2 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + September 2020 www.catholi cvoiceo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 We can buckle at the 昀rst hurdle or even much further into the race when we feel that we have to face a hurdle too many. Trust in our Saviour comes when we get closer to Him in the Blessed Sacrament and through prayer – a life-long pilgrimage so to speak. We see on Pages 6 and 7 that our annual pilgrimage to Lourdes did not physically take place this year, but that we were able, as a diocesan family, to go on a virtual pilgrimage and experience the sights and sounds of the Marian Shrine. A diocesan pilgrimage like no other, and one, we hope will not have to be repeated. The virtual pilgrimage was followed by many and brought us into the presence of our Saviour through the intercession of his Blessed Mother and St Bernadette. The anxieties of the early part of the year and the church closures may have deepened our personal prayer, on the other hand we may have become so wrapped up in the COVID 19 bubble that we have let our spiritual life slip a little. We may fall somewhere between the two stools. It does not matter where we 昀nd ourselves Jesus is there waiting to help you reach your eternal home in heaven. W ho would have thought at the start of this year that a global pandemic would see us in lockdown for three months, our churches closed and our schools operating at a skeleton level. Even now the reopening of society is a gradual a昀air with social distancing and restrictions still in place. T he threat of localised spikes or even a second wave of the virus continues to dominate the headlines and news reels. Each one of us will have experienced di昀erent emotions; concern for loved ones, isolation, job uncertainties, 昀nancial concerns or worry about the a昀ect of children missing out on their education. To some extent these emotions will stay with us as we slowly strive for normality in our daily lives, there wil l, no doubt, be plenty of ups and downs still to come in the months ahead. The year 2020 so far can be likened to setting out on a long journey without a map not really knowing what lies ahead, what challenges and obstacles there might be or how long it will take. Following Jesus can be like this. Jesus never promised that following Him would bring us a life free of pain and su昀ering but instead he promises life eternal with his Father in heaven. The teaching of Jesus constantly challenges our human nature and how we respond depends on our relationship with Him. “ The Christian life is a pilgrimage from earth to heaven, and our task is to take as many as possible with us as we make the journey. ” Warren W. Wiersbe

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www.catholicvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk September 2020 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 3 O n the 14 September, the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, I shall be ordained a transitional deacon for the Diocese of Lancaster at the seminary of St Mary’s College, Oscott. The ordination was delayed due to the pandemic. However, the Exaltation and the emphasis on the power of the Cross and sacri昀ce as the centre of ministry both diaconal and priestly is a wonderful feast to meditate on and imitate that spirit of sacri昀ce of Calvary. During a diaconate ordination, the newly ordained deacon is admitted to the clerical state, and he is changed ontologically, the deacon is con昀gured to Christ the servant. The deacon’s ministry is one of service, to the bishop, for ministry at the altar, as a herald of the gospel and to the poor. We read in scripture that deacons were appointed to assist the apostles in works of charity, of feeding and giving alms to the poor, so that the apostles could be more dedicated to prayer and preaching the gospel. This ministry of service has to run through any vocation, any man discerning a call to the priesthood must have that desire to serve the Church and the people of God. As scripture says “no man can serve two masters” our lives must always be dedicated to the service of God and His Church. The commitment to celibacy in the ordination rite states “By this consecration you will adhere more easily to Christ with an undivided heart; you will be more freely at the service of God and mankind, and you will be more untrammelled in the ministry of Christian conversion and rebirth.By your life and character, you will give witness to your brothers and sisters in faith that God must be loved above all else, and that it is he whom you serve in others.” By ordination a man’s state in life is changed and it becomes his means of sancti昀cation and ultimately how he will be judged at the end of time. This might seem daunting, however, when one responds to a vocation to the priesthood, many opportunities present themselves to assist that growth in holiness. The simple example being as the reference above states, by celibacy, the priest and deacon can adhere to Christ more easily with an undivided heart. Celibacy is not a thing that limits a man, it frees him for the service of God and to imitate Christ the priest. Celibacy is under attack from a whole range of people but it is an integral part of a vocation to the priesthood and the ministry the priest will exercise. The deacon also makes a promise of obedience to the Bishop and his successors. Obedience again like celibacy is not something that limits a man but liberates him. When a man hands over his life to his superiors, the emphasis is placed on humility, each Bishop represents and is Christ in his diocese. And so, obedience to the bishop is obedience to Christ. It is a hard promise to make, especially in our own times when we are so used to being in control, yet we must all bear in mind the words of Our Lord in the Garden “not my will but yours” . Finally, the deacon commits himself to pray the Liturgy of the Hours for the Church and the whole world. The breviary is of the utmost importance in the life of any cleric. The routine of praying the various o

