2 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + October 2023 CONTACT US: The Catholic Voice of Lancaster is pu b lished on the last Sunday of the month previous to pu b lication date. The Catholic Voice of Lancaster is pu b lished b y 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 pu b lished b y or on b ehalf of the diocese. EDITOR: Edwina Gillett 01253 73 66 30 / 079 6 9 9 6 72 68 edwinagillett@hotmail.co.uk ADVERTISING: Charlotte Ros b rooke / CathCom Ltd. 01440 730399 / 07932 24 8 225 charlotter@cathcom.org www.cathcom.org DESIGN &, LAYOUT: Ro b Hotchkiss / Hot Creative 01253 730343 ro b athot-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 6 710 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 FY 8 4DJ Please send articles for pu b lication on CD or b y email, supplying any photos separate to the text (i.e. in jpeg format). Otherwise please type dou b le spacing or write very clearly. Last date for copy is the LAST DAY of the month prior to pu b lication. Photographs will b e returned if you remem b er to put your name and address on the b ack of each and enclose suita b le stamped and self- addressed packaging. S ervice comes in many forms and for schools, Governors p lay an essential role, su pp orting leadershi p teams. On Tuesday, 25th July, the feast of St James, at Our Lady of the Assumption in Blackpool, the service of four retiring Governors was cele b rated. A Mass of thanksgiving was held followed b y a reception which b rought together a loving community. Canon Chris Loughran presided, supported b y former parish priest, Fr James Burns. During his homily Canon Chris praised the hum b le service of these special ladies and thanked them for their dedication and commitment in volunteering as governors for so many years. ‘,The best way to 昀,nd yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others…,’, Afterwards, former colleagues and friends shared a reception together in the Parish Hall to cele b rate the service given to the school and the community. Anne Davies, of the social committee prepared a beautiful bu昀,et which was enjoyed b y all. Between them, these four wonderful ladies have served the community for over one hundred years. Mrs Jacqui Hickey and Mrs Angela Amatiello as Foundation Governors, Mrs Marian Howcroft as Vice Chair and Mrs Eileen Guerin as Chair of Governors (who alone has served for over 45 years) . We give thanks to God for the service of these wonderful woman and pray that others will continue to follow in their footsteps to support our Catholic schools. Jan Hornby Photos above: Left –, All four ladies with Canon Chris: From left to right as viewing, Angela Amatiello, Jacqui Hickey, Eileen Guerin (in front cutting cake) and Marian Howcroft. Top right –, Eileen Guerin with husband Brian (Eileen served as chair for over 45 years). Bottom right –, Anne Davies (Church social committee) and Marian Howcroft.

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October 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 3 A grou p of four colleagues from Black p ool Teaching Hos p ital’,s maternity services attended a s p ecial service at Westminster Abbey to mark the 75th birthday of the NHS. On Wednesday, 5 July across the country organisations, charities, and communities joined forces to cele b rate the b ig day. While Blackpool Teaching Hospitals hosted a series of events and initiatives close to home for colleagues and patients, four outstanding colleagues were nominated to attend a special service in London. NHS England along with special guests held a multi- faith service for NHS sta昀,, volunteers and partners at Westminster A bb ey. From Blackpool Teaching hospitals four colleagues from the Trust’,s maternity services were nominated to attend to represent the organisation. Two of those attending, Laura Walsh, Swan Bereavement Midwife and Eileen Shaw, long-serving Midwife of 50 years, earlier this year were winners in the Trust’,s sta昀, awards as they were recognised for their services to the NHS. Eileen, who received the Trust’,s Lifetime Achievement award invited her colleague Julia Thompson, a Sister Midwife. Laura, who received the Compassion in Action award was accompanied b y Lucy Brockill, Swan Bereavement Support Worker. The service was conducted b y The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle MBE, Dean of Westminster and saw a series of speakers throughout the event which was also attended b y Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Edin b urgh and Prime Minster Rishi Sunak who also gave a presentation. Eileen Shaw of Our Lady of the Assum p tion p arish in Black p ool and a midwife for 50 years attended with three of her colleagues a s p ecial NHS 75th birthday celebration in Westminster Abbey in July. Laura Walsh said: “,I feel very honoured to have been chosen to represent the Trust at the NHS 75th anniversary service. The day was wonderful and emotional for us all. “,We stood proud in our uniforms, sharing stories of the wonderful work we witness everyday at Blackpool, the inspirational colleagues we are lucky to work alongside and the patients and families we are blessed to meet. “,It was clear the NHS means so much to everyone and there seemed to be a rekindled realisation that it must be protected and prioritised.”, Lucy and Julia echoed these comments adding how proud they were and what an amazing experience it was. Lucy, who has worked for the Trust for 1 6 years, added that this has b een one of the highlights of her career so far. The service, which lasted an hour-and-a-half, b rought together hundreds of NHS workers and volunteers from across the country. Eileen, who has seen the development of the NHS 昀,rst-hand over her career, spoke with pride about Blackpool and used the service as an opportunity to re昀,ect: “,The day was perfect in every way, we met so many interesting people and spoke with our colleagues from across the country who share our passion. “,The service was beautiful, the music and choir brought tears to my eyes. Listening to each person’,s testimony made me feel privileged to have worked in a small way for the NHS. I am truly grateful for this day.”, Reproduced by kind permission of Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Black p ool Teaching Hospital Maternity Sta昀, Celebrate 75 years of the NHS Mark F H Rae Funeral Directors Dip FD MBIFD Incorporating Rawcliffe and Rae Independent Family Firm A Caring and Personal Service with over 40 years experience Funerals conducted by Mark and Helen Rae Consultant Funeral Director Paddy Keogh Tel: 01253 789000/01253 735269 Wood Street, St Annes on Sea, Lancashrie FY8 1QS Website: www.markraefunerals.co.uk K&,M Maintenance Heating - Electrical - Drainage Established 25 years Telephone: 01772 704530 Fax 01722 798801 Heating, Electrical and Drainage and Plumbing services across the North West of England Gas •, Emergency Boiler Repairs for all makes •, Boiler Installations &, servicing •, Central Heating System repairs/upgrades/leaks •, New fitted Central Heating Systems •, Landlord Gas Safety Certificates (CP12) Electrical •, New consumer units supplied and fitted •, All emergency breakdowns •, Power tripping •, New lighting •, Additional sockets •, Faulty sockets •, Rewiring •, Outdoor lighting/sockets •, EICR - electrial safey certificates Drainage and Plumbing •, Blocked drains, internal and external •, Leaks •, New taps •, Camera surveys Prices Boiler Service - £,49 + VAT plus £,10 for every additional appliance. Tel No: 01772 704530 Mobile: 07941 554730 Fax No: 01772 798801 Address: K &, M Maintenance Services Ltd, Unit 8A, Electron Mill, Brook Street, Preston PR1 7NH More information: www.kmmaintenance.co.uk

