2 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + December 2023 CONTACT US: The Catholic Voice of Lancaster is pub lished on the last S u nda y of the month p re v io u s to pub lication date. The Catholic Voice of Lancaster is pub lished by its o w ners. The Tr u stees of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lancaster, a registered charit y , (No. 234331), and is w holl y inde p endent of and se p arate from an y p re v io u s ne w s p a p er pub lished by or on b ehalf of the diocese. EDITOR: Ed w ina Gillett 01253 73 66 30 / 079 6 9 9 6 72 6 8 ed w inagillett@hotmail.co. u k ADVERTISING: Charlotte Ros b rooke / CathCom Ltd. 01440 730399 / 07932 248225 charlotter@cathcom.org www .cathcom.org DESIGN &, LAYOUT: Ro b Hotchkiss / Hot Creati v e 01253 730343 ro b athot-creati v e.co. u k www .hot-creati v e.co. u k PUBLISHED BY: CathCom Ltd. N2 Blois Meado w B u siness Centre, Blois Road, Stee p le Bumpstead, Haverhill, Su昀,olk CB9 7BN 020 7112 6 710 www .cathcom.org Articles to: v oicene w s@hotmail.co. u k Letters to: v oiceletters@hotmail.co. u k POSTAL ADDRESS: FAO Ed w ina Gillett 99 Commonside, Ansdell, L y tham St. Annes FY8 4DJ Please send articles for pub lication on CD or by email, s upp l y ing an y p hotos se p arate to the text (i.e. in j p eg format). Other w ise p lease t yp e do ub le s p acing or w rite v er y clearl y . Last date for co py is the LAST DAY of the month p rior to pub lication. Photogra p hs w ill b e ret u rned if y o u remem b er to pu t y o u r name and address on the b ack of each and enclose s u ita b le stam p ed and self- addressed p ackaging. Bi s ho p Arnold p rai s e s “,timely and prophetic words”, of Po p e Franci s in hi s exhortation on the global climate cri s i s L ead Bi s ho p for Environmental I ss ue s for the Bi s ho ps ’, Conference, Bi s ho p John Arnold, p rai s e s the Po p e’, s intervention a s ‘,timely’, and ‘,vital’, : “,I thoroughly welcome the timely and prophetic words of Pope Francis in Laudate Deum who once again implores the international community to alter the path of destruction down which we are heading. “,He reminds us that we should praise God for all His creatures and that our care for our common home is intimately connected with our care for each other. “,As Pope Francis explains, the decisions we make can have grave consequences, not only for those who are still living, but the generations to follow. We have a duty to take action to look after our planet. ‘,What is being asked of us is nothing other than a certain responsibility for the legacy we will leave behind, once we pass from this world‘, (LD18)”, In La u date De u m, the Po p e descri b es climate change leading to dro u ght, extreme w eather and glo b al high tem p erat u res as a “,silent disease that a昀,ects everyone”,. The Exhortation frequently de昀,nes the climate crisis as a ‘,global societal issue’, w here the im p act and conseq u ences are often felt by the w orld’,s p oorest p eo p le. La u date De u m arg u es that h u mans are a p art of nat u re, bu t that w e are c u rrentl y a bu sing this p osition, ex p loiting nat u ral reso u rces and minerals. Po p e Francis w rites: “,Humans must be recognised as part of nature.”, He adds: “,Let us stop thinking, then, of human beings as autonomous, omnipotent and limitless, and begin to think of ourselves di昀,erently, in a humbler but more fruitful way.”, Bisho p Arnold echoes these tho u ghts, arg u ing that the climate crisis gi v es h u manit y a good o pp ort u nit y to consider o u r relationshi p w ith the rest of creation. Bisho p Arnold sa y s: “,Clearly, the way we are currently living our lives is unsustainable. We need urgent political action, on a global scale, to address this crisis before it’,s too late. But it’,s also right that we ask ourselves certain questions. “,What is our relationship to God’,s creation? Is it a resource for us to make pro昀,ts from, or a precious gift that we are to protect? Are we stewards of the earth, or exploiters?”, Po p e Francis also foc u ses on international coo p eration, calling for a ne w glo b al frame w ork to esta b lish e昀,ective rules to safeguard the en v ironment and p romote h u man 昀,ourishing. He addresses the lack of