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4 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + September 2020 www.catholi cvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk New Year, New Team Our new director, Jack Regan, started in May, and once furlough is fully lifted he will be joined by Sister Shienrose La Torre, Patricia Benson and Alex Hill, who are continuing their roles on the Leadership Team of the Youth Service. Paddie Denton will be joining that team as a trainee retreat leader. Four of our gap year volunteers from last year are doing another year with us too! Annie Hodkinson, Zöe Shirra, Charley Harrison, and Rebecca Maxwell, will be joined by new gap year volunteers Bethany Bowe, Rachel Jordan, Lucy Stuart, Ginny Murray, and Eliane Lightfoot. The team will begin their training in August, so please keep them in your prayers! We’ve Gone All DIY SOS! One of the many things we did during the lockdown was painting and DIY. The outgoing director, Father John, and the incoming director, Jack, rolled up their sleeves and spruced up large parts of Castlerigg. When you next come you should hopefully notice some of the external walls looking a bit sharper and some of the light switches and other 昀ttings looking a bit less 1970s! Our Plans: I t’s been said that ‘God can write straight with crooked lines.’ Nobody seems to know quite who 昀rst came up with that phrase, but we have a strong sense in the Youth Service that God is going to use this time to do some unexpected – and pretty cool – things with us! As you might expect, the amount of people coming to Castlerigg has been far lower than usual this year and things probably won’t return to normal until 2021. For that reason, we’ve been doing something that we’ve long wanted to do anyway – we’ve been thinking about other ways that we can minister to young people and to those who work with them. The result is that we’ve currently got some very exciting projects lined up. Projects, which will almost certainly remain once the retreats at Castlerigg return to normal, and which will stand us in good stead going forward. Part of our vision in the Youth Service is that we need to get out more! Youth Ministry is about on-going relationships with young people and, while the retreats at Castlerigg will always be the bulk of what we do, we’re starting to think more and more about what happens to young people before and after those retreats. Here are some of the things we’ve got planned for the year ahead: (More details about everything can be found at our website castleriggmanor.co.uk or by getting in touch 01768 772711) Getting Into Parishes We’re delighted to say that we are going to be starting two youth groups in West Cumbria this September - one in Workington and one in Cleator – and we’re hoping to announce other similar projects soon. The idea is that we use our resources (i.e. the Castlerigg team!) to build up local youth ministry which will be eventually be transitioned over to local control but still supported centrally. We’re also planning on coming to parishes to do more one-o昀 work. From this September, parishes can hire the Castlerigg team for a day to work with their youth group, con昀rmation group, altar servers, or any other group of young people. Helping Adults Who Work With Young People – Mental Health We’re also looking at new ways to support adults. Starting this August, we will be o昀ering Mental Health training to adults who work with young people. These courses are open to teachers, youth leaders, clergy, and to anybody else who is interested. There is a 2-Day ‘Youth Mental Health First Aid’ course, accredited by MHFA England, which we are running at Castlerigg, and there is also a half day ‘Introduction to Youth Mental Health’ course which will be run entirely online. All of this is led by a quali昀ed MHFA England instructor. We are also o昀ering physical First Aid courses at Castlerigg too! ENGAGE – Online Youth Ministry Course For Adults We’re also delighted to announce the ENGAGE course. We have pulled together some of the biggest names in Youth Ministry in the UK for an online course, which will run every Tuesday evening for nine weeks, starting on 1 September. This course is aimed at people who aren’t that experienced in Youth Ministry, but it will also be useful for people who have already been involved for some time. There’s a huge reduction on the price for people in the Diocese! The course will look at what youth ministry is, how to run a group, how to keep young people safe, and at a range of other topics. Speakers include Drew Fava from Cor et Lumen Christi, Will Desmond, founder of the ASCENT, and Joe and Ruth White, who run the Metanoia Project in Preston. Open Retreats At Castlerigg – Young People In addition to getting out around the diocese more, we’re also thinking of new ways to minister to young people and young adults at Castlerigg. We’ve added a lot of open programmes to our timetable, including a Sixth Form retreat, open retreats for con昀rmation candidates, a study weekend for young adults, and next year we are hoping to add an open weekend for altar servers too. You’ll also be glad to hear that we’ve kept the Advent Retreat and Easter Retreat in our calendar too. Our retreat calendar for 2020-21 will end with a brand new ‘Summer Week’ open retreat in August! Open Residentials for Adults We haven’t forgotten the adults here either - we’ve also added in a weekend for Catechists and a school sta昀 conference! Away from Residentials, we are also starting a series of Saturday ‘Study Days’ for adults in September. On each of these, an experienced speaker will break open a key topic for us. Topics like salvation history, understanding the bible, and how faith and science 昀t together! Last but not least, we will still be running our popular family weekends, beginning with the one that was meant to take place during lockdown, now moved to October. In short, the message from the Youth Service is that we can’t wait to meet you once the world gets back to normal. Maybe we’ll see you in Keswick, or maybe in your own community! Check out our website for more details on any of the above or feel free to get in touch with our new director - jack@castleriggmanor.co.uk What else is happening

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www.catholicvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk September 2020 + The Catholic Voice 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. Dates for the Diary +++++++++++++ Sept 1st ENGAGE Course (First session) [Online Youth Ministry course for adults] Sept 5th Study Day (Faith & Science) [For adults] Sept 10th RISE Youth Group launches in Cleator Sept 17th RISE Youth Group launches in Workington Oct 16-18th Young Adults Retreat Oct 22-23rd Youth Mental Health First Aid Course Oct 23-25th Family Weekend Nov 13-15th Open Sixth Form Retreat Nov 14th Study Day (Catholic Social Teaching) [For adults] Nov 20-22nd Catechists’ Retreat Nov 27-29th Retreat for Con昀rmation Candidates (Year 9-11) Dec 4-6th Retreat for Con昀rmation Candidates (Year 6-8) Dec 11-13th Advent Retreat Dec 14-15th Youth Mental Health First Aid Course Dec 18-20th Past Teams Retreat Jan 9th Study Day (What is the Church?) [For adults] Jan 22-24th Young Adults Study Weekend Feb 10-12th School Sta昀 Conference Feb 25-26th Youth Mental Health First Aid Course Mar 13th Study Day (Salvation History) [For adults] Apr 1-4th Easter Retreat May 7-9th Retreat for Con昀rmation Candidates (Year 6-8) May 15th Study Day (Understanding the Bible) [For adults] July 17th Study Day (Understanding Vatican II) [For adults] Aug 7-11th Summer Week (Year 10-13) Date TBD Altar Servers Retreat (2021) Online courses for adults, check website for dates – Introduction to Youth Mental Health Parish Youth Days – Get in touch to book us! To advertise please contact Charlotte on 07932 248225 or email charlotter@cathcom.org

