2 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + November 2023 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 73 66 30 / 079 6 9 9 6 72 68 edwinagillett@hotmail.co.uk ADVERTISING: Charlotte Rosbrooke / CathCom Ltd. 01440 730399 / 07932 24 8 225 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 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 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. What is implied in the a

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November 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 3 P aul Briers said “,What a wonderful evening. I was invited to the Faith in Action Awards Ceremony in Preston led by Bishop Paul where over 70 young people received awards for reaching out to others, working in their communities, taking on leadership roles and becoming intentional disciples along the way. A true and living witness of Faith in Action. It was a privilege to be asked to open the evening welcoming everyone and to share my story of faith in action experience. Thanks be to God for these wonderful young people and the work of the Metanoia Project”,. Bishop Paul reminded everyone that we are people of faith and we are evidence of God in our world. This can be extremely hard, the secret, he said, of making our burdens light is to listen to Jesus say “,follow me”,. Metanoia celebrated their young people from their youth groups and the Chaplaincy at Corpus Christi High School who have listened to Jesus say “, follow me”, by completing their - pin, bronze, silver and gold Faith in Action awards. A true celebration of all God has done through these young people who gave testimonies, led songs and prayers in thanksgiving. An evening full of graces... ‘,O God, we stand amazed with your miracles and we say yes to all that is to come.’, Metanoia Faith in Action Awards 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 + November 2023 D ue to unforeseen problems, it has not been possible to produce our normal fulsome account of activities at our Diocesan Youth Centre in Castlerigg, Keswick. However here is a 昀,avour of what is coming up and if you are interested please get in touch with the Youth T eam on 01768 772711. MA TT ER S YO UT H castleriggmanor.com >,>, what’,s coming up? castleriggmanor.com >,>, what’,s coming up? Collage of photographs depicting a series of recent retreats held at Castlerigg >,>,>,>,>,>,>,

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November 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 + November 2023 L ife is a journey, who I am today is not who I was yesterday, or last year or 5 years ago. We all constantly change we are all constantly in a state of 昀,ux. Experiences form us and change us sometimes in small ways that we don’,t notice and other times in life changing ways. We experience a lot of life de昀,ning moments as young people, school age up to young adult age, these experiences stay with us and help us de昀,ne who we are. In September 2020, just as we were coming out of the pandemic, my dear mum died, she had su昀,ered from various ailments for a number of years and for her it was a blessing that the Lord took her out of pain and called her home. But when I was going through her belongings I came across a notebook of hers, with various bits and pieces in it, names and addresses, phone numbers, recipes, birthdays and shopping lists. But when I turned the last page I found something remarkable, it speaks of one of these de昀,ning moments that mum experienced as a child on retreat with her school, she had written. “,I always go back to an experience I had as a young person sitting in a quiet church, and the silence, what was it? It was beyond the physical, you could not touch it feel it or smell it, although it did appeal to my sense of sound, but it goes beyond. Thinking back I was part of something beyond myself, a sense of stillness (very pleasant). I would like to have stayed in that retreat, that experience. But thinking back over the time which is more than 昀,fty years now, it has stayed with me, the experience of stillness. Thinking as I sit in this moment... God is in the silence. Did not the prophet Elijah hear the voice of God in the silence? It is by his grace I see, He is the one my soul seeks. He is all in all, He is closer to me than my next breath, and he is in my innermost being. He is the beginning and the end.”, This was a very personal and profound experience for my dear mum, something she rarely talked about but held deep in her heart. We all have experiences of God throughout our lives, lets hold them close and draw strength from them. Let’,s pray for the young people under our care that they may also have such profound experiences of God. That they may experience the reality and love of God which goes beyond and yet is so close to us. That they may 昀,nd peace and joy through Jesus that will sustain them throughout their lives. Amen. Fr Stephen Talbutt of St Clare’,s Preston shares a personal memory. Remembering OPEN OPEN DAYS DAYS 11 NOV SAT 10AM - 1PM 10AM - 1PM SAT 03 FEB APPLY FOR APPLY FOR SEPTEMBER NOW! SEPTEMBER NOW! CARDINALNEWMAN.AC.UK

