Lancaster Cathedral

Trinity Sunday

2010-06-03T20:14:00.004+01:00

Better late than never! Sunday was the feast of the Holy Trinity; that wonderful feast which each year draws us deeper into life of the Holy Trinity. It always offers us the opportunity to reflect on the communion of love that is Father, Son and Holy Spirit and be a part of it. This is thought is clearly seen in the way we try to live our lives as Catholics: for we are made new in baptism and set out on the pilgrimage of life and faith towards the eternal Father; then to help us on the way the providential love of God, made flesh in Jesus, is there to nourish us with the Eucharist; and to make us completely prepared for that pilgrimage, in Confirmation the Spirit fills us with His gifts as we take for ourselves the first tentative steps of a considered pilgrim faith.

It was therefore an additional blessing that this year we also celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation on Trinity Sunday. Bishop Campbell confirmed our own young people who were joined by candidates from St Bernadette’s, St Patrick and Holy Family. Together they renewed their baptismal promises and joined Bishop Campbell in saying ‘This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it in Christ Jesus our Lord’. As Bishop Campbell anointed them, with the Chrism he blessed at the Chrism Mass on Maundy Thursday, each young person had the chance to say AMEN and put their own feet on the pilgrim way, engaging fully in the communion of love that is God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This communion is reflected in us, God’s people, as we strive to make that communion our own in faith, in our lives and in our families. After Mass they joined Bishop Michael for a group photo on the steps of the Cathedral seen here.

No Greater Love

2010-06-01T10:24:00.002+01:00

After the great sucess of the visit of the relics of St Therese last Septemeber there is a wonderful opportunity this week to learn more about Carmelite life. At 6:20pm on Wednesday evening (2nd June) the Dukes Playhouse in Lancaster is showing a film entitled, No Greater Love: "A fascinating insight into the closed world of the Carmelite Nuns in London’s Notting Hill. Director Whyte spent ten years trying to gain access to the monastery and his resulting film captures a community where the modern world’s materialism is rejected. Though mainly an observational film there are several interviews, which offer insights into their life, faith, moments of doubt and their belief in the power of prayer in the heart of the community." http://www.dukes-lancaster.org/film/no-greater-love

The Presentation in the Temple

2010-05-20T15:06:00.004+01:00

Mary and Joseph, as obedient Jews, went to the Temple to give thanks for her 'first-born male child' - Jesus. Being poor, they brought the offering as the Law required of them 'a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons' - they can be seen in the basket by Mary's knees. Simeon and Anna, both wonderful examples of people of faith witnessed this event: Anna, the old prophetess and widow spent all her time now - St Luke tells us - 'serving God night and day with fasting and prayer.' Simeon, the holy man, says 'Now, Master, You can let Your servant go in peace' because for Simeon this moment was a moment of light. The Ark of the Covenant had been kept safe in the Temple in Jerusalem and was there until the Temple was ransacked by the Babylonians in 586BC. The Ark represeneted God dwelling among His people. Mary is the new Ark of the Covenant; she fulfils all that the Ark was; for just as the Ark of the Covenant was overshadddowed by God prescence and power, so Mary was overshaddowed by the same living presence which she carried in her womb from the Annunciation, and gave birth to nine months later - Jesus Christ. For Simeon the light was put out in the Temple when the Ark was no longer found there, but now on this day, the Light, Jesus Christ, has come back into the Temple, and hope is here for all people. He is feeast of the Presentation of the Lord, or Candlemas (2nd February) Simeons hymn, the Nunc Dimitis, is said every night as part of the Office of Compline.

At last, all-powerful Master,
You give leave to Your servant
to go in peace, according to Your promise.
For my eyes have seen Your salvation
which You have prepared for all nations,
the light to enlighten the Gentiles
and give glory to Israel, Your people.

Madonna and Child

2010-05-16T14:50:00.003+01:00

As we move on with images of Mary in and around the Cathedral, we can look at some the images we have of her with her child. The statue in the picture is a particulalrly nice one, of Mary holding her infant Son. It lives in Cathedral House; sadly it is a little too small to be used with an impact in the Cathedral, standing only about 24 inches high. The antiphon used after Vepsers from Advent until the feast of Candlemas (2nd February) puts into words the feelings this statue invokes:

"Loving Mother of the Redeemer, gate of heaven, star of the sea, assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again. To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator, yet remained a virgin after as before, you who received Gabriel's joyful greeting, have pity on us, poor sinners."

The Nativity

2010-05-15T14:08:00.005+01:00

We celebrate the Annunciation on 25th March and we celebrate the Nativity nine months later on 25th December. This image, the only one of the Nativity in the Cathedral, is a detail from the Reredos of the Lady Chapel Altar. That said the Crib figures always make an annual appearance in December! The Christmas mystery and Mary's role in it is truly significant for us; of all women she is the most blest in being chosen to give human flesh to Son of God. This mystery is wonderfuly expressd in the first antiphon at Vespers on January 1st, the Feast of Mary, Mother of God:

"O marvelous exchange! Man's Creator has become man, born of the Virgin. We have been made sharers in the divinity of Christ who humbled Himself to share our humanity."

The Visitation

2010-05-14T17:08:00.006+01:00

This image of the Visitation is found in the Lady Chapel; the event is celebrated on 31st May each year. After having heard that she was to be the Mother of Emmanuel, God-with-us, Mary hears that her cousin is also with child: since nothing is impossible to God. Mary hurries to visit Elizabth; Elizabeth's son (John the Baptist) would prepare the way for Mary's son. On this first meeting, the baby in Elizabeth's womb and recognises the presence of the hidden God, as the poem below describes it, and jumps for joy. From this meeting of Mary and Elizabeth we have recorded in Sacred Scripture Mary's great hymn of joy and thbnaksgiving the Magnificat.

THE VISITATION

There is a wall of flesh before the eyes

Of John, who yet perceives and hails his King.

It is Our Lady’s painful bliss to bring

Before mankind the Glory of the skies.

Her cousin feels her womb’s sweet burden rise

And leap with joy, and she comes forth to sing,

With trembling mouth, her words of welcoming.

She knows her hidden God, and prophesies

Saint John, pray for us, weary souls that tarry

Where life is withered by sin’s deadly breath.

Pray for us, whom the dogs of Satan harry,

Saint John, Saint Anne, and Saint Elizabeth.

And, Mother Mary, give us Christ to carry

Within our hearts, that we may conquer death.

By American poet Joyce Kilmer (1886–1918)

The Annunciation

2010-05-08T18:16:00.003+01:00

Around the top of the North wall of the Lady Chapel the text of the 'Hail Mary' can be seen. This wonderful prayer is easily rushed through, and yet the words are very powerful. Gabriel's words to Mary at the Annunciation open a new chapter in the life of God's people. Mary humbly accepts God's will and her 'Yes' reverses Eve's 'No'. With Mary's grace filled 'Yes' our salvation is on the way. Mary's reward will be her crowning as Queen of Heaven, when she is seated at her risen Son's right hand in heaven. The Monogram 'MR' at the top of the picture mounted by the crown tells us she is 'Maria Regina' - Mary is Queen.

This painting, and all the painting in the Cathedral, was part of the 1995 of reordering of the Cathedral and was carried out by Bernard Watson of Preston. (www.bernardwatson.co.uk) Sadly, there has been some damage to the paint work in the Lady Chapel due to water ingress; we hope one day to restore the fine paintwork.

In Latin 'Ave' literally reverse 'Eva' (Eve). The ancient hymn, the Ave Maris stella... is a fine poem for us to meditate on:

HAIL, O Star of the ocean,
God's own Mother blest,
ever sinless Virgin,
gate of heav'nly rest.
Taking that sweet ‘Ave,’
which from Gabriel came,
peace confirm within us,
changing Eve's name.
Break the sinners' fetters,
make our blindness day,
Chase all evils from us,
for all blessings pray.
Show thyself a Mother,
may the Word divine
born for us thine Infant
hear our prayers through thine.
Virgin all excelling,
mildest of the mild,
free from guilt preserve us
meek and undefiled.
Keep our life all spotless,
make our way secure
till we find in Jesus,
joy for evermore.
Praise to God the Father,
honour to the Son,
in the Holy Spirit,
be the glory one. Amen.

Let us go to the altar of God

2010-05-08T14:28:00.005+01:00

Today the Cathedal is host for the Diocesan Altar Servers Mass. It is wonderful to see so many altar servers from across the Diocese here at the Cathedral for Mass with Bishop Campbell. In the three photographs above we see some of the servers who sat in nave processing into the Cathedral before Mass; then we see the procession leaving the sacristy and finally the servers in their places and the Bishop is about to incense the altar. After Mass a bun fight followed in the Social Centre. It is always good to thank and encourgae altar servers - perhaps an opportunity may arise this weekend!

The Annunciation

2010-05-06T16:55:00.002+01:00

This is an image of the Annnunciation and is to be found on the Reredos in the Lady Chapel; it is the left-hand panel. This is a beautiful altar - we think it is Italian - but have no physical evidence for this only the wisdom of those who know these things!

This Reredos has had has suffered some damage over the years; on this picture the lily that Gabriel is touching is no longer there. All the same it is a wonderful image and gives us something to think about during May.

Mary, Mystical Rose

2010-05-04T15:17:00.003+01:00

The Cathedral Chapter had a meeting today and since we’re looking at Marian images in and around the Cathedral we can have a look at the Seal of the Chapter since it bears a symbol of Mary, under the title ‘Mystical Rose’.

It is an odd time for a Christmas Carol but this carol gives us a nice reflection of Mary, the Mystical Rose:

Lo, how a rose e'er blooming,
From tender stem hath sprung.
Of Jesse's lineage coming,
As men of old have sung;
It came, a flow'ret bright,
Amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.

Isaiah 'twas foretold it,
The Rose I have in mind,
With Mary we behold it,
The virgin mother kind;
To show God's love aright,
She bore to men a Saviour,
When half spent was the night.

O Flower, whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispel with glorious splendour
The darkness everywhere;
True man, yet very God,
From Sin and death now save us,
And share our every load.

Our Lady and St Anne

2010-05-03T10:27:00.003+01:00

This image of Our Lady and St Anne is from the Whiteside Chapel.

St Anne is showing her daughter the text from the Prophet Isaiah which refers to her: 'A virgin will conceive...' The Holy Spirit had already acted; Mary was conceived free from sin. She who was to be the new 'Ark of the Covenant', she who was to be the tabernacle of the Most High, had to be free from the contamination of sin, in order to give human flesh to the Word made flesh, Jesus our saviour. As we begin the month of May let us pray that we can listen to the Word of the God, that It will help us avoid sin in our lives and so teach how to live in the freedom that belongs to the childen of the living God.

May is Mary's Month

2010-05-01T11:44:00.003+01:00

Today sees the start of the month of May, during which we will have our next series of ‘Curious About...’ talks. It will be no surprise then that we are going to be Curious About Mary. As the month unfolds the Cathedral blog will take a look at various images of Mary seen in and around the Cathedral, some may be familiar, some not. Today’s image is of a statue, which at the moment, is by the main staircase in Cathedral House, here catching the early morning sunshine.

Concerts and Events 2010

2010-04-30T22:50:00.002+01:00

The programme of concerts and cultural events for 2010 has just been published, and as always there's plenty to look forward to. A great variety is on offer, ranging from chant workshops to the popular Candlelight Baroque concert in December. You can see all the details in pdf format, by clicking here.

Beside the Seaside

2010-04-23T20:32:00.002+01:00

As many Blog readers will know, Fr Andrew left the Cathedral parish last week to take up new duties as assistant priest at St Bernadette's in Bispham, and to be the Catholic chaplain to Blackpool Victoria Hospital. A couple of days after his arrival in Blackpool, St Bernadette's was celebrating its 60th anniversary. Bishop Campbell celebrated Mass for the parish, and took the opportunity to present to the people their new priest - this picture captures the moment!

Fr Stewart Keeley, who left St Bernadette's to replace Fr Andrew at the Cathedral, returned to Blackpool for the Mass. At the buffet afterwards, the priests of the parish past and present posed for a photo. Here is Fr Stewart (now safely installed at the Cathedral parish) is with Fr Andrew.

Responding to the criticisms

2010-04-10T18:31:00.002+01:00

Following the extensive media criticism of the Church, a number of writers have offered responses to balance the media's reporting of scandal within the Church. A parishioner has recommended a piece in The Tablet by Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP (read it here). Other useful pieces include an article by Bishop James Conley of the Archdiocese of Denver (see here); George Weigel has written a helpful article here; former Holy See Press Officer Joaquin Navarro-Valls, who is also a doctor, has written a defence of the Pope here, and a Rabbi has spoken out against the media's coverage of the situation (see here). These and many other articles are available online, reminding us that there is another side to this story, even if it remains largely unreported by the secular media.

