Welcome to
those who will be visiting the Cathedral this weekend and who are here
to enjoy the Matthew Street Festival or just taking advantage of the
Bank Holiday before the onset of September. This is also the final
holiday week at the Cathedral and next Sunday we mark the start of the
new term and the return of the Choir with our ‘Cathedral Community
Mass’ at 11am.
Controversy
seems to be brewing on Hope Street with the news that Tesco has
purchased the property next to the Philharmonic Pub and are intent on
opening a Tesco Metro store there. Apparently they don’t need planning
permission as it already has the designation for a café or restaurant.
However the appropriateness of signs and external façade was an issue
that did require consultation and this has raised the question as to
the suitability of a large retail outlet in such an architecturally
important Street where the focus is on cultural and leisure activities.
Others can comment better than I on such things but we do have
considerable experience of having a Tesco Metro as a neighbour on our
site which backs on to the Crypt. The store in the Brownlow Hill
location is a welcome facility, but this is a very different location.
If this goes ahead on Hope Street there will be a constant line of
parked cars coming and going from the traffic lights at Hardman Street
along Hope Street- as is the case on Brownlow Hill (Cathedral staff
have even been spotted parking there!). The other issue concerns
waste and deliveries and we have had constant problems with Tesco
storing all their delivery cages and at times waste cardboard etc
outside of their site facing the Crypt entrances. It took a few years
of being passed from pillar to post before we resolved this. It could
be argued that we have enough Tesco stores in this part of the city
already. There is a fine line between having a good coverage of an area
and offering people a choice and one of total domination which takes
away any choice. One thing is clear to me that we do not need nor want
a supermarket along Hope Street.
Speaking with Fr Jose this week
in connection with the forthcoming visit of the Relics of St Therese he
informed me that they were taken to the Philippines some years ago.
Upon arrival in his region there were huge crowds and the diocesan
priests all escorted the vehicle transporting the relics on motorbikes,
as outriders to the cortege. This set off a train of thought with me
trying to picture our diocesan clergy on motorbikes – no we won’t be
doing that here - it is difficult enough to get the priests all
walking in an orderly procession in fours on Diocesan occasions! Please
note some of the events and talks in preparation for the visit of the
relics and if you want to delve further into her writings and life
there are lots of choices of material on sale in our Giftshop and St
Pauls bookshop.
2009/2010 has been designated by Pope Benedict
as a year of prayer for priests. There are small prayer cards available
at the back of Cathedral and Crypt which are being distributed
throughout the Archdiocese. In one of the prayers you even get to
choose the particular priest you want to pray for. Please help
yourself to a prayer card.
Controversy
seems to be brewing on Hope Street with the news that Tesco has
purchased the property next to the Philharmonic Pub and are intent on
opening a Tesco Metro store there. Apparently they don’t need planning
permission as it already has the designation for a café or restaurant.
However the appropriateness of signs and external façade was an issue
that did require consultation and this has raised the question as to
the suitability of a large retail outlet in such an architecturally
important Street where the focus is on cultural and leisure activities.
Others can comment better than I on such things but we do have
considerable experience of having a Tesco Metro as a neighbour on our
site which backs on to the Crypt. The store in the Brownlow Hill
location is a welcome facility, but this is a very different location.
If this goes ahead on Hope Street there will be a constant line of
parked cars coming and going from the traffic lights at Hardman Street
along Hope Street- as is the case on Brownlow Hill (Cathedral staff
have even been spotted parking there!). The other issue concerns
waste and deliveries and we have had constant problems with Tesco
storing all their delivery cages and at times waste cardboard etc
outside of their site facing the Crypt entrances. It took a few years
of being passed from pillar to post before we resolved this. It could
be argued that we have enough Tesco stores in this part of the city
already. There is a fine line between having a good coverage of an area
and offering people a choice and one of total domination which takes
away any choice. One thing is clear to me that we do not need nor want
a supermarket along Hope Street.