2 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + September 2023 CONTACT US: The Catholic Voice of Lancaster is pu b lished on the last Sunday o f the month pre v ious to pu b li c ation date. The Catholic Voice of Lancaster is pu b lished b y its o w ners. The Trustees o f the Roman Catholi c Dio c ese o f Lan c aster, a registered c harity, (No. 234331), and is w holly independent o f and separate f rom any pre v ious ne w spaper pu b lished b y or on b ehal f o f the dio c ese. EDITOR: Ed w ina Gillett 01253 73 66 30 / 079 6 9 9 6 72 68 ed w inagillett@hotmail. c o.uk ADVERTISING: Charlotte Ros b rooke / CathCom Ltd. 01440 730399 / 07932 24 8 225 c harlotter@ c ath c om.org www . c ath c om.org DESIGN &, LAYOUT: Ro b Hot c hkiss / Hot Creati v e 01253 730343 ro b athot- c reati v e. c o.uk www .hot- c reati v e. c o.uk PUBLISHED BY: CathCom Ltd. N2 Blois Meado w Business Centre, Blois Road, Steeple Bumpstead, Haverhill, Su昀,olk CB9 7BN 020 7112 6 710 www . c ath c om.org Articles to: v oi c ene w s@hotmail. c o.uk Letters to: v oi c eletters@hotmail. c o.uk POSTAL ADDRESS: FAO Ed w ina Gillett 99 Commonside, Ansdell, Lytham St. Annes FY 8 4DJ Please send arti c les f or pu b li c ation on CD or b y email, supplying any photos separate to the text (i.e. in jpeg f ormat). Other w ise please type dou b le spa c ing or w rite v ery c learly. Last date f or c opy is the LAST DAY o f the month prior to pu b li c ation. Photographs w ill b e returned i f you remem b er to put your name and address on the b a c k o f ea c h and en c lose suita b le stamped and sel f - addressed pa c kaging. O n a beautiful summers evening, Friday June 16th, 2023, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a Golden Jubilee Mass of Thanksgiving for Canon John Watson’,s ordination to the sacred priesthood was held at Our Lady and St Michael’,s, Workington in the parish of Christ the Good Shepherd. People c ame f rom the f our c orners o f the dio c ese and b eyond to c ele b rate this great o cc asion. 32 priests c on c ele b rated Mass assisted by a team of 28 altar servers, a full choir in 昀,ne voi ce and organ in f ull throttle. There w ere many representati v es f rom Chur c h’,s together in Workington and a f ull honour guard pro v ided b y the Knights o f St Colum b a. Hundreds o f lay f aith f ul also gathered to raise their hearts, minds, and v oi c es to God in thanksgi v ing f or this hum b le w orker in the v ineyard o f the Lord. Canon John thanked all w ho helped and en c ouraged him f rom the b eginning until no w - ‘,my parents, family, Cleator priests and people who encouraged the green shoots of a vocation, the seminary sta昀, who laid the foundations and saw me through to ordination by Bishop Pearson in 1973, all the peoples of the parishes where I have served, living and deceased, who were such an inspiration and support, and also the bishops, priests and deacons of our diocese, who form such a happy diocesan family.’, Fr Robert Billing o昀,ered a tribute of how dearly loved and treasured Fr John is to all w ho kno w him. Those to w hom he is a priest, a f riend, a guide. An eminent and w ell-lo v ed priest o f the dio c ese. ‘,We salute you, we honour you for the 昀,gure of unity you are to priests of this diocese.’, A w onder f ul spread o f f ood and a b eauti f ul c ake a w aited e v eryone a f ter the Mass. Paul Briers ++ Canon John Watson - Ad Multos annos! A re c ording o f the Mass c an b e f ound at: ++ https://mcnmedia.tv/Cameras/Player/56812 A c opy o f his en c omium c an b e f ound at: ++ https://www.christ-the-good-shepherd.co.uk canon-john-watson-golden-jubilee 50 Years of Priestly Service Celebrated

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September 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 3 St. Benedict’,s Catholic High School has recently been granted funds from the Cumbria Coastal Community Forest Trees for Climate Fund, which has enabled sta昀, and pupils to plant over 2000 trees around the out skirts of the Campus Whitehaven grounds. a chance to get inspired about nature and showcase forestry as a potential career choice.”, To gi v e the young trees, the b est c han c e o f su cc ess, they w ere planted b e f ore the end o f April –, this ga v e St Benedi c t’,s a b out se v en days to get them in the ground. Nevertheless, sta昀, and students did not disappoint and w ere ex c eptional in their w ork ethi c to get the mix o f young trees in the ground. Mrs Lee, Geography tea c her at St Benedi c t’,s said: “,We’,re excited that this project is now nearly completed. Our aim is to create a woodland area that allows our students to have access to a range of activities. From 昀,eldwork in Geography lessons and experiments in Science to Outdoor learning through forest school activities and eco-therapy, where appropriate”,. As part o f this w ork in the outdoors, St Benedi c t’,s have also bene昀,tted from funding for an Octagonal Shelter, w ith solid sides, seats and de c king. This is to ensure sessions c an c ontinue in the outdoors, w hate v er the West Cum b rian w eather thro w s at us! W hen the Campus Whitehaven facility was 昀,rst constructed, a