Chrism Mass 2010

2010-04-01T16:29:00.004+01:00

This morning the diocesan Chrism Mass took place in the Cathedral, and the Lord blessed us with fine weather for the priests' annual walk through the Cathedral gardens. On these occasions the concelebrants tend to enter the Cathedral through the main west doors, and so form a public procession as they approach the church. At the Chrism Mass priests come, in many cases with some parishioners, from all parts of the Diocese. It is the occasion each year on which priests are asked to renew their commitment to service, and in this Year for Priests the Mass this renewal seemed particularly important. In his homily, the Bishop spoke about how the Holy Oils reveal the fundamental calling given to the priest. You can find the full text here.

After Mass, the three oils: the Oil of Catechumens, used just before baptism, the Oil of the Sick, used to anoint those who are ill, and the Oil of Chrism, which is used in baptism, confirmation and at ordinations, are distributed to the priests of the Diocese for them to take back to their own parish. The fact that all the oils used in the sacraments come from this one source reminds us of the unity of our Diocese. Now all those who came this morning have returned to their own parishes, ready to celebrate the great Triduum - the three days of Our Lord's suffering, death and resurrection. The Triduum begins here at the Cathedral with the Mass of the Lord's Supper, celebrated this evening at 7:30pm. The full Holy Week timetable can be found here.

Palm Sunday

2010-03-28T15:12:00.005+01:00

Today we begin Holy Week, the high point of the Church's year. Mass at the Cathedral this morning began with a procession through the Cathedral gardens, after the reading of St Luke's account of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. For the next seven days we are called to accompany the Lord in His suffering, death and resurrection.

There are over twenty public services (liturgies and devotions) at the Cathedral during this week. This morning the Bishop, who will preside at five of these liturgies, celebrated the 10:30am Mass. It will be the first time that Bishop Campbell has celebrated Holy Week at the Cathedral; last year Bishop O'Donoghue presided, a few weeks ahead of his retirement.

You are most welcome to come to the Cathedral for the liturgies taking place this week. Of particular note for those outside the parish is the Diocesan Chrism Mass, which takes place on Thursday at 11:30am. You can find the full Holy Week timetable in the Cathedral Diary: click here.

Convent Chapel Windows

2010-03-25T06:38:00.001Z

Today is the feast of the Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and asked her to be the Mother of the Saviour. The scene is represented in one of the windows of the former convent chapel at the Cathedral (now referred to as "St Walburga's", and used mainly for catechesis). As you can see from this image, the window is quite badly faded, seemingly as a result of faulty glass-making techniques which were sometimes used in the early 1850s.

The other stained glass window on the same wall shows two independent scenes: on the left Our Lady as a child, being taught by her mother, St Anne; on the right, St John the Evangelist at work. It too has suffered over the years, with much of the detail lost. There are examples of this sort of deterioration in other churches; one notable example in the north of England is the glass in St Joseph's Chapel in the seminary at Ushaw, which dates from around the same time.

Papal Visit: details confirmed

2010-03-16T18:20:00.003Z

Today details of the Holy Father's visit to Britain have been confirmed. The four-day trip will take place 16th-19th September, beginning in Scotland. The main public celebrations of Mass will be in Glasgow and Coventry; at the latter the Pope will beatify Cardinal Newman. The state visit - an historic first - also includes an address to civil leaders in Westminster Hall, where St Thomas More was sentenced to death in 1535. You can find many more details about the visit on the dedicated website which has been launched - click here to take a look. Also keep an eye on this blog for further news and developments, as the Cathedral parish makes its plans to see the Holy Father during his visit.

Saturdays during Lent

2010-03-13T09:38:00.002Z

Although there haven't been too many posts on the blog recently, there is plenty going on behind the scenes, and a fair amount at parish level too. Our Tuesday evening talks on Holy Week are continuing, as are our Friday evening meditations on the Passion of the Lord. Saturdays, too, have an extra opportunity for Lenten prayer. Throughout the year the Rosary is prayed on Sunday afternoons in the Cathedral (Joyful Mysteries during Advent and Christmas, then the Mysteries of Light until Lent, and the Glorious Mysteries from Easter Sunday onwards), but during Lent this is replaced by Stations of the Cross. So that the Rosary is prayed publicly the whole year round, the Sorrowful Mysteries are now prayed during Exposition on Saturday mornings during Lent, beginning at 11:40am.

Also on Saturdays, we are now praying for God's blessing upon the forthcoming Papal visit, details of which are due to be announced shortly. Each Saturday until the visit, at the end of 12:15pm Mass, a short prayer is said for our country and prayers for the Holy Father's intentions are offered. Please pray for Pope Benedict in the months ahead, and if you haven't yet signed the petition set up to welcome him, you can find it here.

Choosing the Common Good

2010-03-06T07:38:00.005Z

You may have seen reports during the week about the launch of a new document from the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. The document, Choosing the Common Good, was launched at a press conference on Wednesday. The pictures here are from the Bishops' Conference Flickr site and are (c) Mazur/catholicchurch.co.uk

Archbishop Nichols of Westminster and Archbishop Smith of Cardiff, chair and vice-chair of the conference, led the proceedings. The Archbishop of Westminster has also written the foreword to the document, which states that its purpose is to promote the good of all and a greater understanding of Catholic thinking, ahead of both the General Election and the papal visit.

The document deals with some of the key issues concerning the Church in our country today: the practice of virtue, the value of human life, globalisation and ecology, migration, marriage and the family, community cohesion, the consequences of the economic crisis and the right and duty of faith communities to make a contribution to the life of the country. It's a fairly concise document - about 20 pages in total - and we are encouraged to read it over the coming weeks. The full text can be downloaded from the Bishops' Conference website (click here).

Make the Pope welcome: sign the petition

2010-03-02T11:05:00.001Z

As you will know, Pope Benedict is due to visit our country later this year. Details of the visit are still to be announced, but it seems likely to be a four-day visit in the middle of September, and we can expect to see the programme before too long. As news of the visit emerged, a number of secular groups got together to organise a petition against the event. Now a petition has been launched in support of the Holy Father. It takes less than a minute to sign up and show your support for the visit, so please take the time by clicking here and following the instructions. Thank you to Fr Chris Loughran of St Clare's, Preston, who notified us about this initiative.

March Diary

2010-03-01T09:51:00.002Z

Happy St David's Day to all readers - especially if you have Welsh connections! Today, of course, is also the first day of March, so time for us to take a look ahead at what the month brings. Before we get to April we will be in Holy Week, so a busy few weeks lie ahead. It's a penitential time, of course, and so Lenten practices and devotions such as the Stations of the Cross give this month its character. Our Friday evening devotions, and our Tuesday night talks, 'Curious about Holy Week', continue through to the end of the month. A couple of feast days break the rigours of Lent: St Patrick (17th), St Joseph (19th) and the Annunciation of the Lord (25th). Some of the children of the parish will make their First Confession towards the end of the month, ahead of their First Communion in June. You can see the full March diary (and also the schedule for Holy Week) on the Cathedral website's main diary page: click here.

St Martin Fund

2010-02-27T16:57:00.002Z

The story of St Martin, the fourth-century Bishop of Tours, tells us that as a young man he saw a man in need of clothing, and shared half his own cloak with the poor man. Last weekend the Cathedral parish launched a new 'St Martin Fund' as part of our charitable work. The fund will be used to support local families who are struggling to make ends meet. It will give practical help, rather than money directly (for example, it may pay for a gas/electricity card to be 'charged up') and will hopefully prove to be of assistance to those in great need. Parishioners have the opportunity to contribute to this fund at the end of each Sunday Mass during Lent.

The return of the Curious

2010-02-23T06:09:00.001Z

We're now less than 40 days away from the greatest week in the Church's year. Holy Week is the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus, the very heart of our Christian faith. The Liturgy of Holy Week is the most powerful of all the Church's actions, and is rich in symbolism. A series of five talks on the liturgy of Holy Week gets underway this evening. The talks take place each Tuesday leading up to Holy Week, and begin at 7:30pm in St Walburga's (the Cathedral 'day chapel', accessed from Balmoral Road). There's no charge and everyone is welcome. This is the latest in our series of 'Curious about...' talks, which have built up something of a following in recent years. If you'd like to know more about the talks, click here.

Friday evening devotions in Lent

2010-02-20T08:56:00.002Z

Yesterday our Lenten Friday evening devotions got underway. Each Friday during this holy season there will be Stations of the Cross at 7pm (followed by Exposition), a 15-minute meditation on the Passion of the Lord at 7:45pm, and sung Compline (night prayer) and Benediction at 8:15pm. The idea is that people can come for the whole time (about one and a half hours) or for any part of the evening. The meditations focus on the role of different characters in the Passion narratives. Last night's text looked at St Peter; still to come are Judas and the Pharisees (26th), Pontius Pilate (5th March), Simon, Veronica and the Holy Women (12th March), The Secret Disciples (19th March) and finally Our Lady (26th March). You are most welcome to join us for any of these Friday evenings. If you'd like to read last evening's meditation on St Peter's role in the Passion, you can find it here.

Cathedral School organ visits

2010-02-18T06:50:00.001Z

A couple of weeks back many of the children at the Cathedral School had the chance to visit our newly-restored pipe organ. Guided by the Cathedral's Director of Music, Damian Howard, who also teaches music at the school, they learnt about the workings of the instrument. The children then had the chance to play a few notes, giving them a brief 'hands on' experience. Hopefully the visit will have deepened the children's appreciation of music in general, and - who knows - maybe it will have inspired some organists of the future! The Cathedral School Blog, which is regularly updated, has a couple more photos: click here to visit the site.

Ash Wednesday

2010-02-17T12:57:00.009Z

Today, Ash Wednesday, the great season of Lent begins. It is a time of year that calls us to repentance, and its message seems to echo in the experience of the faithful. Each year, large numbers of people come to Mass on this day and are marked with ashes on their forehead.

Even before Mass it was obvious to those arriving that we are entering a new season. The Cathedral looks very bare: no flowers, some of the decoration removed. The starkness of Lent stands in stark contrast to the vibrancy of the Easter feast which follows.

After the Gospel reading, the Bishop blessed the ashes. He then knelt down as he received the ashes on his forehead, the first of those present to be marked with this sign of repentance.

The Bishop then marked the foreheads of the concelebrating priests; here the Cathedral Dean, Canon Stephen Shield, receives the ashes. This symbol is a Biblical sign of repentance and of sorrow for sins; it also reminds us of our mortality ("you are dust, and to dust you shall return") and therefore calls us to use well our time on earth.

The congregation then approached the Bishop and the priests to receive their ashes...

... forming queues in the central aisle and side aisles as they each symbolically declared their contrition for their failings. It is perhaps surprising - and also encouraging - that within the rites of the Church's year, it is not only the great feasts and celebrations to which people respond; this penitential act also draws people in great number.

After each person had been marked with the ashes, the Mass continued as usual. So it is that the great season of Lent is underway, and for the weeks ahead we keep a 40-day feast, following the example of Our Lord at the beginning of His ministry. If you haven't yet been to Mass, it's more than likely that your local parish has an evening celebration. The Cathedral's last Mass of the day is at 7:30pm.

Deacon Nolan with the Pope

2010-02-16T16:43:00.003Z

Here's a little moment of joy, before the rigours of Lent set in tomorrow. A few weeks ago the students and staff of the Pontifical North American College, Rome, had a private audience with the Holy Father to mark the college's 150th anniversary. As well as listening to Pope Benedict's address, many of those present had the chance to see him close up. Deacon Nolan Lowry, who has strong ties with the Cathedral parish (he was last with us at Christmas), is seen here greeting the Holy Father. You can read more about the audience, and see some pictures and a short video, on the North American College website: click here for the relevant page.

Archbishop Oscar Romero

2010-02-15T06:47:00.000Z

Next month many events will take place to mark the 30th anniversary of the death of Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was assassinated while celebrating Mass in March 1980. From the time of his appointment as Archbishop of San Salvador he began to show great concern for the poor and oppressed of his country, and this concern led him into conflict with the government of the time. This conflict ultimately resulted in his death, and his cause for canonisation is currently under consideration.

Yesterday our own Cathedral hosted events marking the anniversary of the Archbishop's murder. Although the anniversary is still a few weeks away, it has been marked now so that it does not interfere with the liturgy of Lent. Bishop Campbell celebrated the Cathedral's main Sunday Mass, at which the Archbishop was remembered. You can read the Bishop's homily on the diocesan website: click here. After Mass Jan Graffius of Stonyhurst College, a member of the Romero Trust, gave a fascinating talk about his life and the context in which his work took place. A good crowd turned out to hear her words, as can be seen in the picture above.

Pupils at Our Lady's Catholic College in Lancaster got involved in the events, which were organised in association with the Lancaster Diocese Faith and Justice Commission and Cafod Lancaster. The pupils produced this replica of Archbishop Romero's coat of arms, with his motto - Sentire cum Ecclesia - clearly shown. The motto, taken from St Ignatius' writings, encourages us to 'be one with the mind of the Church'. You can find out more about Archbishop Romero's life and death by visiting the website of the Romero Trust: click here to take a look.