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November 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 7 New S eating for Holy Family Blackpool T he Carmelite S isters gifted six benches to Holy Family Church, Blackpool when they vacated their monastery in Fulwood Preston earlier this year. Here are before and after photographs of the church. The Carmel benches are at the rear, 3 on each side and of the same length. Although the end of the bench is slightly higher Before After We would like to thank these schools for always supporting the paper St Vincent’,s Road, Preston PR2 8QY Telephone 01772 716912 Email admin@ccc.lancs.sch.uk www.ccc.lancs.sch.uk Together in One Body CORPUS CHRISTI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL Headteacher: Mr John Hankin Cardinal Allen Catholic High School Melbourne Avenue, Fleetwood FY7 8AY Headteacher : Andrew Cafferkey Tel : 01253 872659 E-mail : head@cardinalallen.co.uk Our Lady’,s Catholic High School St Anthony’,s Drive, Fulwood, Preston, Lancashire PR2 3SQ Headteacher: Mr Charnock Tel: 01772 326900 Email: admin@olchs.lancs.sch.uk Web: http://www.olchs.lancs.sch.uk Teacher Training with the Catholic Teaching Alliance The Catholic Teaching Alliance (CTA) is a partnership between 70 Catholic primary and secondary schools, and a post-16 college, led by Our Lady`s Catholic High School with a shared vision and commitment to providing PGCE with QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) courses in partnership with the University of Cumbria. Contact: 01772 326931 Email: CTAschooldirect@olchs.lancs.sch.uk Website: www.catholic-teaching-alliance.org

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8 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + November 2023 I t was an early start in S eptember when the coach left S t Wulstan’,s Fleetwood to take us to Manchester airport. T here was the usual stop at T he T ickled T rout to pick up those from outside the parish who were joining the pilgrimage. A lot of the pilgrims had been to T he Holy Land with Canon Alf Hayes the previous year so the warmth and camaraderie was there from the outset, helping newcomers to settle in quickly and feel welcome. Despite recent stories in the media about delays at the airport everything went without a hitch and we arrived in Krakow in the early afternoon sunshine with plenty of time to amble around the main square and soak up the atmosphere. Krakow never forgot its spiritual roots, even in the days of sinister totalitarian regimes. In turn the communist ideas underlying the establishment of an “,ideal city”, -Nowa Huta- crumbled when the regime dared to raise its hand against a modest cross raised by its inhabitants. Krakow is the heart of Polish Christianity. Its historic churches house miraculous paintings and relics, age old traditions of religious communities and monasteries live on, and processions and open- air Masses bring together tens and hundreds of thousands of followers. The city has been the backdrop of lives of an abundance of saints and blessed from St Stanislaus and Queen Jadwiga to Fr Stanislaw Soltys who lived in the 昀,fteenth century and was canonised in 2010. It is in the atmosphere of this city that Saint John Paul developed. We were fortunate to have our 昀,rst Mass celebrated in St Mary’,s Basilica in the huge market square. It includes a breathtaking blue vaulted ceiling covered in gold stars and a magni昀,cent wooden altar which is considered a masterpiece of Gothic sculpture. One of Krakow’,s most celebrated traditions is a forty second bugle call played every hour on the hour from the tower of St Mary’,s in each of the four cardinal directions. It is the Fire Brigade who perform this service and there are many legends as to its origin but for every tourist it is not to be missed. Our second day too gave us more opportunity to explore the city with visits to Wawel Cathedral, The Bishop’,s Palace and Jagiellonian University, which is the second largest university in Central Europe. S t Wulstan’,s Fleetwood on Pilgrimage