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6 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + September 2020 www.catholi cvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk Virtual Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes 2020 R eaders may recall an article in the April edition of the Catholic Voice when I shared with you news that preparations for this year’s Pilgrimage to Lourdes were well under way. Bishop Paul was inviting pilgrims old & new to join him this year. The article had been written at the end of February when no-one quite knew what the world would face. Unfortunately, by the time the article had been published, Covid-19 had been declared a pandemic and rising numbers of deaths and illnesses were being reported all over the world daily. By the end of March, the UK had gone into lockdown along with many other countries, including France where our pilgrimage would take place. Lourdes was being discussed on a daily basis between British Directors who knew they had some very serious decisions to make. And so, with a very heavy heart the announcement went out to all pilgrims that the 2020 pilgrimage would not go ahead for the Diocese of Lancaster. It was a very tough decision at the time, but looking back, it was indeed the right one. We are very grateful to David Walsh of Joe Walsh Tours for his support and reassurance during that time of uncertainty. In our announcement we promised to come together in some way during the time we would normally be in Lourdes. Within the pilgrimage management team, thoughts had been buzzing around with the idea of doing a Virtual Pilgrimage. The intention was good but the technical ability wasn’t so much! And then wow! – Our Lady had answered our prayers! Richard Teasdale o昀ered his services to take on all the live-streaming, putting video’s together etc. and so our Virtual Pilgrimage 2020 was going to happen! I then set about adapting the itinerary that we would have had whilst in Lourdes. Bishop Paul embraced the idea and priests and pilgrims were contacted, venues chosen and advertising began. It was a truly amazing week beginning with a welcome video from Bishop Paul on Friday evening. Our Masses through the week have consisted of: Our Opening Mass Celebrated by Bishop Paul from the Cathedral in Lancaster; the Grotto Mass celebrated by Fr Peter Sayer from St Thomas More Lancaster, a Mass for our sick celebrated by Fr Darren Carden from St Joseph’s Lancaster, a Mass for Vocations Celebrated by Fr John Moriarty from Castlerigg and our closing Mass Celebrated by Bishop Paul from the Cathedral. We linked in to the Sanctuaries in Lourdes for our Sunday Mass and for Rosary at the Grotto where Mike Harrison and Bernard Glenholme, represented the Diocese, and read so beautifully. We listened to a beautiful and poignant delivery of the Stations of the Cross from Seminarian Philip Wrigley whilst we watched images of those stunning High Stations in Lourdes. Fr John Paul Evans led us in a very moving Holy Hour on the theme ‘I am the Immaculate Conception’ and numerous video testimonies have been uploaded throughout the week, it has been a joy to listen to pilgrims of all ages share their Lourdes memories. On Friday evening on live-stream at the Grotto, St Thomas More, we recreated the tradition of praying 3 Hail Mary’s before the Crowned Statue. By doing this, pilgrims believe Our Lady will allow us to return to Lourdes one day! On Saturday we had opportunity to view old photo memories which rounded o昀 our week nicely. And so our Virtual Pilgrimage had come to an end – the week passed just as quickly as it does when we are in Lourdes! The participation of most events exceeding 2000 views and still counting - which is amazing! It was a delight to have brought Lourdes into the homes of thousands of people, not just in our diocese but as far a昀eld as the USA. All our events are still available to watch on Facebook or YouTube by searching for our group/channel ‘Diocese of Lancaster Lourdes Pilgrimage’ . So now to next year … If you feel inspired to join us please put 23rd – 30th July 2021 in your diaries. For further information please go to www.lancasterdiocese.co.uk Finally, thank you to the Bishop, the clergy, our pilgrimage team and all involved in making this Virtual Pilgrimage 2020 achievable. I would like to say a special thank you to Richard Teasdale who, with his wonderful tech ability made this week possible. But most of all I would like to thank all of you at home who joined us in our Virtual Pilgrimage. Our Lady of Lourdes, Pray for us! St Bernadette, Pray for us! Linda Wisdom, Director of Operations Diocese of Lancaster Lourdes Pilgrimage

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www.catholicvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk September 2020 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 7 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 + September 2020 www.catholi cvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk T he Diocese of Lancaster rally took place on the afternoon of Sunday 2 July 1961 at the Deepdale stadium, home to Preston North End, and was attended by more than 20,000 people including over 200 clergy. Parishioners, school children, scouts, guides, cubs and brownies all processed through the streets of Preston from their respective churches to the stadium whilst others, from parishes further a昀eld, arrived by coach. The Lancashire Evening Post reported that “It started back in the parishes where three hu ge processions based on St Joseph’s , St Ignatius’ and St Gregory’s formed and walked through the streets with banners and bands to converge at Deepdale” . A ‘Pageant of the Martyrs’ took place with forty individuals each dressed as a Martyr in the colourful costumes associated with the Tudor and Stuart periods. Narrators announced brief details of each Martyr’s life and death and once all were assembled on the dais “they presented a huge tableau, strangely set in a modern football stand, of 