Read in full

Page 3

December 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 3 p rogress at the COP international climate conferences and looks ahead to COP28 in D ub ai. He u rges delegates to “,move beyond the mentality of appearing to be concerned”, and to ha v e the “,courage needed to produce substantial changes”, , for “,we barely have time to prevent even more damage.”, Bisho p Arnold also laments the lack of p rogress since the release of La u dato Si’, in 2015: “,The unfortunate thing is that eight years on, several COP meetings later, we really have not been achieving the targets that those meetings have agreed, and the damage is not being reduced. In fact, in some ways, it’,s increasing.”, The Po p e does recognise that “,every little bit helps”, and suggests that e昀,orts by ho u seholds to red u ce p oll u tion and w aste, and to cons u me res p onsi b l y , has created a “,new culture”, and is transformati v e. He w rites: “,Let us realise, then, that even though this does not immediately produce a notable e昀,ect from the quantitative standpoint, we are helping to bring about large processes of transformation rising from deep within society.”, Bisho p John Arnold agrees and sa y s w e can go f u rther: “,There’,s certainly more we can be doing. The 昀,rst point of focus is education. Parishes, schools, and Catholic organisations are, on the whole, committed to being good custodians but we need a more joined-up e昀,ort to make sure that we are doing our best to repair the damage we’,ve done. “,We’,ve got to press ahead and make sure that we are a voice –, a voice to our democratic nation that says we must change our policies and our life as a nation.”, CBCEW ‘,Praise God’, is the title of this letter. For when human beings claim to take God’,s place, they become their own worst enemies. Pope Francis Po p e Franci s ha s relea s ed hi s A p o s tolic Exhortation Laudate Deum, ‘,Praise God’, , to “,clarify and complete”, what he s tarted in 2015 with hi s Encyclical Letter Laudato S i’, on how we care for our common home. It wa s relea s ed at the end of the S ea s on of Creation on the Fea s t of S t Franci s of A ss i s i, 4 October. 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

