2 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + July 2020 www.catholicvoic eo昀ancaster.co.uk CONTACT US: The Catholic Voice of Lancaster is published on the last Sunday of the month previous to publication date. The Catholic Voice of Lancaster is published by its owners. The Trustees of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lancaster, a registered charity, (No. 234331), and is wholly independent of and separate from any previous newspaper published by or on behalf of the diocese. EDITOR: Edwina Gillett 01253 736630 / 07969 967268 edwinagillett@hotmail.co.uk www.catholicvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk ADVERTISING: Charlotte Rosbrooke / CathCom Ltd. 01440 730399 / 07932 248225 charlotter@cathcom.org www.cathcom.org DESIGN & LAYOUT: Rob Hotchkiss / Hot Creative 01253 730343 rob@hot-creative.co.uk www.hot-creative.co.uk PUBLISHED BY: CathCom Ltd. N2 Blois Meadow Business Centre, Blois Road, Steeple Bumpstead, Haverhill, Su昀olk CB9 7BN 020 7112 6710 www.cathcom.org Articles to: voicenews@hotmail.co.uk Letters to: voiceletters@hotmail.co.uk POSTAL ADDRESS: FAO Edwina Gillett 99 Commonside, Ansdell, Lytham St. Annes FY8 4DJ Please send articles for publication on CD or by email, supplying any photos separate to the text (i.e. in jpeg format). Otherwise please type double spacing or write very clearly. Last date for copy is the LAST DAY of the month prior to publication. Photographs will be returned if you remember to put your name and address on the back of each and enclose suitable stamped and self- addressed packaging. EDITORIAL God created mankind too, each one loved, each one equal in His eyes. And yet we are constantly witnessing racism and intolerance in many guises. There is a growing lack of dignity given to human life at all of its stages, starvation and violence both physical and emotional and a turning away from God towards a more and more secular society. “Love one another as I have loved you” Jesus taught. Do we? Are we prepared as a Church to take this message out to change the hearts and minds who do not value the gift of life at all its stages or seek to harm and exploit others for their own grati昀cation? Are we willing to change ourselves? The Catholic Voice believes that we need to respond to these challenges. Prayer and a fervent desire to live a Sacramental way of life is a good start. If God is not at the centre of our lives and love of one another shaping our words and actions we will fall short. We also need to be practical and put our faith into action, opposing all forms of intolerance and abuse to create a cleaner, fairer and more caring society. We need to look at what we are prioritising in our parishes: do we allow ourselves to get bogged down by thinking inwardly or do we have our sights on the horizon, as witnesses to the gospel and caring about the pressures on our global climate and the inequalities and su昀ering of our fellow beings? The Catholic Voice believes the hiatus in our daily lives that we have witnessed in recent weeks has provided us with the time to ponder these issues and maybe reset our focus so that we emerge with a new vibrancy and endeavour to live the lives God wants us to. J une 2020 will long live in our memories. It is the month when many of our church doors 昀nally opened for private prayer, after many weeks of lockdown and it is the month when the violent death of George Floyd (a black man killed by a white police o

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www.catholicvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk July 2020 + The Catholic Voic e of Lancaster + 3 T he coronavirus pandemic didn’t just creep up on us. All the warning signs were there - previous outbreaks of novel viruses originating in places where the abuse of the natural world is at its worst - places where vast numbers of animals, often hunted from the forests, come into close proximity to humans, providing the ideal conditions for them to jump species. In 2018 the World Health Organisation did a pandemic simulation which e昀ectively predicted COVID-19 from its source to its spread, but world leaders took little notice and planning was woefully inadequate. To understand the underlying reasons for this complacency, we can do no better than to look at Pope Francis’ great encyclical letter, Laudato Si. He shows how we have come to see ourselves as the world’s lords and masters. We have forgotten that the world was created by God and belongs to Him and that we are mere stewards. One of the underlying themes in Laudato Si is that everything is connected. Pope Francis sees clearly the connection between the abuse of nature and the origins of COVID-19 as described by the scientists researching its source. There are many connections between COVID-19 and the climate emergency. For a start, it is the poor who su昀er the worst e昀ects, even though they have not caused the problem. It was the a

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4 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + July 2020 www.catholicvoic eo昀ancaster.co.uk A fter 昀ve years with the Youth Service, Fr John is moving on at the end of the month. Here he re昀ects on his time as director and chaplain. When Bishop Michael 昀rst asked me to move to Castlerigg as Director of the Youth Service, I naturally said yes, but the prospect was daunting. At the time I was chaplain to Blackpool Victoria Hospital, and I wasn’t sure how well I would manage in a very di昀erent setting and with all the energy that is foun d in a place like Castlerigg. I needn’t have worried; for the last 昀ve years I have been supported by a brilliant team of sta昀 and volunteers, and as a team we must have worked with many more than 昀fteen thousand young people. A year after I started I took a group from the diocese to World Youth Day in Krakow. Taking a coach of young people so far from home, to