large area of trees had to be cut down. As a result, there are very few mature trees around the dual-school site. Some trees were planted in early 2022, but much land remains available for further planting. The site is near the c oast and f eels exposed, planting exposure tolerant spe c ies su c h as sy c amore on the f ringes should help shelter the other trees. Spe c ies planted are those suita b le f or w etter ground, in c luding Do w ny Bir c h, Sy c amore, Aspen, Bla c k Poplar, Grey Alder, Shining Gum, Ro w an and Goat Willo w . Angus Walsh f rom Cum b ria Woodlands helped f a c ilitate the planting said: “,Planting trees provides a number of great bene昀,ts, including increased biodiversity, shelter, shade, allowing more water to in昀,ltrate, amenity value, as well as sequestering carbon for the long term. Most importantly on this site, organising tree planting days allowed the pupils St Benedict’,s High School Whitehaven Planting for the Future “, Planting trees provides a number of great bene昀,ts, including in creased biodiversity, shelter, shade, allowing more water to in昀,ltrate, amenity value, as well as sequestering carbon for the long term. ”, 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 + September 2023 A s I write, it’,s the last day in July and there’,s not a lot happening! In the world of education things seem to drop o昀, massively during the holidays. That said though, there are still some fun things to report. These ones, in fact: Keswick Convention During the 昀,rst two weeks (ish) o f the summer holidays, w e host the youth team o f the Kes w i c k Con v ention. For the uninitiated, the Con v ention is a huge, (more than 20,000 people a year) , Christian f esti v al that happens ea c h year in Kes w i c k. For a f e w de c ades no w , Castlerigg has housed the team that runs the Youth Ministry side o f the c on v ention and it’,s al w ays a real joy. World Youth Day 2023 27 pilgrims f rom the dio c ese made their w ay to Portugal f or World Youth Day 2023!! The international World Youth Day festivals are held each year in a di昀,erent w orld c ity, and this year it w as the turn o f Lis b on. Due to c o v id, there hasn’,t b een an international World Youth Day sin c e Panama in 2019 w hi c h is w hy people w ere ex c ited to see it return. A w eek o f f esti v ities in Lis b on c ulminated w ith a b ig Mass w ith Pope Fran c is on Sunday August 6 th. There w ill b e a f ull report in next month’,s edition o f the Catholic Voice together w ith some photos! Improvements for the New Year One thing w e like to do in the Youth Ser v i c e is to c onstantly impro v e. A lot o f good w ork has b een done at Castlerigg and b eyond o v er the years b ut it’,s important to keep mo v ing f or w ard. In the past f e w years, w e’, v e reno v ated the games room and the Chapel and a f e w other areas. But w hat w ill you see that’,s ne w i f you c ome this year? A ni c er b uilding // Remem b er the in c redi b ly tatty side o f the b uilding f a c ing the road? That’,s no w b een repainted, and it looks lo v ely! We’, v e also just added c ustom made signs around the b uilding w hi c h look lo v ely! Ni c er rooms // w e no w ha v e some lo v ely permanent lighting in the c hapel and depending on w hen you v isit, you might e v en see our ne w proje c tion system in operation too. We also ha v e a ne w sound system and lighting in the main lounge. For the last f e w months, w e’, v e also had 昀,ve dedicated small group rooms which w e c an use alongside the existing areas. These are going to b e kitted out and de c orated as the year goes on. Ne w games room ta b les // Remem b er the pool ta b le, ta b le f oot b all, and ta b le tennis ta b le that w ere f alling to b its?? Well, b y the time you read this, they w ill ha v e b een c hu c ked in the skip and some ni c e ne w equipment w ill ha v e b een installed. At the minute w e are dis c erning (read: disagreeing about) w hat to get, b ut at least t w o NEW ta b les w ill b e added v ery soon! Bedrooms // In O c to b er, w e w ill b egin a programme o f rede c orating the b edrooms. It’,s not just a li c k o f paint though –, e v ery room w ill b e stripped and gutted and started f rom s c rat c h! We are aiming to do at least one room e v ery hal f term, w hi c h means w e w ill get through all o f them in a c ouple o f years. BUT // w hile the look-and- f eel o f the pla c e is important, it’,s the programme that people c ome to us f or, and w e’, v e made a lot o f c hanges there. For instan c e…, Our New Retreats Sin c e 2020, w e ha v e b een rede v eloping our retreat programme. We pro b a b ly al w ays w ill b e. This isn’,t something that will ever be 昀,nished, but we’,ve now got some amazing programmes: Let Your Light Shine // This is our Primary s c hool programme w ith a c ti v ities in c luding stain glass w indo w making!! It’,s a c han c e to think a b out ho w amazing God is and ho w amazing he w ants (and made) us to b e! Gro w th // This is a programme w hi c h w e use w ith year 7 and 8 . We think a lot a b out gardens and things that gro w as a w ay o f getting us to think a b out ho w w e c an gro w . Ho w