Decorated for Our Lady's feast

2010-02-13T16:49:00.002Z

As mentioned in the previous post, last Thursday was the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, principal patron of the Diocese of Lancaster. Our flower ladies (who will shortly have a bit more time on their hands, as Lent is approaching!) did a fine job decorating a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, which was placed in the Lady Chapel for the feast. At the end of both Mass and Vespers on Thursday there was a procession to the chapel, where the Litany of Our Lady of Lourdes was said. This small shrine remains in place for those coming to the Cathedral this weekend.

In the evening the Bishop led the Rosary and presided at Vespers. In his homily at Vespers he invited us to ask Our Lady's intercession for the Diocese, for all who are sick, and for priests. You can read the full text of the homily on the diocesan website: click here.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us

2010-02-11T06:39:00.000Z

This banner hangs at the back of the Cathedral along with the Bishop's coat of arms and an image of St Cuthbert. Today is the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, principal patron of the Diocese of Lancaster. The feast is celebrated in the Cathedral with a sung Mass at 12:15pm; this evening the Bishop will lead the Rosary (with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament) at 7pm, then preside at sung Vespers at 7:30pm. Vespers will end with a short candlelit procession in the Cathedral. It's our diocesan feast, and all are most welcome to come along.

Cathedral 150 Club

2010-02-08T06:47:00.000Z

Here's a simple and fun way - open to all blog readers - to support the Cathedral. Our '150 Club' was launched in April 2007 with the intention of raising money for the Cathedral's 150th anniversary celebrations. When those celebrations came to an end, most of the club members decided they wanted to carry on with the club, so new money raised by the club now goes towards paying for the upkeep of the Cathedral. It's very simple: members pay £1 per week for each ticket, and each week there is a £50 prize. If the number of tickets exceeds 200, we'll add a second weekly prize of £20, so the chance of winning is increased. To date the club has generally been only for parishioners, but now we'd like to open it to Cathedral supporters wherever they are. You can pay by standing order or by cheque. If you'd like to take part, it's simple: just download the form (available here in pdf format) and send it back to us by post. If you'd like more details, please contact us and we'll be happy to help. The winners are published each week on the parish newsletter, available online here.

Pope Benedict addresses the Bishops of Scotland

2010-02-06T07:03:00.001Z

Yesterday it was the turn of the Scottish bishops to meet with Pope Benedict, as their Ad Limina visit takes place. The Holy Father spoke on a number of issues, including two important challenges facing the Church at present: supporting faith schools and promoting the sanctity of human life. He also encouraged the bishops to promote vocations to the priesthood and to work effectively with lay people, and as expected he confirmed that his forthcoming UK visit would include a trip north of the border. You can see a short video summary of the Pope's address by clicking on the image above, and the full text can be found here.

Impact Presentation

2010-02-05T15:14:00.002Z

Back in November, young people in the parish Impact group had a collection at St Thomas More's after the Sunday Mass and raised around £85. A donation from the group's subs brought the total up to £100, and last Sunday Phil McGrath, General Secretary of Lancaster's YMCA, came to accept the cheque and to speak a little about the organisation's work. He told the group members that it costs YMCA around £200 per week to house a young person who might otherwise be homeless, so money is greatly needed to support the work. The parish Impact group, which meets fortnightly, works to help those in need, promoting acts of charity and good works inspired by faith. If you're a young person in the area in school year 9 or above, you would be most welcome: contact us to find out more.

And for the rest of the month...

2010-02-04T07:11:00.003Z

With the Ad Limina now over, we turn our attention back to life closer to home and - slightly later than usual - a look at the month ahead. The image of penitents seen here is from the Cathedral's Chapel of St Charles Borromeo, and serves as a reminder that Lent is nearly upon us. Ash Wednesday begins this holy season, and this year takes place on 17th February. Before that we have the feast of our diocesan patron, Our Lady of Lourdes, which is celebrated on 11th. There will be a sung Mass at 12:15pm, and the Bishop will then join us in the evening to lead the Rosary at 7pm and then preside at sung Vespers at 7:30pm. This is a diocesan celebration, and it would be wonderful to see a good number of people there, so please come along if you can. The 30th anniversary of the death of Archbishop Romero will be marked at the 10:30am Mass on Sunday 14th (which the Bishop will celebrate); the Mass will be followed by a talk about the Archbishop, in the Cathedral Social Centre (12:15pm). Once Lent is underway, there will be additional times of prayer and some catechetical talks. On Fridays there will be Stations of the Cross at 7pm, followed by a meditation on the Passion at 7:45pm and sung Compline (night prayer) at 8:15pm. You can come for all or any part of the evening. And, as noted earlier, our 'Curious about Holy Week' talks begin on Tuesday 23rd. You can find more details here. Add to that the Diocesan Rite of Election (on Saturday 20th, and a fairly busy time is ahead of us. The full diary for February at the Cathedral is available on our main site: click here to take a look.

Ad Limina: the photographs

2010-02-03T06:10:00.008Z

Today we wrap up our coverage of the Ad Limina visit with a few images showing the Bishops with the Holy Father. The picture above shows the successors of the Apostles listening to the successor of St Peter, delivering his address which was detailed in the previous post.

After their audience, the Bishops posed with Pope Benedict for a souvenir photograph. You can enlarge each image by clicking on it.

If you're really keen-eyed, you might spot Bishop Campbell, second from the right on this image.

He's much more visible on this image, just a to the right of the Holy Father. All of the above images are (c) L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican's newspaper, and are used with permission.

The Vatican's photographic service carries a few images of the Bishop's private audience with the Pope, which took place last Thursday. Note the map of Britain on the table - no doubt each bishop had the opportunity to show the Pope the geography of his diocese. Copies of photographs in the archive can be purchased from the service: for details, and to see other pictures, click here. (If necessary, click the option 'English Version' at the top of the page, then 'Simple Search' over on the left hand side. Typing 'Lancaster' into the 'page caption in Italian' section seems to bring up a few images of the Bishop's private meeting with His Holiness).

This final image shows the Bishops gathered for a photo during their visit, and is from the Bishops' Conference website (http://www.catholicchurch.org.uk/). You can see a good selection of other images from the visit on the Church's Flickr site: click here to take a look.

Ad Limina: Pope Benedict's address

2010-02-02T06:55:00.006Z

Today we feature a series of short quotations from Pope Benedict's address to the Bishops of England and Wales, which he delivered yesterday at the Vatican. The images are screenshots taken from Vatican television. Many news websites have always picked up on the first official confirmation of the Holy Father's forthcoming visit to Britain, which was mentioned near the beginning of the Audience. Referring to the faith of people in our land, he said, "On the occasion of my forthcoming Apostolic Visit to Great Britain, I shall be able to witness that faith for myself and, as Successor of Peter, to strengthen and confirm it. During the months of preparation that lie ahead, be sure to encourage the Catholics of England and Wales in their devotion, and assure them that the Pope constantly remembers them in his prayers and holds them in his heart."

He then turned to a matter which has clearly been discussed by the Bishops during their visit: that of religious freedom. The Holy Father said, "Your country is well known for its firm commitment to equality of opportunity for all members of society. Yet as you have rightly pointed out, the effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs." There is a clear concern that some recent legislation has unfairly restricted religious liberty in our society.

Developing his argument, Pope Benedict spoke of the Gospel's "right to be heard" in our country: "Fidelity to the Gospel in no way restricts the freedom of others – on the contrary, it serves their freedom by offering them the truth. Continue to insist upon your right to participate in national debate through respectful dialogue with other elements in society. In doing so, you are not only maintaining long-standing British traditions of freedom of expression and honest exchange of opinion, but you are actually giving voice to the convictions of many people who lack the means to express them: when so many of the population claim to be Christian, how could anyone dispute the Gospel’s right to be heard?"

There was a powerful call to unity, which - the Holy Father noted - is even more important at a time when there are great challenges before us. It is important for all members of the Church to work together: "Make it your concern, then, to draw on the considerable gifts of the lay faithful in England and Wales and see that they are equipped to hand on the faith to new generations comprehensively, accurately, and with a keen awareness that in so doing they are playing their part in the Church’s mission. In a social milieu that encourages the expression of a variety of opinions on every question that arises, it is important to recognize dissent for what it is, and not to mistake it for a mature contribution to a balanced and wide-ranging debate. It is the truth revealed through Scripture and Tradition and articulated by the Church’s Magisterium that sets us free."

It seems highly likely that the Pope will beatify Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890) when he visits Britian (probably in September), and he made reference to the Cardinal in his address, linking him with the current 'Year for Priests': "Much attention has rightly been given to Newman’s scholarship and to his extensive writings, but it is important to remember that he saw himself first and foremost as a priest. In this Annus Sacerdotalis, I urge you to hold up to your priests his example of dedication to prayer, pastoral sensitivity towards the needs of his flock, and passion for preaching the Gospel. You yourselves should set a similar example. Be close to your priests, and rekindle their sense of the enormous privilege and joy of standing among the people of God as alter Christus."

The Holy Father ended his address by entrusting our country to its patrons: "With these thoughts, I commend your apostolic ministry to the intercession of Saint David, Saint George and all the saints and martyrs of England and Wales. May Our Lady of Walsingham guide and protect you always. To all of you, and to the priests, religious and lay faithful of your country, I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of peace and joy in the Lord Jesus Christ." These brief extracts give a sense of some of the issues the Pope - and no doubt our own bishops - wanted to highlight, and perhaps a flavour of some of the concerns that the Holy Father will speak about when he comes to our country. The full text is quite short and is well worth reading. You can find it here. It's also worth taking a look at Archbishop Nichol's greeting to the Pope, the text of which can be found on the Bishops' Conference website, here.

Video: Pope Benedict addresses our bishops

2010-02-01T16:31:00.002Z

Just posted on the Vatican's YouTube channel, this short video gives a summary of the Holy Father's address to the Bishops of England and Wales, which he delivered earlier today. Already the headlines are centred around the fact that he made reference to his forthcoming visit to Britain (thereby giving the first official confirmation of the trip), but there is a great deal else to consider in his words. We will have more on the address tomorrow, but you can find out more by watching the video (click on the image above) and by reading the Pope's address in full - click here for the full text, from the Vatican website.

Ad Limina: the Bishops at Mass in St Paul's

2010-02-01T07:08:00.001Z

As you may know, we normally begin the month with a look at the forthcoming events, but our 'diary' post will be a little delayed to make space for other entries. It will appear later in the week, but meantime don't forget that tomorrow is the feast of the Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas), and there will be an extra Mass, beginning with a candlelit procession, at 7pm in the Cathedral. For now, though, we head back to Rome to catch up on the Bishops' Ad Limina visit, which is already past the half-way point.

The pictures here show the Bishops at Mass in the Papal Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls; the Mass took place last Wednesday. Our own Bishop can be seen second from the left on the front row.

The principal celebrant at the Mass was Archbishop Bernard Longley, recently installed as Archbishop of Birmingham (see our post on the installation here). Red vestments are being worn; presumably a votive Mass of St Paul was celebrated, as the altar here is only a few yards from the Apostle's tomb.

Here are the priests who concelebrated the Mass. Fourth from the left on the front row is Mgr Mark Davies, who will be ordained coadjutor Bishop of Shrewsbury on 22nd February. Mgr Davies was granted an audience with the Holy Father earlier in the week, along with the current Bishop of Shrewsbury, Rt Rev. Brian Noble, who hails from our own Cathedral parish. Also in the picture above (third from the right) is Darren Carden, a seminarian for our Diocese, who is currently studying at the Pontifical Beda College just across the road from the Basilica. Thanks to Darren for sending in these images. After the Mass the Bishops were treated to a meal at the Beda. We'll have more from Rome over the next few days, when the Pope addresses our Bishops as the meeting draws to a close. Meanwhile, if you'd like to see more on the Basilica, an earlier post shows images of the Cathedral parishioners' visit on our pilgrimage last October.

Curious about Holy Week?

2010-01-31T06:56:00.002Z

With just over two weeks until Lent begins, it's time to look ahead to our programme of catechesis taking place in the run-up to Easter. The popular 'Curious about...' series is back, this time looking at Holy Week, the time between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. Five sessions will explore the meaning of the death and resurrection of Christ and the way in which we celebrate this great event in the liturgy. There'll be insights into the liturgy of the sacred Triduum, and also the other events of the week, including the Chrism Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours. All the talks are free and take place on Tuesday evenings, beginning at 7:30pm in St Walburga's (the 'day chapel', accessed from Balmoral Road). The first talk is on Tuesday 23rd February; a full list of dates and talk titles, along with other information, can be found here.

