Saturday 9 May 2009

The final procession - and the priests' parade

At the end of Mass, the servers line up and the Bishop makes his way towards the altar. In the background, the last of the deacons come forward to line up behind the servers.

The procession left the Cathedral to, "Holy light on earth's horizon", a hymn of Our Lady, who is especially honoured in this month of May. It was also sung at Bishop Campbell's episcopal ordination last year, which was celebrated on the feast of the Annunciation.

Here the deacons make their way out of the Cathedral. The eagle-eyed will notice that the transept and side aisle on the left are still full of priests!

Papal dames leaving the Cathedral...

... and seminarians of the Diocese, just ahead of the first deacons.

The priests then made their way through the garden, in a scene very familiar at large diocesan occasions. One or two faces obviously stood out to our photographer:

This is Fr Philip Conner, of the Diocesan Youth Service...

... and this is Father (soon to be Canon) John Watson, parish priest of St Mary's, Barrow, where Bishop Campbell was resident for his first few months in the Diocese. It may be goodbye from him, but we are not quite done with 1st May yet: we have a few more pictures of after Mass, of the reception, and of a few other scenes that caught our eye.