Read in full

Page 4

4 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + December 2023 ca s tleriggmanor.com >,>, what’, s coming u p ? ca s tleriggmanor.com >,>, what’, s coming u p ? Advent &, Xma s Word S earch ad v ent b irth donke y gifts incarnation jose p h magi p eace sno w tree angel carols eliza b eth god jes u s jo y mar y she p herds sta b le v isitation b a by christmas ga b riel herod john lo v e nati v it y silentnight star I t’, s alway s fun at Ca s tlerigg when Autumn k ic ks in p ro p erly. We k now Autumn i s with u s becau s e everyone com p lain s that they are cold and we reali s e that we need to p ut the heating bac k on. Before all that though, we need to have our annual refre s her on how our ridiculou s ly com p licated heating s y s tem actually wor ks ! Luc k ily, we’,ve got it s orted now. Yes, the Lake District is v er y m u ch in A u t u mn mode no w . It’,s raining most da y s, the nights are dra w ing in, and there are some b ea u tif u l colo u rs to see. The Lakes are falling a little after b eing incredi b l y high and, amid all of this, o u r bu ilding is holding up q u ite nicel y and w e are still managing to take gro up s o u t to see the b ea u t y of w hat God has created aro u nd u s. Our Building Talking of the bu ilding, w e ha v e recentl y had a heck of a lot of w ork done. The So u th w all of Castlerigg (the bit that faces the road) has had a com p lete facelift and no w looks amazing. The w ork cre w are contin u ing ro u nd to the W est side of the bu ilding (the right as you look at our front door) and w ork w ill p ro b a b l y b e com p leted by the time y o u read this. W e’, v e got a fe w more major w orks p lanned for the site in the months ahead too! S chool s Fairl y recentl y , I w as asked w ho exactl y w e w ork w ith and w here the y all come from, so I tho u ght it might b e f u n to w rite something a b o u t it all. Basicall y , w e deal w ith p arishes, schools and a fe w other entities here and there s u ch as y o u th gro up s and ne w mo v ements. Last y ear –, academic y ear 2022/23 –, w e ran retreats at Castlerigg w ith 44 schools. As of Octo b er, w e alread y ha v e 45 b ooked in for this y ear, w ith more to come no do ub t (summer bookings don’,t all land just yet!) . So w here are those 45 schools from? Good q u estion…, Eighteen of the schools w e’, v e got b ooked in are from o u r o w n Diocese of Lancaster. W e’, v e seen a h u ge increase in b ookings from o u r o w n diocese this y ear, p artic u larl y from Primar y schools. The other t w ent y -se v en schools are from b e y ond o u r diocese. Thirteen of those come from the wider Northwest, 昀,ve from Yorkshire, and three from the midlands. If y o u ’,re co u nting as w e go, y o u ’,ll p ro b a b l y realise that lea v es six schools. One of those is from o u tside the Catholic sector –, a ne w v ent u re for u s w hich w e’,re q u ite excited by ! –, and the other six are from Scotland, w here w e seem to b e gro w ing in p o pu larit y at an alarming rate. T w o y ears ago, w e onl y had t w o schools from Scotland. Now we have 昀,ve, with more enq u iring all the time!! For me as the Director, this is a ha ppy p ict u re. W e are w orking w ith more schools than w e ha v e in a v er y long time and o u r calendar is starting to get v er y f u ll! Catholic S tudent Retreat By the time you read this, the 昀,rst Catholic St u dents Retreat at Castlerigg w ill ha v e taken p lace. W e alread y ha v e some p eo p le signed up and w e’,re ex p ecting more. Ex p ect a f u ll re p ort. If it’,s a s u ccess, ex p ect it to ha pp en again too. Follo w o u r socials for more details. Advent Retreat –, December 8-10 W e ha v e changed o u r general o p en retreats slightl y this y ear (by which we mean the retreats that aren’,t targeted at a speci昀,c group like students or altar servers) in a fe w ke y w a y s. The y are no w o p en to an y one in Year 7 or a b o v e. And, there are going to b e three of them. The 昀,rst general open retreat is the Ad v ent retreat and it’,s o p en to an y one in Year 7 or a b o v e, up to age 25. That means that an y one w ho is interested in dee p ening their faith can come. Yo u don’,t ha v e to go to a Catholic school, y o u don’,t ha v e to ha v e b een to Castlerigg b efore, and y o u don’,t need to li v e in the diocese. The Ad v ent retreat is a chance to make some ne w friends, ha v e some f u n, and jo u rne y together thro u gh Ad v ent. The cost for the Ad v ent Retreat is £, 6 5, bu t w e don’,t w ant that to pu t an yb od y o昀,. If you want to come but can’,t a昀,ord it, p lease get in to u ch. There is more information on the w e b site. Altar S erver s Retreat –, January 12-13 Back by p o pu lar demand, o u r ann u al retreat for Altar Ser v ers is ha pp ening this Jan u ar y . It’,s a one-night retreat, ending on Sat u rda y so that attendees can b e b ack in their p arishes, and on the altar, for S u nda y Mass! The retreat is o p en to ser v ers in Year 5 or a b o v e and costs j u st £,35 pp . As a b o v e, w e don’,t w ant the cost to b e p rohi b iti v e, so get in to u ch if y o u can’,t q u ite stretch to that. Ea s ter Retreat –, March 28-31 The Easter Retreat is o u r oldest o p en retreat at Castlerigg and literall y tho u sands of p eo p le ha v e taken p art o v er the y ears. The retreat starts on Hol y Th u rsda y and those taking p art jo u rne y together thro u gh the ke y lit u rgies of the Trid uu m to Easter S u nda y . Yes, there is a lot of p ra y ing in v ol v ed, bu t it’,s not j u st a b o u t time in the Cha p el, im p ortant and a w esome tho u gh that ma y b e! There are socials, talks, tri p s o u t and a fe w other things b esides. Like the Ad v ent Retreat, it’,s no w o p en to an y one in Year 7 or a b o v e w hether y o u ’,re from the diocese, or y o u ’, v e b een to Castlerigg b efore, or not. Bookings w ill o p en in the ne w y ear. Check o u r w e b site and socials for more details. S ummer Retreat –, May 24-26 The S u mmer Retreat is the ne w kid on the b lock. O u r ne w est general o p en retreat w ill ho p ef u ll y com p lement the Ad v ent and Easter Retreats by gi v ing p eo p le w ho ha v e b een to Castlerigg a chance to come b ack and take the ex p erience that little b it dee p er. Like those retreats tho u gh, it’,s not restricted to those w ho ha v e b een b efore. It’,s in Ma y , and b ookings w ill likel y o p en in the S p ring. MATTER S YO U TH

