Two Today

There are lots of important anniversaries to celebrate this year, but here's one that is not likely to be widely reported: our Cathedral Blog is two years old today! In 379 posts over the last two years, we have covered the big events, the life of the Cathedral and given some behind the scenes insights. If you feel inclined to give the blog a birthday present, why not recommend it to a friend? There will be plenty to see over the coming days, as we report on the handover to Bishop Campbell and bid farewell to Bishop O'Donoghue. The blog is getting more visits than ever before; thanks for your support.

May Diary

A little earlier than usual (as our attention over the next few days is likely to be diverted elsewhere!), here's our look ahead at the coming month. May gets off to a flying start with the inauguration of Bishop Campbell and Diocesan Farewell to Bishop O'Donoghue taking place on Friday. The rest of the month also has much to offer: the Diocesan Altar Servers' Mass takes place on Saturday 16th at 12:15pm (all welcome, more details on the diocesan website, here) and a Mass in celebration of Marriage and Family Life takes place on Saturday 23rd at 3pm (again, all welcome). Parish events include the final two 'Curious about the Eucharist' talks, and Bishop Campbell will confirm some of our young people at 10:30am Mass on Pentecost Sunday, 31st May.

20th May is the 100th anniversary of the appointment of Dr J. H. Reginald Dixon, the brilliant musician and singular character who served as organist and master of music here from 1909 to 1971. Many parishioners have fond memories of this extraordinary man whose music was performed all over Europe. The anniversary is being marked with a 'Dr Dixon Festival', part of the Cathedral's 150th anniversary celebrations. You are welcome to join us for: a talk on Dr Dixon's life (Friday 15th at 7:30pm; free entry), a performance of some of his music (Saturday 16th at 8pm; tickets £8, concessions £6) and an organ recital given by Joan Johnson, his last student (Wednesday 20th, 7:30pm; admission by donation). You can find more details on the Cathedral's concerts and events page, here.

Canon Billington will feature more on Dr Dixon during the month of May. Other highlights on Billington's Blog in the coming month will be reports on the opening of St Thomas More's and the installation of Bishop Brewer, who took over from Bishop Foley in May 1985. Much to look forward to! Billington's Blog can be found here. Today he reports on the blessing of the Cathedral's foundation stone on this day in 1857.

Today is also the anniversary of the beatification of Thérèse of Lisieux, whose relics are coming to the Cathedral 28th-30th September. Already it looks set to be a fantastic event, with a very significant number of people expressing interest. More about the visit and regular updates can be found on the Thérèse blog, which in May will feature some accounts of key moments in Thérèse's life (her First Communion, her miraculous cure, her canonisation), information on resources for schools being sent out in the coming weeks and other news about the visit. You can find the Thérèse blog here.

A call from the Lord

Next Sunday is dedicated as a special day of prayer for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and in many parishes there will be speakers, promotional materials displayed and prayers offered for this cause. At the recent Chrism Mass Bishop O'Donoghue spoke of his 42 years as a priest and bishop, saying that his time in priestly ministry had been "a gift from the Lord." He will, of course, retire from his role as Bishop of Lancaster on Friday, but remains a bishop and a priest and will continue to serve the Church, albeit in a slightly less stressful way! During his time in Lancaster he has often reminded us of the need to pray for vocations and - thankfully - there are more seminarians for the Diocese now than when he began. Constant prayer is still needed, as is the generosity of those whom the Lord is calling. Could it be you? The Diocese has its own vocations promotion blog and is currently looking for men interested in the priesthood to consider spending a year at the dioceasn House of Formation. You can find more on the vocations blog - click here.

A Tribute from the Lancaster Youth

Many of the young people of the Diocese have great affection for Bishop Patrick, who has accompanied them to the World Youth Day celebrations in Toronoto (2002), Cologne (2005) and Sydney (2008), and has always been a keen supporter of the Lancaster Lourdes Pilgrimage Youth Section. The Bishop has also worked hard to build up provision for youth in the Diocese and regularly calls in to youth events. Some of the young people of the Diocese have put together a tribute to the Bishop on YouTube, featuring pictures of the Bishop and some scenes from around the Lancaster Diocese. It lasts about five minutes and can be viewed by clicking on the image above. The Blog will, of course, have its own tribute to Bishop Patrick later in the week.