does God w ater us and f eed us? There is a treasure hunt, a slightly w a c ky design-a-garden- a c ti v ity, and e v eryone le f t w ith their o w n b ul b planted in a pot! Wild Goose // This Year 8 &, 9 programme f o c uses on the Holy Spirit, ha v ing a b it o f f un w ith the ‘,Wild Goose’, metaphor. There is a du c k hunt and a game o f ‘, b i b le b asket b all’, among many other things, hope f ully helping us to appre c iate the role that the Holy Spirit plays in our li v es. Identity // This programme is f or Year 10 and 11. There are so many in昀,uences these days telling us that w e need to 昀,t this stereotype or that, or telling us w ho the w orld w ants us to b e. God has a di昀,erent idea of who we are though, and it’,s f ar more b eauti f ul. This retreat is designed to help young people w ho are getting ready to lea v e s c hool to realise the b eauty o f w ho they are in God! E v iden c e // This is our Sixth Form programme and it’,s a b out God. And us. And the w orld around us. What proo f is there that God exists? What a b out mira c les? What proo f is there that w e matter? A c ti v ities in c lude a quiz night and a murder mystery w e’, v e w ritten espe c ially f or the retreat! A w ay f rom the main themes and sessions, there are a f e w other c hanges you w ill see too. The main one is b reak time a c ti v ities. From Septem b er w e w ill be o昀,ering some fun structured activities f or young people during b reak times in c luding making smores!! And don’,t f orget, w e are also enhan c ing the open retreat programme. The 昀,rst retreat is the Advent Retreat in De c em b er. Bookings w ill b e open b y the time you read this, or shortly therea f ter, so keep an eye on our w e b site and so c ial media! Catholic Youth Ministry Internship Programme Another b ig c han c e f or the year ahead is that w e ha v e re b randed our Gap Year programme and made some signi昀,cant c hanges. Our v olunteers are no w ‘,interns’, and they are f ollo w ing an enhan c ed programme o f training and experien c e that w ill gi v e them some re c ognised quali昀,cations and solid experience across a few di昀,erent settings. Jack Regan MATTERS YO U TH

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September 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 + September 2023 Your Letters Send us your letters: Write to: The Editor, 99 , Commonside, Ansdell, Lytham St. Annes, FY8 4DJ. Email to: voiceletters@hotmail.co.uk •, Please keep your letters c on c ise (max 300 words) •, In c lude your f ull name and address •, Letters should not in c lude any personal c riti c ism or atta c ks •, The editor reser v es 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, I heartily support the Fix the Food Campaign and the desire o f small s c ale f armers in Bangladesh and else w here to ha v e a cc ess to a w ide v ariety o f seeds. It is iniquitous that United States c onglomerates su c h as Monsanto and b illionaires like the odious Gates are allowed to 昀,x the market to increase their w ealth at the expense o f f armers and c onsumers. Ho w e v er, the CAFOD arti c le your June 2023 issue implies that the ‘,climate crisis’, and the Ukraine con昀,ict ha v e negati v ely impa c ted on the supply and pri c e o f w heat. There w as a spike in w heat pri c es in mid 2022 soon a f ter the con昀,ict began but the future price has sin c e dropped dramati c ally and is no w no higher than it w as in 200 8 . https:// markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/ wheat-price Furthermore, the United States Department o f Agri c ulture b elie v es that f or 2023/24 (https:// notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress. com/2023/05/24/record-world-cereal- outputs-forecast-for-2023-24/) there w ill b e re c ord high produ c tions o f ri c e, w heat and c orn that w ill meet or surpass c onsumption. I f the pri c e o f staples does not redu c e in your supermarket the b lame c annot b e pla c ed on supply issues. CAFOD does itsel f no f a v ours w hen it parrots the ‘,climate crisis’, mantra w hi c h is a c himera c reated b y b illionaires w hose goal is to ensla v e others as it dramati c ally redu c es the w orld’,s population. John Ellwood, Carnforth F or the tenth year running Preston came together for their annual Corpus Christi Procession. The large Pro c ession b egan, as usual, in St. Wal b urge’,s Shrine Chur c h and stopped at one internal and three external station altars on route and then onto the lo c al roads b e f ore returning to c hur c h. As the Blessed Sa c rament w as b rought b a c k into c hur c h, Cu b s and S c outs f rom Our Lady and St. Ed w ard’,s, Ful w ood rang hand b ells until the Blessed Sa c rament rea c hed the Altar. Benedi c tion f ollo w ed. Canon Adrian To w ers w as the Cele b rant. Taking part w ere Clergy and Religious Preston Celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi Sisters, altar ser v ers , b anner c arriers, First Holy Communion c hildren w ho stre w ed petals along the w hole route, Cu b s and S c outs and their leaders, Knights o f the Holy Sepul c hre, the Polish c ommunity {who faithfully set up two external station altars and walked in traditional costume} , mem b ers f rom St. Alphonsa w ho c arried the delight f ul Blessed Sa c rament um b rellas, the Knights o f St. Colum b a w ho assisted w ith the marshalling and parishioners f rom Preston parishes w ho helped w ith gi v ing out orders o f ser v i c e, doing the c olle c tion and gi v ing out sou v enir c ards. The sun had b een in dou b t b ut c ame out on time and Our Lord w as honoured in this spe c ial w ay. Ian Mulholland