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November 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 9 The main Marian Catholic shrine in Poland is known as Our Lady of Jasna Gora and this special place of pilgrimage was very dear to Saint John Paul who stayed there six times when he was Pope and chose it for the sixth World Youth Day. It was also the 昀,rst town in the world whose o昀,er of honorary citizenship he accepted. The belt of his cassock, shot through and bloodied during the assassination attempt in St Peter’,s square is displayed in a special case on Our Lady’,s altar. After Mass in one of the chapels there dedicated to St John Paul II, we were given a guided tour of the monastery where we could view the magni昀,cent spiritual paintings of The Way of the Cross by a celebrated Polish artist. The painter has very cleverly woven in scenes and people familiar to us into each station as he draws us in to the su昀,ering Jesus. As well as the customary fourteen stations, there are an additional four more which are named - The Resurrection, Thomas, Galilee and The Ascension. One could easily spend a whole day at this glorious place where most Polish people make a pilgrimage at least once a year in honour of Our Blessed Lady of Czestochowa. On day four and blessed once again with sunshine, we headed to the town of Wadowice and to the family home of St John Paul II and the Basilica of The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary where he worshipped and where we were going to have our Mass. The family home is now a museum and includes many photographs, documents, vestments and items which belonged to or had a connection to him and which detailed his upbringing including the sad and untimely deaths of both his mother and his brother. It also includes the gun which was used in the assassination attempt on his life. There were also pictures of him with the gunman when he visited him in prison and forgave him. It has been said that when the presumably hired and skilled marksman volunteered to the Pope his surprise that he had survived the shooting that Pope John Paul told him that he attributed the fact his life was saved to Our Lady of Fatima as it was her Feast Day. It would seem that no amount of skill and planning by the gunman and his associates could foresee that outcome. ... continued on Pages 10 and 11 >,>, £,1.80 provides a child with a meal every weekday for a month Donate Now at www.reachfoundationuk.org THE REACH FOUNDATION UK

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10 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + November 2023 On day 昀,ve we travelled to Lagiewniki and the shrine of Divine Mercy. The shrine grew out of the spiritual heritage of Saint Faustina. The central place is the chapel with the miraculous image of the Merciful Jesus and the tomb of the apostle of Divine Mercy. We celebrated our Mass in this beautiful church. The image, which is familiar to most of us now, is a sign of the message of mercy which reminds everyone about the biblical truth of God’,s merciful love for man. It is also a summons to trust in God, to be merciful towards others and to bring forth the message of Mercy to the world by the witness of one’,s life, by deed, word and prayer. We also had a talk by one of the Sisters of Mercy about Saint Faustina and the Divine Mercy image. We had time to pray and re昀,ect in the wonderful basilica there and climb the tower which has breathtaking views over the countryside. Having secured a small number of tickets to Schindler’,s factory, we resigned ourselves to the fact that some of us would have to miss out until it was pointed out that a parishioner back in Fleetwood was a friend of a friend of someone who worked in the factory and, lo and behold, after a phone call back home and some negotiating, extra tickets were made available to us and we were greeted as VIPs on arrival at the factory by the young man who had saved the day! He greeted us wearing a Fleetwood town football shirt and was only too happy to be of help. The factory itself is now a museum which details the horri昀,c events for people living under Nazi occupation and the bravery of men like Schindler in their attempts to save Jewish lives. 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 SELF STORAGE Secure Units Available Sizes To Suit All Needs Competitive Rates Open 7 Days Curly Tail Storage Park Lane, Forton PR3 0JX Tel: 01524 791837 E: andrew@curlytailstorage .co.uk www.curlytailstorage.co.uk Our advertisers are great supporters of the Lancaster Voice, so please help them by supporting their businesses Our Lady of Fidelity The church needs religious sisters URGENTLY to bring Christ to others by a life of prayer and service lived in the community of Ignation spirituality. Daily Mass is the centre of community life. By wearing the religious habit we are witnesses of the consecrated way of life. If you are willing to risk a little love and would like to find out how, contact Sister Bernadette Mature vocations considered. CONVENT OF OUR LADY OF FIDELITY 1 Our Lady`s Close, Upper Norwood, London SE19 3FA Telephone 07760 297001 090699502 LOVE, OF GOD, OF NEIGHBOUR AND OF SELF AND THE COURAGE AND HUMILITY TO IMPLEMENT IT. Listen!!! With the ear of the heart. Saint Benedict