One last time

Regular visitors to the Cathedral Blog will be well used to seeing Bishop Patrick seated on the cathedra. This image, however, is unique: here the Bishop is seated on this symbol of his authority for the last time. Bishop Patrick yesterday presided over a liturgy in the Cathedral for what will be - barring any unexpected events - the final time.

The Bishop was celebrating Mass for Women Together in the Diocese of Lancaster, who had asked him to do so as a farewell before his retirement on Friday. The group also had lunch and held a meeting at the Cathedral in the afternoon.

Women came from across the Diocese for the celebration; a number of religious women were among those who attended.

At the end of Mass the group presented the Bishop with a spiritual bouquet of Masses and with a green stole. They thanked him for his work and support during his time in Lancaster.

Speaking at the cathedra for the last time, Bishop Patrick thanked Women Together for all they have done and wished them well for the future. He told the congregation that he had been "very happy" during his time in the Diocese.

And so, for the last time, the Bishop was given his mitre and crozier at the throne ready for the blessing. His retirement will be marked by the whole Diocese on Friday (please note: access to this Mass is strictly by ticket only), when Bishop Michael will be the principal celebrant at Mass in the Cathedral for the first time. Keep an eye on the blog over the coming days for more about the handover, and - of course - full coverage of Friday's Mass.

St Mark, evangelist

The feast of St Mark the evangelist is kept today. Here his symbol (the lion) is seen with the symbol of St Matthew. The image is from the Te Deum window.

The last week at the desk

As of yesterday evening there is less than a week to go until Bishop Patrick hands over to his successor. Today he will celebrate Mass in the Cathedral for Women Together in the Diocese of Lancaster (12:15pm; all welcome) and will maintain a full timetable until the end of the week. The Bishop has spent countless hours behind his desk over the years he has been with us. The daily delivery of post is alone enough to keep him busy!

St George, Patron of England

Today is the feast of St George, the Patron of England. Here he is seen in the Cathedral's Te Deum window (top right), accompanied by two fellow martyrs: St Alban (in blue) and St Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

Great crowds mark four years

Last Sunday was the fourth anniversary of the election of Pope Benedict. High above St Peter's Square the papal appartments remained unoccupied; the Pope was at Castelgandolfo, the Papal residence just outside of the city. It is at these windows that the Holy Father normally appears for his weekly angelus (in Eastertide, Regina Caeli) blessing.

Despite the poor weather and the fact that the Pope was out of town, a large crowd gathered in the square to wish him well as he begins the fifth year of his pontificate. Seemingly the Pope is drawing bigger crowds than his predecessor - quite some achievement given Pope John Paul's popularity. It has been remarked that in days past the people came to see Pope John Paul; now they come to hear Pope Benedict, whose brief reflections always contain plenty of food for thought.

Benedict our Pope, Patrick our Bishop

No image can better remind us of the unity of the Church than this: our Bishop meeting with the Holy Father. The meeting took place last Wednesday at the end of the Pope's weekly General Audience in St Peter's Square. The Holy Father often meets with bishops and other guests at the end of the audience, though the meetings are very brief. Last week he departed from the usual protocol and spent a few minutes with Bishop Patrick, who was visiting Rome ahead of his retirement next week.

The Bishop presented Pope Benedict with copies of his acclaimed documents, Fit for Mission? Church and Fit for Mission? Schools. His Holiness spent some time looking through the documents and thanked Bishop Patrick for the work he had done, not only in these publications but throughout his eight years in Lancaster.

Meanwhile, in the background, another bishop took the opportunity to zoom in for a picture!

Our man in Rome sent us these pictures which were taken soon after the meeting. Above the Bishop is seen with his secretary, Fr Robert Billing, who accompanied him on the trip; below he is with Fr Peter Groody, who is currently studying in Rome.

You can read more about the meeting on the diocesan website: click here.

More from the Chrism Mass

As promised, here are a few more pictures from Maundy Thursday's Chrism Mass - already (can you believe it?) 11 days ago. As can be seen here, the rain held off for long enough for the priests to make their way from the Social Centre (where they vested) to the Cathedral.

The clergy often use these opportunities to catch up on each other's news - the stroll through the garden is a perfect opportunity for a brief pre-Mass chat!