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September 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 7 Continued from Page 1 >,>, The Bishop o f Lan c aster, the Right Re v erend Paul S w ar b ri c k, w el c omed the ne w s: “,It is an honour for the Diocese of Lancaster for one of our priests to be chosen as Rector for the National Shrine to Our Blessed Lady at Walsingham. I am delighted that Fr Billing has accepted this appointment. “,When I was 昀,rst asked to release him, I must confess that I said ‘,no’, because I believed the need of the Diocese could not spare him. Further re昀,ection followed and I sensed that this request was actually coming from Our Blessed Lady, and I decided that I did not want to get on the wrong side of her! “,I have every con昀,dence, given Fr Billing’,s considerable talents and experience, that he is a good choice for this signi昀,cant position in the national church. The work of the Shrine will be safe in his care. Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us.”, As Bishop o f the Dio c ese o f East Anglia, it w as the Right Re v erend Peter Collins’, responsi b ility to appoint a ne w Re c tor f or the National Marian Shrine: “,I am immensely grateful to Bishop Paul Swarbrick of Lancaster for his generosity in releasing Fr Robert for this important role. Fr Robert brings with him a wealth of talent and experience that will stimulate our vision of the future. “,His spiritual, pastoral and administrative abilities will undoubtedly bear abundant fruit within the national and international mission of Walsingham. “,I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Fr James Mary OFM Conv. for his contribution over recent months as Acting Rector at the Shrine. As we look forward to welcoming Fr Robert let us be united and committed in praying for him in the weeks ahead. Our Lady of Walsingham –, Pray for us.”, Bishop Alan Hopes, Chair o f the Walsingham Trust and Bishop Emeritus o f East Anglia, said: “,I am delighted that Fr Robert Billing from the Diocese of Lancaster has been appointed as the new Rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham. “,With his undoubted spiritual and pastoral gifts, Fr Robert will bring renewal and fresh vision to the mission and work of the Shrine, promoting its message, both nationally and further a昀,eld. “,We entrust him to the prayers of Our Lady of Walsingham as he prepares to take up this important task.”, CBEW We would like to thank these schools for always supporting the paper To advertise please contact Charlotte on 01440 730399 or email charlotter atcathcom.org 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 + September 2023 Diaconate Ordinations David Greaves and David Pope were ordained to the Permanent Diaconate in July at the Cathedral by Bishop Paul Swarbrick. Deacon David Greaves will serve the parishes Appleby, Penrith and Alston. Deacon David Pope will serve the parishes of Ansdell and Lytham. Both Deacons have written short pieces for publication. T he call to vocation for myself has always been there. At the age of 16 I left St. Mary’,s High School, Blackpool and became a Funeral Director. The in - 昀,uence of my employer, colleagues and family and friends always con昀,rmed that I had made the right choice for a career. 36 years later, I am still a Funeral Director and even more aware of how much of a vocation this is for me. The sense of vocation has been at the heart of my career as a Funeral Director. This has never been a “,job”, to me but a de昀,nite vocation. At the age o f 1 8 I b egan to f eel a c all to a di昀,erent vocation, priesthood. I approa c hed the dio c esan v o c ations dire c tor and dis c ussed the possi b ility. This w asn’,t to b e as I f ell in lo v e w ith a girl w ho b e c ame my w i f e and 32 years later, w e are the proud parents o f 5 c hildren and grandparents to 2. For many years, too many to c ount, priests, parishioners and f riends ha v e o f ten said to me, I should c onsider the Permanent Dia c onate. The time ne v er seemed right. Gill and I started a f amily, the f amily gre w and I started my o w n b usiness. I w as al w ays a c ti v e in the parish, St. Peter’,s, Lytham, b ut there w as not enough time to spare f or the demands that the dia c onate programme w ould expe c t. So, after years of putting o昀, answering God’,s c all to another v o c ation, and w ith the permission and en c ouragement o f my w i f e, Gill, I ga v e in. It w as 201 6 and I approached the diocese to o昀,er myself f or the Permanent Dia c onate. So, the w hole pro c ess o f inter v ie w s b egan and I w as sent to St. Luke’,s Centre, Man c hester to undergo a series o f tests and more inter v ie w s. It