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4 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + October 2023 castleriggmanor.com >,>, what’,s coming u p ? A s I write this, it’,s August 31st. The last day in the academic year and the p reci p ice of the next. C hildren born after midnight tonight will do their G C SEs in the summer of 203 9 and will graduate from university in the summer of 2042 –, unless they do an internshi p at C astlerigg before U ni of course, in which case, 2043. But the p oint is well made –, time marches on! One thing we like to do at Castlerigg is keep things fresh. Whenever people come b ack to Castlerigg, we want them to see things that have changed. People coming this Septem b er will see a much nicer b uilding, a redeveloped games room (we’,ve 昀,nally taken a sledgehammer to the knackered old pool table and table football –, literally –, and replaced them with a lovely new air hockey table) , redeveloped small group rooms and a massively enhanced programme. We have also revamped our open retreats and it’,s these that we want to focus on in this edition. What’,s coming up in the year ahead…, C ATHSO C RETREAT // NOVEMBER 3-5 This is a b rand new venture for this year and we are very excited a b out it! During the 昀,rst weekend in November, we will be running a retreat for Catholic students. There will b e a minimal programme: a few talks, Mass of course, and a lot of social activities. Because students are usually skint, we are keeping the price down to just £,25. ADVENT RETREAT // DE C EMBER 8-10 We have changed our general open retreats slightly this year ( b y which we mean the retreats that aren’,t targeted at a speci昀,c group like students or altar servers) in a few key ways. Firstly, they are now open to anyone in Year 7 or a b ove. Secondly, there are going to b e three of them. The 昀,rst general open retreat is the Advent retreat and it’,s open to anyone in Year 7 or a b ove, up to age 25. That means that anyone who is interested in deepening their faith can come. You don’,t have to go to a Catholic school, you don’,t have to have b een to Castlerigg b efore, and you don’,t need to live in the diocese. The Advent retreat is a chance to make some new friends, have some fun, and journey together through Advent. The cost for the Advent Retreat is £, 6 5, b ut we don’,t want that to put any b ody o昀,. If you want to come but can’,t a昀,ord it, please get in touch. There is more information in the we b site. ALTAR SERVERS RETREAT // JAN U ARY 12-13 Back b y popular demand, our annual retreat for Altar Servers is happening this January. It’,s a one night retreat, ending on Saturday so that attendees can b e b ack in their parishes, and on the alter, for Sunday Mass! The retreat is open to servers in Year 5 or a b ove and costs just £,35pp. As a b ove, we don’,t want the cost to b e prohi b itive, so get in touch if you can’,t quite stretch to that. Bookings aren’,t open just yet, b ut they will b e soon. EASTER RETREAT // MAR C H 28-31 The Easter Retreat is our oldest open retreat at Castlerigg and literally thousands of people have taken part over the years. The retreat starts on Holy Thursday and those taking part journey together through the key liturgies of the Triduum to Easter Sunday. Yes, there is a lot of praying involved, b ut it’,s not just a b out time in the Chapel, important and awesome though that may b e! There are socials, talks, trips out and a few other things b esides. Like the Advent Retreat, it’,s now open to anyone in Year 7 or a b ove whether you’,re from the diocese, or you’,ve b een to Castlerigg b efore, or not. Bookings will open in the new year. Check our we b site and socials for more details. S U MMER RETREAT // May 24-26 The Summer Retreat is the new kid on the b lock. Our newest general open retreat will hopefully complement the Advent and Easter Retreats b y giving people who have b een to Castlerigg a chance to come b ack and take the experience that little b it deeper. Like those retreats though, it’,s not restricted to those who have b een b efore. It’,s in May, and bookings will likely open in the Spring. WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING? NEW YEAR, NEW TEAM At the end of last year we said good b ye to a few people, as is the nature of residential retreat centres. During August, we welcomed in some awesome new people. Speci昀,cally, Melissa, Beth, Veva, Felix, and Veronica. We are also delighted to welcome our new Chaplain, Fr Ajish. Fr Ajish will b e b ased in Am b leside, ministering to the people of that parish and Windermere parish, b ut he will also b e spending a lot of time at Castlerigg. If you come on retreat this year, you’,ll almost certainly meet him. C ATHOLI C YO U TH MINISTRY INTERNSHIPS On the su b ject of our team, we still have space and we are b asically now operating rolling recruitment with scope for people to start at di昀,erent points during the year. Our Youth Ministry Internship programme is a b rand new development to replace our gap year programme. The idea is to give volunteers enhanced training and experience. There is loads of information on our we b site. Alternatively, anyone interested is welcome to give us a call or pop up for a visit. SPONSOR A YO U TH MINISTER If you want to support one of the lovely people we’,ve just told you a b out, then we also have a new thing for that! Yes, we are giving people the chance to sponsor one of our team. Again, there is loads of information on our we b site. Jack Regan MATTERS YO U TH castleriggmanor.com >,>, what’,s coming u p ?