Haiti Collection

2010-01-30T06:08:00.000Z

Over the last two weeks Cathedral parishioners have been contributing to a collection for victims of the earthquake in Haiti. These collections, private donations and fundraising efforts at the Cathedral Primary School raised a total of just over £3650. This money has now been sent to three Catholic charities which have launched emergency appeals for relief work in Haiti: Aid to the Church in Need, Cafod and Mary's Meals. All three are currently working to provide emergency help for the many thousands in Haiti left without water, food and shelter, and each received £1219 from the Cathedral parish. Please continue to remember all the victims of the earthquake in your prayers.

Ad limina: private audiences

2010-01-29T08:58:00.002Z

The Vatican's Bollettino, the daily round-up of news which (amongst other things) gives details of the Holy Father's engagements, reveals that yesterday our Bishop had a private audience with the Pope as part of the Bishops' Ad Limina visit. The picture here is of an earlier meeting, in September 2008. Pope Benedict will meet with all the Bishops who are in Rome for the Ad Limina, each of whom spend a few minutes in private conversation with him. Aside from Bishop Campbell, yesterday the Holy Father received the Archbishop of Liverpool, along with his auxiliary and retired auxiliary bishops; the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, the Bishop of Hallam and the Bishop of Wrexham. It's a unique chance for the Pope to hear about the life of each diocese, of the challenges and the signs of hope present there. So if you are part of the Diocese of Lancaster, know that this morning Pope Benedict today knows a little more about the Church in your part of the world!

From our friends in Slovakia

2010-01-28T21:47:00.005Z

Blog readers in Slovakia enjoyed our coverage of events here at the Cathedral last year, it seems. Maria from Filakovo emailed and told us that she and her friends had been moved by much of what they had seen, especially pictures of the visit of St Thérèse back in September. They also enjoyed pictures of the Rome pilgrimage, especially as they had made their own trip to the Eternal City in April. Here are a few images of their trip, starting above with their group of about 90 pilgrims...

... and here their priests, seen with the Bishop.

One of the highlights of their trip was the Papal Audience. As you can see, it was a typically sunny April day in Rome, and they managed to get a good view of Pope Benedict. Maria also wished us well for the Holy Father's visit to the UK later this year.

Much like our group, the pilgrims from Slovakia did a tour of Rome's great churches. Above is one of their pictures of the Cathedral Church, the Lateran Basilica of St John.

One place they went that our pilgrims didn't visit was Assisi, the home of St Francis. Perhaps we should consider another pilgrimage...

Drop in for prayer days

2010-01-27T06:47:00.001Z

Once a month in our parish, at St Thomas More's, the Ursuline sisters offer a sort of open day under the title 'drop in for prayer'. During these days there are meditations, times of prayer and plenty of space for people to pray quietly, to read or to talk to one of the sisters. There's also an evening spirituality session, which each month focuses on a different theme. The most recent was centred on the recent visit of the relics of St Thérèse, giving people a chance to share their memories of the visit and to explore the symbolism of the icon which travelled around with the relics (a copy of this icon was displayed, as the pictures show). The session's theme was chosen in the hope that those present could build on the positive experience of the visit as they seek to deepen their spiritual lives.

Two smaller icons linked to St Thérèse were also used as a focus for reflection, one being the icon of the Holy Face, which was so dear to Thérèse. This has provided the theme for the forthcoming sessions, which will take as their theme "Seeking the Face of Christ" through Scripture, mainly the Gospel according to St John. If you'd like to come to any of the forthcoming sessions, they generally take place on the second Monday of the month, and details are included on the parish newsletter (in pdf format here). Meanwhile, we couldn't let this post pass without wishing our Ursuline sisters a very happy feast day: today is the feast of St Angela Merici, who founded their order in 1535.

Ad Limina Apostolorum

2010-01-26T06:37:00.002Z

As noted in the previous post, yesterday was the feast of the conversion of St Paul. At some point within a few years of his conversion, Paul travelled to Jerusalem to meet with the leaders of the Church there, most notably St Peter. If it was important for the Apostles to meet with St Peter in those early years of the Church, it is no less important that their successors meet with the Pope, who occupies the chair of St Peter today. So it is that - in a rolling programme which takes a few years - all the bishops of the world travel to Rome to meet with the Holy Father and the various departments which oversee the Church's life and mission around the world. These visits, which take place country by country, are known as 'Ad Limina Apostolorum'.

Yesterday the Bishops of England and Wales began their Ad Limina visit, which will last for about ten days. Over this time they will pass through the gates of the Vatican (such as the Porta Sant'Anna, seen here) for meetings in Vatican departments. These departments (known as 'congregations') oversee every aspect of the Church's life: faith, liturgy, education, missionary work, the appointment of bishops, ecumenism and so on. At their meetings with our bishops, they will discover more about the life of the Church in our country, so that their understanding of the life of the worldwide Church may be kept up-to-date. Each bishop prepares reports about his diocese in advance of the visit, to help this process. The congregations may also suggest to the Bishops some ways forward, based on their knowledge of the Church's progress elsewhere across the globe.

Each week the Pope meets with many bishops, as we saw during our recent parish trip to Rome (pictured). During the Ad Limina, however, the Holy Father will not only meet with the Bishops, but also address them. He is likely to offer them some encouragement and advice about their ministry in these difficult times, and perhaps will make reference to his forthcoming visit to England, which seems likely to take place in September.

The term Ad Limina Apostolorum is translated 'to the threshold of the Apostles', and refers to the fact that the Bishops will also visit the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, to venerate the relics of these two great saints. Each bishop is required to make this visit every five years. Keep an eye on the blog during the visit, as we will bring you any information that makes its way back from the Eternal City!

The Conversion of St Paul

2010-01-25T06:11:00.000Z

Today is the feast of the Conversion of St Paul, one of the many Gospel scenes depicted in the Cathedral's stained glass. This scene is from a window at the east end of the Cathedral, behind the triptych. Paul (or perhaps, at this point, more accurately called 'Saul') is on the ground in the centre panel, with a light shining upon him from above. The New Testament contains several accounts of his conversion: in the Acts of the Apostles (chapters 9, 22 and 26) and - in his own words - in Galatians chapter 1. The liturgical calendar reminds us of the effects of Paul's conversion and his subsequent missionary zeal, for tomorrow we keep the feast of two of his converts, Saints Timothy and Titus.

St Luke, advocate of the poor

2010-01-24T06:57:00.002Z

Outside the Basilica of St Paul in Rome, this giant statue of St Luke stands as a reminder that Luke is one of the most important sources we have about St Paul. Author of the Gospel account that bears his name and of the Acts of the Apostles, St Luke is responsible for over a quarter of the New Testament. The readings that we hear at Mass on Sundays are on a three-year cycle, and this year most of the Gospel readings are taken from St Luke's account. Today at Mass we hear the opening of the gospel, in which St Luke states that he has written his account with great care, "after carefully going over the whole story from the beginning". Among the special emphases of St Luke's account is the way in which Jesus showed particular care for the poor and marginalised, and thereby placed this duty upon His followers. As we consider the tragedy in Haiti, therefore, it is appropriate that Cathedral parishioners are making their contribution. A collection was taken last Sunday, and will be again this week, for the victims of the earthquake, who will also be remembered in our prayers. Among the many thousands who died in the disaster was the Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, whose funeral took place yesterday next to the spot where the Cathedral used to stand. He, and all the victims of this tragedy, remain in the prayers of the Church across the world.

Ice Age

2010-01-13T06:14:00.003Z

This picture of the Lancaster Canal frozen over, taken last Sunday, signals a freeze in postings here on the Cathedral blog, until around 24th January. There's plenty to cover when we return, so don't leave it too long to visit again. After the activity of Christmas it's time for Blogger to take a holiday, before the pace of life picks up again... and, hopefully, the temperature with it!

Sacramental Preparation 2010

2010-01-11T08:28:00.002Z

For those in the Cathedral parish, the preparation programmes for First Communion, Confession and Confirmation will begin shortly. Children in school year 3 or above are eligible for the First Confession and Communion programme, and those in year 8 or above may enrol for Confirmation. Those interested should collect a form from the back of the Cathedral or from St Thomas More's, and all forms should be returned to Cathedral House by Sunday 24th January.

The end of the white Christmas

2010-01-10T14:06:00.005Z

Today, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, marks the end of the Christmas season. Tomorrow the crib and Christmas trees will be taken down, and 'ordinary time' returns. It seems that the end of the season may also be bringing a change in the weather, with the first signs that the temperature is beginning to rise here in Lancaster.

So here's your travel update from the Cathedral: earlier in the week we managed to acquire some grit and salt, with the result that the immediate access to the Cathedral (via both the steps and the ramp) is now fairly clear. The path through the garden, however, remains fairly slippery, so caution is advised!

It's certainly been warmer overnight and so far today, and the ice that had been covering Balmoral Road has been slowly clearing. The Cathedral Primary School, a little further up the hill, closed on Thursday and Friday as the road was too dangerous. It may reopen tomorrow; an anouncement will be made on local radio stations in the morning. The forecast for later in the week predicts some slightly warmer weather, and it will undoubtedly be weclomed by most people.

No doubt plenty of people will be counting the cost of the last few weeks. The wall at the corner of St Peter's road, just opposite the Social Centre, has been hit by cars at least twice as a result of ice on the roads.

There's a strange side-effect to the weather inside the Cathedral, also. Regular visitors will know that the floor is frequently polished to keep it looking at its best, however at present it's covered with a layer of white. It's not snow, of course, but salt being brought in on our shoes! As unsightly as it is, it's a small price to pay for ensuring better safety on the Cathedral site.

Fr John T. Turner RIP

2010-01-07T06:56:00.002Z

The Cathedral will today host the requiem Mass for Father John T. Turner, a priest of the Diocese of Lancaster who died on 20th December. Among his appointments, Fr Turner was chaplain of Lancaster University in the late 1960s/early 1970s and most recently was parish priest at Kirkby Lonsdale. After his retirement he lived briefly at Nazareth House in Lancaster. Fr Turner's requiem will take place this morning at 11:30am in the Cathedral. Those attending the funeral are advised to take care both on the roads and on foot, on account of the weather. Monsignor Aidan Turner, Vicar General, will preside at today's Mass as the Bishop is away. May Fr Turner rest in peace.

Snow update - important information

2010-01-06T10:46:00.002Z

Clear blue skies at present, but there has been a little more snow in Lancaster this morning. Today's 12:15pm Mass will take place as usual, and tomorrow the requiem for Fr John Turner will go ahead at 11:30am, as planned. The Cathedral Primary School also remains open. However, the 'Epiphany Party' planned for Saturday has been cancelled on account of the weather. If you are a parishioner, please help to spread the news to anyone who was planning to come (either as a guest or as a helper). The Cathedral remains open as usual, but all visitors are advised to take extra care on the grounds and on surrounding roads and pavements. We have been making great efforts to clear a path, but it is impossible at present to get hold of supplies of salt for gritting.

The return of the snow

2010-01-05T09:05:00.001Z

Overnight the snow has returned to Lancaster, as our coldest winter for many years continues. This morning traffic around the city is very slow-moving, and many people have chosen to make journeys on foot rather than risk driving. The Cathedral is open as normal and remains unaffected, and the Cathedral School is also open, with the new term beginning today. However, many of the roads and paths in the area are fairly slippery, so be cautious if you're in the area! Elsewhere in the parish, conditions seem worse, and as a result this morning's 9am Mass at St Thomas More's was cancelled.

What can we expect from 2010?

2010-01-04T10:13:00.007Z

After an extraordinary anniversary year, we may well expect that 2010 at the Cathedral will be a little quieter. There is still plenty to look forward to, however, and today the blog takes a look at some of the likely events of the year ahead.

It now seems certain that Pope Benedict will visit Britain later this year, most likely in September. Details are yet to be announced, but we can expect a published programme by Easter. The visit will no doubt be an extraordinary event, and the Cathedral will play its part in promoting the visit and organising transport to the nearest venue. The blog, of course, will keep you fully up-to-date as details of the visit come to light. We'll also keep an eye on the 'Ad limina' visit of the English and Welsh bishops, who travel to Rome for an important meeting with the Pope. The Ad limina visits only take place every few years, and offer the bishops a chance to keep the Holy Father up-to-date with the life of the Church in this country.

Another major event for the Church in England this year will be the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman, the 19th-century theologian who converted from Anglicanism. Again, we await details of the beatification, but it will probably take place in the Archdiocese of Birmingham and there is some speculation that the Pope himself will preside over the liturgy. If he does, it will be the first beatification at which he has personally presided.

More locally, the celebrations of 2009 will be available to remember on a 150th anniversary DVD which will be available before too long - we'll let you know when, of course! We also plan to reprint the original parish history written by former rector Canon Billington, along with a second volume bringing the story up-to-date. These books will probably not be published until around the feast of the Dedictaion in October: keep an eye on this blog for more details.

The Cathedral's popular 'Curious' talks will resume in Lent, with a series of talks entitled 'Curious about Holy Week'. These sessions will give parishioners (and anyone else who would like to come) the chance to find out about the Holy Week liturgy and its meaning. Later, in May, there will be four sessions called 'Curious about Mary', which will look at her place in the faith and life of the Church.