w as here that I met Da v id Grea v es, my c ompanion on this journey. We w ere b oth a cc epted b y the dio c ese and w e b egan our f ormal training and f ormation in S c otland. A f ter some time, w e w ere trans f erred b a c k to England b y Bishop Paul to c ontinue our f ormation and training w ith the Northern Dia c onal Formation Partnership. Here I met other men f rom around the North o f England and w e ha v e journeyed together f or the last 4 years. The time o f f ormation has b een interesting and enri c hing. I ha v e greatly appre c iated our times together in prayer and w orship. Formation hasn’,t stopped, I am still learning and gro w ing in my f aith, God al w ays has something ne w f or me. I am grate f ul to Fr Da v id Burns f or supporting me in my early stages o f f ormation and dis c ernment, to Fr Philip Conner f or his spiritual guidan c e and to Fr Peter Clarke, w ho as my Parish Priest, has and is b eing a c onstant support and en c ouragement. Thanks, must also go to Fr Bo b Halsha w and Fr John-Paul E v ans f or looking a f ter me o v er the last f e w years. My ministry has b egun, ha v ing b een ordained f or the parishes o f St. Joseph, Ansdell and St. Peter, Lytham. I look f or w ard to praying w ith them and ministering to them. On c e again, I c annot stress enough ho w none o f this c an b e possi b le w ithout the lo v e, support and patien c e o f my f amily, espe c ially my w i f e, Gill. I am so b lessed to ha v e them. St. Joseph and St. Peter, pray for me. Rev David Pope We were inspected in 2022 and described in our Section 48 report as being ‘,an outstanding Catholic school’, . Our latest Ofsted report in February 2019 judged us to be good in all areas. Inspectors commended leaders and governors for working tenaciously to raise standards in those areas that required improvement. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment had improved considerably since our last inspection and stated that ‘,Teachers have high expectations and they expect the best from pupils who have positive attitudes to learning.’, Both reports cited that inspectors were impressed by our pupils’, manners, behaviour, their respect for each other and eagerness to learn. Together in One Body CORPUS CHRISTI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL www.ccc.lancs.sch.uk St Vincent’,s Road, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 8QY | 01772 716912 | admin@ccc.lancs.sch.uk Open Evening Wednesday 20 September 2023, 6.00 –, 8.30pm Our vision for Corpus Christi Catholic High School is a vision of Catholic education at its best: an education of the highest quality that enables all children to thrive.

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September 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 9 P erhaps one of the most frequent questions I hear is “,what does a Deacon do”, ? But for those in formation it may be better to ask what are we to become? And for those Ordained, What have we become? Through ordination the Dea c on is permanently and publicly con昀,gured to Christ the Ser v ant, he shares in the o v erall pastoral responsi b ility o f the Bishop to c are f or all the people o f the Dio c ese and b e c omes an integral part o f the c leri c al stru c ture o f the Chur c h in partnership w ith priests, ser v ing the needs o f the entire dio c ese. Dea c on’,s assist at Mass there b y parti c ipating in a unique w ay at the Eucharistic Celebration, they are o

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10 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + September 2023 Rwanda Group Trust T rustees Mark Ibison and Michael Dolan are planning to walk the St Mary’,s Pilgrim Way from Lancaster Cathedral to St Mary’,s church Cleator. They intend to arrive in time to coincide with the diocesan pilgrimage there on the 10th of September. Their aim is to raise money f or the R w anda c harity v ia donations and sponsorship. And they w ould appre c iate any help you c ould gi v e. Donations c an b e made on Just Gi v ing f or “,St Mary’,s Pilgrims Way Walk for Rwanda Charity”, . Alternati v ely ring Mi c hael Dolan on 07 86 4 990941 f or other w ays to donate. National Relic Tour of St Columba The Knights of St Columba undertook to send the Relics of St Columba of Iona, St Andrew the Apostle, and St Margaret of Scotland, in a Reliquary around Great Britain including stop o昀,s in Preston and Carlisle. T he Reliquary is accompanied by the Order’,s Fraternal Cross, which displays all the Catholics Men’,s Orders from countries around the world, and the Columba Cross, a gift that was given to the Order by Brother Knights of the Knights of St Columbanus in Ireland, to commemorate the Knights of St Columba turning 100 years old as an Order in 201 9 . In late August the Relics visited St Mary’,s Brownedge, Preston and the churches of St Bede, Christ the King, St Margaret Mary, Our Lady and St Wilfred and Our Lady &, St Joseph in Carlisle. For more details o f v enues in Septem b er, please v isit the w e b site: https://ksc.org.uk/news-events/ The Reliquary (centre), Columba Cross (left) and Fraternal Cross (right) on display in