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October 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 5 Sponsor a Youth Minister To advertise please contact Charlotte on 01440 730399 or email charlotter@cathcom.org Independent Catholic Funeral Director Arranging and conducting funerals in the Catholic Diocese of Lancaster since 1986 Lytham Funeral Service Ltd. 42 Clifton Street, Lytham FY8 5EW Tel. (01253) 733909 www.lythamfuneralservice.co.uk David Pope dip FD MBIFD

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6 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + October 2023 T he summer investiture for The Equestrian Order of the Holy Se p ulchre of Jerusalem was held at the C athedral C hurch of St John the Ba p tist in Norwich on the 16th/17th June 2023. Over 100 Knights and Dames, along with their friends and families, gathered for this s p ecial occasion. The Lieutenancy was given a warm welcome to Norwich b y the Bishop of East Anglia, Peter Collins KC*HS. The Grand Prior of the Lieutenancy, Arch b ishop John Wilson KC*HS presided over the investiture of Bishop Paul into the Order. Mem b ers from the Northern Section showed their support for Bishop Paul and extended a heartfelt welcome to him as a new mem b er of the Order. The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem consists of practising Catholics dedicated to living a faith-昀,lled life, with a particular focus on the Holy Land. They stand in solidarity with the Church in the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, supporting Bisho p Paul invested as a member of The Equestrian Order of the Holy Se p ulchre of Jerusalem its material, moral, and spiritual needs. The mem b ers of the Order are part of the ‘,extended family’, of the Latin Patriarchate. Prayers, presence and 昀,nancial assistance are a means of rendering support to it. Prayer is at the core of the service of Knights and Dames, who are committed to daily prayers for each other and for their fellow Christian b rothers and sisters. As an organisation with an explicit mission given b y the Pope and administered b y the Grand Master and Governor General, the Order operates in local structures across continents. In England &, Wales, the Lieutenancy is organized into eight sections, with the Northern Section covering the dioceses of Lancaster, Liverpool, Salford &, Shrews b ury. You can 昀,nd more information about the Order at www.eohsj.org.uk or contact the Northern President, John Lord KCHS at northernpresident@eohsj.org.uk OPEN Follow us Visit the North West`s Visit the North West`s Highest Performing Highest Performing Sixth Form College! Sixth Form College! DAYS SATURDAY 14TH OCTOBER SATURDAY 11TH NOVEMBER 10AM - 1PM

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October 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 7 Your Letters Send us your letters: Write to: The Editor, 99 , C ommonside, 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 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Dear Editor, One cannot read The Catholic Voice without noticing the num b er of articles that relate to the activities b eing undertaken in the Diocese b y the young mem b ers of our communities, from toddlers to teenagers. The Keswick Convention, Helpers at Lourdes, presentations at The Palace, and the “,big bash”, in Lis b on, (attended by the Pope himself) and numerous other activities and projects. Whilst many of these are recorded b y the Catholic press, very little are seen as news worthy b y the mainstream media. I do not remember North West Tonight running an article on the Keswick Convention, and the national news coverage a b out the thousands of youngsters from all over the world in Lis b on amounted to a b out twenty seconds or so and that was pro b a b ly b ecause Pope Francis went there! Given how much time and e昀,ort our young people put into their projects, demonstrating b oth their love and respect for their religion, the natural world and the plight of those far less fortunate, I for one would like to see a concerted e昀,ort by the Press O