The Year for Priests continues until June, and in April the Cathedral will host a deanery Mass to mark the year. It's also an important year for the Ursuline sisters, who are active in our parish, as in November they mark the 475th anniversary of the foundation of their company.

And finally... along with everything else that the year will bring... sometime before June 3rd the country will go to the polls in a general election. Our own Social Centre will once again be used as a polling station, and the blog will keep an eye on the Church's national and local involvement in the election proceedings.

Gifts for the new-born King

2010-01-03T06:35:00.001Z

Today's feast of the Epiphany of the Lord celebrates the fact that God revealed Himself to the nations in the person of Jesus Christ. The Liturgy makes reference to three important moments of revelation: the wedding feast at Cana, at which Jesus worked His first miracle (or 'sign', as St John's Gospel calls it); the Baptism of the Lord - the beginning of His public ministry, which has its own feast next Sunday; and the visit of the 'wise men from the East', which is the focus of the celebration at Mass.

The Cathedral's crib, which draws a steady stream of visitors over the Christmas season, now includes figures of the three wise men. Although St Matthew does not say how many wise men visited the Lord, the number three is assumed, as he speaks of the three gifts they offered:

First, gold (seen on the right), which symbolises the kingship of the new-born child. Next, frankincense (on the left), which signifies the presence of God. In presenting this gift the wise men acknowledge the divinity of Jesus.

Finally, myrrh. This spice was used to anoint the bodies of the dead, and so points ahead to the time when Jesus will die on the cross for our salvation. In the gifts of the wise men then, we see not only the divinity of Jesus but also His humanity: the mystery of this season unfolds before our eyes.

The crib may be visited whenever the Cathedral is open (usually 8:30am-6pm each day), except during services. If you are in the area, do call in. You'll find the crib near the Christmas trees, in the baptistery, and it will remain here until next Sunday, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which marks the end of the Christmas season.

Mary, the Mother of God

2010-01-01T07:48:00.001Z

A Happy New Year to all blog readers, at home and abroad. Today we celebrate the feast of Mary, the Mother of God, with Mass in the Cathedral at 12:15pm and sung Vespers with the Veni Creator at 6pm; there is also a low Mass in the extraordinary form this morning at 10am.

On the sanctuary during the Christmas octave there is a beautiful statue of Our Lady, presenting her Son to the world. The statue was recently donated to the Cathedral by the church of Our Lady, Queen of Poland, just a few yards down the hill from here. We are very grateful for the gift and will certainly put it to good use; it fits the Cathedral perfectly. As the New Year begins we entrust our cares to Our Lady's intercession, asking that by her prayers the Lord may bless us as we look to the future.

2009: a brief review

2009-12-31T07:20:00.008Z

On this last day of 2009 we take a look back at the Cathedral's 150th anniversary year, which has surely been one of the busiest of its history. Great events have been held to celebrate the anniversary, most notably the Flower Festival, three dramas based on the life of St Peter, a highly successful exhibition at Lancaster City Museum, a pilgrimage to Rome and a festival of music inspired by Dr Dixon, 100 years after his appointment at St Peter's. The celebrations reached their climax with the anniversary day, 4th October 2009, when several bishops joined a large congregation at both Mass and Vespers.

In diocesan terms, by far the most notable event of the year took place in the Cathedral on 1st May. Bishop Patrick retired after eight years overseeing the Diocese, and handed the crozier to Bishop Michael, who now takes us forward. The Cathedral blog has also covered the retirement of Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor and the appointment and installation of his successor, Archbishop Vincent Nichols, along with the installation of Archbishop Longley in Birmingham and the episcoal ordination of Bishop Seamus Cunningham in our neighbouring Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. That same diocese experienced a great sadness earlier in the year when its former bishop, Hugh Lindsay, died at his residence at Boarbank, in our own Diocese of Lancaster. For the Cathedral there have been changes too, as Fr Lourdu left us to take up a post in Wisconsin at the beginning of July. A new provost, Canon Dunstan Cooper, was appointed, and the Chapter also welcomed two new members: Canon Luiz Ruscillo and Canon John Watson.

Probably the event of the year that will stay in people's memories - and certainly the one which attracted most interest on the blog - was the visit of the relics of St Thérèse at the end of September. It was an extraordinary experience to welcome so many people to the Cathedral and to be part of such an important national event. The visit has left a permanent physical mark at the Cathedral, with the new cloister garden dedicated to St Thérèse which has been created during the course of the year. Other material works in 2009 included the completion of the organ restoration work after a two-year rebuild of our fine instrument.

Another permanent legacy of 2009 will be Billington's blog, which although now at its end will remain online as a permanent and fairly comprehensive survey of the Cathedral's history (click here to take a look). Much has been uncovered about the history of our parish and Cathedral during the course of the last twelve months, and some of the information and discovered images will be useful in the preparation of the reprinted and updated parish history due to be published in 2010. Across three blogs 598 posts have been published, all designed to make the life of the Cathedral accessible to a wider audience and to keep people informed. It's extraordinary who finds these sites, too: in 2009, for example, we have been linked to by an American website that deals with heraldry, who made an analysis of the Bishop's new coat of arms, and by a priest in Alaska who uses a plane to get between his mission statements. His website picked up on a post we ran about St Thérèse as the patron of aviators!

There have, of course, been events which we have been unable to cover: think of, for example, the Diocesan Education Mass in September or the Mass for Marriage and Family Life held in May. A signifant number of concerts and other events have all escaped the blog's cameras, but nonetheless form an important part of the life of the Cathedral, the parish and the Diocese. It is impossible to cover everything, such is the busy and varied life of a cathedral church. Alongside the events, it's been a record year for visitor numbers, and among the several hundred who have signed the visitor's book in 2009 are people from Australia, Norway, Mexico, USA, Poland, Oman, India, Slovakia, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Malta, Italy, Israel, Finland, West Indies, Canada, Belgium, Greece, Croatia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Malaysia, as well as many more UK and local visitors. At every level it's been quite a year, and hopefully one upon which many people will look back with fond memories. Now we must turn our attention to the future, and the challenges of 2010, but before we do we will see out the current year with sung Vespers and Benediction this evening at 6pm. The Te Deum will also be sung in thanksgiving for the blessings of 2009. All are welcome.

The Lady Chapel at Christmas

2009-12-30T06:36:00.001Z

During the Christmas season the Cathedral's Lady Chapel is emptied of chairs and takes on a slightly different character. A small Christmas tree stands in the chapel, and on it are hung prayers written by children from the Cathedral Primary School.

Near the altar a candle burns continuously for the twelve days of Christmas. It is one of many which burn in cathedrals and other important churches, given by the World Cancer Research Fund to encourage people to pray for sufferers and victims of the disease. May Our Lady, health of the sick, pray for all those who are ill at this time.

St Thomas of Canterbury

2009-12-29T06:47:00.001Z

In the Cathedral's Coulston Chantry is a window showing the martyrdom of St Thomas Becket. He was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162, and although until that point he had enjoyed excellent relations with the King, the relationship soon turned sour. The Archbishop defended the rights of the Church, and was put on trial by King Henry II; he then fled to France, appealed to the Pope for help and negotiated with the King from abroad. In 1170 he unexpectedly made peace with the King and returned to Canterbury, but four knights overheard the King speak ill of him and set out to Canterbury, thinking that they were acting in accordance with Henry's wishes. They murdered the Archbishop in his Cathedral on the afternoon of 29th December 1170. Thomas was canonised in February 1173, and Canterbury Cathedral quickly became his shrine, attracting a great many pilgrims from all over Europe. Among the many works inspired by the events depicted here is T. S. Eliot's 'Murder in the Cathedral', a performance of which was mounted by Cathedral parishioners here in Lancaster in November 2005.

The Holy Innocents

2009-12-28T07:39:00.002Z

The Christmas octave includes a number of feast days, many of which are depicted in the Cathedral's stained glass windows. Among the more unusual scenes is an image of King Herod, which symbolises today's feast: that of the Holy Innocents. St Matthew records how Herod, frightened of losing his power to the new-born King, ordered that all baby boys under two years of age should be put to death. The victims of this massacre are known at the Holy Innocents. In the window we see Herod with his foot resting on a child to symbolise his crime, while a serpent - a symbol of the temptor - speaks into his ear. A fox stands by his side, to remind us of Jesus' words when he described Herod's son (the King Herod we meet in Jesus' adult life) as 'that fox'. The window contrasts Herod's evil actions with the welcome which Jesus gave to little children, seen in the right-hand image.

St Stephen, first martyr

2009-12-26T07:46:00.001Z

Today is the feast of St Stephen, the first Christian martyr, whose story is told in the Acts of the Apostles chapters six and seven. This is the image of him in the Cathedral's 'Te Deum' window. It shows stones, by which he was executed, and the palm, a symbol of his victory over death. He is depicted wearing a dalmatic, the vestment of the deacon, as he was among those first chosen to serve the Church in diaconal ministry.

Gloria in excelsis Deo

2009-12-25T00:01:00.002Z

As Midnight Mass gets underway in the Cathedral, here are images of this year's crib. The figure of the baby Jesus was placed in the manger at the start of Vespers a few hours ago, and the crib was then blessed.

As with recent years, the crib has been set in the baptistery, which provides a wonderful archway at the front of the scene.

From everyone at Lancaster Cathedral, a very happy Christmas to all blog readers, wherever you are in the world. May this holy season be a time of grace for all of us.

A crib crisis!

2009-12-22T20:38:00.007Z

You probably won't recognise this view. It's looking down from the upper floor of a storage room at the side of the Cathedral. On this level are stored the crib figures, safely hidden away for over eleven months of the year. Down below is a small lift, which is raised and lowered by a single cable, which you can see to the right of the picture.

And here's the motor which raises and lowers the lift. All this may seem like irrelevant detail, and not particularly seasonal, but it nearly had quite an impact on the Cathedral's Christmas plans. Yesterday the motor ceased working as it was being used to bring down the crib figures ready for the coming feast. With no immediate repair in sight, it presented us with something of a headache!

Here's the solution: the crib figures had to be lowered down in a large sack by two men, and caught by two others at ground level. It was not the least nerve-racking of techniques, but the job was done this afternoon and the crib figures can all put in an appearance this year!

Inside the Cathedral lots of preparations are taking place ready for the start of the Christmas season, which will begin with first Vespers of the feast, the Blessing of the Crib and the Office of Readings, sung in the Cathedral on Thursday at 4pm.

Meanwhile, outside it remains bitterly cold, though quite picturesque. The canal has frozen over, and a good covering of snow remains on the ground.

More scenes from the snow

2009-12-22T08:07:00.002Z

Later today we hope to update you on what's going on inside the Cathedral... but the day starts outside, with a few more scenes from snowy Lancaster.

Even the side of the spire has a light dusting of snow...

... while at the front of the Cathedral the ground is covered with a couple of inches.

Looking out onto the car park, a similar scene...

... and even the Social Centre looks festive. It's unusual for snow to be on the ground for so long in Lancaster, and it will no doubt cause some disruption. Here at the Cathedral today's Mass and Vespers, and this evening's service of reconciliation, will go ahead exactly as planned. If you can get here, you will be most welcome!

White Advent

2009-12-20T11:17:00.003Z

While snow causes chaos in parts of the UK - and indeed overseas - Lancaster residents awoke to a covering of white this morning. It's more picturesque than disruptive here; roads remain open (though some are a little slippery!) and the Cathedral's timetable will continue as planned.

Some more snow is forecast for today and overnight, but it seems unlikely that it will cause the disruption seen elsewhere. Time will tell!

Nowhere escapes, of course, and our St Thérèse cloister garden has a light covering of snow for the first time since it opened in September. Thérèse loved the snow and was delighted when snow fell on her clothing day at Carmel. Just as she received the white veil of the novice, everything around her received a white covering too. It seemed to her that it was a little miracle, a sign of God's love for her.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

2009-12-19T19:08:00.005Z

Around the Ambo, four candles are now lit on the Cathedral's Advent wreath. Advent enters its final week, which will be marked by preparations - both spiritual and practical - for the great feast of Christmas. On Tuesday evening there will be a reconciliation service (with individual confession) at 7pm, and each day there will be sung Vespers. As always, blog readers will get a sneak look at behind-the-scenes preparations for the feast as the week progresses. These images were taken before Vespers this evening; if you're in the area, join us for Vespers on Sunday (4:40pm), Monday-Wednesday (5:30pm) and first Vespers of Christmas on Thursday at 4pm. All welcome!