Here the Bishop, about to enter the Cathedral for his last Chrism Mass in Lancaster, shares a joke with some of the Canons.

Inside the Cathedral attention is turned to more serious matters: the blessing of the oils and consecration of the Chrism, and the renewal of the priests' commitment to service. Having been brought up with the bread and wine to be used at Mass, the oils are placed at the front of the sanctuary.

Three deacons - pictured here - carry the oils. The deacon in green carries the oil of Chrism, the one in white the oil of catechumens and the one in purple the oil of the sick. After Mass the oils are then distributed to priests for use in parishes across the Diocese.

These photographs come to us courtesy of the Catholic Voice of Lancaster, the Diocesan newspaper, and were taken by the paper's editor, Edwina Gillett. Before Mass she also managed to get a picture of some of the papal knights, seen here. Many thanks to Edwina for sharing these pictures with us. The Chrism Mass will be featured in the next edition of the Catholic Voice, which will be published at the end of this month.

Doubting Thomas

The Gospel reading for this octave day of Easter tells of Thomas' doubt that the Lord has risen. All doubt is dispelled, however, when Thomas sees the Lord; he responds, simply, "My Lord and my God." The scene is depicted in the Cathedral's Coulston Chantry, close to the main entrance.

The Empty Tomb

On the lawn at the back of the Cathedral Social Centre, children from the Cafe Club (parish group for children aged 10-13) have produced a depiction of the Easter scene. A path leads to the empty tomb, where a slab of stone has been removed from the entrance. Three crosses on a hill can be seen at the top of the picture.

Inside the tomb, the grave-clothes are seen folded up, just as the Gospel records. It is wonderful that the younger members of our parish have taken time to visualise the scene and to think about its meaning.

Easter Flowers

These pictures from Easter Sunday are a good reminder of just how good the weather was; they show some of the flowers around the Cathedral. We're fortunate that in our part of the world Easter falls just as everything is coming back to life after the barren months of winter.

Outside the front door of Cathedral House, the flower beds look particularly fine.

Meanwhile, inside the Cathedral our flower ladies have once again excelled. This display stands just in front of the main altar. The flowers in church are not mere decoration; they are a sign of new life coming forth, and a reminder that all life has its source in God.

Easter Angels

Part of the decoration of the stand for the Paschal Candle, three angels boldly proclaim that the Lord is risen from the dead.

Paschal Candle 2009

Towering over everything else on the Cathedral sanctuary, the Paschal Candle proclaims the resurrection of the Lord. This great symbol of the risen Christ is lit for all liturgy during Eastertide, having been first lit from the Easter fire on Holy Saturday night.

Certain elements always appear on the candle. The alpha and omega - the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet - appear above and below the cross, reminding us that Christ is "the beginning and the end". The date - 2009 - is seen around the candle. Five grains of incense in gold-coloured studs are inserted into the candle at the Easter Vigil. These are references to the wounds of Christ, just as His risen body retained the marks of His death (see John 20:27).

The rest of the decoration varies each year. This time around the candle is decorated with six bands representing the six days of creation. Here we see the creation of day and night on the fourth day; the sun and the moon and stars are created. Using the days of creation as a theme for the candle seems appropriate, as the resurrection is a new creation. Now God recreates the world, restoring humans to His image and likeness. The Gospel reading for Easter Sunday began by telling us that "it was very early in the morning on the first day of the week, and still dark" when the women went to the tomb. In the darkness, on the first day of the week, God again says "Let there be light."

The creation of the birds of the air and the fish of the sea (day 5) is depicted here...

... and here, of course, are the first humans - popularly known as 'Adam and Eve' - amongst the many animals that God created on the sixth day. The Exsultet, sung at the beginning of the Easter Vigil, famously speaks of the "happy fault", the "necessary sin of Adam which gained for us so great a redeemer."

Placed in its stand, the candle occupies a prominent place on the sanctuary until Pentecost Sunday (this year 31st May), after which it is moved to the baptistery.

Easter Evening Light

The Cathedral's 150th Holy Week comes to an end, and the celebration of Easter begins. Everyone is ready for a break - lots of volunteers have given a tremendous number of hours to fold and staple booklets, work in the sacristy, serve at the altar, arrange flowers, clean and so on. During Holy Week there were 22 public liturgies in the Cathedral - somewhat more than our small team can normally provide! It is, of course, not only worthwhile, but also necessary: we must celebrate to the very best of our ability the great mysteries at the heart of our faith. At the end of this Easter Day the Lord has provided a final glimpse of His splendour - a wonderful glow of orange light bathed the east end of the Cathedral after the evening Mass.