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November 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 11 Our 昀,nal morning saw us visit the salt mines in Wieliczka which is a UNESCO world heritage site and a must for anyone visiting the area. As well as displays of historic salt mining technology and an underground lake, there are four chapels and numerous statues carved out of rock salt by some of the miners who worked there and who were obviously very skilled artists. Our daily Mass was celebrated in one of the chapels there. The marvellous sculptures, altars and statues pay testament to and re昀,ect the deep faith of these simple miners. The afternoon included a visit to Auschwitz Birkenau concentration camp which never ceases to horrify as you come face to face with man’,s inhumanity to man. The stacks of shoes, human hair, crutches etc that were removed from the prisoners and stored by the Nazis were chilling as we re昀,ected on the many who had lost their lives there including Edith Stein, a Jewish woman who became a Catholic nun. A daughter of Israel who, as a Catholic during Nazi persecution, remained faithful to the cruci昀,ed Lord and, as a Jew, to her people in loving faithfulness. She was declared a saint in October 199 8 and we know her better as St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. We paused at the cell of St Maximillian Kolbe and a prayer was said in his honour. He had made the ultimate sacri昀,ce in giving his life for another and, in spite of the terrible torture he su昀,ered, he tried to keep his fellow prisoners uplifted by hymns and prayers as he lay starving in a cramped cell you could barely move in. It is incredible to think that the man whose life he saved actually survived the death camp and was present at the beati昀,cation of Maximillian. The day after we returned home, we learnt that a Catholic family of nine were beati昀,ed that very week. They had been executed by the Nazis during the war alongside the eight Jews they had been sheltering. Pope Francis pronounced the devout Catholic Ulma family, including the child that Wiktoria was pregnant with, as “,martyrs of the faith in doing good and in the service of those in need.”, We had a wonderful prayerful and joyous pilgrimage to Krakow and would certainly recommend Northern Star Travel who organised the pilgrimage. We had a friendly and knowledgeable guide in Ania who was with us all the time and ensured that everything went smoothly. Thanks must go to fellow pilgrims who enriched and enhanced the whole experience by their presence and of course to Father Alf for his patience, good humour, uplifting homilies and spiritual guidance. We would also like to thank anyone who helped in any way in the preparation and organisation of the pilgrimage and a special mention of thanks goes to Steve Doherty for services rendered and much appreciated. Jenny Phillips 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 + November 2023 100 years in Carlisle A centenary Mass of thanksgiving has been celebrated in Carlisle to mark 100 years since their formation there. T welve priests concelebrated Mass with principal celebrant Canon Paul Embery assisted by three 3 deacons. Canon Luiz Ruscillo gave the homily and based his words on Luke 8. 1-3. He emphasised the importance of lay organisations providing support to the church and the clergy. T he S upreme Knight of the K S C, Harry Welsh attended both the Mass and the reception and dinner afterwards in the S t Margaret Mary’,s Community S ocial Centre, along with guests from other K S C Councils, wives and friends. During the speeches, mention was made of the untimely death just 4 weeks beforehand of the Council’,s Grand Knight Mike Esters who had masterminded much of detail of the Centenary event. During their time at Seminary training for the priesthood, many of the Clergy present had been supported 昀,nancially by the Knights of St Columba and are Members of Honour, (MofH) . Funding of the event had been over a 2 year period and it is the intention that there are su