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8 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + October 2023 “, It’,s a bit like painting the Forth Bridge”, is an ex p ression often used to describe a task that seemingly never ends and it’,s certainly an a p t descri p tion of maintaining the C athedral building. No sooner is one signi昀,cant repair dealt with than another is added to the list. Being a listed b uilding means all su b stantial works undertaken must b e scrutinized and approved b y the Historic Churches Commission, b oth in terms of design and of materials used and there is often a quite lengthy process that must b e completed b efore the work itself can begin. In recent years we have carried out urgent works on the tower pinnacles, 昀,re alarm system and emergency lighting so in 2022 we turned our attention to the internal walls where there were areas of peeling paintwork. Occasionally it was more than paint that fell from on high, with pieces of plaster dropping down as well! Having raised the necessary funding and o b tained permissions, on 17th April the Cathedral doors remained closed to the pu b lic Monday to Friday as work b egan. Anything that could b e removed from the sanctuary area was stored elsewhere. The sanctuary 昀,oor was covered with wood and 昀,xed structures like the altar, am b o and cathedra were encased in wooden protective coverings. Creating a sca昀,olding structure that reaches to the highest levels of a b uilding like the Cathedral is no easy task so it was several days b efore the decorators, Bernard Watson from Preston, were a b le to scale the sca昀,olding around the sanctuary and b egin the work of removing the existing paint surface on the walls ready for the new 昀,nish to be applied. Having worked with Watson’,s previously we knew we were in good hands and careful stripping of the walls b egan. Then something unexpected happened…, As work to remove the top surface of paint on the plaster area a b ove the sanctuary progressed, some old artwork b egan appearing. Working carefully over several days, Clare Watson and her team uncovered the long-hidden artwork. Clare traced out the images and made photographic records. A considera b le amount of the decoration was un cover ed. Though some was in understanda b ly poor condition, su

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October 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 9 spoken of b y Canon Billington, which would date it b etween 1 8 59 and 1909. During the hottest weeks of the year Clare and her team worked diligently at the top of the sca昀,olding. The nave walls, together with the arcading that runs the length of the nave, were stripped b ack and repainted. While this planned redecoration was taking place, work continued on reinstating the newly uncovered dec oration. Even from ground level, with views b locked b y intricate sca昀,olding, it was clear that the work was going to enhance the Cathedral and justi昀,ed the decision to recreate something that had been lost. As the 昀,rst section of sca昀,olding was dismantled, the full b eauty and impact of the artwork was revealed. As we head towards the Diocesan centenary cele b rations, it is pleasing to think that we can once again see something that might very well have b een in place at the time of the creation of the Diocese of Lancaster. We are very grateful to those parishioners who donated funds which ena b led us to undertake this unplanned addition to the recent work. We are also grateful to Clare Watson and her team who, as ever, have produced work of excellent quality. This 昀,rst phase of the redecoration work only involved the nave b ut the side aisle walls are also in need of attention when 昀,nance becomes available. We already know that the second phase holds the prospect of further discoveries. While waiting for changes in sca昀,olding construction Watsons o昀,ered to tidy up an area of wall at the front of one side aisle where there had b een some water damage. In stripping o昀, the plain paint surface immediately a b ove one of the consecration candle holders, a section of gold stencil work came to light! Given its position it seems possi b le that this motif might b e repeated a b ove each of the candle positions and the b uilding may have further secrets to uncover. Joan Fox Photographs courtesy of Clare Watson. The Mater Christi Trust welcomes back all the students, staff, Governors and Directors to the new academic year 2023-24. We are very pleased that our family of schools is growing. Our Trust is now 13 schools, 11 Primaries and 2 Secondaries across North Lancashire and Cumbria. Tel: 01228 210903 Email: jacky.kennedy@mater-christi.com Chief Executive Officer : Miss Jacky Kennedy