join with millions of others from around the world was particularly terrifying prospect. But it was a joyful and life giving experience. Witnessing the exuberance of the young people from every corner of the world and their love for the church was inspiring, and the impact of this on the young people whose faith wasn’t so strong was a joy to see. I would, though, have to say that working with our gap-year teams has been the most enriching aspect of my time at Castlerigg. The vast majority of young people who come to Castlerigg with a school retreat don’t have a relationship with the church, and it is the witness of our gap-year team that encourages these young people to take the 昀rst steps to exploring the faith. Several of the gap-year volunteers started their own faith journeys on retreat at Castlerigg, and in turn they share their excitement of the journey they are making with the young people we work with. Talking with the volunteers about faith and sharing our lives together gives me hope for the future and reminds me that I always need to be open to continuing on this same journey. Whilst I hope for a calmer aspect to life in my next appointment, I will certainly miss the vibrancy of life with the Youth Service. And I am so grateful to the young people I have worked with, and particularly to the sta昀 and volunteers at Castlerigg. Editors Note: The Catholic Voice thanks Fr John for his service to Castlerigg and his unstinting support of this Paper. We wish him well and hope that his new appointment brings him many blessings. Y ou won’t be surprised to read that the lockdown has had a signi昀cant impact on the Youth Service, as it has on almost every aspect of our lives. Our last group of young people came on retreat at Castlerigg Manor in early March, and since then the building has been eerily quiet. Soon after the last school group left, our gap-year team also packed up to spend the lockdown at home with their families, and we decided that, with no visitors staying, we couldn’t justify asking the sta昀 to come in either. After Easter, Fr John was left on his own at the Manor and began ticking things o昀 a long list of jobs to keep the place going and to brighten up parts of the building. Castlerigg in Lockdown More recently Jack, the new Director of the Youth Service, has also started work, beginning to learn how the Youth Service operates, re昀ect on his own vision for what we do, and joining in painting and decorating! It has been a challenge to keep on top of the day-to-day tasks (I’m amazed by how quickly the grass grows – and we have over 昀ve acres of grounds!) , but we have also been able to tidy up some parts of the building that were showing their age. And most importantly we are getting ready for when we welcome young people back to Castlerigg and when we get on the road and visit them. The biggest challenge has been 昀nancial – normally, more than 80% of the Youth Service’s budget comes from visitors paying to stay here. For the time being we are having to do without this income, and we don’t know how soon it will be possible for schools groups to come back in the autumn. We are hopeful that it will be soon be possible to reopen our holiday cottage, The Lodge, a small step to getting back on our feet. And we are looking into the possibility, if we can do it safely, of opening the Manor for family groups etc. in the summer holidays. If you’d be interested in coming to stay please look out for more info on our website (www.castleriggmanor.co.uk) and social media (@CastleriggManor )– we’ll make an announcement as soon as we can. Goodbye

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www.catholicvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk July 2020 + The Catholic Voic e of Lancaster + 5 Support our Work Please help us to continue the work of the Youth Service. If yo u feel you might be able to help in any way please get in touch. If you are able to make a donation this would be greatly appreciated: www.castleriggmanor.co.uk/donate And most importantly, please keep us in your prayers. T his year’s diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes has been postponed (to 2021) because of the covid-19 epidemic, but plans are being made for a virtual pilgrimage. We are working on plans to o昀er elements of virtual pilgrimage for the young people who would have come to Lourdes with us. This will be an opportunity for young people to learn a little more about Lourdes, talk about aspects of the pilgrimage, and perhaps most importantly, spend time with other young people. For more information please see the events page of our website. Lourdes Virtual Pilgrimage An Early Conclusion I think it’s fair to say, on behalf of this year’s Castlerigg team, 昀nishing our gap year prematurely was one of the toughest things we’ve had to do. It was heart-breaking enough knowing we were leaving our work behind, but it was even more heart-breaking having to go our separate ways knowing that it could be months before we would see each other again. The bond we made as a team was more than just friendship, it was more like being a family and knowing that we would never all be living together or doing the job we love together was so upsetting. Having such a small amount of time to come to terms with this only made the farewell harder. Over the past seven months at Castlerigg we have all grown so much as people. The people who walked into Castlerigg on 16th August 2019, were not the people that left. We have all developed in our faith, maturity, con昀dence and our love for working with young people. Volunteering at Castlerigg has been such a rewarding and eye-opening experience, and one that we will keep with us forever. The memories we have made with both the team and the young people, are memories that are not going to be easily forgotten. As a team, we have all learnt the importance of being active