Aylesford Priory. Catenian News –, 40 year Celebration of Westmorland Circle –, 1983-2023 O n May 3rd 1 9 83 at the Cumbria Grand in Grange-over-Sands the inauguration of the 2 99 Circle of the Catenian Association took place with some 28 brothers forming a new Circle drawn from the Catholic professional and business men of the area. . Fast f or w ard f orty years to May 30th 2023 and t w o o f the Founding mem b ers, Bros Paul Bates and John Kit c hen c ele b rated their ru b y anni v ersaries at a spe c ial lun c h at Stone Cross Manor in Kendal w ith Cir c le mem b ers, relati v es and other v isitors f rom throughout Pro v in c e 10. The Pro v in c ial President, Bro. Mike O’,Malley and his w i f e Anne-Marie, w ho had also b een a Grand President in 200 6 -2007, w ere also present. In the presentation o f c ommemorati v e s c rolls that f ollo w ed the lun c h, the Dire c tor, author o f this report, praised the c ontri b ution that John and Paul had made not only to the Cir c le b ut also to the w ider Catholi c c ommunity. Paul had b een c hosen as Se c retary f rom the 昀,rst meeting, a position he still manages to ful昀,l to this present day. He has had some b reaks f rom the role o v er the years!! John and Paul had b oth b een Cir c le Presidents and taken on other roles as required. The Dire c tor said that t w o o f the most essential pillars o f our so c iety are do c tors and tea c hers. We all remem b er a good tea c her like w e all remem b er a good and c aring do c tor. These remarka b le indi v iduals play a v ital role in shaping the f uture o f our c ommunities, and their un w a v ering dedi c ation deser v es our utmost respe c t and gratitude. Today gi v es us an opportunity to thank John and Paul w ho ha v e o v er the years w orked tirelessly to make a di昀,erence in our li v es through their pro f essionalism, plus their c ontri b utions to the Cir c le and the Catholi c c ommunity. In c on c lusion, do c tors and tea c hers hold the po w er to heal, nurture, and trans f orm li v es. John and Paul ha v e b een b ea c ons o f hope and kno w ledge in our w orld and w e are grate f ul f or all that they ha v e done not only f or the Asso c iation b ut the lo c al Catholi c c ommunity as w ell. For more in f ormation a b out this Catholi c men’,s Asso c iation w hi c h promotes f amily, f aith and f riendship please v isit www.thecatenians.org Terence Donnelly 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 DONATE NOW www.shelterbox.org/protect OR CALL 0300 0300 500 URGENT APPEAL NO ONE WITHOUT SHELTER PROTECT PEOPLE IN DISASTER ZONES Scan here to make a life-saving gift today Registered Charity No. 1096479 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

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September 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 11 The Season of Creation The Season of Creation is a worldwide ecumenical celebration of the generosity of God. And this year it lasts from 1 September (World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation) until 4 October (Feast of St Francis) . Pope Francis made it part of the calendar for the Catholic Church in 2015. T his is a time of hope and renewal, reminding us that the earth is the Lord’,s and that we are mere stewards, entrusted to care for it. It is a time to re昀,ect on and appreciate the beauty of Creation and, in doing so, seek to protect it. Ne v er has this b een more important as today, b e c ause e v ery day, some w here in the world, there are 昀,oods, 昀,res and tropi c al storms, w hilst the ra v aging o f the rain f orests is b ut one symptom o f w hat the Head o f the UN des c ri b es, b luntly, as our “,war on nature”,. We li v e in one o f the most b eauti f ul parts o f the w orld, so let’,s c ele b rate it. What b etter w ay than b y ha v ing a “,Creation Mass”, one Sunday during the Season f or, as Pope Fran c is says “,It is in the Eucharist that all that has been created 昀,nds its greatest exaltation”, . The Season c oin c ides w ith har v est- time, so it is a w onder f ul opportunity to de c orate the c hur c h w ith the f ruits o f the har v est as a v isi b le a c t o f gratitude. In my o w n c hur c h w e also b rought out the c ri b 昀,gures to celebrate God’,s gift of his Son and the animal w orld. It w as unseasonal, b ut it f elt right. On re昀,ecting on last year’,s celebration, I realised that something w as missing. We had o v erlooked all the small organisms that are so c riti c al to the healthy f un c tion o f our e c osystems - the inse c ts and the f ungi that are b eing w iped out b y our indis c riminate use o f inse c ti c ides and f ungi c ides around the w orld - w e must c ele b rate them too! Then I thought, “,don’,t children just love drawing spiders and creepy-crawlies and toadstools - not forgetting all the wonderful life in our oceans, such as octopuses and seahorses. Wouldn’,t it be great to decorate the church with children’,s artwork celebrating these wonderful examples of God’,s ingenuity?”, At the entran c e pro c ession one might b ring to the altar: seeds, earth and w ater as a reminder o f w hat is needed to produ c e the b read o f