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10 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + October 2023 I met John Wilkins in Rome, celebrating the Feast of St Bede. I knew him by name, as editor of The Tablet . We soon discovered that we shared a p assion for birds. So, two days later, we went to the Villa Ada, Rome’,s loveliest p ark, to listen to nightingales sing. U nforgettable! Thank you, St Bede, for thoughtfully dying in May, the month of months for birdsong. Our Lord invited us to ‘,look at the birds of the air’, (Mt 6.26) , and Christians over the centuries have accepted his invitation. Helen Waddell’,s delightful Beasts and Saints translates many of the medieval stories: St Colum b a b idding one of his b rothers to care for a weary ‘,pilgrim guest’, , a migrating crane, St Malo hosting a nesting wren in his cloak, St Kevin, a nesting b lack b ird in his cupped hand, St Wer b urga restoring to life a wild goose, St Bartholomew on Farne Island being summoned b y a seaduck to rescue her duckling. In the sixteenth century, Michael Drayton descri b ed ‘, all feathered things yet ever known to men,’, From the huge roc unto the little wren’,s entering Noah’,s Ark. Three centuries later, Gerard Manley Hopkins, was reminded of Christ b y the power and b eauty of a hovering kestrel. In June, I was blessed to spend a week at a meeting at [in] Mondaye, a Nor b ertine A bb ey near Bayeux. The community of canons care for their land so well that it is a haven of b irdlife: clouds of swallows, swifts and martins, rarer in the surrounding farmland, circled the evening skies. Our own community at Boar b ank Hall in Cum b ria Season of Creation 2023 will b e restarting next spring our annual ‘,retreats’, for b irdwatchers, entitled ‘, Tw o Wings and Some Prayers’,. We share enough with b irds to sense our kinship with them. They too live in a visual, daytime, world, respond to colour, communicate through song. They too b uild homes, guard territories, b ond in pairs, protect and nurture their young. Yet we can only marvel as envious outsiders while they soar, 昀,ap, hover, twist, roll and dive through the air. Moreover, the b irds themselves are vastly di昀,erent one from another: pelicans, parakeets and pu

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October 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 11 O n Saturday 2nd Se p tember, 2023 p eo p le from around the Diocese and beyond gathered with our Bisho p to begin the annual p ilgrimage to Ladyewell. Holy Mass took p lace in St. Mary’,s, Fernyhalgh, which had been es p ecially decorated, p rior to the p rocession with the Blessed Sacrament to Ladyewell for Benediction. A large num b er of altar servers from around the Diocese had also gathered to serve and walk in the procession down the country lanes to Ladyewell. Also Diocesan Pilgrimage to Ladyewell taking part were priests, religious sisters and children assisting with the strewing of petals and ringing b ells in front of the Blessed Sacrament, the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre Frank and parishioners from parishes near and far. Frank McGrath led us in the Holy Rosary Following the conclusion of Benediction Scouts from 8 th Fulwood Scout Group (Our Lady and St. Edward’,s, Preston) prepared a super b b ar b eque for the Altar Servers. It was a lovely opportunity for Altar Servers from around the Diocese to meet socially and make new contacts and friendships. Many thanks are due to the help and support of Fathers Augustine and Francisco of St. Mary’,s and the Shrine, who both experienced their 昀,rst Diocesan Pilgrimage and to Sue Gornall and the volunteers at Ladyewell. The weather was top drawer when all had gathered to honour Our Lord and Our Lady in such a special way at St. Mary’,s and Ladyewell. What a treasure we have in our Diocese. Ian Mulholland ©, Mike March Pilgrim Photography JILL GLENCROSS FUNERAL DIRECTORS An Independent Multi Award Winning Family Funeral Directors Female and Male Funeral Directors Private Chapels of Rest Nothing Is Ever Too Much Trouble 16 The Square, Dalston, Carlisle CA5 7PY Tel: 01228 317373 https://www.jillglencrossfuneral - director.co.uk/ To advertise please contact Charlotte on 01440 730399 or email charlotter@ cathcom.org Michael G Maddison Independent Funeral Director 57 –, 61 Newtown Road, Carlisle, Cumbria CA2 7JB Tel : 01228 317577 I offer a 24 hour 365 day a year Caring, Professional Service and have over 20 years experience Private Chapels of Rest and Memorials Pre Paid Funeral Plans Able to support you when needed Michael George Maddison holder of an Advanced Diploma in Funeral Directing email: mgm.funerals@outlook.com website: www. mgmfunerals.co.uk fb: Michael G Maddison Independent Funeral Director