昀gures who su昀ered the strife and religious persecution in England and Wales 400 years ago” . The pageant was followed by Ponti昀cal High Mass celebrated by Monsignor Thomas Eaton, the Vicar General of the diocese, in the presence of Bishop Thomas Flynn of Lancaster. The chalice used was that from St Thomas the Apostle Church, Claughton on Brock, which was described as “of English workmanship of the latter half of the 15th century, and was probably used by Blessed Edmund Campion, one of the Forty Martyrs, when he visited William (later Cardinal) Allen at Maynes Hall, near Rossall” . The sermon was preached by Fr James Walsh SJ, the Vice-Postulator of the Cause of the Forty Martyrs.Following Mass, there was blessing of the sick with relics of Blesseds John Southworth, John Almond, Cuthbert Mayne, and Margaret Clitherow. In addition to widely reporting on the rally in its usual edition on Monday 3 July, the Lancashire Evening Post published a special commemorative edition on Tuesday 4 July. Both editions were well illustrated. Throughout the country, the faithful were encouraged to recite the ‘Prayer to obtain the Canonisation of Forty of the Blessed Martyrs of England and Wales’ : Let us pray. Grant we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we, who admire in Thy Martyrs the courage of their glorious confession, may witness in ourselves the power of their loving intercession. O God, who dost glorify those who glorify Thee, and who art honoured in the honours of Thy Saints, vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, by the solemn judgement of Thy Church to glorify the blood of the Martyrs who have been put to death in England and Wales for the testimony of Jesus. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Canonisation of the Forty Martyrs of England & Wales - Pt 2

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www.catholicvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk September 2020 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 9 Our Father. Hail Mary. I believe in God. For the canonisation to proceed it was necessary for two miracles, granted through the intercession of the forty as a group, to be recognised. A list of 24 miracles was collated and submitted by the English and Welsh Bishops and, after careful examination, two of these were chosen for further scrutiny. The Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints, which had replaced the Sacred Congregation of Rites, granted a special dispensation whereby it was decided, subject to Papal approval, that one of the two miracles would be su

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10 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + September 2020 www.catholi cvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk W hen I sat down to look at the readings for the 22nd Sunday, I soon realised that this was a Sunday when I was often in the congregation of a 14th century village church in Burgundy. There I would be doing my best to understand what the Parish priest was saying in his sermon, though I was easily distracted by speculating whether or not he would have an argument this week with the organist, who he considered played too slowly. As the organist was also his housekeeper I also wondered what she gave him for Sunday lunch on those days. However, getting back to the readings, “The way you think is not God’s way” , and “Get behind me Satan” are two phrases that seem to jump out at us from the Gospel. We can be rushing around anxious about all sorts of things - Jobs, Money, Health, Family. What is it that drives us? Peter, not for the 昀rst time , gets it wrong. He rather fancied having an important role in the new kingdom of the Messiah – a political messiah who would get rid of Rome and its dependants. That would be a great result for someone who started out as a simple 昀sherman on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He wasn’t too keen on a Spiritual Messiah, especially one who takes after the Su昀ering Servant of Isaiah. The Lord mustn’t talk like that – it will put his followers o昀 and then where would he be? In the last week we have celebrated the lives of some wonderful people. We’ve had the feasts of St. Bartholomew the Apostle and friend of Philip, St. Monica the mother who never gave up on her son, St. Augustine the great theologian converted by his mother’s prayers and the death of St. John the Baptist the one who showed the Messiah to the people. All these were followers of Christ through pain and su昀ering, through uncertainty and doubt. Despite their problems they were faithful to what is important, what was vital in their lives – their relationship with their Lord. During these last four months we have all had an unforeseen opportunity to re昀ect on what’s important in our lives. Have I wasted it? Have I 昀lled my time keeping busy? Does the garden look ready for the Chelsea 昀ower show? Has the car ever been polished so well? Have all those DIY jobs that I’ve been ignoring 昀nally got done? But how about the other things – have I found time for the Lord – what about my prayer time? Being a disciple is a serious business, but our following of Christ can be in small steps. God is patient. He does not overlook the painful decision, the unspoken sorrow, the secret su昀ering. There can be heroism in our ordinary lives and there are many more saints than the o

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www.catholicvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk September 2020 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 11 W arn a wicked man to renounce his ways”. Both the prophet Ezekiel and Our Lord in the Gospel deal with the tricky issue of fraternal correction this weekend – the correction of the faults of our neighbour. It’s something we are nervous to approach. We don’t want to seem self-righteous or censorious. However, both in the Old Law and in the Gospel God makes it clear that such correction is an integral part of charity. St Josemaria tells us: “Don’t neglect the practice of fraternal correction, which is a cl ear sign of the supernatural virtue of charity. It’s hard; because it’s easier to be inhibit ed. Easier!, but not supernatural.” 