in our faith and know the signi昀cance of taking time out of our day to talk to God. We’ve also learnt how di昀erent each young person that walks through the doors of Castlerigg really is, each one of them unique. I think we can all agree that we certainly got as much out of a retreat with the young people as they did. Something that we really noticed at Castlerigg is how di昀erent each day is and the joy that each day holds. Every retreat is di昀erent and every retreat brings a new light to Castlerigg, which keeps the job so exciting. It’s so important at challenging times like this that we acknowledge the importance of each day and make sure we 昀ll it with laughter and love, because we never know what the future holds. Nobody would have predicted a pandemic happening in our year, but I think it has taught us all a valuable lesson: not to take any day of our lives or our loved ones for granted, to get up and live our lives to the full. Although this is a di

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6 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + July 2020 www.catholicvoic eo昀ancaster.co.uk A death from COVID-19 matters, but not because it is a death from COVID-19. It does not matter because it is a statistic. It matters because it is the death of a precious, irreplaceable human being. I went to my 昀rst virtual funeral in March. It was deeply moving: the person whose loss we were mourning, Fr David Sanders OP, had been a close friend for many years, and a huge in昀uence on the most formative part of my adult life. He had a great gift for friendship, and we were part of a circle of friends which he did much to keep alive. The simple funeral Mass was conducted with gentle solemnity by his Prior and brothers. There was a tangible sense of his family and friends, including his own Dominican brethren who could not be physically present, being together, united in a true spiritual communion. The fact that he had died with the virus was unimportant. All that mattered was to remember and to pray for David, our friend, in all his concrete individuality. Fr Timothy Radcli昀e’s sermon, based on the story of the raising of Lazarus, took friendship as its focus. He quoted the great Dominican Fr Bede Jarrett who described 昀delity in friendship as ‘the most beautiful thing on earth’ . Jarrett wrote: ‘Our lives are made and marred by our friendships. In the worlds of nature and grace love is more powerful than reason, heart than head, friendship than law.’ Friendship matters, Fr Timothy went on, ‘because it is a sharing in the life of God, the eternal friendship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Every friendship teaches us something about the life of God. That is why we need many friends, many windows into God’s love.’ Fr David always loved meeting people, including the nurses and doctors during his chemotherapy sessions. ‘He was much more interested in them than in his treatment. He was interested in their particularity, their individuality.’ Fr Timothy commented, ‘This gives us a tiny glimpse of how God loves each of us. God does not love humanity in general. God knows the uniqueness of each of us in a way that we do not. When we glimpse that, we cannot but love them.’ Fr David’s death, for which he had been preparing during decades of prayerful religious life, was, when it came, not grim, but very tranquil. Yes, it was deeply sad that he could not be surrounded by his brethren. But he knew he was carried by their prayers and by the prayers of so many others of us. When death was near, he rang Fr Timothy on his mobile to say goodbye. The next day he asked the nurses to let him die in peace. And so he did, slipping gently away. Fr David had a deep love of Scripture, which he had shared with so many of us. He will have known well the stories of his namesake, the King of Israel. That other David had a weakness for statistics. What had annoyed King Saul most of all was his rival’s supporters singing in triumph about the numbers he had killed in battle: ‘Saul has killed his thousands and David his tens of thousands’. David was tactless enough to go on to count out two hundred of the foreskins of his Philistine victims as a bride-price for Saul’s daughter (Saul had asked only for one hundred) . How ironic then, that David’s lament for Saul’s son, his dearest friend, is so moving and so personal: ‘Jonathan, by your dying I too am stricken, I am desolate for you, Jonathan my brother. Very dear you were to me.’ Had he forgotten that each one of his ten thousands was also a son, a brother, a dearest friend? David learnt the lesson about statistics a very hard way, when he was punished later on for counting his troops instead of trusting in God, punished, ironically, with a plague. In a strange way, Fr David’s death has made the crisis much easier. It has helped me to put the virus in its place. A death from COVID-19 matters, but not because it is a death from COVID-19. It does not matter because it is a statistic. It matters because it is the death of a precious, irreplaceable human being. When we remember that, we can take each bereavement as it comes, one at a time, so as not to be overwhelmed. In 2018, according to the O

