coastal walks that don’t finish you off on the first day. There is plenty of good pub grub and reception for mobile phones is patchy so if other family members have gone off doing different things in the day you can aim to end up in some hostelry without anyone being able to check up on you. There is a very welcoming new(ish) parish church in Holyhead but watch out for them selling you tickets for a barbecue that takes place after you have returned home. Unless you’re an O’Brien or a toddler they wear wet suits to go into the water these days –though giant goose pimples are much more flattering, in my view, to the sight of most adults kitted out in these outfits. Finally a general rule on family holidays. Taking turns at cooking dinner is a great way of sharing the load and ensures variety but don’t volunteer for the day that all the relatives, friends and passing acquaintances turn up- it could be your worst nightmare!

Fr Michael concludes his final round of, last masses, today at 10am in the Crypt. He will have a couple of weeks holiday before he moves in to the Presbytery at Our Lady’s ,Wavertree, and takes on his new role as chaplain to Broadgreen Hospital. His appointment to the Cathedral five years ago was his first after ordination. During his time here his main work has been that of chaplain to the Royal Hospital – not only visiting and being on call to patients but also co-ordinating the lists of volunteers and taking overall responsibility for the Catholic Chaplaincy. Within the Cathedral Parish he has been chaplain to the primary school, the choir, the Legion of Mary and co-ordinator for the RCIA, Eucharistic Ministers and couples preparing for marriage. (At this stage you are probably wondering what the rest of the clergy do!) On behalf of you all I would like to thank Fr Michael not just for taking on these responsibilities but for his commitment and thorough and enthusiastic way he carried them out – second only to his devotion to Liverpool football club. We will miss him and wish him well in his new appointment.

The first part of this week will be extremely quiet in the Cathedral with not even a group tour booked in for the first few days. On Friday things liven up - another cruise ship is in port and we look forward welcoming many of the passengers who will visit the Cathedral. The cruise ship last week was in port on a Sunday and it was nice to see that a considerable number of the passengers joined us for mass. On Saturday there will be a short concert by St Christophers Chamber Choir at 1pm and an Organ Recital at 2pm.

For those of you who have not been on your hols yet I wish you a lovely, relaxing time.

Canon Anthony O'Brien
Cathedral Dean