The Paschal Candle, standing over 10 feet tall once in its stand, stands out well against the light of the setting sun...

... and here the Lady Chapel and the Sacred Heart statue are caught in the glow.

The liturgies of Holy Week have gone well and at times have been very impressive - but it seems this evening the Lord Himself has had the last word.

Easter Sunday Mass

Happy Easter to you all! Last night we celebrated the Lord's resurrection with a wonderful Easter Vigil and first Mass of the Resurrection. The 50-day celebration has begun! The image here was taken at the end of the 10:30am Mass, which was a full house! Much more on the celebration of Easter to follow on the blog over the next few days, including a look at the Paschal Candle. And if you're in the area, come and join us for the celebration of the Octave. There is Exposition and Rosary today at 4pm followed by Sung Vespers at 4:40pm; then Monday-Saturday a sung Mass each day at 12:15pm, Exposition at 5pm and Sung Vespers at 5:30pm.

Sacristy Scenes

The last public liturgy before the Easter Vigil - Office of Readings and Morning Prayer - was sung in the Cathedral this morning, and now all efforts are turned towards preparing for the celebration of Easter. In the sacristy there is plenty of polishing and cleaning going on; the room is too small at this time of year, and is cluttered with all sorts of furniture and other items that were removed when the altars were stripped on Thursday evening.

The flower ladies began work early and are busy preparing a large number of arrangements: the whole church (side chapels, window ledges etc) must be decorated before the Vigil.

In Cathedral House all the altar cloths have been washed and will soon be ironed and returned to their altars. Everything must look as good as new!

In the Cathedral itself, however, everything is done to preserve the darkness and solemnity of Good Friday until the last minute. The altar remains uncovered, the cross still present for those who wish to pray. The scene will be very different in a few hours' time.

The Tree of Life

One of the central acts of the Good Friday Liturgy is the veneration of the cross. A single cross is brought and unveiled before the congregation. The people kneel in worship of the Saviour who gives His life for our salvation. The cross, then - dead wood - becomes the tree of life for us. After the cross is unveiled people then have the opportunity to come forward for veneration; they kiss the feet of the figure of Christ or perform another act of reverance for the Lord.

The venerated cross is then placed upon the altar, where it stands for the rest of the day. The scene is stark - very simple but making a powerful statement. The cross is central to our faith.

Good Friday

It's an image that could only have been taken on Good Friday. The altar is stripped, the Cathedral is in darkness. Today is the day of the Lord's Passion.

The whole Cathedral has been stripped of decoration, as much as is possible. Here we see the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, without candles or altar cloths. The tabernacle is empty and the doors are left open. All of the altars in the side chapels are the same.

These images were taken this morning, before the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer were sung. If the level of natural light permits, the electric lighting will remain off all day. In a church that usually has so much colour and decoration about it, the difference today is very striking.

Altars of Repose

The Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord's Supper ends with a procession to the altar of repose. Here people pray before the Blessed Sacrament, thereby answering the Lord's instruction: "Stay here and pray with me." In Rome there is a great tradition of visiting the altar of repose in as many churches as possible. Here, we see the altar of repose in the church of San Agostino.

Above, the Chiesa Nuova and below, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. Here in Lancaster the Cathedral is open until Midnight and our prayer before the Lord at the altar of repose ends with sung Compline (night prayer) at 11:50pm. A picture of last year's altar of repose is posted here.

These pictures were taken this evening and sent by our man in Rome, who was also at the Chrism Mass in the Lateran Basilica earlier today. It was a wonderful event, with so many priests concelebrating that they took more than 20 minutes to process in! At this Mass the holy oils were blessed and the Chrism consecrated by the Pope not only for the Diocese of Rome, but also for the Diocese of L'Aquila, which was unable to celebrate the Chrism Mass due to the recent earthquake.