1 There can be a temptation for us to think that Christian charity merely consists in being nice, or somehow acting as a pushover. In fact charity makes demands on us. Love is not the same thing as permissiveness. We know this from our own lives. It would not be an act of love if a parent were to let their child run out into the road. We would view this as neglect of duty. So too the duty of love of our neighbour placed upon us by the new law of the Gospel implies warning our neighbour about moral danger. The prophet Ezekiel lays out the consequence of not following through when we perceive a moral wrong and are in a position to say or do something, “if you do not speak to warn the wicked man…I will hold you responsible”. But how do we go about it? There are two key virtues that we need in order to help our neighbour, charity and gentleness. St Francis de Sales tells us: “We must follow the counsels of the great Apostle St. Paul, whe n he bids us reprove in a spirit of meekness. Indeed gentleness i s the intimate friend of charity and its inseparable companion. This is what St. Paul means when he says that charity is kind, and bear eth all things, and endureth all things. God, who is Charity, guide s the mild in judgment and teaches the meek. His way, His Spirit, is not in the whirlwind, nor in the storm, nor in the tempest, nor in the voice of many waters; but in a gentle and whispering wind. Mildness i s come upon us, says the Royal Psalmist, and we shall be correcte d.” 2 Let us end on this encouragement from St Josemaria: “Why don’t you make up your mind to make that fraternal correction? Receiving one hurts, because it is hard to humble oneself, at l east to begin with. But making a fraternal correction is always hard . Everyone knows this. Making fraternal corrections is the best w ay to help, after prayer and good example.” 3 Fr. John Millar, Preston 1 The Forge by St Josemaria no.146 2 The Spirit of St Francis de Sales by Mgr Camus 3 The Forge by St Josemaria no.641 +++ HOMILY +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ “If he listens to you, you have won back your brother” 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Alleluia, Alleluia! Your word is truth, O Lord, consecrate us in the truth. Alleluia A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 18: 15-20 Jesus said to his disciples: If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain any charge. But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a pagan or a tax collector. ‘I tell you solemnly, whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you lose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven. ‘I tell you solemnly once again, if two or more on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them.’ The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ 23 rd Sunday in Ordinary Time “ 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

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12 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + September 2020 www.catholi cvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk M y nieces are now 昀ve and seven. During their short lives there has been a constant re昀ection about who they ‘take after’ . It’s developed recently from the matter of mere looks, towards personality, talents, gifts and abilities the two families vying to claim ownership of a particular strength or ability. It’s a simple truth that we inherit a lot more than mere looks; elements of our personality, our general disposition re昀ects something of our parentage. This is only to be expected, for in those silent years of formation in infancy we watch, we observe and we copy. As it is in our natural life so it is with our life in Christ. Through the waters of baptism we have become something else, a new creation. After the pouring of the water and the invocation of the Blessed Trinity, the rite tells us that we have now become a child of God. It’s a remarkable truth of our Faith - we are the children of God. Really, we are! Beloved sons and daughters of the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit. As sons and daughter what have we learnt? What have we observed? The Son has revealed to us what it means to be a child of God - to be another ‘Christ’ . The Church, our mother, guides us in the way of perfection. Our brothers and sisters in Christ model for us that Way. That we are to ‘take after’ the Father, that we are to be a re昀ection of that Father’s mercy to the world. Jesus tells us elsewhere that we are to be perfect just as our Heavenly Father is perfect (see Matthew 5:48) and in today’s passage from the Gospel of Matthew that we are to forgive, re昀ecting and ‘taking after’ the Lord who is ‘compassion and love, slow to anger and rich in mercy’ . If we are to live our calling as sons and daughters of God with 昀delity, with perfection, then we must forgive. Forgiveness isn’t easy. For Jesus it cost Him his life. The wound of hurt can run deep within us: trust betrayed, families divided, hearts broken. A moment, an event recalled can bring back the pain, the heartbreak, the betrayal; we 昀inch with the rawness of it. Our response is often to allow that pain to fester into resentment, anger, bitterness and hate (see Ecclesiasticus 27:33 - 28:9) . But is that ‘taking after’ the Father? In response to our betrayals, our in昀delities, his answer isn’t anger or hatred but rather ‘love lavished upon us’ (see 1 John 3) . Are you struggling to forgive? Then bring those who have wounded you to Jesus. As the priest elevates the Sacred Host during Holy Mass bring that person to your mind’s eye. Hand them over to Jesus at that moment - pray that you may love them as He loves them, see them as He sees them that you may be given the grace to forgive them, as the Father has forgiven you: and truly ‘take after’ Him. Fr. Michael Docherty, Carlisle +++ HOMILY ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ “I do not tell you to forgive seven times, but seventy-seven times” Alleluia, Alleluia! Speak ,Lord, your servant is listening; you have the message of eternal life. Alleluia! A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 20: 1-16 Peter went up to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times. ‘And so the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants. When the reckoning began, they brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents; but he had no means of paying, so his master gave orders that he should be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, to meet the debt. At this, the servant threw himself down at his master’s feet. “Give me time,” he said, “and I will pay the whole sum.” And the servant’s master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time cancelled the debt. Now as the servant went out, he happened to meet a fellow servant who owed him one hundred denarii; and he seized him by the throat and began to throttle him. “Pay what you owe me,” he said. His fellow servant fell at his feet and implored him, saying, “give me more time and I will pay you.” But the other would not agree; on the contrary, he had him thrown into prison till he should pay the debt. His fellow servants were deeply distressed when they saw what had happened, and they went to their master and reported the whole a昀air to him. Then the master sent for him. “You wicked servant,” he said, “I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?” And in his anger the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt. And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.’ The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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www.catholicvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk September 2020 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 13 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time T his Sunday is also Home Mission Sunday when we remember that we are called through our baptism to spread the Word of God. So instead of a homily on the Gospel we re昀ect on the words of our Holy Father: Pope Francis said in 2019 - “Our 昀lial relationship with God is not something simply private, but always in relation to the Church. Through our communion with God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we, together with so many of our other brothers and sisters, are born to new life. This divine life is not a product for sale – we do not practise proselytism – but a treasure to be given, communicated and proclaimed: that is the meaning of mission.” “Faith in Jesus Christ enables us to see all things in their proper perspective, as we view the world with God’s own eyes and heart. Hope opens us up to the eternal horizons of the divine life that we share. Charity, of which we have a foretaste in the sacraments and in fraternal love, impels us to go forth to the ends of the earth.” Baptism he said “remains the vocation and destiny of every man and woman in search of conversion and salvation. For baptism ful昀ls the promise of the gift of God that makes everyone a son or daughter in the Son.” “In baptism, we receive the origin of all fatherhood and true motherhood: no one can have God for a Father who does not have the Church for a mother.” Hence, our mission “is rooted in the fatherhood of God and motherhood of the Church.” Pope Francis said we should con昀de our mission to Mary, Mother of the Church, “In union with her Son, from the moment of the Incarnation the Blessed Virgin set out on her pilgrim way. She was fully involved in the mission of Jesus, a mission that became her own at the foot of the Cross: the mission of cooperating, as Mother of the Church, in bringing new sons and daughters of God to birth in the Spirit and in faith.” Alleluia, Alleluia! Blessings on the King, who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heavens! Alleluia! A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew 20: 1-16 Jesus said to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day, and sent them to his vineyard. Going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place and said to them , “ you go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage.” So they went. At about the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out and did the same. Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more men standing round, and he said to them, “Why have you been standing here idle all day?” “Because no one has hired us,” they answered. He said to 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time them, “ You go into my vineyard too.” In the evening , the owner of the vineyard said to his baili昀, “ Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last arrivals and ending with the 昀rst.” So those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came forward and received one denarius each. When the 昀rst came, they expected to get more, but they too received one denarius each. They took it, but grumbled at the landowner, “The men who came last,” they said, “have done only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day’s work in all the heat.” He answered one of them and said “My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last-comer as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why be envious because I am generous?” Thus the last shall be 昀rst, and the 昀rst last. The Gospel of the Lord Praise be to you Lord Jesus Christ Young People Extend Hand of Friendship You Will Be Found Members of Preston Impact Group, made up of teenagers from across Preston, and the Fylde, have been using their love of music to help spread a message of hope to other young people who might be struggling with the affects of the coronavirus pandemic. And their efforts have made headlines in the Lancashire Evening Post. At the instigation of Hallie Brady a young voluntary youth worker with Impact, around 20 young people came together to rework the theme of a popular musical in sign language and made their own special video - which has now been viewed across the world. Haillie said: “In May, I decided it would be a good idea to bring everyone from the youth groups together as connecting with one another is vital, especially as times were uncertain regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Wellbeing is an important topic to us as a youth group, so I decided it would be a good idea to create a video to a song that had really meaningful lyrics that everyone could relate to on some level. After being set on the song ‘You Will Be Found’ from Dear Evan Hansen, the musical, I put sign language to it and within about two days, I had managed to bring roughly 20 people onto the idea and they all started to learn the parts that I gave out. After a few days, I started to edit the video together and around one month later, it was complete! It was hard for all involved: learning the sign language, getting all the parts finished, editing it all together, whilst being up against a deadline, but we did it! Hard work paid off on all angles and I felt so proud to see the final product. The age range was mainly from 11-16 and the video was a surprise for Terry Mattinson our Youth Leader, too, as he had no idea what we were up to! Throughout this project, we created a reminder for members of our groups, as well as members of the community, that nobody is ever alone. We united three different groups through the power of a song, whilst also raising awareness of British Sign Language/Sign Supported English for the deaf community. Developing this further, learning the sign language was enjoyable for many people within our youth groups and so we are now looking at continuing this project and hopefully covering basic, important signs so that we can be inclusive, and community aware, whatever that community may be.”