li f e and in anticipation of the later o昀,ering of the gi f ts “,Blessed are you Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this bread to o昀,er…,.”, Let us dra w parti c ular attention to the re f eren c es to Creation in our great pro f ession o f f aith - the Ni c ene Creed: “,I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible…,…,…,through whom all things were made…,…,...the Lord, the giver of life”,. The theme f or the 2023 Season is “,Let Justice and Peace Flow”, , reminding us that w e c annot truly c are f or c reation w hilst there remains injusti c e and inequality in the w orld, so prayers o f inter c ession, hymns and the homily might re昀,ect both the c ele b ration o f c reation and the need f or justi c e. There are Colle c ts appropriate to these themes, a Pre f a c e o f Creation and the lo v ely Eu c haristi c Prayer IV, so plenty o f ideas in the great repository f or prayers f or use at Mass. We ha v e no w held three “,Creation Masses”, in my parish. People lea v e c hur c h c learly upli f ted. We pray that they also lea v e w ith a greater c ommitment to do w hat they c an to lo v e and c are f or our w onder f ul w orld. Stephen Garsed, Environmental Justice Lead, Lancaster Diocese Faith &, Justice Commission “, St Francis, faithful to Scripture, invites us to see nature as a magni昀,cent book in which God speaks to us and grants us a glimpse of his in昀,nite beauty and goodness ”, Pope Francis Laudato Si #12 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/ 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 To advertise please contact Charlotte on 01440 730399 or email charlotter@ cathcom.org

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12 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + September 2023 Old Tools Given a New Start in Africa In the cellars of Windermere’,s U nited Reformed Church, a small group of men and women recycle unwanted tools, preparing them for a new lease of life in Africa. For ten years, Windermere Tools for Self Reliance, a branch of the Southampton based nationa l charity, Tools for Self Reliance, has been collecting redundant hand and electric tools and returning them to reusable conditio n. T ools for Self Reliance (T.F.S.R.) was founded in 1 9 7 9 by Glyn Roberts, a dedicated and observant worker in voluntary services in the Third World. Glyn had witnessed the dire shortage of tradesmen’,s tools and the ine昀,ectiveness of aid programmes while he was travelling and working in Africa during the early 1 9 70s. He saw people trying to learn trades and professions with little in the way of useful equipment: misshapen hammers, chisels sharpened down to the last centimetre, and 昀,at rocks used as anvils. For Glyn, the pro b lem appeared to b e straight f or w ard. A simple hand plane w ould c ost a c arpenter a f ull w eek’,s w ages, w ages w hi c h c ouldn’,t b e earned b e c ause the c arpenter had no tools! His plan w as to b e a b le to pro v ide complete sets of tools speci昀,c to a trade or pro f ession, and then donate the kits to trainees on c e they had c ompleted a training c ourse. In this w ay re c ipients c ould start earning money immediately, thus pro v iding f or their f amilies, paying f or c hildren’,s edu c ation, and c ontri b uting to lo c al c ommunity needs. Glyn’,s inspiration b e c ame reality w hen he c leared out his de c eased f ather’,s shed and started restoring the tools he f ound there. The Windermere group w as f ormed b y Ruth Ogden, a longstanding v olunteer at Southampton. Ruth and her hus b and, Ste v en, retired to the Lake Distri c t in 2010. Tragi c ally, her v ision f or the f uture w as shattered w hen Ste v en died unexpe c tedly. During her b erea v ement, Ruth stoi c ally thre w hersel f into a w orld o f purpose and esta b lished a Windermere b ran c h o f her old c harity. The to w n’,s United Re f ormed Chur c h generously pro v ided w orkshop spa c e and Ruth re c ruited f our enthusiasti c tool reno v ators: an engineer, a c ra f tsman joiner and t w o experien c ed handymen. 10 years on the group has become 昀,rmly esta b lished and has sent thousands o f re f ur b ished tools to A f ri c a and has raised o v er £,20,000 to help f und training and transportation o f tools a b road. At the Windermere w orkshops, ea c h tool is re f ur b ished as c losely to the original maker’,s speci昀,cation as possible, in terms o f b oth f un c tionality and appearan c e. The repaired items are rigorously c he c ked f or quality b e f ore b eing prote c ted, w rapped and pa c ked f or shipment. Donated tools that are not suita b le f or A f ri c a are also re f ur b ished b ut are sold at au c tions or at c ar b oot sales to raise f unds f or shipping. A f ull c ontainer o f tools c an c ost up w ards o f £,3,000 to transport. Tools that are b eyond repair are sold as s c rap to metal re c laimers. We try to ensure that nothing is w asted, a minimum going to land昀,ll, and as many tools as possible gi v en a se c ond li f e. At present, T.F.S.R. has training partners in Ghana, Mala w i, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zam b ia. These organisations identi f y a