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www.catholicvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk July 2020 + The Catholic Voic e of Lancaster + 7 the Mass was moving and beautiful in every way, with a choir that could have been professional, a sanctuary full of clergy, powerful readings, enriched by other languages and even a Jewish prayer. Emile was honoured for everything that he was; scholar, teacher, family man, friend. I remember thinking then, ‘This is a marvellous occasion, which does justice to a marvellous person. But actually, every single person would be worthy of this, of our honour, our love and our prayers.’ But again, one at a time. Gerard Manley Hopkins was our English poet with the greatest gift for expressing individuality. He called it the ‘thisness’ - of a bluebell or a kestrel, of a landscape or a river, above all of a human being. One of his most poignant poems laments the death of Felix Randal, a blacksmith. He evokes him in all his thisness, ‘big- boned and hardy-handsome’ , forging a shining shoe for a vast dray horse. Hopkins describes how this powerful, energetic, impatient, man became gentle through his illness, and how a tenderness grew up between Felix and himself as he ministered to him. The poem uses Felix’s name repeatedly to bring home to the reader this speci昀c, personal, loss. Each speci昀c person, one at a time. This is a time of great sadness in part because we have been forced to face our mortality. Of course, we knew already that millions of people die every year and that each one of us would die one day. But we have somehow been able to live with the loss of all those elderly people, cancer patients or drowning migrants, without paying it detailed attention. Now the statistics are turning into human beings. And each of us knows that there but for the grace of God go I. Facing such truths together, with honesty, can only be good. The other side of this is consolation. The sorrow that we feel for each is only the other side of joy and gratitude. We grieve because he or she was immeasurably precious. And for the same reason we are immeasurably blessed by each other, by those who have lived and by those still alive. When he became ill from cancer, Fr David had said to a friend, ‘I have been preaching on the resurrection for all these years and I had better show that I believe in it.’ Like Felix Randall, and like Emile, he was sustained by Christian hope. These times are a test for all of us who are believers: can we live out what we profess? And for those among us who are unsure what to believe, this plague brings no new questions about the after-life. It only brings into focus the questions we often prefer to push aside. That same week, our Sunday prayer list for the deceased was not exceptionally long. But it included one of our own Communities, a diminutive, indomitable, Irish nurse, with an enormous smile and an even bigger heart, who had helped to found our Sisters in Nigeria, and had lived there for many years -another unique, precious, irreplaceable, Christian soul. Another life lived faithfully and to the full. Another who will be mourned in all her glorious speci昀city, and welcomed by name into the Kingdom. And no, she didn’t have any viruses. And that’s not important either. Sr. Margaret Atkins We would like to thank these schools for always supporting the paper. If your school would like to do the same please contact Charlotte on 07932 2 48225 or 01440 730399 or email charlotter@cathcom.org to book your advert HEADTEACHERS – If you would like to support the Catholic Voice and promote your school to Catholic families in the area please contact Charlotte on 07932 2 48225 or 01440 730399 or email charlotter@cathcom.org to book your advert ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC ACADEMY St. Walburga’s Road, Blackpool, FY3 7EQ Headteacher: Mr Simon Eccles Tel: 01253 396286 Email: admin@stmary.blackpool.sch.uk

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8 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + July 2020 www.catholicvoic eo昀ancaster.co.uk T he cause for the canonisation of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, which eventually took place on 25 October 1970, had its roots in the mid-19th Century when, following the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in England and Wales in 1850, Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman and Cardinal Henry Manning, successive Archbishops of Westminster from 1850 until 1892, led a campaign for the recognition of those who had been Martyred for the faith. Just a year previously, in 1849, Frederick William Faber had written the rousing hymn Faith of Our Fathers in memory of the Martyrs. Born and raised an Anglican, Faber converted and was ordained a Priest later becoming an Oratorian Father, the congregation founded by St Philip Neri to which St John Henry Newman also belonged.By 1935 nearly two hundred Reformation Martyrs had been beati昀ed, earning the title ‘Blessed’ , but only two, John Fisher and Thomas More, had been canonised; both on 19 May 1935 by Pope Pius XI. Following the end of the Second World War, the cause, which had been largely dormant for some years, was gradually revived and, in December 1960, the names of thirty four English and six Welsh Martyrs were submitted to the Sacred Congregation of Rites by Cardinal William Godfrey, Archbishop of Westminster. All of these had been Martyred between 1535 and 1679. The list of names was drawn up in consultation with the Bishops of England and Wales and an attempt was made to ensure the list re昀ected a spread of social status and religious rank, together with a geographical spread and the existence of a well-established devotion. Of the forty, thirty three were Priests (twenty Religious and thirteen Secular) and seven were lay people. It is worth noting that around a quarter of these Martyrs came from within the historic boundaries of the County Palatine of Lancashire, a reminder, albeit a poignant one, that Lancashire remained a true stronghold of the faith despite the persecutions and di