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November 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 13 the Blessed Sacrament, Fr Kenny dropped into the hands of the enemy opposition at the Rhine crossing and was killed, “,Laying down his life for his sheep”, . All three Kenny brothers served in WW2, it is believed that the brothers survived. Perhaps the lasting monument to Council 6 0 is the creation of the Wayside Shrine at the corner of Wetheral Plains Road. Various sites were considered but it was Mrs Elwes of Warwick Hall and a parishioner of Our Lady and St Wilfred’,s who gave permission for the shrine to be established on her land. 20 years later in 197 6 following exposure to the elements and damp rot, the wooden cross collapsed and restoration was required. KSC Council 6 0 undertook the responsibility for the restoration and re-erection of the shrine. The new Cross was blessed in Our Lady and St Joseph’,s Church and conveyed by the Knights back to Wetheral Plains Road where it remains today. Every Good Friday since 195 6 a Walk of Witness has been organised and funded by Council 6 0 and it is hoped that the tradition will continue for many years to come. The other achievement in Council 60’,s early years was the establishment of the Carlisle Knights’, Club in Warwick Square. The work of the Knights of St Columba to support the Clergy and schools and to be involved with other Catholic societies and organisation continues to this day. On reaching the Council’,s Centenary, it is hoped that a new echelon of members might be forthcoming so that the Knights of St Columba can continue to “,Serve God by Serving Others”,. The KSC across the Diocese welcomes enquiries from Catholic men wishing to join the Order. Those interested in joining should contact one of the local priests or see www.ksc.org.uk for details of how to join. A.L. Parrini 2/ 5/ 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 + November 2023 70 th Anniversary Celebration –, St Wulstan’,s Alston More than two hundred people made the trip from Penrith, some on foot to bring the Eucharist to S t Wulstan’,s church in Alston when it was dedicated in 1 9 53. A lston’,s local Catholic community and representatives of local churches gathered at S t Wulstan’,s to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Church’,s dedication. Fr Hugh Pollock, the Vicar General representing the Bishop, thanked parish priest, Fr John Winstanley, and the congregation for attending the service of thanksgiving. He was joined by Fr John Baron, Fr Jerome Ainsworth and Revd Deacon David Greaves, with the Revd Mary Elliot for Alston Methodist Church and the Revd Mark Nash-Williams, Vicar of St Augustine of Canterbury (CofE) . Fr John Winstanley said: “, The community at St. Wulstan’,s were delighted to gather and give thanks to God for all that has been celebrated and shared in and from this building over the years. We go forward into the future enjoying this unique little church, serving both the Catholic and Methodist communities on Alston Moor.”, Fr Baron a former serving priest of the parish used his homily to recall many characters who were parishioners over the years of his ministry. “,They made Alston such an interesting place to visit,”, he said. The Church was dedicated in 1953. The building previously functioned as the town’,s gaol. Celebrations at the 20th September event continued with supper at Alston’,s Masonic Hall which was well attended. Parishoner Jeremy Graham thanked the priests and Fr John, Pat Struthers, Ann Parkin and all who had contributed to the occasion. Website, Graphic &, Logo Design for Parishes &, Charities christiancreativedirectory.com/rob-hotchkiss

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November 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 15 T he S eason of Creation –, Our Lady &, St Edward’,s Preston T hroughout S eptember creation has been at the heart of our prayers and on the weekend of S eptember 24th we dedicated our Masses especially to that theme. T he altar was tastefully decorated as a focal point by our Filipino S isters, Maria Dee and S hienrose. Our school children prepared artwork and Stephen Garsed prepared a poignant introduction to each Mass as water, soil and seeds were brought forward during the opening procession: Today we have a special celebration of God’,s wonderful gift of Creation and acknowledgement of our responsibility to care for it. Later in the Mass we will hear the words: “,Blessed are you Lord, God of all Creation. Through your goodness we have this bread to o昀,er”, We have brought to the altar three of the four things that God has provided to grow that bread: soil, water and seed. The fourth, light, is coming in through the windows at this very moment. It is a wonderful gift. It makes its own procession throughout the day - from dawn to dusk and we take it for granted. Thanks be to God for His amazing generosity. We also take for granted all the less obvious organisms, such as the insects and fungi, which are essential for nature’,s recycling, and yet are under huge threat from the indiscriminate use of agricultural chemicals. We celebrate these wonders of creation too, as the children have done in their artwork. Thanks be to God for the immense variety of living things which, as Pope Francis says, “,Give glory to God by their very existence.”, In our Bidding Prayers we prayed that all of us, especially those in government, are moved to take the steps necessary to save our planet and protect the most vulnerable, including welcoming those seeking sanctuary on our shores as asylum seekers. As a parish we support our local food bank, and this was an opportunity to invite people to bring harvest gifts to share with those in need in our own town. It was a memorable celebration, enjoyed by all and, hopefully, it will prompt us all to be mindful of the beauty of God’,s Creation, and the steps we can all take to preserve it for future generations. Emma McGrath

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16 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + November 2023 C arlisle and Penrith Catenians led parishioners from Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Carlisle, on a Pilgrimage to the Car昀,n Grotto, Motherwell. Father Norman Johnston celebrated Mass in the Glass Chapel, Our Lady, Maid of the S eas, which is dedicated to the victims of the Lockerbie air disaster. T he Rosary was prayed in S t Francis Xavier Parish Church. F r Robert Billing, of the Diocese of Lancaster, was formally installed as Rector in an uplifting Liturgy celebrated by the diocesan bishop of East Anglia Rt Rev Peter Collins on the beautiful Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham. Bishop Emeritus Michael Campbell was in attendance. Paul Briers Church Supplies –, ser v i ng Sch oo ls , B usi n ess and Hom es 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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