The 'O' Antiphons

2009-12-17T06:37:00.002Z

Today the second part of Advent - which focuses on preparation for the feast of Christmas - begins. Among the highlights of these days are the 'O' Antiphons, which are sung before and after the Magnificat at Vespers. The Cathedral will have a public celebration of sung Vespers each day 17th-23rd December, at which the seven antiphons will be sung. IOn Weekdays and Saturdays there is Exposition at 5pm followed by Sung Vespers and Benediction at 5:30pm; on Sundays Exposition and the Rosary begin at 4pm and Vespers and Benediction begins at 4:40pm. All are welcome, of course. You can learn a little more about these antiphons in a blog post from last year - click here.

December Deanery Conference

2009-12-15T08:45:00.002Z

Six times a year priests and deacons from local parishes meet for the deanery conference, at which they discuss current issues in the life of the Church. Last month the Cathedral hosted the local conference; today's meeting takes place a short walk away, at Lancaster's Polish Church. The Polish Mission in Lancaster is celebrating its 60th anniversary this month, and also the 25th anniversary of its church building. Yesterday Billington's Blog carried a little more on this anniversary: click here to take a look.

Lancashire Sinfonietta

2009-12-11T20:04:00.005Z

Back for the third year, the Lancashire Sinfonietta are currently playing in the Cathedral with a big crowd present. The concert features baroque music in a candlelit setting, and has always proved to be a crowd-puller.

Music from Vivaldi, Bach, Handel and Rebel is being performed under the direction of Lancashire's own Terence Charlston, who is also playing the harpsicord. Solo performers are flautist Sarah Whewell...

... and Mezzo-Soprano Claire Wilkinson. The Sinfonietta is Lancashire's own orchestra and it is wonderful that the Cathedral is able to host them for this concert each year.

The concert is the last non-liturgical event of 2009, and so completes an extraordinary 150th anniversary year of celebrations. More concerts next year of course, and the blog will keep you informed when the programme is announced.

Archbishop Bernard Longley

2009-12-09T07:05:00.001Z

Yesterday, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady, the Most Reverend Bernard Longley was installed as the ninth Archbishop of Birmingham. Here he is seen preparing to take possession of his Cathedral Church.

A great crowd of bishops turned out for the installation Mass. The eagle-eyed will spot our own Bishop on the far right of the picture.

For Archbishop Nichols it was a return to familiar territory, finding himself back - albeit briefly - at the church which had been his cathedral from 2000 to May of this year.

After the glories of the day, the real work must now begin. Here the new Archbishop is - perhaps - seeking a little divine inspiration for the unenviable task he faces. The images in this post are from the Bishops' Conference Flickr site; you can find more images of yesterday's installation by clicking here.

The Installation of Archbishop Longley

2009-12-08T07:05:00.001Z

This is the Metropolitan Cathedral and Basilica of St Chad, Birmingham, which today will host the installation of its ninth Archbishop, Most Reverend Bernard Longley. Our own Bishop is among the many members of the hierarchy who will be present at the installation today.

Born in Manchester in 1955, Bernard Longley was ordained priest for the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton in 1981. As well as parish and chaplaincy work he taught theology at the seminary at Wonersh and worked as ecumenical officer for the Bishops' Conference; later he was made auxiliary bishop in the Westminster Diocese in 2003. Here he is seen in Birmingham Cathedral shortly after the announcement was made (photo credit J Lopuszynski). Among his considerable talents, the Archbishop has a fine singing voice and studied at the Royal Northern College of Music.

This is the cathedra of the Archbishop, the sign of his authority. The See has been vacant since May when Archbishop Nichols was installed at Westminster. The Diocese of covers a fairly large area, stretching as far as Oxford and covering the entire Birmingham/Wolverhampton conurbation. It is also likely to be particularly prominent in the next twelve months, as it will probably host the beatification ceremony for Cardinal Newman sometime in 2010; it also seems that the Pope will visit the Diocese when he comes to Britain next autumn. Elswhere on the national scene, as one seat is filled another one becomes vacant: on Friday it was announced that Pope Benedict has accepted the resignation of Most Reverend Kevin McDonald, Archbishop of Southwark, who retires early on health grounds.

Finally for this post, an image of Archbishop Longley last time he visited Lancaster, for Bishop Campbell's episcopal ordination. Here he is seen leaving the Cathedral after the Mass, strolling alongside his predecessor in Birmingham, Archbishop Vincent Nichols.

St Ambrose

2009-12-07T06:54:00.002Z

Today is the feast of St Ambrose, the fourth century Bishop of Milan who baptised St Augustine of Hippo after his conversion. Ambrose was seemingly named Bishop by popular acclaim, and went on to govern the Diocese of Milan with great care. He is one of thirty-three sainst to be given the title 'Doctor of the Church' on account of his theological writings and his contribution to the Church's thought. This image of the saint is taken from the Cathedral's 'Te Deum' window; tradition holds that the Te Deum, a great hymn of praise, was composed by Ambrose and Augustine.

Cumbria Floods Collection

2009-12-05T19:12:00.002Z

In Cockermouth the clean-up operation is underway, though it is likely to be many months before the church can be used again, and longer until some people can return home. Last weekend the Cathedral parish held a collection for those affected, and raised around £1200; a similar collection is being held around the Diocese this weekend, at the Bishop's request, and the Cathedral fund will remain open until Tuesday.

These images are from the Cockermouth parish webpages, hosted on the site of the parish of Our Lady of the Lakes and St Charles, Keswick, which has also suffered from some flood damage. You can find the Keswick pages here and the Cockermouth pages, including some more images and details of current arrangements for Mass, here.

Monthly Hospital Mass

2009-12-04T06:22:00.004Z

From the top of the Cathedral tower you get a good view of the Royal Lancaster Infirmary; it can be seen here towards the top of the built-up area in the picture. The Infirmary is the largest institution served by the Cathedral's clergy; the priests here provide 24-hour emergency cover for Catholic patients and their families, while day-to-day cover is provided by Deacon Jim Murphy and a small team of visitors, including some Cathedral parishioners. Also, each month Mass is celebrated in the hospital chapel. The monthly Mass takes place this morning at 8am, and will be offered for the sick and for those who care for them. In days gone by, before the National Health Service, Cathedral parishioners and priests played a significant role in supporting the hospital; there was even an annual 'hospital Sunday', when the parish made a concerted effort to raise money to support the institution's work.

A new look for the Catholic Voice

2009-12-02T06:42:00.001Z

The diocesan newspaper, the Catholic Voice of Lancaster, had a relaunch and the weekend and the result is most impressive. The monthly publication has a whole new look and has been expanded to twelve pages; it remains free of charge and is distributed in every parish of the Diocese at the end of each month.

The Cathedral has a regular monthly feature in the newspaper, so that people around the Diocese can keep an eye on what's going on here. The December edition features a look back at some of the highlights of our 150th anniversary year.

There's also a new website, which includes a page for VoiceXtra, a weekly email service giving details of forthcoming events around the Diocese. The new page includes information sent out on the service. If you're in the Diocese, be sure to pick up your copy of the paper from your local parish; and wherever you are, you can find the new website here.

December Diary

2009-12-01T06:08:00.000Z

The leaves are well and truly gone from the trees outside the Cathedral, and the last month of this 150th anniversary year is upon us. December signals a busier liturgical schedule, as Advent progresses and the feast of the Lord's birth is celebrated towards the end of the month. Among the highlights of the present season are the 'O' antiphons, sung each day at Vespers (17th-23rd December). This year the crib will be blessed at first Vespers of Christmas, which takes place on 24th December at 4pm and includes the Office of Readings. There will also be a chance to prepare for Christmas at a reconciliation service (with individual confession) on Tuesday 22nd at 7pm. The other major feast of December is the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady, which is celebrated on 8th. Alongside the liturgical celebrations there are various school events, involving both our own primary school and Our Lady's Catholic College, and a couple of concerts (4th: University of Lancaster Music Society and 11th: Lancashire Sinfonietta's popular 'Candlelight Baroque'). Full details can be found in the Cathedral diary, here, and we'll follow all these events on the blog as the month goes by.

It's the final month for Billington's Blog, which has been tracing the Cathedral's history since January. During the month there'll be more on some of the people who have had an impact at the Cathedral, including Canon Blundell, Bishop Pearson, Bishop Foley, and Canon Billington himself, who was appointed to the parish in December 1893. There'll also be some coverage of the ways in which Christmas has been celebrated over the years, and various other bits and pieces that haven't been covered already this year. You can call these extras 'stocking fillers' if you like! You can find Billington's Blog here.

The Feast of St Andrew

2009-11-30T08:21:00.006Z

Today is the feast of St Andrew, brother of our own patron St Peter and patron of - among others - Scotland, Russia and Greece. The pictures here were taken on the recent parish trip to Rome, and show the church of San Andrea della Valle. It wasn't on the list of churches visited by the group, but seems worth sharing today all the same. Built in a Baroque style similar to St Peter's Basilica, and with Rome's second largest church dome after the Vatican, it seems a fitting 'brother' to the basilica dedicated to St Peter.

The large painting above the high altar shows the crucifixion of St Andrew, which according to tradition took place on an X-shaped cross. This, of course, is the origin of the shape of the Scottish flag.

Two large paintings to the left and right of it show him being lifted onto his cross...

... and him being taken down after his death. Aside from the tradition surrounding his death, much was written about his life and he is, of course, a prominent figure in the gospels. Although he is not mentioned frequently, he is important in that he is understood to be the first of the twelve apostles to follow the Lord, and even introduced his brother, Peter, to Jesus with the words, "We have found the Messiah" (John 1:41). In St John's account of the feeding of the 5000, it is St Andrew who brings the loaves and fish to Jesus (John 6:8-9). Visiting Scotland in 1982, Pope John Paul II made reference to this incident, saying that it teaches us to bring our gifts, however small, to the service of God, and allow Him to do the rest.

The Season of Advent

2009-11-28T18:31:00.002Z

With Vespers this evening the season of Advent - and the new liturgical year - begin. Advent is a time of sure and certain hope in the Lord's coming: in this season we are reminded that the Lord will return at the end of time, and that even now He comes into our lives each day. The task, therefore, is to prepare ourselves for this coming: this is the purpose of Advent.

The Ursuline Sisters, towards 475

2009-11-25T06:54:00.001Z

Today is the feast of St Catherine of Alexandria, the virgin martyr who famously was almost put to death on a wheel. When this method of execution (which gave us the term 'catherine wheel') failed, she was beheaded. The image above shows a statue of her on the reredos of the Cathedral's Sacred Heart altar. In the Middle Ages St Catherine was extremely popular, and it was on this feast in 1535 that St Angela Merici chose to found her company of religious women, which bears the name of another virgin martyr, St Ursula, who also enjoyed great popularity at the time. Angela founded her company in Brescia, Italy (more recently famous as the home town of Pope Paul VI) to enable women to live consecrated lives in their own homes and keeping their occupations. At a time when women were expected to choose between a husband or a cloistered life, it was a daring move! As the company required no dowry, it was open to women of all social backgrounds.

There are also two stained glass images of St Catherine in the Cathedral: this one (she is seen here on the left, holding the palm branch of martyrdom) in the Te Deum window, and one in the Whiteside Chantry (see here). With today's feast and the anniversary of the foundation of the Ursulines, the order now begins its 475th year, a milestone which is particularly important to our parish, as we are currently served by three Ursuline sisters. Congratulations to them and to all the members of the Ursuline family; we will feature more on the Ursulines' anniversary later in the year progresses.

Cenacolo Collection

2009-11-23T18:55:00.002Z

Since six members of the Cenacolo community carried the relics of St Thérèse into the Cathedral in September, parishioners here have been contributing to a collection which has been held at the end of most Sunday Masses. This weekend two members of the community came to each Mass and spoke about their lives and the work of the community; it is an important part of the work of Cenacolo members to give testimonies about their experiences. Over the last few weeks Cathedral parishioners have given around £1645, which will now be handed over to Cenacolo. The community relies entirely on the giving of others; it receives no regular funding from any agency or from any central source.

Cumbria Floods: the Bishop's Message

2009-11-23T11:32:00.002Z

This is St Joseph's Church, Cockermouth, seen here in happier times. Over the weekend there were no Masses at the church because of the recent flooding. On Saturday the Bishop issued a message to those affected by the floods, promising his prayers and saying that he is working to keep informed of the current situation in the affected areas. You can read the full message on the diocesan website - click here (pdf format). Next weekend at all Masses in the Cathedral parish there will be a collection for those affected by the floods in our Diocese, and the proceeds will be sent to the most severely affected areas.

Cumbrian Floods

2009-11-21T10:07:00.002Z

As you will no doubt have seen in the news, much of the northern part of the Lancaster Diocese has been suffering from severe flooding, with Cockermouth and Workington the worst hit. All those affected by the floods were remembered in prayer at Mass in the Cathedral yesterday.

Parish Mass for the Dead

2009-11-20T06:34:00.002Z

This evening our annual parish Mass for the Dead takes place at 7pm. Each year a Mass is celebrated in November for all parishioners who have died in the past twelve months, and for all whose funerals have taken place in the parish during that time. Family and friends of the deceased are invited, as are all parishioners. This is one of the final requiem Masses which will be celebrated in the Cathedral in this special month of prayer for the dead; there will also be a requiem in the extraordinary form on Sunday at 12:15pm.