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www.catholicvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk July 2020 + The Catholic Voic e of Lancaster + 9 The Canonisation of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales - Part 1 • Margaret Clitherow, 25 March 1586, York • Margaret Ward, 30 August 1588, Tyburn • Edmund Gennings, 10 Dec 1591, Gray’s Inn • Swithun Wells, 10 Dec 1591, Gray’s Inn • Eustace White, 10 Dec 1591, Tyburn • Polydore Plasden, 10 Dec 1591, Tyburn • John Boste, 24 July 1594, Durham • Robert Southwell, 21 Feb 1595, Tyburn • Henry Walpole, 7 April 1595, York • Philip Howard, 19 Oct 1595, The Tower • John Jones, 12 July 1598, Southwark • John Rigby, 21 June 1600, Southwark • Anne Line, 27 Feb 1601, Tyburn • Nicholas Owen, 2 March 1606, The Tower • Thomas Garnet, 23 June 1608, Tyburn • John Roberts, 10 Dec 1610, Tyburn • John Almond, 5 Dec 1612, Tyburn • Edmund Arrowsmith, 28 August 1628, Lancaster • Ambrose Barlow, 10 Sept 1641, Lancaster • Alban Roe, 31 Jan 1642, Tyburn • Henry Morse, 1 Feb 1645, Tyburn • John Southworth, 28 June 1654, Tyburn • John Plessington, 19 July 1679, Chester • Philip Evans, 22 July 1679, Cardi昀 • John Lloyd, 22 July 1679, Cardi昀 • John Wall, 22 August 1679, Worcester • John Kemble, 22 August 1679, Hereford • David Lewis, 27 August 1679, Usk Thirty four had been hanged, drawn and quartered, the most grisly form of execution reserved for traitors, whilst three had been hanged, one had died under torture, one had died in prison awaiting execution and, perhaps, one of the most well-known, Margaret Clitherow, had been crushed to death using the door of her house, weighted by rocks, the whole pressing down on a small but sharp rock placed under her back. On 24 May 1961, the re-opening of the cause was formally decreed by Pope John XXIII. It was no surprise, therefore, that once the list of forty names had been submitted, and the decree issued, the Diocese of Lancaster was quick o昀 the mark in organising a rally in support of the cause. Other rallies, pilgrimages, and events were organised, including an annual ‘Martyrs Sunday’ , throughout England and Wales, as a concerted e昀ort was made to progress the cause. Read about the Forty Martyrs Rally in Preston in the September’s edition. David Gorman St Edmond Arrowsmith St John Plessington

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10 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + July 2020 www.catholicvoic eo昀ancaster.co.uk R eaders will be interested to know that to celebrate the Fifth Anniversary of Laudato Si’, Sr. Margaret Atkins’ CTS pamphlet, Catholics and Our Common Home has been reprinted in a revised version, with the new subtitle, Caring for The Planet in a Time of Crisis. The pamphlet is available from https://www.ctsbooks.org/ What people need today is an “ecological conversion.” ‘Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience’ – Pope Francis. Regarding the environment, Pope Francis identi昀es two groups of Catholics: The critical and the indi昀erent. A third group might consist of those who are willing, even enthusiastic, but who feel discouraged about the possibility of making any real di昀erence. By unpacking Church tradition and teaching, and bridging the gap between theory and practice, this booklet will challenge the 昀rst, stir up the second, and encourage the third. F r John Foulkes one of our retired priests celebrated 60 years in the priesthood earlier in June, Fr John now lives in the parish of St Peter’s Lytham. He celebrated his 昀rst Mass on Trinity Sunday 1960 at St Joseph’s , Ansdell. Ad Multos Annos! Dear Editor I wish to send a big thank you to everyone who collected tins of food, dried food stu昀s, toiletries and cleaning items etc; for the Food Bank at the Salvation Army, Preston, in May. Thank you to everyone, parents, friends, families and businesses who all made this possible, to all the guys from Preston Impact Youth Group and the EmpowHER-COHORT 3 young women. It took three car journeys to deliver it all. Our theme of Kindness is to create a sense of social justice and equality for everyone. Best wishes Terry Mattinson Your Letters Send us your letters: Write to: The Editor, 99, Commonside, Ansdell, Lytham St. Annes, FY8 4DJ. Email to: voiceletters@hotmail.co.uk • Please keep your letters concise (max 300 words) , • Include your full name and address • Letters should not include any personal criticism or attacks • The editor reserves the right to: - amend or shorten letters or to refuse to publish them (no correspondence to discuss decisions taken will be entered into) - publish a response if deemed appropriate Diamond Jubilee Caring for The Planet in A Time of Crisis Dear Editor It never stop amazing me how God can transform bad things into something good. This lockdown has been in so many ways a blessing for us. All family and friends, so far, are healthy; my two teenagers daughters have never had a better relationship, ...even my garden never looked so great. We found an alternative way in the streamed services from our local church of St Clare’s, (Preston),: Masses, prayers, adoration, devotions, ... all of which, despite not being our parish, made us feel that it was the right place for us. Our own parish, St Gregory’s, weekly bulletin, and the Hymns our stupendous choir director sends us, keep us going, indeed, singing all day. Also, I am part of a weekly ecumenical group of Lectio Divina, an old form of prayer, within the Xaverian Spiritual Centre, (Preston). We decided to keep doing Lectio, though each one at home, all praying united in Christ. We interchange our re昀ections and we support each other through email and even the group has grown. Afterwards, our re昀ections are posted in the Xaveria n’s web. This is a great source of strength for me, and made me even more conscious of the Holy Spirit’s action through all of us. When anxiety and worries appear, the ‘Do not be afraid’ comes to mind. I know that whatever must happen, will happen...but Our Lord will help me to see me through. I have no fear, for I am in God’s hands. Thank you Lord for never abandoning us. May the Lord bless you all and keep you safe Menchu Benavides-Guijarro, St Gregory’s, Preston SELF STORAGE Secure Units Available Sizes To Suit All Needs Competitive Rates From as little as £5 per week Open 7 Days Also