Weekly Record

27th April 2008

Walking has been a bit of a theme this week. For the year of Culture various walks have been planned from some of our best known parishes to celebrate different aspects of our Catholic life and our contribution to the life of the City. These will be led by Archbishop Kelly and the sequence will conclude with a final walk on the Feast of St Peter and Paul from the parish church of St Nicholas to the Cathedral in time for Solemn Mass. There are more details on the various posters advertising this around the Cathedral.

With the weather improving this week I have also been for a couple of walks along the waterfront to try and work out a route for the sponsored walk that we are planning in June for the Lutyens Crypt Project. I hadn’t realised that the construction work on the canal and new museum building made waterfront access impossible at the Pier Head. So even though I haven’t worked out where to start at least I am sure where we will finish off – the Pump House!

This Sunday we welcome deacons and their wives from across the Diocese who are holding a half day of recollection at the Cathedral and who will be joining us for Choral Evening Prayer. Also the Light and Peace Cancer Care group will be celebrating Mass in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel at 4.30pm.

Next Saturday at least four coach-loads of parishioners from the Leyland Pastoral Area will be spending a day at the Cathedral on an extended visit. The Archbishop will celebrate Mass with them at 10.00am and various activities have been arranged for them throughout the day concluding with Evening Prayer before they depart. Many of them may be more familiar with Preston and Chorley than Liverpool but at least the shape and design of the building and artefacts such as the Stations of the Cross should strike a familiar chord with the parishioners of St Mary’s Leyland.

The Songs of Praise programme on Sunday 4th May will be the first of the two recorded here at Easter. It is presented by Aled Jones, and is entitled ‘A Day Out In Liverpool’. Tune in and see if you can spot yourself on TV.

After the 10.00am Mass in the Crypt for the last few weeks a group of young children have begun their training as our Junior Choir. They will be singing at this Mass in the Crypt for the first time next Sunday for the feast of the Ascension. Voice trials and rehearsals will soon be held at St Edward’s for the formation of a senior girls choir which will enable us to offer a fuller range of sung liturgies both during the week and at weekends from September onwards.

Finally advanced warning that the early Sunday morning Mass will be at 8.00am on Pentecost Sunday. Archbishop Kelly will preside at this Mass in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel and it will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 4

Congratulations to Julian Daley our Cathedral MC and his wife Margaret who celebrate the Silver Jubilee of their wedding next weekend.

Canon Anthony O'Brien
Cathedral Dean