A priest's eye view

It's a sight that always attracts the attention of passers-by: about 100 priests making their way through the Cathedral garden ready to join the procession for the start of the Chrism Mass. This was Bishop Patrick's last Chrism Mass and at the end of Mass he addressed a few words to the congregation. He spoke of having enjoyed the challenge of being Bishop here, and of how it has been a privilege to serve here. Our attention now turns to the sacred Triduum, but we hope to feature a little more on the Chrism Mass sometime next week.

Spy Wednesday: behind the scenes

Today is the Wednesday of Holy Week, sometimes called 'Spy Wednesday', because it marks the day that Judas agreed to betray the Lord. Our cameras have been doing a little spying of their own, so this morning we feature a couple of behind the scenes pictures from inside Cathedral House. Above, hundreds of booklets are ready for the coming days, all of them having been folded and stapled by hand. There are booklets for the Chrism Mass, the Easter Triduum and Easter Masses. There are also sheets for the Liturgy of the Hours, most of which is celebrated publicly at the Cathedral over the next few days. There will be sung Vespers each day during the Easter Octave.

The Holy Oils have been removed from the Cathedral and taken to be burnt. The ampullae (seen above) have been cleaned and refilled with oil, ready for the new oils to be blessed by the Bishop tomorrow morning at the Chrism Mass (11:30am - all welcome).

The Chrism Mass also presents us with an opportunity to distribute items to parishes, and tomorrow no parish will be going home empty handed! After collecting the Holy Oils the priests will also be able to pick up tickets for the Mass marking the handover to Bishop Campbell (1st May) and parish resource packs which have been prepared by the Cathedral for the visit of St Thérèse later this year. The packs contain promotional materials and catechetical resources for parishes to use, and should be appearing across the Diocese over the next few weeks. You can find out more, and download many of the resources, on the new Thérèse blog (here) or on the Thérèse section of the Cathedral website (here).

Judas, the betrayer

In the Whiteside Chantry of the Cathedral we find an image which looms large at this time of year: Judas points accusingly towards the Lord in the garden of Gethsemane. With his left hand he clutches the bag of money which he has been paid to betray Jesus. Judas' betrayal is a significant feature of today's Gospel reading at Mass (Jn 13:21-38). St John tells us that Satan "entered his heart" and he left the Last Supper, ready to hand Jesus over to the authorities. St John makes a comment which clearly has both a literal and a symbolic meaning: "Night had fallen."

Palm Sunday Procession

Here is Bishop O'Donoghue, palm in hand, walking towards the Cathedral yesterday morning. He was at the back of a procession of over 250 people.

After the reading of the Gospel account of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, the procession left from its starting point outside Cathedral House and made its way through the garden. A fine team of altar servers led the way...

... followed by a large crowd of people from the congregation, followed by the priests and the Bishop. Inside the Cathedral Mass for Palm Sunday was celebrated. Holy Week has begun!

Holy Week

Today is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. Over the next seven days we are invited to be with the Lord as He suffers, dies and rises again. This is not simply a re-enactment or remembering of His acts. Rather, as we celebrate the liturgy we live through these events with the Lord and He makes the benefits of His sacrifice present for us. The most important celebration of the week is the Paschal Triduum (Maundy Thursday 7:30pm, Good Friday 3pm and Holy Saturday 9pm). A full list of Holy Week times can be found in pdf format here.

Farewell, Your Eminence

As of yesterday Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor is no longer the Archbishop of Westminster, though he retains pastoral oversight of the Diocese (as Apostolic Administrator) until his successor is installed on May 21st. It seems appropriate to mark his retirement with a brief look back at the three visits he has made to Lancaster Cathedral during his time at Westminster. He was installed as Archbishop of Westminster in March 2000; just three months later he was here in Lancaster to preside over the funeral of Bishop John Brewer.

He became a cardinal in February 2001 and returned to Lancaster later that year when Bishop O'Donoghue was installed here. As our new Bishop had been an auxiliary in Westminster, the two had worked together for a few months.

Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor's recent visit to Lancaster was last March, when he preached at the ordination of Bishop Campbell. Hopefully in retirement he will continue to visit from time to time. He is due to return on 1st May when Bishop O'Donoghue retires and Bishop Campbell takes over. There will be a fuller look back at some of the above events on Billington's Blog as the year goes on.

