Weekly Record

24 May 2009

Clergy Diocesan Retreats used to be a sombre experience – listening to lengthy talks seated on the hard benches of the chapel at Upholland Seminary and being reminded of your past institutional life in every area of the building. The advent of cheap European flights changed all that and in the last few years they have been held in Seminaries in France and Spain. I attended one in Ars, France, a couple of years ago. I don’t think Easyjet had ever had so many catholic priests on one flight and it was reminiscent of a Fr Ted sketch! Anyway Frs Michael and Ian travel to Salamanca in Spain on retreat this week. Unfortunately the system is changing back, after this, to retreats in Ushaw College in Durham and as you can imagine the rest of the clergy in the house, who will not have the chance of going to Spain are a tiny bit envious. We will be checking that they don’t head out for their flight with shorts and beach mats.

I was able to watch some of the televised coverage of the Installation of Archbishop Vincent Nicholls to Westminster last Thursday and found it quite moving. All credit to the BBC for their coverage of this despite the lack of senior political figures and royalty in attendance. As we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension this weekend Archbishop Nicholls’ call for us to be more effective witnesses to Christ in today’s society echoes the call of Our Lord to His Disciples as he Ascended to Heaven.

The BBC visited both of our Cathedrals in Liverpool in the last two weeks to film the buildings and interview both Deans for a section of this weeks ‘Songs of Praise’. So if you would like to see the Cathedral and Crypt on TV tune in this Sunday evening. I haven’t a clue how much or how little a piece it will be or what I ended up saying but that won’t come as a surprise to you all! Though I did receive a hug and a kiss from Claire Sweeney, the presenter, for showing her round the Crypt – fortunately not on screen.

Archbishop Kelly will be visiting the Cathedral twice within the next week. He will preside at the annual ‘Healing Mass’ this Sunday evening at 6.30pm and he will celebrate the Solemn Mass next Sunday on the Feast of Pentecost at which he will confirm three of our young people on the anniversary festival of the consecration of our Cathedral.

Recently there has been a wider renewed interest in choral singing and a greater awareness of its value in children’s education. A new initiative by the Government called ‘Sing Up’ is aimed at using Cathedrals as places of excellence which can offer choral experiences to local schools. As part of this local children are joining with Choristers from both Cathedrals here on Tuesday evening. After a rehearsal and explanation they will sing compline (night prayer) at 8.30pm.

Next Saturday there is a general meeting for all our Cathedral Guides at 12pm in the Gibberd Room. It is a chance for the Guides to come together as a group following the induction of a considerable number of new volunteers and it is also an opportunity for a briefing before the Crypt is open to the public from Monday 1st June.

Canon Anthony O'Brien
Cathedral Dean