Read in full

Page 5

December 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 5 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

Read in full

Page 6

6 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + December 2023 Ho p e in Health Rest for your Souls 8th-10th December 2023 “,Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will 昀,nd rest for your souls. For my yo ke is easy, and my burden is light.”, - Matthew 11 28-30 Is caring for others part of your daily routine? Maybe you are a healthcare professional, social worker, or teacher? Maybe you care for a sick member of the family or friend? Maybe you just spend a lot of your time supporting others in need? If this is y o u then y o u ma y w ish to consider taking some b reathing s p ace for y o u rself. Think a b o u t it, a time to rest, re昀,ect, pray and enjoy the company of others, in the b ea u tif u l G u est Ho u se at Boar b ank Hall in C u m b ria. S p eakers: Sr Margaret Atkins, an A u g u stinian Sister and Fr Richard Ta y lor of Boar b ank Hall. Cost: £,80 p er night f u ll b oard, p l u s v ol u ntar y donation for the co u rse. Bookings and f u rther information: Email margaret@boarbankhall.org.uk For more a b o u t Boar b ank, see www.boarbankhall.org.uk Thinking Faith - Time Out for Working Catholics 2023-2024 W e are a gro up of p rofessional Catholics w ho meet together on zoom and li v e retreats hosted by Sr Margaret Atkins and Fr Richard Finn, a Dominican at Blackfriars, Oxford (and at times other Dominicans) . O u r Thinking Faith s u mmer w eeks b egan for Catholic st u dents and y o u ng p rofessionals nearl y 20 y ears ago. The y ha v e gro w n and de v elo p ed into something that p ro v ides for that ‘,post- youth’, gro up w ho are tr y ing to li v e o u t their Catholic faith in res p onsi b le p ositions at w ork and also p erha p s in their families. At the same time, a reg u lar core of p artici p ants has de v elo p ed, w ho meet at Boar b ank for the residential s u mmer w eek and kee p in to u ch w ith zoom retreats in b et w een. Boar b ank w arml y w elcomes an y one w ho might enjo y either the zoom or the residential w eek to get in to u ch. Yo u can j u st di p y o u r toe in by joining either the Ad v ent or Lent retreat. If y o u are looking for friendl y , f u n bu t also serio u s and tho u ghtf u l s upp ort from fello w -Catholics in li v ing o u t y o u r faith in dail y life, this co u ld b e for y o u . And y o u might get a w eek’,s b reak in C u m b ria into the b argain! For more information, contact Sr Margaret on margaret@boarbankhall.org.uk or v isit o u r w e b site www.boarbankhall.org.uk This y ear’,s p rogramme: Advent Zoom Retreat: 15-17 Decem b er 2023 E v ening sessions onl y - Comfort and Jo y Lent Zoom Retreat: 8-10 March 2024 E v ening sessions onl y - Fasting and Feasting S ummer Re s idential: 27th J u l y - 3rd A u g u st 2024 s u mmer residential - What Catholics Really Believe . A w eek of p ra y er, st u d y , con v ersation, w alks and f u n, ex p loring the b asics of Catholic faith w ith the hel p of b ooks by G.K. Chesterton and Fr Richard Conrad OP. OPEN OPEN DAYS DAYS APPLY FOR APPLY FOR SEPTEMBER NOW! SEPTEMBER NOW! CARDINALNEWMAN.AC.UK SATURDAY 3RD FEBRUARY 2024 10AM - 1PM