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14 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + September 2020 www.catholi cvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk I was pleasantly surprised when Canon Peter Draper said Frank had asked in his will for me to preach his panegyric. But then he added: it said “As all my old gol昀ng buddies are dead, ask Alf Hayes to do it” . So, here I am, the Sub coming o昀 the bench, but very happy to do so, to pay tribute to a good friend. I 昀rst met Frank at the Willows when, as a kid, we lived at RAF Weeton. My sister Vera, who was 13 was in love with him. He was a big handsome fella, and I dare say set a few hearts a 昀utter. Fr. Dave Elder told me that people used to say of Frank ‘What a waste’ and when Frank was told this he would laugh it o昀, point to his waist and say, ‘That’s not waste, that’s all good stu昀!’ A few years later I knew him at Underley where, as Bursar, his crowning achievement was, without doubt, overseeing the build of the new chapel, which won a prestigious award for architecture. Of course, he had a life before I knew him, and I’m very grateful to Brenda Murphy for the following biographical details. In his early teens he applied to the Diocese to try his vocation to the priesthood, but at his medical was found to have a shadow on his lung, so was turned down. At that time TB was a concern. As a boy of 15 he had spent time in hospital with peritonitis, which had left a scar on his lung, so maybe that was the shadow. Not long after being turned down, he was ‘called up’ to join the Navy. That, of course, meant a rigorous medical examination, which revealed he was not, in fact, su昀ering from TB. Frank did his basic training in Skegness, and Special to Arms training in Scotland. His 昀rst posting was via HMS Indomitable to Malta, as a radio operator, stationed on the cli昀 tops. After the war, he re-applied to train for the priesthood. This time the VG, Monsignor Eton, said that if Frank was 昀t enough to serve his country, he was 昀t enough to serve the Church, and he was sent to Ushaw. There he was the envy of the other students, as he had a brand new Demob suit, new shoes and an allowance of £100 per year for books and fees. He was ordained with the Hodgson twins in 1953 at the English Martyrs, Preston, and had he lived just a little longer, would have celebrated his 67th year of priesthood this Sunday, 19th July. His 昀rst appointment was to St Mary’s, Barrow where he had a very happy time with Fr Tom Sowerby who had a motorbike. They had great fun taking it apart, repairing it, and bombing around the Lake District. Of his many postings, one with a major di昀erence was the taking over of Cleator Moor from the Benedictines. Lightning had brought the church steeple down, causing immense damage, and the presbytery needed a lot of work. If I remember rightly, Frank and Fr. Noel Mullin, his Curate, lived in a caravan while the repairs were going on. As everyone knows, Frank was a great golfer. Once, booked in to play with Fr. John Dobson at a club in the south of England, they dis covered another Diocese was having its annual comp there that day. When they said they were priests, they were invited to play. Both were in their heyday, as single 昀gure handicap golfers, and won all the prizes on o昀er, which forced a new rule to come in, with immediate e昀ect, namely, that prizes could not be won by priests from outside their Diocese. Once, I remember coming o昀 the 18th at Ulverston, as a ball landed on the green from miles back. It was Frank’s, of course. As he arrived alongside, I remarked what a fantastic shot to the green from such a distance. Without missing a beat, he said with feigned surprise, “Oh, is it not in the hole?” That’s as far as I’m going with anecdotes about Frank today, because, unlike the current fashion for making funerals into a memorial service, ‘ A Celebration of the Life of Someone’ , we all know why we’re really here; not so much to say what a great bloke he was, even though that’s true, but to pray for the repose of his soul, something I certainly hope people will one day do for me. Most priests, like most people I’m sure, when they look back on their lives, wonder if they could have done better, and are fully aware that they have not become perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. So, the scripture readings I have chosen re昀ect the life of any priest who has simply tried to do his best, knowing, that in spite of his weakness, faults and failings, if he puts all his hope in Christ, the job somehow gets done. “Hope is not deceptive, says St Paul, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given to us”. Frank wasn’t perfect – nor am I – who is? The 昀rst priests were far from perfect, yet Christ chose them to go out and bear fruit, because he knew that at heart, they were good men, and so are we. That’s why in the gospel it is so reassuring to hear those words, “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am”. For him, that means he trusts us, and for us, that we belong to him. That sense of belonging pervades our life. We even joke about it - when it doesn’t rain on a Monday for golf, or when a parking space becomes available as we arrive, we say ‘He looks after his own’ . It’s an easy-going relationship we have with the God who loves us, and I think, for the most part, we priests are blessed to have a fairly easy-going relationship with each other, based on that belonging. Certainly that has been my experience over the years. I was very fortunate to grow up as a priest in a Diocese where it was commonplace to call in on a presbytery to ‘waste’ an hour in other priests company, usually 昀lled with laughter and great sense of camaraderie. And it was people like Frank, and lots more of his generation, that made it so much easier for we younger priests coming through, to feel part of that brotherhood. Of course, there were lots more of us in those days, which made “wasting” time together a much easier thing to do. Life is a lot tougher for young priests today. I want to 昀nish with the beautiful words of Psalm 133 “How good it is when brothers dwell in unity: it’s like oil on the head, running down the beard, copious as the dew of Mount Hermon falling on the heights of Zion, where the Lord confers his blessing – everlasting life”. As I was leaving Valladolid for ordination, the Vice Rector, a Liverpool priest, said to me, “Clergy funerals in Lancaster are really great – if you get the chance, invite me along”. I soon found out that was true – they were big a昀airs: priests travelled from every corner of the Diocese to concelebrate Mass, and very few rushed away after the meal. It was part of the camaraderie I mentioned earlier. Frank was very much one of the brothers who fostered unity in our Diocesan priesthood, so it’s very sad that so many of his brothers cannot be here today for his funeral, because of Covid 19. Sad too that so many people whose lives he touched cannot be here either. But, wherever we are, we can still pray that, like the dew falling from Mount Hermon on the heights of Zion, the Lord will confer his blessing on Frank – everlasting life. May he rest in peace. Canon Alf Hayes Canon Cookson’s funeral took place on 17 July 2020 at St Thomas Apostle, Claughton- on- Brock. Canon Frank Cookson RIP 5 July 2020 Funeral Mass Panegyric