Caravan/Car/Boat Storage Curly Tail Storage, Park Lane, Forton Tel: 01524 791837 www.curlytailstorage.co.uk Boarbank Hall Contact: Sr Marian Boarbank Hall, Grange over Sands, Cumbria, LA11 7NH Telephone: 015395 32288 Website: www.boarbankhall.org.uk Canonesses of St Augustine of the Mercy of Jesus “She who accepts the common life possesses God” St Augustine A Warm Welcome to Everyone Prayer Community Hospitality Care of the poor and sick Church Pews Uncomfortable? Why not try top quality upholstered foam pew cushions? Safefoam, Green Lane, Riley Green, Hoghton, Preston PR5 0SN www.safefoam.co.uk Freephone 0800 015 44 33 Free Sample Pack of foam & fabrics sent by first class mail When phoning please quote LV101 Hayton, Brampton, Cumbria CA8 9JB nicholashobbsfurniture@yahoo.co.uk www.nicholashobbs.co.uk 07947 030952 Established in 1992 Serving the North West, specialising in Liturgical Furnishing, hand built to specification and budget. Ashes caskets, Memorials and personal crosses also supplied

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www.catholicvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk July 2020 + The Catholic Voic e of Lancaster + 11 T he Apostles Peter and Paul: the great apostolic pairing, celebrated for centuries on or near to June 29th. Although it is recorded that they may only have met twice (Acts 15 and mentioned in Galatians 2) , both of them were pivotal movers in the development of the early Church and the understanding of the faith. The preface for the feast today tells us of their signi昀cance within the story of the faith: “Peter foremost in confessing the faith, Paul it’s outstanding preacher. Peter who established the early Church from the remnant of Israel, Paul, master and teacher of the gentiles that you call”. Both of them ended their lives giving glory to God by martyrdom in Rome. Peter, whom tradition tells us was cruci昀ed upside-down so that he did not emulate the death of the Lord, is commemorated on the Vatican hill above the necropolis where he was buried (St Peter’s Basilica) . Tradition also tells us that the martyrdom of the Apostle Paul was a beheading by a sword, and it is commemorated at the site called The Three Fountains (Tre Fontane) near the Basilica of St Paul outside the Walls, heading out of Rome toward the ancient port of Ostia. Both men had the energy of ones who were Apostles…ones who the Lord sent on their mission. Peter, a man of several foibles, but who professed the heart of the gospel faith at Caesarea Philippi when he acclaimed Jesus as the Christ. Paul had zeal and energy as a Pharisee, when as Saul, he began rooting out the 昀rst followers of Christianity. Following his conversion to Christ, and his taking the new name of Paul, his zeal for Christ intensi昀ed as he worked to bring the gospel message to the gentile world. Together, with those 昀rst apostles instituted by Christ, the lives of St Peter and St Paul give us qualities of the faith which are as true for today as they were in the 昀rst cent ury: that the faith is centred on Jesus as the Christ, and that His mission, our mission, is to make his gospel message known and loved. As people of the Faith we need always to be united with Christ and with each other, centred around the successor of St Peter. We need also to have the energy wisdom and drive which St Paul had amongst his several gifts, so that Christ and his gospel will be known to people of all situations and cultures. What we have received…we hand on and, please God, as we hand it on, the faith is deepened and enriched by our living of it. As humanity looks for life beyond the limitations of the Covid-19 pandemic, as we look for a better and deeper appreciation of human worth which is beyond the colour of skin and economic success, we invite the prayers of SS Peter and Paul, who were so close to the Lord in taking forward his mission, that they will speak to the heart of humanity today and assist the Church in our gospel mission. Fr Stephen Pearson, Cathedral Dean Lancaster +++ HOMILY +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ “You are Peter, and I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” Solemnity of Ss Peter & Paul Alleluia, Alleluia! You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. Alleluia A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew 16: 13-19 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Phillipi he put this question to the disciples, ‘Who do you say the Son of Man is?’ And they said: ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ But you,’ he said, ‘who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter spoke up, Solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul, Apostles ‘You are the Christ,’ he said ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not 昀esh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So now I say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’ The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ WILLIAM HOUGHTON FUNERAL DIRECTORS An Independent Catholic Family Firm Serving our community for over 100 years 259 Garstang Road, Fulwood, PR2 9XL Tel: 01772 788020 www.williamhoughtonfunerals.co.uk To advertise please contact Charlotte on 07932 248225 or email charlotter@ cathcom.org

