From this week on the surrounding roads around the Cathedral will start to clog up once again with the advent of the universities and offices and students slowly returning during September. Congestion, illegal and inconsiderate parking are a fact of life of being in the City centre and it is sometimes beyond belief where people leave vehicles within parts of the Cathedral site. If I had my way I would stop any vehicle driving onto pavement, parking across any driveway or entrance and tow away any that were illegally parked – it is just as well that I am not a traffic warden. On the subject of parking the council will shortly be creating a two bus lay-by for visiting coaches alongside the regular bus stop on Mount Pleasant. It will probably mean even less roadside parking but better access to the Cathedral for visiting coaches.
Within the Cathedral our Choir and musicians are expected back this week in readiness for next weekend and our full complement of Altar Servers also. Grateful thanks to those who have served, sang or accompanied for the weekend Masses during the quieter weeks of the Summer. Archbishop Kelly will be presiding at 11.00am Solemn Mass next Sunday fresh back from his holiday in the States staying with relatives. Fr Andrew Robinson, our new priest, should have moved in to Cathedral House by next weekend. I will ask him to write an article for the newsletter in the next couple of weeks to tell us something about himself by way of an introduction. Fortunately for Fr Andrew the Archbishop will celebrate the Solemn Mass for the next few weeks so he will have a chance to break in gently.
There are some other changes this month within the community of Sisters, the Daughters of Charity, who live and work here at the Cathedral. Sister Joseph, who has been Sister Superior for the last three years, will be moving on from the Cathedral to the seaside at Southport. The Order has a convent at the far end of Lord St between the shops and the boating lake. We thank her for her dedicated service during her time here at the Cathedral and hope she enjoys the sea air and feeding the ducks! Sister Patricia who has been with us for a short while, standing in while Sister Carole recovered from her operation, will also be leaving at the same time. Sisters Patricia and Joseph became a great double act in the last few months and we will miss their laughter and banter around the house and the Sacristy. Sister Rosalie will be taking over as Sister Superior of the community.
A few years ago when I first arrived at the Cathedral a few items of my clothing in the laundry were given away, mistakenly, to a ‘Gentlemen of the Road’ who needed clothing by a mystery member of staff. It seems they have struck again as unwittingly we sold off Monsignor Cookson’s golf clubs (not that he has used them for the last 20 years) and a pair of nearly new walking boots belonging to one of the exhibition staff at the last Car Boot Sale. It is a precarious existence here in the House! If you leave anything around it will either be eaten, sold or given away. They often say that the Cathedral was built on the ‘pennies of the poor’ when it comes to the Crypt link we need to add and anything left lying around in Cathedral House!
From this week on the surrounding roads around the Cathedral will start to clog up once again with the advent of the universities and offices and students slowly returning during September. Congestion, illegal and inconsiderate parking are a fact of life of being in the City centre and it is sometimes beyond belief where people leave vehicles within parts of the Cathedral site. If I had my way I would stop any vehicle driving onto pavement, parking across any driveway or entrance and tow away any that were illegally parked – it is just as well that I am not a traffic warden. On the subject of parking the council will shortly be creating a two bus lay-by for visiting coaches alongside the regular bus stop on Mount Pleasant. It will probably mean even less roadside parking but better access to the Cathedral for visiting coaches.
Within the Cathedral our Choir and musicians are expected back this week in readiness for next weekend and our full complement of Altar Servers also. Grateful thanks to those who have served, sang or accompanied for the weekend Masses during the quieter weeks of the Summer. Archbishop Kelly will be presiding at 11.00am Solemn Mass next Sunday fresh back from his holiday in the States staying with relatives. Fr Andrew Robinson, our new priest, should have moved in to Cathedral House by next weekend. I will ask him to write an article for the newsletter in the next couple of weeks to tell us something about himself by way of an introduction. Fortunately for Fr Andrew the Archbishop will celebrate the Solemn Mass for the next few weeks so he will have a chance to break in gently.
A few years ago when I first arrived at the Cathedral a few items of my clothing in the laundry were given away, mistakenly, to a ‘Gentlemen of the Road’ who needed clothing by a mystery member of staff. It seems they have struck again as unwittingly we sold off Monsignor Cookson’s golf clubs (not that he has used them for the last 20 years) and a pair of nearly new walking boots belonging to one of the exhibition staff at the last Car Boot Sale. It is a precarious existence here in the House! If you leave anything around it will either be eaten, sold or given away. They often say that the Cathedral was built on the ‘pennies of the poor’ when it comes to the Crypt link we need to add and anything left lying around in Cathedral House!