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12 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + October 2023 S ixteen p eo p le gathered for the inaugural ‘,Walk for Dolgellau Carmel’, drawn mainly from St Jose p h’,s Skerton, Lancaster but also including a guest from Our Lady Immaculate C atholic C hurch in C aton. The walk was to raise money for the Carmelite Sisters of Dolgellau in Wales. We know them b ecause a previous parishioner of St Joseph’,s joined them in 2017. Like everyone else, the Sisters are faced with a ‘,cost of living’, crisis and therefore to show our appreciation of their vocation, witness and prayers this fundraiser was arranged for them. Our prayers along the way were taken from “,Like a Deer Yearning for Running Streams”, a b ook edited b y Fr Philip Conner, which outlines a Lancaster In the footste p s of the Lancaster Martyrs –, for Dolgellau Carmel Martyrs walk and prayers from the time. The walk took place on St Bonaventure’,s feast day and the eve of the Feast of Our Lady of Carmel and b egan with Mass cele b rated b y Fr John-Paul Evans. St Joseph’,s church has a shrine to the Martyrs which includes an icon written b y Martin Earle of Shrews b ury. After Mass and before we set o昀, on the walk we gathered at the front of the church for prayer. “,Almighty, ever living God, by whose gift the Lancaster Martyrs fought for righteousness’,s sake even until death, grant, we pray, through their intercession, that we may bear every adversity for the sake of your love and hasten with all our strength towards you who alone are life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”, Emmanuel and Amy Gadoud T wo of the trustees from the local catholic charity, the Rwanda Grou p Trust, have walked the 6 day, 67 mile route from St Peter’,s C athedral Lancaster to the Shrine of Our Lady at St Mary’,s church C leator, C umbria. The walk was devised in 2018 by the Robinson family of C leator. Mark Ibison and Michael Donlan scheduled their walk to arrive at the shrine to coincide with the Lancaster Diocesan pilgrimage Holy Mass there at on 10th Septem b er. Day 1 took them from the cathedral to Bolton- le -Sands, through Carnforth, Silverdale and on to Arnside. By chance they arrived at Our Lady of Lourdes in time to join parishioners who were attending Adoration as they said the rosary. A lovely 昀,tting end to the 昀,rst day! Day 2 was started from Grange -over- Sands after crossing the Leven estuary. They continued over Hampsfell Hospice, visited Cartmel priory church and 昀,nished the day at Newby Bridge. Day 3 was a b eautiful sunny day and b ecame a real joy following the side of St Mary’,s Way –, a sponsored walk in aid of the poor in Rwanda Lake Windermere to Skelwith Bridge. Day 4 started grey and damp and only got worse with heavy rain as they walked up Langdale and clim b ed Stake Pass to Stonethwaite in Borrowdale. Days 5 &, 6 would see them continue over Honister and Blacksail passes along the full length of Ennerdale and arriving at St Mary’,s Cleator for 3pm as planned. They would b e very grateful if you would feel a b le to sponsor them for this pilgrim walk. The Rwanda Group Trust is a small registered charity with no overheads where every penny goes directly to the poorest of the poor in Rwanda through the Catholic parishes they work with. There is much more information on their we b site www.rwandagrouptrust.org where there is a link to a Just Giving page as well as other ways to donate. Donations can also b e made b y contacting Michael Donlan, Rwanda Group Trust, 17 May昀,eld Road, Preston PR2 1EX Tel: 07 86 4990941. For more information a b out St Mary’,s Way see: www.stmarysandstjosephs.com C am p aigners from the C hristian C am p aign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) com p leted their ‘,Darkness to Light’, Peace Prayer Pilgrimage in Grange- over-Sands in Se p tember having s p ent four days walking from Barrow-in-Furness along the C umbrian C istercian Way. O n route they had conducted an act of lament which highlighted the indiscriminate destruction and su昀,ering that would inevitably result from the use of nuclear wea p ons, including the U K’,s Trident system. And they held multi-faith events at venues including Furness A bb ey, Holy Trinity Church Bardsea, Conishead Priory, Ulverston Meeting House and Cartmel Priory. In Grange they were met by Father Philip Smith, who led their 昀,nal prayer service, including a commitment to end the scourge of nuclear weapons. Philip Gilligan / Cumbria &, Lancs CND ‘,Darkness to Light’, Walkers

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October 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 13 2 020 –, a year we had all been looking forward to, as Phoebe had been selected to be crowned as Lytham’,s Rose Queen in June. But then in March we were told to stay home for a p eriod of time no-one knew the length of. A week b efore we’,d held a Lytham Clu b Day meeting and it was decided that this year there would be no Club Day. The 昀,rst time since the Second World War. Phoe b e cried, b ut gracefully told the committee that she understood why. A week later the decision was taken out of our hands with a national no, glo b al lockdown and Phoe b e wouldn’,t b e crowned Lytham Rose Queen in 2021 either. A year to take stock. To pray. To re- evaluate what was really important. To re-focus. We looked forward with hope. Then in April 2021, Phoe b e was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma (primary bone cancer) in her right leg. The next 8 months involved punishing rounds of chemotherapy, surgery to remove the tumour and replace her knee and upper ti b ia with a titanium implant, and intensive physiotherapy. Phoe b e never questioned why it had happened to her, b ut she did tell me one night while we lay together on her b ed listening to the low pumping sound of the hospital machines administering chemo, that if her having cancer meant that it saved someone else, she would take the hit. It was clear that in January 2022, as Phoe b e was nearing the end of her treatment that she would not b e in the position to b e Rose Queen –, despite the committee’,s plans to put on Lytham Clu b Day that year. Her mo b ility was still quite poor –, despite making great progress in physio. But there was also the physical changes 6 rounds of chemo had caused Phoe b e. Luckily, St. Cuth b ert’,s Church, Lytham had a girl who was willing to step in. Beatrice Smith was crowned Lytham Phoebe 昀,nally crowned Rose Queen –, A mum’,s diary ... Rose Queen 2022 and she was wonderful. Phoe b e continued to reha b ilitate that year, and in June she was signed o昀, as she had reached her potential. She could walk with b arely a limp and was enjoying life to the full again. Su b sequent scan and checks came b ack all clear and so, in Octo b er 2022 we started to look forward to and plan her crowning for 2023 - 92 years after her great-grandma Catherine “,Kitty”, Brown had b een crowned as St. Peter’,s Rose Queen. What a legacy! The girls who had originally b een chosen to b e in Phoe b e’,s retinue 3 years previous, said they would love to support her again with the addition of Phoe b e’,s b est friend, Grace Cox from St. Joseph’,s, Ansdell. Much fundraising commenced and the ongoing love, prayers and support of the parish and the local community meant that Phoe b e and her retinue could have exactly the day they envisaged. Saturday 24th June 2023. Phoe b e, Emilia (Chief Maid, Grace (Cushion Bearer) , Train Bearers Freya, Layla, Lilly and Ma b el and White Maids Grace and Elsie, left St. Peter’,s Church to the joyous ringing of the b ells to process around Lytham in the b rilliant sunshine. Their day had 昀,nally come and the reception from the whole town 昀,lled us with happiness. They were proud to b e representing their parish. After the parade came the crowning at Lytham Hall. Phoe b e was honoured to b e crowned b y the Lytham Rose Queen from 1953, 70 years b efore, in the same year of Queen Elizabeth II’,s coronation. The sun shone throughout the day and our prayers had b een answered. Phoe b e’,s day was an inspiration of 昀,ght and faith, and God was very much with us all in Lytham on that day. Gemma Rowlings Photos by Lauryn Eliza Photography. Proud to be a Dignity Funeral Director, providing exceptional services to families across the UK. *Pricing is correct at time of going to print and is subject to change. dignityfunerals.co.uk/local NW00367_Michael Walsh Cumberland News A5.indd 1 30/03/2023 10:05 SERVING FAMILIES FOR GENERATIONS TAKING THE GREATEST CARE in and around Carlisle FUNERALS FROM £,995* •, Unattended Funerals •, Attended Funerals •, Memorials Michael Walsh Funeral Directors 31-35 Church Street, Carlisle CA2 5TL 01228 514000 Walkers Funeral Directors 80 Wigton Road, Carlisle CA2 7AY 01228 515650 We’,re here for you anytime. Whatever your wishes or budget, we can provide a funeral to suit you.

