I can understand why the Dean needs a break from time to time! In between attending first aid courses, arranging interviews for a new Security Officer, proofing what seems like a hundred service booklets for the forthcoming services, attending meeting after meeting, typing up minutes and dealing with all manner of queries via email and telephone there is not much time left for writing this week’s record. But here goes…...
You will all be pleased to know I’m sure that you are in very safe hands now that there are 10 fully trained and competent staff members who know what to do in a first aid emergency that might happen on our premises. This is a great relief to me as when the trainer for the session was asking everyone, ‘What would you do if someone fell and sprained their ankle?’ and ‘What would you do if someone had a heart attack in the Cathedral?’ etc etc, the answer that kept on coming back was ‘Call for Stewart’! Stewart, you may or may not know is our Head of Security, and is very capable, knowledgeable and confident, but he is not on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and it is good to have plenty of other people in reserve.
The week gets going deceptively quietly as we kick off with a Bank Holiday. There is just one Mass at 10.00am in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel on Monday as has become our tradition, and after Mass we expect the Cathedral to be teaming with visitors. Talking of rain (!), I have taken a sneaky peak at the long range forecast for the whole of the weekend and it looks decidedly depressing and dull in terms of weather and I don’t think we will be needing our sun lotion just yet.
On Friday evening, the Feast of the Sacred Heart, the Archbishop will be celebrating Mass at 7.30pm for the priests of the Diocese who are celebrating a special jubilee. I think in total there are about 12 priests who will be coming with their families, parishioners and friends, and then they will all decamp to the Piazza for a celebratory meal afterwards. You would be most welcome to join us—well for the Mass—not the dinner!
Next weekend is very busy with most of Saturday being taken up with a Rosary Rally organised by Bob Doyle from the Association of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It starts at 11.00am with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, hymns, reflections and the Rosary, and then at 2.00pm there will be Mass, to which everyone is welcome Come along for either all, or part of the day. On Sunday Bishop Tom Williams will be celebrating the Archdiocesan Children’s Mass at 3.00pm. This Mass is to celebrate the special place children and young people have in the Church and in our Diocese, and it would be great if the Cathedral is filled. A couple of weeks ago we celebrated Mass for Older People, so you see we cater for all, and cannot be accused of being discriminatory.
I guess I am at that in between stage—no longer young—but ‘young at heart’ and hurtling along towards middle age (on dear, what a terrible thought). This has been on my mind a bit especially as Sr Anthony and I went to see our dear friend Monsignor Cookson earlier this week. We took him a little goodie bag and amongst the red wine and sherry (!) there was a book I had picked up called, ‘The Book of Senior Moments’ which I thought he may enjoy being so much older then me! Flicking through it though I think I must be on the verge of joining the ranks of ‘older people’. I say this as I recognised certain things in myself that I never used to do. For example, whenever I go out now I always take a cardigan or mac in case ‘it gets a bit nippy.’ I am forever fretting and talking about the weather (see above). I have unexplainable compulsions to queue in Post Offices (or anywhere); and the first thing I do when I get home is to look for my slippers and I cannot for the life of me comprehend the lyrics of any pop song at all. It’s all down hill from here…….
I can understand why the Dean needs a break from time to time! In between attending first aid courses, arranging interviews for a new Security Officer, proofing what seems like a hundred service booklets for the forthcoming services, attending meeting after meeting, typing up minutes and dealing with all manner of queries via email and telephone there is not much time left for writing this week’s record. But here goes…...
Next weekend is very busy with most of Saturday being taken up with a Rosary Rally organised by Bob Doyle from the Association of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It starts at 11.00am with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, hymns, reflections and the Rosary, and then at 2.00pm there will be Mass, to which everyone is welcome Come along for either all, or part of the day. On Sunday Bishop Tom Williams will be celebrating the Archdiocesan Children’s Mass at 3.00pm. This Mass is to celebrate the special place children and young people have in the Church and in our Diocese, and it would be great if the Cathedral is filled. A couple of weeks ago we celebrated Mass for Older People, so you see we cater for all, and cannot be accused of being discriminatory. 
This has been on my mind a bit especially as Sr Anthony and I went to see our dear friend Monsignor Cookson earlier this week. We took him a little goodie bag and amongst the red wine and sherry (!) there was a book I had picked up called, ‘The Book of Senior Moments’ which I thought he may enjoy being so much older then me! Flicking through it though I think I must be on the verge of joining the ranks of ‘older people’. I say this as I recognised certain things in myself that I never used to do. For example, whenever I go out now I always take a cardigan or mac in case ‘it gets a bit nippy.’ I am forever fretting and talking about the weather (see above). I have unexplainable compulsions to queue in Post Offices (or anywhere); and the first thing I do when I get home is to look for my slippers and I cannot for the life of me comprehend the lyrics of any pop song at all. It’s all down hill from here…….