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12 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + July 2020 www.catholicvoic eo昀ancaster.co.uk G reat portrait artists will give you more than just a good likeness, they will try to re昀ect the character of their subject and give you a glimpse behind the eyes so that you can see what sort of a person this really is. Today’s Gospel gives us a wonderfully revealing word portrait of Jesus Our Lord. Matthew puts the portrait in front of us, but the words come from Jesus himself, revealing who he is. Within a few verses we hear Our Lord at prayer, revealing his intimate connection with his Father, and then we hear his loving words directly to us, inviting and drawing us with great gentleness into the centre of this Divine love. “Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will 昀nd rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.” What a loving invitation this is, with a deep concern for our many burdens, and a gentle and humble approach to us. The Son of God invites all who are weighed down by the many burdens of life to 昀nd new strength and even peace and rest by being 昀rmly attached to him. Our Lord invites us to come to him and exchange the yoke, the burden that weighs us down, for a new yoke, a new attachment to him which is not a burden but a connection, a partnership with the one who invites us to learn from him, for he is “gentle and humble in heart, and you will 昀nd rest for your souls.” At the heart of this Gospel is Our Lord’s deep and personal invitation to each one of us to receive his friendship, a friendship which unites us into the heart of God. The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus , directly re昀ects this Gospel. It is a devotion to Jesus in his sacred humanity, as a loving person, who is gentle and humble in heart, approaching us with deep respect, gentleness and love, it is the portrait we see in this Gospel. And in the portrait which is coming together we see two hands stretched out towards us to welcome us home, a visual picture of that invitation “Come to me” . When we have this image of Our Lord’s generous love in front of us in words or pictures we know we are being called to imitate that generous love in the heart of the Son of God. We are being called to re昀ect a love that is not grudging or measured out, but truly generous. Father and mother love their children freely without calculation of a return. True love between husband and wife is not a calculated deal but a free gift. The love that we are called to share with all who need our love also needs to come from a generous heart. All these everyday attitudes of life are our true and best response to the God who reveals himself in the loving heart of Christ. In this Gospel we see a vivid picture of the loving character of our Saviour. He is the one who invites us to come to him to be at home in the strength of his love. Fr Patrick Hibbert, St Annes on Sea +++ HOMILY ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ “I am gentle and humble in heart” Alleluia, Alleluia! Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for revealing the mysteries of the kindom to mere children. Alleluia! A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew 11:25-30 Jesus exclaimed: ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’ ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will 昀nd rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’ The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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www.catholicvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk July 2020 + The Catholic Voic e of Lancaster + 13 A t this time of year in the rural communities that I know, in both Cumbria and Lancashire, there would normally be a round of village shows held in village halls or marquees. At these events folk gather together and bring in their produce: things they have grown, such as vegetables, fruit, plants and 昀owers or things they have made, like bread, cakes and pies, along with various crafts and hobbies. These gatherings recognise the gifts and talents of the participants and there is the usual judging with the presentation of rosettes and prizes for 昀rst, second and third place. Entrants come from all ages and there is a great sense of pride in what has been produced, either from a seed, well cultivated and nourished from the soil over time, or in something created thoughtfully by hand in the kitchen or work room. This year such gatherings will be missed in our communities. As the village show celebrates the fruits of the earth, today’s Gospel parable of the Sower celebrates the fruits of God’s Kingdom in the lives of those who welcome his Word and allow it to take root in them. Jesus teaches the crowd from a boat: ‘Imagine a sower going out to sow.’ He paints a picture of agricultural life at the time. In Galilee the terrain was uneven and hilly. It was only on the narrow strips of land in the valleys or on the edge of the river banks that seed could be sown. The sower in the parable scatters seed widely and therefore some falls on the path. This seed would be carried away by birds or trodden on by passers-by. The rocky soil was also a reality, covered perhaps by just a thin layer of earth. Here the seed shoots up quickly and, with having no depth to its roots, is soon scorched by the sun. The point of the parable comes when we reach the description of the good soil which enables maximumgrowth and 昀ourishing. This good soil is potentially the World, meaning every person, every soul. We are the soil for the seed of God’s Grace received in Baptism and nourished by Word and Sacrament, together with a life of prayer and service of God and neighbour. How well is the soil of your life receiving the Word of God now in these challenging days? Perhaps, above all, to grow in our understanding of God’s living Word requires patience; something that can be in short supply for many of us, especially in di