St Paul's Outside the Walls

2009-11-18T07:36:00.001Z

Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Dedication of the Basilicas of Sts Peter and Paul, two of the four major Basilicas of Rome. In Roman mythology the city is said to have been founded by twin brothers, Romulus and Remus; in history, Christian Rome was founded by Peter and Paul. With today's feast in mind we take a look back at one of the final stops on our recent pilgrimage to the eternal city, the Basilica of St Paul 'Outside the Walls'. A large statue of its patron stands outside the Basilica.

To see just how large it is, take a look at this image. A number of people are posing next to the statue. Now there is a sense of scale!

Our Cathedral pilrgims visited the church on the morning of Saturday 31st October, and once again were treated to a guided tour. Here Anthony points out the Basilica's holy door, which is opened only in jubilee years.

The Basilica played an important role in the recent Year of St Paul, which took place to mark the 2000th anniversary of this great Apostle. A plaque on one of the doors commemorates the year, which the Pope began and ended in the Basilica.

The original Basilica was built in the 4th century, but was destroyed by fire and then rebuilt in the mid-nineteenth century. Despite its relative modernity it follows the model of the earlier basilica, and is a most impressive space. In size it is second only to St Peter's.

The basilica is built over the tomb of St Paul, which is located immediately below the main altar. During the Year of St Paul further examinations of the tomb took place, and as a result archaeologists can now say with certainty that the remains of St Paul are indeed here. As with St Peter, the Christian community has preserved the burial site for almost twenty centuries and has marked the spot with a fine Basilica in honour of the saint. Here the group is seen looking down into the tomb.

Starting with St Peter, the Basilica has mosaics of the faces of all 265 popes. The image of the current Pontiff is always illuminated, and here is the mosaic of Pope Benedict.

It's hard to capture a sense of the sheer size of the building, but this image gives some impression: see the man walking close to the pillars on the left hand side of the picture, and then think that this is the 'side aisle' of the church!

After the tour the group had some free time to explore some smaller chapels and the grounds of the Basilica. Some chose to visit the cloister, which is seen here. The Basilica is home to a Benedictine community, and it the current Abbot is an Englishman, Abbot Edmund Power.

The Papal Audience II

2009-11-17T07:12:00.001Z

Having completed a tour of St Peter's Square in the Popemobile, the Holy Father is then driven to the platform in front of the Basilica, from which his catechesis is delivered.

After delivering his address in Italian, the Pope then greets people of other languages and delivers a summary of his words to each language group. Here a priest announces some of the groups which are present at the audience; the Pope remains seated, with two Swiss Guard standing on either side.

Although many of the Swiss Guard wear their ceremonial dress for occasions such as this, they are there primarily to protect the Pope and stand on constant guard while the Holy Father is out in public.

They, and other officials, keep a careful eye on the crowd. It must be a formidable challenge to allow so many people to gather so close to the Pope, while at the same time protecting him and ensuring the safety of the crowd.

Generally the Pope delivers a series of talks on a certain theme, and currently Pope Benedict is speaking about the great theologians of the Middle Ages. During the Audience that our group attended he spoke about Monastic and Scholastic Theology, noting that monastic thought was focused largely on reading and understanding the Word of God contained in the Scriptures, while Scholastic Theology had at its heart the relationship between faith and reason. The full text of the Audience can be read in English here; you can also see a short video in the post below.

In several languages groups are announced at the Audience, and our own Cathedral group topped the list of parishes listed in the English language section. When each group is announced they usually give a cheer (some also sing a short song!) so that the Pope can see where they are and signal his greeting. At the Audience the Cathedral was given its full title, "The Cathedral Church of St Peter, Prince of the Apostles, Lancaster" and the Pope duly waved in our direction. Some groups also bring flags to wave, such as the large group seen near the obelisk in this image.

Immediately after speaking the Holy Father leads the singing of the Our Father, after which he gives his blessing to those gathered and to their families. At the end of this time of prayer he then greets some of the special guests at the Audience: first the Cardinals - here we see Cardinal O'Brien meeting the Pope...

... and then any bishops who are present. After this he usually walks over to a special area where other guests are gathered: among them newly married couples, other people attending for a special reason, and - at our Audience - seminarians from the Pontifical Scots College in Rome.

When the greetings are over the Popemobile returns and the Pontiff is driven away, back to his residence. This is a last chance for those nearby to see him close up.

Many members of our group had cameras at the ready, hoping to get a good view of the Pope!

The Papal Audience: a short video

2009-11-17T07:10:00.003Z

Alongside the second set of pictures of the Papal Audience which we post today, here is a short video of the Audience that our group attended, taken from the Vatican's Youtube Channel.

The Papal Audience I

2009-11-16T06:16:00.009Z

Today we begin a two-part look at the Papal Audience, which was one of the highlights of the parish pilgrimage to Rome. The group attended the weekly event on Wednesday 28th October, and all of the photos in these posts were taken at that event.

There's quite a sense of occasion at the Audience, and crowds begin to gather long before the Pope arrives. Our group were there about two hours before the Audience began, but the time seemed to go quickly, helped by the singing of some nearby groups. There was also much to see, as people watched St Peter's Square filling up with pilgrims, and various preparations being made. The event is televised each week on the international Catholic channel EWTN, and clips are often shown on other channels and on the internet. The Vatican's own television service provides the coverage and their cameras could easily be spotted.

There were plenty of other media people attending as well; towards the rear of this image you can see photographers in action. Security is necessarily a big consideration at these events: you can see a Vatican policeman and another security officer in this picture, and everyone who gets into the square has to pass through airport-style security checks.

It's never much of a surprise if you see a face you recognise at the Audience, and our cameras spotted Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, attending. Seminarians from the Scots College in Rome were also present, and were among those who were presented to the Pope after the Audience.

After two hours of waiting the group had their first glimpse of the Holy Father, as the Popemobile appeared at the side of the Basilica. The Pope was then driven around the square, giving as many people as possible the chance to see him close up. Aside from those who had tickets, a fairly large crowd also gathered along the railings at the edge of St Peter's Square, as can be seen towards the back of this picture.

All the cameras were out as the Pope was driven past. It is quite an amazing scene, but is even more impressive when you consider that this happens every week.

Everyone in our own group managed to get a good view of the Holy Father, even if some had to climb on a chair to see him!

A great crowd of people from all over the world were present. Near our own pilgrims there was a group from Bolivia to the right, and a Brazilian choir off to the left of them. A range of flags and colours could be seen. The Catholic - the universal - Church, gathered around her leader. Tomorrow we will cover what happens during and after the Audience itself.

Behind the scenes at the Vatican

2009-11-15T06:48:00.006Z

Contrary to popular belief, Sunday is rarely the busiest day of the week for priests. It is, however, probably the busiest day in most sacristies, and with this in mind today the blog goes behind the scenes at the sacristy of St Peter's Basilica in Rome. Our Cathedral pilgrims celebrated Mass in a chapel of the Basilica's crypt on Friday 30th October, and these images were taken on that day.

Even the corridor leading to the sacristy is rather impressive. Among the items you can see here is a list of all the popes who are buried in the Basilica.

Each morning there are opportunites for individual priests and small groups to celebrate Mass at one of the many altars around the Basilica. As our group made their way to the crypt they witnessed a number of Masses taking place; you can see two priests saying Mass in this picture.

The sacristy at St Peter's is quite magnificent, and maintains a certain dignity even in the midst of the frantic activity which takes place there each day. This is the main working sacristy, though the Pope himself vests for Mass in another place. You can see the green chasubles and the albs hanging up, ready for use by visiting priests, while chalices and other sacred vessels can be seen at the sides of the picture.

Leaving the sacristy, this is the first thing each priest will see: an image of the death of Ananias and Sapphira, who died after being confronted about their dishonesty. The Acts of the Apostles tells the story of how they witheld property from the common fund, for their own use. It is, perhaps, a reminder that in the midst of the splendour of this place, everything belongs to God and each of us must seek His will, not our own personal gain. You can read the full story at the beginning of chapter 5 of Acts. There's still more to come from the Rome pilrgimage, including highlights of the Papal Audience.

The Basilica of the Holy Cross

2009-11-13T07:27:00.001Z

This is the Emperor Constantine, who appears on the blog today to signal a return to coverage of the Rome pilgrimage. Constantine became the first Christian emperor when he converted in 312, and after this date the Roman Empire began to embrace the Christian faith. It's no surprise, therefore, to find his statue on the facade of a church, and this image is from the 'Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem', a church not far from the Lateran Basilica in Rome.

Our parish pilgrims visited the Basilica after their day at Subiaco, and are seen here being given a few insights before entering the church.

The basilica owes much to this lady, St Helena, the mother of Constantine. She travelled to the Holy Land to search for relics of the Passion of Our Lord and came back with the true cross and other items associated with the suffering and death of Jesus.

Inside the Basilica today, therefore, you can see reliquaries containing relics of the Passion: pieces of the cross, the nails, the crown of thorns. These objects have been the focus of devotion for many centuries, and are displayed to provide us with a phyisical link to the Lord Himself. Helena even brought back large amounts of earth from Jerusalem, so that the church containing the relics could be built on the ground upon which Jesus had walked.

Near the reliquaries there were places to light votive candles, and some members of the group took the opportunity. Canon Stephen also led some prayers in this small chapel. Relics of the cross have been sent to many parts of the world, and our neighbouring parish, St Joseph's in Skerton, has such a relic. There are also four relics at Westminster Cathedral, one of which is situated at the top of the tower; you can find an interesting piece on these relics written by Monsignor Mark Langham, former Administrator at Westminster who now lives and works in Rome, by clicking here.

A short distance away from the relics, still within the Basilica, is the tomb of a little girl who shared in the Lord's suffering when her life was cut short by illness. Antonietta Meo lived in the local parish in the 1930s and was less than seven years old when she died, but during this short life she wrote letters to Jesus which display a profound - if simple - faith. Her cause for canonisation is open and she has been declared a 'Servant of God'. Next to the tomb is a statue of someone else whose life was also short yet filled with insight: St Thérèse of Lisieux. You can find out more about Antonietta on the website set up to promote her cause: click here.

St Thérèse: the DVD is now available

2009-11-12T06:57:00.010Z

The wait is over! A couple of days ago we took delivery of the first batch of DVDs of the St Thérèse visit to Lancaster. Many people have already expressed an interest in the disk, and we are now beginning to send out the first copies. Here are a few highlights from the disk.

There's coverage of the arrival of the relics, both outside the Cathedral...

... and inside, where the footage includes much of the opening liturgy.

We tried to capture much of the experience of people visiting - even the arrival in Lancaster!

There is some moving coverage of the veneration of the relics, and great devotion to St Thérèse is evident in the film.

There are interviews with some of those who came to visit the relics, in which people speak about St Thérèse, their experience and what the event meant for them.

The film includes some coverage of one of the Masses. Overall, the DVD gives a great impression of the variety within the visit: the full Cathedral at Mass, the quietness of the church at 6am, and everything in between.

Words from the Bishop's homily are included in the DVD, and Fr Andrew speaks about St Thérèse's life and about the event from the Cathedral's point of view.

Finally, there's coverage of the departure of the relics, so that the whole story of the visit is told. Whether or not you have pre-ordered a copy, you are welcome to send in for the DVD now. The cost is £10 (plus £2 p&p if we are posting it to you) and cheques should be made payable to 'Cathedral 150 Fund'. When we receive payment we will then send the disk(s) to you; those who have already sent payment should receive theirs soon. Please send payment to: St Thérèse DVD, Cathedral House, Balmoral Road, Lancaster, LA1 3BT. If you need any more details, please contact us.

The Chapter in the Cemetery

2009-11-11T06:51:00.001Z

Yesterday the Cathedral Chapter came for their November meeting and Mass. The Canons meet twice a year and celebrate Mass with the Bishop after their meetings. In November the Mass is always offered for the deceased clergy of the Diocese, and - weather permitting - is followed by a visit to the cemetery for prayers for the dead. Yesterday it was just about fine enough for the cemetery visit to take place; here are a couple of images of the walk up to the bishops' tomb, which stands in the centre of the cemetery.

The Venerable English College

2009-11-10T07:23:00.008Z

Two weeks ago our pilgrims in Rome had the opportunity to visit the Venerable English College, a seminary which has been training priests to work in England since 1579.

The group was given a guided tour by a student called Tony, who is training for the priesthood at the college. He is a seminarian of the Diocese of Shrewsbury.

Here the pilgrims take a look at the refectory...

... and here they survey a few of the portraits of the cardinals, which hang on a first floor corridor. Canon Stephen knows this place well, as he trained for the priesthood at the college.

The tour ended with a visit to the college chapel, which had reopened less than a fortnight earlier following a two-year restoration programme. The results are quite stunning, and evidently the result of much painstaking work.