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14 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + October 2023 The 175th anniversary of the consecration of SS Thomas and Elizabeth church at Thurnham was celebrated in August with a Mass celebrated by Bisho p Paul with concelebrants Fr Peter Sayer, Fr Peter Foulkes and Fr David Branford. Fr David Branford p reached the homily which is re p roduced here. A s a deacon I was p resent at the centenary Mass at Sacred Heart C hurch in Thornton. There was one p arishioner, aged 103 who had been a small child at the o p ening of the church. There will, of course, be nobody here this evening who would have been p resent at the consecration of St Thomas and St Elizabeth Thurnham in 1848 but it just p ossible that there might be some one here amongst our more venerable faithful who might, as a small child, have met a very elderly p arishioner who was p resent on that occasion. If not, we have no living link to that day in 1848. The chances would, I su pp ose, be slim. Life ex p ectancy in the mid-nineteenth century was 40 for a man and 42 for a woman though these 昀,gures were heavily skewed by shocking rates of infant mortality but even when that is taken into account, the average age at death was 57. The year 1 8 4 8 was one of considera b le political turmoil around the world and is known in the history b ooks as the year of revolutions. The old order was changing. There were revolutions in France, in Germany, in Hungary and in Brazil. The terrible famine in Ireland which had begun in 1845 was still bringing su昀,ering and hardship to the people of that land, many of whom would 昀,nd their way to England b olstering Catholic num b ers here. The most signi昀,cant development in this country in 1 8 4 8 was the passing of the Pu b lic Health Act. Health care was extremely patchy and sanitation was still very primitive. I am not quite sure how things were measured in those days b ut the people of Lancashire were apparently producing one million tons of sewage each year and the lack of proper systems to address this was clearly having an adverse e昀,ect on public health. Closer to home, the inelegantly named Lancaster Lunatic Asylum underwent an inspection b y two doctors who rejoiced in the title of lunacy commissioners. They seemed generally satis昀,ed with what they found and thought that the sta昀, there were doing a good job ‘,despite patients coming from a county not noted either for the suavity or gentleness of its populace and despite admitting a number of criminal patients.’, The word ‘,patient’, seems to have b een interchangea b le with the word ‘,inmate’, as the report records that there were 7 6 5 inmates. Those held in the asylum were divided into three categories, idiots, im b eciles and the insane. For those of us who are tempted to look b ack at the past through rose- tinted spectacles, it is a reminder that whereas not all new developments feel like progress we have come a long way in some areas of life. Just eight days b efore the consecration of this church, there was an incident which is likely to have b een the talk of the good people of Thurnham. On 21st August 1 8 4 8 , a north b ound Euston to Glasgow express crashed into the b ack of a local train which had stopped at Bay Horse station, a rural station 昀,ve miles south of Lancaster. One woman was killed and twenty passengers were injured. The 1 8 months old child of the woman who died was thrown from the window and recovered with barely a scratch. It seems perfectly possi b le that there may have b een a survivor of that crash present at the consecration of this church. If 1848 was a year of ferment in the world, there was also much going on within the Church in this country. Some 19 years earlier, in 1 8 29, the Roman Catholic Relief Act, otherwise known as the Catholic Emancipation Act was passed. The legislation itself was b orn out of pragmatism rather than any deeply felt conviction on the part of the esta b lishment that Catholics had b een the victims of prejudice and injustice. The reality was without this Act Ireland would have b een ungoverna b le and it was not possi b le to make concessions to Catholics in one part of the kingdom and not in another. Within ten years of the Emancipation Act, Rome b egan to look at the governance of the Catholic Church in England which since 1 688 had b een divided into four vicariates or districts with a b ishop over each. The proposal was that the num b er of Vicars Apostolic should b e increased to eight and this change took place in 1 8 40 and this was the situation which pertained the church here was consecrated. Alongside this growing con昀,dence within the Catholic community, there was a stirring within the Church of England which came to b e known as the Oxford movement: its origin is usually dated to a sermon given b y John Ke b le in the University Church in 1 8 33. This movement sought, amongst other things to demonstrate that the Church of England was a true heir and successor of the early church. If Keble was the catalyst of the movement and Pusey the austere professor of He b rew who would remain true to the principles of the movement until his death, the shining light of the movement was John Henry Newman. Little b y little, Newman moved along a path that drew him closer to the Catholic Church. First, he resigned the distinguished ecclesiastical o