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www.catholicvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk September 2020 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 15 M ost of us are familiar with the expression ‘Money makes the world go round’ but actually I believe that it’s music that makes the world go round and in this technological age it is readily available and easily accessed whenever we want to listen to it. We’ve certainly travelled a l ong way since the days of the old gramophones and vinyl records! In fact bein g able to watch and listen to what we want has become as much a part of o ur normal everyday lives as breathing. Special Way Prayer and praise; Thanksgiving; Hymns; Chants and Psalms. Some of us are familiar with these terms and very often the common factor in all these is,yet again,music. There are times when music touches our hearts and minds and ‘speaks’ to us in a special way. If you’ve visited Medjugorje, Fatima, Lourdes or any other pilgrimage site and have been to Mass and/or experienced adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, you will also have experienced some of the most beautiful and moving music which makes the soul sing! There’s another saying which states that when we sing a song of praise to the Lord, it’s like praying twice - and so it can seem. Today we are able to seamlessly weave both contemporary and religious music together and use modern technology to help facilitatethis to gr eat e昀ect. During the recent lockdown, our parish was even able to record our hymns and psalms to enable our priest to play these during the Sunday Mass! Liberation Most music has some merit, but personally I love it when a modern day artist records a ‘catchy’ song with a spiritual message – a marvelous evangelization tool! A great example of this is the song ‘Shackles’ by Mary Mary (2000). The lyrics are given above. In the song the duo sing of being released from their chains and set free. We’re not exactly sure what they have been released from, but without doubt this is highly reminiscent of the Gospel account of the raising of Jesus’ friend Lazarus, who had died and was already buried in the tomb. Jesus called out to Lazarus, who, to everyone amazement emerged from the tomb, resurrected to new life by the power of Jesus’ miracle. As he appeared with his burial bindings still in place, Jesus instruction was to ‘unbind him’ and set him free. And of course this has a twofold meaning: the physical release from the cloth bindings and also a liberation of new life, both literally and in the Lord. The notion of being unbound and set free equally applies to each one of us today, as we can be set free by our faith and trust in the Lord, who came to do just that – to set us free.In fact, when we do so, we feel we could dance with joy and raise our hands in praise! New Life It seems truly amazing that a song with such a message as “Shackles” could become a top-ten hit in several countries around the world, including Australia, Denmark, Iceland, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom, and also charted well in other major music markets. The artist says of the song: ‘I made up a funny dance to this song, it’s my miracle warning song. It always plays just before a miracle happens’. Our miracle is in the Lord Jesus Christ who we can praise with song and joyful dance. Joy at the new life we have in God. Copyright ©2020 Julia Beacroft. All rights reserved. Julia Beacroft is an author, editor, workshop leader and presenter in Catholic faith formation. Her book ‘Sanctifying the Spirit’ is available to buy from AMAZON, www.waterstones.com or Book Depository. Her 昀rst children’s book ‘Monsieur Claude’s Great French Adventure’ is also out NOW! Follow Julia on Facebook & Twitter. Facing the Music by Julia Beacroft Whew, it sure is hot out here, you know I don’t mind, though I’m glad to be free, you know what I’m saying? [Chorus] Take the shackles o昀 my feet so I can dance I just wanna praise You What you wanna do? - spoken I just wanna praise You Yeah, yeah You broke the chains now I can lift my hands Fill me And I’m gonna praise You What you gonna do? I’m gonna praise you [Verse 1] In the corners of my mind I just can’t seem to 昀nd A reason to believe That I can break free Cause you see I have been bound for so long Felt like all hope was gone But as I lift my hands I understand That I should praise You through my circumstance

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16 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + September 2020 www.catholi cvoiceo昀ancaster.co.uk O n Saturday 18 July the annual Diocesan Pilgrimage to Ladyewell took place, led by Fathers Ernest (Parish Priest) and Mario of St Mary’s and Ladyewell. Due to COVID 19 and some bad weather the pilgrimage took place within St. Diocesan Pilgrimage to Ladyewell P reston Catholics held their annual Blessed Sacrament Procession to honour the Feast of Corpus Christi on the afternoon of Sunday 14 June, at which, Canon Cristofoli was the celebrant accompanied by Canon Post. Due to the Covid 19 restrictions and churches being closed to the public the procession took place within St. Walburge’s using four Station Altars. The church was especially decorated for the occasion and the procession was live streamed. The Blessed Sacrament was duly honoured and prayers said for the people of Preston. Grateful thanks to Canon Cristofoli for his help and support. Ian Mulholland Preston Celebrate Corpus Christi Mary’s without a congregation but supported by six Altar Servers from around the Diocese. The Blessed Sacrament Procession took place within the Church, whilst maintaining social distance and was followed by Benediction and the church was especially decorated for the occasion in honour of Our Lady. Ian Mulholland COMMERCIAL & DOMESTIC PLUMBING, HEATING & GAS WORK, GLAZING, GUTTERING, DRAINAGE & JETTING SERVICES. enquiries@wmwilding.co.uk Moorbrook House, 84 Moorbrook Street, Preston PR1 7EX Tel/Fax: (01772) 253127 • Established Over 60 Years • Church Supplies – serving Schools, Business and Homes School building work and refurbishment/ conversion, building and joinery work, extensions, alterations & repairs, loft conversions, replacement doors and windows Builders Yard, 66 Marsden Street, Kirkham, Preston PR4 2TH Tel: (01772) 684489 Fax: (01772) 671486 email: admin@jeharrison.co.uk www.jeharrisonbuilders.co.uk

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