Canon Stephen then celebrated Mass in the chapel, with Fr Andrew concelebrating. Here the group is waiting for the Mass to begin. A votive Mass of the college martyrs was celebrated.

Afterwards the pilgrims headed underground, to a new exhibition which has opened below the college. 'Non Angli sed Angeli' takes its name from a quip of Pope Gregory the Great, who said these words 'not Angles, but Angels' referring to the English people. It was Gregory who sent St Augustine of Canterbury to England in 597AD.

The exhibition tells the story of the English pilgrimage to Rome through the ages. Among the many striking features is a map on the floor showing the route from Canterbury to Rome. In this way those visiting the exhibition are invited to follow the path of countless pilgrims who have made that journey over the centuries. You can find more about the exhibition (which runs until next July) and about the restored chapel, on a special website: www.angelisunt.it.

The Lateran Basilica

2009-11-09T06:54:00.008Z

Today is the feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilca, which gives us a convenient excuse to return to our coverage of the parish trip to Rome. Here the pilgrims arrive at the front entrance of the Basilica, which is the Cathedral Church of Rome. The Popes lived in the adjoining Lateran Palace until their exile in Avignon (1305-1378). After their return to Rome the Papacy moved to the Vatican, but the Lateran Basilica remains the Cathedral.

An inscription at the entrance of the Basilica tells us that it is the Sacred Lateran Church, "the mother and head of all the churches of the city and the world".

This - believe it or not - is just the entrance. The group take a look at the impressive sight before entering the Basilica, which is found behind the huge doors visible to the left.

Inside the Basilica contains twelve enormous statues of the Apostles, which line the nave. They are a fitting reminder that Christ founded His Church on the twelve Apostles, and each generation after them builds on that foundation.

When school groups come to Lancaster Cathedral we often ask them "what makes a cathedral?" Their answers are usually to do with the size or impressiveness of the building. Eventually, though, the real meaning of 'cathedral' is discovered: a cathedral is the bishop's church, the place where his seat ('cathedra') is to be found. At the east end of the Lateran Basilica is the cathedra of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. From here he presides over the worldwide church.

The main altar is seen here, from behind. Here is the view that the Holy Father sees when celebrating Mass in his Cathedral.

This is a closer view of the cathedra, which is a sign of the Pope's teaching authority. This is why the Pope always sits to preach and to deliver his address at the weekly general audience. It's the reason, too, why solemn pronouncements made by the Holy Father are said to be 'ex cathedra'. In each diocese the feast of the dedication of the local cathedral is kept in all parishes, but for this Cathedral, the mother church of the world, the feast is celebrated across the globe.

Remembrance Sunday

2009-11-08T06:43:00.001Z

Today is Remembrance Sunday, a day of prayer for those who have died in conflict. The 10:30am Mass will be a requiem Mass for those killed in war and the Office for the Dead will be sung at Vespers at 4:40pm. At all Masses prayers will be said for the dead and for those who serve in the armed forces today, and Canon Stephen will represent the Catholic community at the city's cenotaph memorial service.

Cathedral Exhibition: two weeks to go

2009-11-07T07:22:00.006Z

There's still more to come from Rome, including highlights of the Papal Audience, but today we return to matters closer to home. Our 150th anniversary exhibition, 'Curious about the Cathedral', has just two weeks left to run at Lancaster City Museum. With time moving fast, here's a closer look at some of what's on offer.

The story of the Cathedral - and Lancaster's Catholic history - is told using wall panels and related objects. Here, for example, the building committee that was put together to oversee the building of the church is presented in text and graphics, with relevant objects in the case below. Much has been done to try to show the links that exist between the Cathedral and the history of the city of Lancaster. Many of the families which helped the town to grow are also those who paid for the building of the church in the 1850s.

The exhibition actually covers a period from Medieval times until today; it is also fairly broad in scope, covering not only the Cathedral building but the people who have been part of its life. The panel on the left here, for example, covers the foundation of the convent and the role of religious women in the parish.

Here's another connection with Lancaster's history: the Gillow family, famous furniture craftsmen, were among those who contributed to the life of the parish. Two Gillow items belonging to the Cathedral - a chair and a long-case clock - are among the items on display.

There's something for everyone, with interactive exhibits including some 3D-images of the Cathedral. In this display you can smell different types of incense and examine some of the materials used to make vestments for use in church. The exhibition is free to enter and is open Monday-Saturday, 10am-5pm until Saturday 21st November. It has been jointly produced by the Cathedral and the Lancashire Museums Service, and is supported by the Cathedral's 150th anniversary sponsors (see the list here) and in particular by Luzar Vestments.

Cathedral Pilgrims at the Vatican

2009-11-06T06:44:00.010Z

Last Tuesday, the first morning of the parish pilgrimage to Rome, the group made their way to the Vatican City for a tour of St Peter's Basilica. Here the pilgrims get their first view onto St Peter's Square; Anthony their guide, in his usual yellow, can be seen on the left.

Here the pilgrims make their way across the square towards the security checks which everybody entering St Peter's must now go through. The Basilica can be seen to the left of the picture, and to the right - above Bernini's famous colonade - you can see the Pope's apartments.

Many of the pilgrims pause to take a photograph of the Swiss Guard who are always on duty at the 'Bronze Door' which leads into the Apostolic Palace. This lady, however, took it a step further, seemingly attempting to talk her way inside. She didn't have any luck. Fortunately, she wasn't with our group!

Inside the Basilica was extremely busy, filled with tourists coming to take a look at the world's largest church. These days you have to be there quite early in the morning if you want to see the church when it's quiet.

All our group were given headsets so that they could hear Anthony clearly. He has many years' experience of doing this work and gave a well-informed tour of the Basilica.

"We've seen that before somewhere" - the statue of St Peter naturally attracted some attention. Not only is it one of the focal points of the Basilica; it is also a link with Lancaster Cathedral, which has a replica of the statue.

Here the pilgrims survey the papal altar and the enormous baldacchino above it. The sheer scale of the building is hard to grasp, even when inside.

Also pointed out on the tour was this statue of St Angela Merici, who founded the Ursuline order in 1535. Here St Angela is seen with a young girl, a sign of her service as teacher. The Cathedral parish is blessed by the presence of three Ursuline sisters, who serve the parish from their convent at St Thomas More's church.

After the tour many of the pilgrims went to the crypt under the Basilica, to the visit the tomb of St Peter. Many of the Popes are also buried here, including Pope John Paul II; it is always possible to see people praying at his tomb. Later in the pilgrimage, on the Friday morning, the group had Mass in a side chapel within the crypt.

Rome Pilgrimage: out of the city

2009-11-05T06:53:00.009Z

Today we return to the recent pilgrimage, with a look back at the day out in Subiaco which took place last Thursday. This small town is located a little over an hour's drive from Rome, and the trip provided a welcome change from the noise and activity of city life. What a contrast! The town of Subiaco can be seen in the picture above, nestled amidst the hills. Our pilgrim group travelled above the town, to the place where St Benedict founded his first monastery.

The coach journey up the hill was not for the faint-hearted, as the roads are narrow and winding and there are steep drops at the side. Safely arrived, however, our pilgrims exited the coach...

... and made their way up the hill to the monastery. It was a short walk up the hill, although - contrary to appearances in this picture - the path was fairly steep.

Here is the view at the top: the Benedictine monastery, built into the side of the hill. It is a truly spectacular location and the stunning weather allowed our pilgrims to see it at its best.

Guiding the group was an American Benedictine priest who is staying with the community for a few months. He began with a brief introduction to life of St Benedict, who lived c.480-c.550 and came to Subiaco at about the year 500. Originally living as a hermit in a cave in the hills, a community began to grow up around him. Here he remained until moving to Monte Cassino in around 529.

Now, around the cave where Benedict lived a monastery has been built. Our guide made the point that it is wonderful to be able to look from here and see what Benedict saw from his cave: the same hills and landscape, relatively unchanged in 1500 years.

The tour took the group inside the monastery, where there are many frescoes depicting the life of St Benedict, other saints and scenes from the life of Christ. Among the most interesting is an image of St Francis of Assisi, thought to be more or less contemporary. Francis visited Subiaco and the painting can be dated to close to this time, so it may present us with the closest likeness we have of this great saint. Unfortunately photographs are not allowed inside the monastery itself.

Here is the view that St Benedict would have seen each day. He could hardly have picked a finer spot! One of the highlights of this day of the pilgrimage was the opportunity to celebrate Mass in a chapel just a few feet from St Benedict's cave. It was a memorable experience.

St Charles Borromeo

2009-11-04T07:12:00.010Z

It may seem very early to interrupt the blog's extended coverage of the Rome pilgrimage (more on that tomorrow), but today is the feast of St Charles Borromeo, who deserves a post not least because he's missed out on a mention for the last two years (in 2007 his feast fell on a Sunday, and last year it was usurped by the November Chapter Mass).

The Cathedral has a wonderful chapel of St Charles, and the altar here will be used for the 12:15pm Mass today. The altar was consecrated in 1860 but the reredos and other decoration date from the golden jubilee of the church in 1909. Billington's Blog will feature more on the altar and its history tomorrow.

Charles Borromeo was born on 20th October 1538; at the age of 21 he was made a Cardinal by Pope Pius IX (who also happened to be his uncle!) and later became Archbishop of Milan in 1563. His life, therefore, was set in the period of the Counter-Reformation, when the Church was responding to the growing challenge of Protestantism. Among St Charles' greatest contributions was his influence on the Council of Trent, which had been called to discuss the challenges facing the Catholic faith. Here he is seen holding a copy of the decrees of Trent.

St Charles is often depicted as a penitent, as here: he prays before a crucifix with a rope around his neck. This reminds us of his work as Archbishop of Milan, where he set about improving the morals of the clergy under his authority and promoting a more faithful way of life. In the best sense of the word, he was a reformer: someone who wanted to do away with the failings of Church members without straying from orthodox doctrine. His efforts earned him some opposition, and on one occasion he survived an assasination attempt.

By his side a cardinal's hat, a sign of his high office, can be seen on the floor.

Although both a cardinal and an archbishop, Charles did not shy away from the people of his city even in the midst of danger. In 1576 Milan was gripped by plague, and the altarpiece here shows him risking his own life by bringing Holy Communion to the sick and dying on the city streets.

The reredos of his chapel in the Cathedral depicts those who have not survived the plague being carried away in the background...

... while the city is filled with the stench of death and disease. All in all, the altar depicts a man of great vision and commitment, one who was not afraid to take on opposition or to shy away from his people.

His motto, 'humilitas' (humility), is also seen in the decoration of his altar. Despite his high office, it seems appropriate enough.

Looking back at Rome

2009-11-03T06:59:00.002Z

The view over the Alps from 35,000 feet is spectacular. This image, taken on the flight to Rome last Monday, opens a series of posts giving highlights of the parish pilgrimage. Many regular blog readers were following the frequent updates during the trip; these also provided a good way for parishioners, families and friends back home to keep up with the travellers. However, the limits of the mobile technology (and the lack of zoom on the camera we were using!) restricted the quality of the posts. Now the plan is to share some of the best images and fill out the story of the pilgrimage in a series of posts; these will be interspersed with other posts over the coming week or two, so it won't be Rome every day!

Our pilgrim group stayed at the Hotel Lancelot (website here), a friendly family-run hotel close to the Colosseum. This famous landmark of Rome can be seen on this image, which was taken less than a minute's walk from the hotel's front door.

From the roof terrace of the hotel some of Rome's best sights could be seen. Here is a night shot; you can see the Colosseum clearly in the foreground, and beyond, in the top left of the picture, you can just make out the floodlight dome of St Peter's Basilica. Click on the image if you'd like to see a larger version.

Here's the daytime view, with the same landmarks clearly visible.

Our guide for the week was Anthony Coles, usually easy to spot with his yellow coat and hat. A knowledgable and entertaining guide, Anthony ensured an enjoyable week for all the pilgrims.

Alongside our visits to the famous sights of Rome we will also show some of the more quirky or unusual images. Take this, for instance: the church is that of Saints John and Paul, where the group had Mass on the first day of the pilgrimage. Look above, however: Rome's starlings are gathered in vast numbers. The image captures something of the scene, but only a fraction of the birds are actually caught on this picture.

From the roof of the Pontifical North American College there is a tremendous view of St Peter's Basilica. In the posts ahead there will be images of our tours of Rome's great churches, the day trip to Subiaco (which is truly spectacular) and other aspects of a great week.

Perhaps the highlight will be our coverage of the Papal Audience, which was for many pilgrims a once-in-a-lifetime event. Here the Pope waves to the crowds as he arrives in St Peter's Square. This image, and every picture posted on the blog's coverage of Rome, was taken by our own cameras or by a member of the group. Pilgrims who travelled and have any particularly special or unusual images are invited to share them! If you want to see your handiwork on the blog, please get in touch with us.