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October 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 15 The Journey in His Presence During the summer St Jose p h’,s C hurch Lancaster held s p ecial event to celebrate the C entenary of Fr. Giussani, the founder of the C atholic movement of “,Comunione e Liberazione”, Fr Giussani was not only a p riest but also an educator. He ins p ired many young p eo p le, he was revolutionary in his time because he understood that faith was something connected not only to the church but to all as p ects of life. He was p assionate about beauty, art and music. He amazed his students with his p ro p osal directed 昀,rst and foremost to their reason and their freedom and by his ca p acity to reach the de p ths of the human heart. T he event entitled ‘,The Journey in His Presence’, combined music, readings from articles and books of Fr Giussani and some cli p s from the international ground-breaking series, ‘,The Chosen’, and it was a real journey in faith. The event explored the reason for our very b eing and our failings b ut shared the hope and b eauty of b eing Catholic and to feel the experience of forgiveness in the unity of the Church. Every step was connected to a reading, a hymn or a piece of music and to a clip of ‘,The Chosen’, . It was a very eclectic evening and many people were struck and curious a b out Fr Giussani and his life, they were also amazed b y the wonderful music played and sung. Admission was free b ut we asked for a donation for a project supported b y AVSI, which is a non-pro昀,t organization founded b y people connected to the Communion and Li b eration movement. In particular, we choose to support the b uilding of a Musical Academy of Little Prince Primary School, in Kenya. People were very generous, and we raised £,3 6 7. 6 9. The evening ended with a fantastic refreshment where some new friendships b lossomed! A b ig thank you to all the people involved in organising and all the people who trusted us and came to support us! Laura, St. Joseph’,s, Lancaster >,>, gone b efore us and who have made this possi b le. We give thanks for the faithful who have b athed this place in prayer, for the priests who have cele b rated the sacraments here. We are to b e wise stewards of this privileged heritage and it will b e the hope of all who worship here that this 昀,ne church will b e populated b y future generations who in their turn will come to recognise the sacredness of this place. But we all know b uildings come and go. Our calling is to make disciples of all nations. The b right light of faith was kept b urning in this place long b efore 1 8 4 8 b ecause of the courage and conviction of countless souls, most of whom will b e known to God alone. We honour the memory of those who have gone b efore us b y taking the love of Christ out into a world which is lost without it. Fr David Branford

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16 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + October 2023 O n Sunday 27th August at the 9 .30am Mass at St. C lare’,s, Preston one server received the silver medal of the Guild of St. Ste p hen after faithfully serving for 10 years and two others received their bronze medals. C ongratulations to all three. Left - Ian Mulholland as Diocesan Director for the Guild of St. Steph en made the award of the silver medal and Fr John Mark Agulefo awarded the two b ronze medals. Right –, A lovely occasion for the great team of altar servers at St. Clare’,s who are a credit to Fr John Mark Agulefo and assistant priest Fr Stephen Tal b utt and the whole Parish. Red letter day for St Clare’,s, Preston Church Supplies –, serving Schools, Business and Homes Our advertisers are great supporters of the Lancaster Voice, so please help them by supporting their businesses To advertise please contact Charlotte on 01440 730399 or email charlotter@cathcom.org For ALL of your Parishioners For some of your Parishioners 100 copies: from £,12 (12p per copy) 200 copies: from £,23.20 (11.6p per copy) 300 copies: from £,32.80 (10.9p per copy) 50 copies: from £,9.60 (19.2p per copy) 10 copies: from £,7.20 (72p per copy) Individual Subscriptions Online Subscriptions 1 Online Copy via Email from £,2.40 per month Annual 1 Copy from £,3.20 per month Subscribe to All prices include delivery www.catholicpost.co.uk subscribe@catholicpost.co.uk 01440 730399

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