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14 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + July 2020 www.catholicvoic eo昀ancaster.co.uk O ur Lord loved to use parables to illustrate His teaching, perhaps because the stories and images He uses always have several layers of meaning, and so provide rich pickings for our re昀ection and prayer. Just now and again, though, He explains an image to His disciples in private, once the crowds have gone away. Read on a few lines from today’s parable of the wheat and the darnel and we hear the Lord explain everything: He is the sower; the devil is the enemy who sows the darnel; the good seed are God’s people, and the bad seed represents those who do evil and oppose the Lord’s Kingdom. It all seems very straightforward. Yet always with the parables there are several layers of meaning. We know that life is complicated; we are complicated. There are not simply ‘good’ and ‘bad’ people; there is good and bad in each of us. Within us there are so many shoots of goodness, faith and love growing within us, watered by the grace of baptism, enlightened by God’s Word; fed by the Eucharist. But we also know that in every human heart there is darnel: sel昀shness, pride, the things which prevent us from showing love to God and others. Our hearts are 昀elds in which good and bad exist side-by-side – it’s a consequence of our fallen nature. Today’s parable, then, gives us a message of hope: God is patient with us. God’s way is not our way. So often we want to make everything perfect immediately, rooting out all the darnel. But God knows that sometimes this destroys the wheat as well. So He is patient. He allows the two to exist side by side, so that the wheat, the goodness in us, can be given every chance to grow. God does not simply do away with what is evil: He gently, slowly, patiently calls us to conversion. He knows how weak we are, how slow we are to change. So He waits patiently, and gently gives us the gifts we need to let the goodness within us grow. If patience is good enough for God, it must be good enough for us too. We must never judge ourselves more harshly than God judges us – otherwise, we claim to be a higher authority than Him! We must accept that change usually comes very slowly, whilst always striving as much as possible to grow in God’s grace. Let’s take heart from the encouraging words of St Paul, who tells us that the Spirit comes to help us in our weakness. Although he speaks of prayer, it’s true in every aspect of our lives. May the Holy Spirit help the goodness within us to grow ever stronger, and may patience – one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit – be given us in abundance. Patience with others, and patience with ourselves. Fr. Andrew Allman, Preston +++ HOMILY ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ “Let them both grow till the harvest” Alleluia, Alleluia! May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our mind, so that we can see what hope his call holds for us. Alleluia! A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew 13: 24-30 Jesus put a parable before the crowds, ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his 昀eld. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made o昀. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, the darnel appeared as well. The owner’s servants went to him and said: “Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your 昀eld? If so, where does the darnel come from?” “Some enemy has done this” he answered. And the servants said, do you want us to go out and weed it out?” but he said, “No, because when you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let it both grow till the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn.” The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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www.catholicvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk July 2020 + The Catholic Voic e of Lancaster + 15 T he worst seems to be over as we are now de昀nitely coming out of lockdown from the coronavirus pandemic. Thanks be to God! It ha s been a challenging time for many of us and it’s good to start feelin g and believing that life is getting back to normal – sort of. I wouldn’t reall y describe myself as a ‘glass half full’ kind of person and there is little doubt that I’ve found the last several months di

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16 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + July 2020 www.catholicvoic eo昀ancaster.co.uk Sea Sunday 2020 S ea Sunday 2020 will be celebrated on Sunday, 12th July. On Sea Sunday the Catholic Church, along with other churches, remembers seafarers and prays for them, their families and those who support them. It is the principal fundraising and awareness raising event of the year. For di昀erent ways to contribute please visit www.apostleshipofthesea.org.uk/ ways-donate or if you are signed up for planned giving in your parish please donate using the envelope provided. During lockdown Chaplains have been unable to ful昀l their ministry to seafarers and over the weeks several of them have written some short re昀ections one of which we reproduce below: Anchor ourselves in God’s love In my lockdown I only see the images of what’s going on in the outside world, one remarkable picture is people locked into boxes, two metres away from each other - the queuing outside supermarkets. I’ve never had to do that and I try putting myself into the picture. I would be nervous in my little square with an eye on those around me if they dare sneak an inch into my space. I am anchored to the spot until I get called forward into the next square. Pondering on this led me to something far more familiar to me - ships queuing at anchor waiting on their turn to be called forward into the next slot until eventually being called into the great marketplace of the port. For the crews at sea waiting at anchor can be a troubling stay, not knowing how long they will be kept there. Wondering when they will be able to come ashore and call their anxious families. It’s not unheard of that a ship can be at anchor for weeks while greedy owners try to negotiate a better price for the cargo. All queuing requires patience and an un昀inching hope that the wait will end. What are our own anchors, what is it that keeps us rooted in these di

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