Archbishop Nichols: the Lancaster response

Following the announcement earlier today that Most Rev. Vincent Nichols (presently of Birmingham) is to be the next Archbishop of Westminster, Bishop O'Donoghue has issued a statement of welcome on the diocesan website. The Bishop says, "What a consolation it will be for Archbishop Vincent on this momentous occasion to realise that what is being asked of him is no different, in a sense, from that of any other Bishop. That call is to serve Christ and His people with fidelity and generosity. These are difficult times in the Church and in Society but there are many opportunities, too, and the new Archbishop is blessed with immense gifts and talents." The full statement can be found here. Archbishop Nichols will be installed in Westminster on Thursday 21st May.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols heads for Westminster

Archbishop Vincent Nichols stands outside Westminster Cathedral. It's a scene with which we will become much more familiar in the years ahead: it's just been announced that Archbishop Nichols is to become the new Archbishop of Westminster. He takes over from Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, who will retire at the age of 76. The announcement, which was made at Archbishop's House in Westminster, ends months of speculation.

Vincent Nichols was born in Crosby, Liverpool on 8th November 1945. Having been ordained priest in 1969 he went on to become an auxiliary bishop of the Westminster Diocese, with special responsibility for the north London area. On 29th March 2000 he was installed as Archbishop of Birmingham, a role in which he has impressed many. He has been particularly noted for his ability with the media - something which is an ever-greater necessity in the role which he is to take on.

The Archbishop was here in Lancaster for Bishop Campbell's ordination last March. He can be seen here (at the back of the picture) with some of his brother bishops.

This is the chair he has to fill: the cathedra in Westminster Cathedral. His return to Westminster is likely to be popular, though his task will not be an easy one. The media often refer to the Archbishop of Westminster as 'the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales'; this is not true - in fact, the Archbishop has no jurisdiction at all in most of the country. There is no doubt, however, that he has an important leadership role and often acts as a spokesman for the whole country; all of Archbishop Nichol's skills will be needed in the coming years. Traditionally the Archbishop of Westminster has always been made a cardinal, though we may have to wait a few years - Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor retains his voting rights until he is 80 years old, and the new man in Westminster is unlikely to get his red hat before then.

Speaking about the appointment, Archbishop Nichols said, "I feel a real need to acknowledge my openness to and dependence on God above all else. But in this I am not unique. Everyone who seeks to follow the ways of God learns to depend on the truth, love and compassion of God more than on their own strength. I know that as I prepare to take on this new office in the Church many people will pray to the Lord that I will be strengthened for this task – and that is what I definitely need." You can find more about Archbishop Nichols' appointment at the Diocese of Westminster website: click here to take a look.

Nalgonda Appeal

Last weekend Fr Lourdu made an appeal at the Cathedral on behalf of his Diocese. The collection raised the excellent total of £1049.12, which will go towards the work at the new church. Thank you to everyone who contributed toward this project. [update: 19th October 2009] - we have heard that all the funds needed for the church have now been raised, and we hope to post pictures on the Cathedral blog when work is completed.

April Diary

Palm Sunday is just a few days away, and with it Holy Week begins. It is the high point of the Church's year, celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus, the events which are at the very heart of our faith. The Diocesan Chrism Mass (Holy Thursday, 9th April, 11:30am) is the largest annual occasion at the Cathedral, with priests and people coming from all over the Diocese to attend. All are welcome. For the days of the Triduum the main celebrations are accompanied by the singing of the Liturgy of the Hours at certain times. A full list of Holy Week times can be seen in pdf form here (or visit the Cathedral homepage here). During the Easter Octave there is sung Vespers every day. Aside from Holy Week and Easter, the 'Curious about the Eucharist?' talks begin their final series (21st April) and the Skipton Camerata are back with some more of Bach's Brandenburg Concerti (24th). The Cathedral diary can be found here.

Elsewhere on our small family of blogs, Canon Billington's look back at April in bygone years will include glimpses of Holy Week, the death of Pope John Paul II, the role of religious women in the parish, the consecration of the Sacred Heart altar and the laying of the Cathedral's foundation stone. Billington's Blog can be found here.

Meanwhile, the new Thérèse blog will give details of a parish resource pack which is being distributed at the Chrism Mass and carry news and updates about the September visit of the saint's relics. It will also look at some of the events in Thérèse's life, including her entry into the Carmel on 9th April 1888. The blog can be found here.