training requirement and re c ruit trainers to c o v er a b road range o f skills: pra c ti c al, administrati v e, health and li f e skills. This edu c ation helps the trainees to make the most o f their potential. We normally asso c iate ‘,tools’, w ith engineers, c arpenters, plum b ers, ele c tri c ians, w elders, ele c tri c ians and me c hani c s, ho w e v er an important part o f the group’,s w ork in v ol v es c olle c ting and sending o昀, sewing machines, fabrics and other ha b erdashery items, gi v ing w omen and men the opportunity to b e c ome skilled in making and repairing c lothes. Sadly, re c ent go v ernment f oreign aid c uts pre v ented a shipment o f se w ing ma c hines to Ghana. The ma c hines w ere to support a proje c t in v ol v ed w ith the making o f reusa b le sanitary produ c ts, essential items w ithout w hi c h w omen remain trapped in ‘,period poverty,’, and are una b le to lea v e home, attend s c hool or w ork. During the Co v id pandemi c , the donation o f tools naturally dried up and the group urgently needs tools to re f ur b ish. There are 34 groups and 6 40 v olunteers a c ross the c ountry, most o f w hi c h are in a similar situation to ours. Any hand or po w er tools are a cc epta b le, w hether they b e f or engineers, me c hani c s, joiners, b la c ksmiths, tailors, seamstresses, b uilders, ele c tri c ians, et c . We c an also take some gardening tools w hi c h are re f ur b ished and sold to raise f unds. Your donation o f tools has a small b ut signi昀,cant impact on poverty and self- su

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September 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 13 Michael Ayela, trainee carpenter, Uganda. Roydah Nalungwe, seamstress working from home, Zambia. Sauda Mamatovu, seamstress, Uganda. Volunteer Ruth Ogden painting tools. Carpentry workshop, Uganda. Volunteer Bill Norris. The Independent Day School for Boys and Girls aged 3 - 18 AUSTIN FRIARS, ETTERBY SCAUR, CARLISLE, CUMBRIA, CA3 9PB I WW W.AUSTINFRIARS.CO.UK Call 01228 550760 or email admissions@aus琀,nfriars.co.uk for more details OPEN WEEK Tours available for Pre - School, Junior School, Senior School and VI Form places for September 2024 or earlier. 9th - 13th October 2023

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14 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + September 2023 Liberty Doyle of St Joseph’,s Ansdell has just received her Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award at Buckingham Palace. H i, my name is Liberty. I have completed the Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh awards. I recently went to Buckingham palace to celebrate my Gold award. It was lovely to see some of my friends there as well as His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh. There are f our main se c tions tor Do f E, the expedition, w hi c h gets longer e v ery a w ard, v olunteering, skills and physi c al. In the Gold a w ard another se c tion gets added on w here you must spend f our nights a w ay some w here w ith no one you really kno w . For that I de c ided I w ould join the Lan c aster Dio c ese in the pilgrimage to Lourdes in 2022. I did my Sil v er v olunteering in Chur c h. It w as during the pandemi c so I helped maintain the register and make sure e v eryone w as w earing a mask and maintaining a so c ial distan c e. I helped w ith the c olle c tion and ensured e v erything w as in pla c e a f ter Mass had ended. The Gold expedition w as v ery trying, my group spent 4 nights in the S c ottish Highlands, t w o o f those nights w ere w ithout a c ampsite. The w alks w ere really long and di

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September 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 15 OPEN EVENING Thursday 21 st September 2023 Head Teacher Address: 5pm and 6pm Apply Now for 2024 www.cardinalallen.co.uk Pupils are happy to attend this kind and welcoming school. Pupils achieve well. Ofsted &, Denominational Inspections An Outstanding Catholic School CARDINAL ALLEN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

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16 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + September 2023 T he Association Pro Terra Sancta and Friends of the Holy Land Association have recently signed an agreement to install water tanks or solar panels in the houses of families in need in the Bethlehem area. This agreement is part o f our year-long c ooperation b et w een the two organizations in the social and aid 昀,elds. This speci昀,c project, named the “,Water Emergency &, House Rehabilitation Project,”, aims to impro v e li v ing c onditions, promote sustaina b ility, and pro v ide c lean w ater to people in the Bethlehem area. We aim to help a minimum o f 40 households in phase 1 through this proje c t. Pro Terra Sancta &, Friends of the Holy Land Friends o f the Holy Land patrons in c lude the Ar c h b ishop o f Canter b ury Justin Wel b y, Ar c h b ishop o f Westminster Vin c ent Ni c hols, Ar c h b ishop o f Birmingham Bernard Longley and Dr Ro w an Williams. FHL operates an o

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