Read in full

Page 7

December 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 7 Your Letter s S end u s your letter s : Write to: The Editor, 99 , Common s ide, An s dell, Lytham S t. Anne s , FY8 4DJ. Email to: voiceletter s athotmail.co.u k •, Please kee p y o u r letters concise (max 300 words) •, Incl u de y o u r f u ll name and address •, Letters sho u ld not incl u de an y p ersonal criticism or attacks •, 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 w rite in p raise of the three p riests at St W al bu rge’,s in Preston. I ha v e b een attending the ch u rch for a b o u t se v en y ears d u ring w hich time these three men ha v e created a v i b rant comm u nit y and ha v e b een there for m y self at great times of jo y and sadness. The y tr u l y w alk in the footste p s of Christ. Yours in prayer, Carl Balshaw, Cottam Editorial photo credit: Dave0 / Shutterstock.com We would like to thank these schools for always supporting the paper St Vincent’,s Road, Preston PR2 8QY Telephone 01772 716912 Email admin@ccc.lancs.sch.uk www.ccc.lancs.sch.uk Together in One Body CORPUS CHRISTI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL Headteacher: Mr John Hankin Cardinal Allen Catholic High School Melbourne Avenue, Fleetwood FY7 8AY Headteacher : Andrew Cafferkey Tel : 01253 872659 E-mail : head@cardinalallen.co.uk Our Lady’,s Catholic High School St Anthony’,s Drive, Fulwood, Preston, Lancashire PR2 3SQ Headteacher: Mr Charnock Tel: 01772 326900 Email: admin@olchs.lancs.sch.uk Web: http://www.olchs.lancs.sch.uk Teacher Training with the Catholic Teaching Alliance The Catholic Teaching Alliance (CTA) is a partnership between 70 Catholic primary and secondary schools, and a post-16 college, led by Our Lady`s Catholic High School with a shared vision and commitment to providing PGCE with QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) courses in partnership with the University of Cumbria. Contact: 01772 326931 Email: CTAschooldirect@olchs.lancs.sch.uk Website: www.catholic-teaching-alliance.org

Read in full

Page 8

8 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + December 2023 I n 2024 we will be brea k ing with tradition, de p arting on a Tue s day from Liver p ool John Lennon Air p ort. We are ho p eful that the new travel date will be more a pp ealing to teacher s and young p eo p le. O u r tra v el agent is Joe W alsh To u rs w e b site:- www.joewalshtours.co.uk/ pilgrimages or call Free p hone: 0808 18904 6 8 and the y w ill b e ha ppy to ans w er an y q u estions. The Catholic Voice w ill carr y f u ller details in the Fe b r u ar y edition, mean w hile get the dates in y o u r diar y and join u s on p ilgrimage in 2024. O u r care for the sick p ilgrims is p aramo u nt and reliant on v ol u nteers. W e therefore at this earl y j u nct u re a pp eal for n u rses and carers across the diocese to consider joining u s. Nikki W isdom at: chiefnurse@lancasterlourdes.co.uk and Sean McMahon at: chiefbrancardier@ lancasterlourdes.co.uk (for males over the age of 23) w o u ld b e delighted to hear from y o u . Linda Wisdom, Director of Operations T he Broughton Catholic Charitable S ociety and the Fylde Branch of the U nite U nion enabled the re s idential wee k -end for the Im p act Youth Grou ps at Ca s tlerigg Manor. Aisling an Ed u cation W orker from PAX CHRISTI w as in attendance and Fr. Mark Assistant National Cha p lain to YC W / IMPACT in England and W ales attended as Cha p lain. The y w ere s upp orted by the Sisters of St Jose p h of Peace Nottingham &, Da v id a J u stice W orker w ith the Sisters. Terr y Mattinson said “,the theme of the week-end was ‘,Being Yourself’, and all the workshops were youth led, giving our young people the real opportunity of being themselves and having a real voice, which is important for our Church and for our young people, as Pope Francis once said ‘,’, Stir it up, adults really listen to the voices of our young people’,’,. The y o u ng p eo p le w ere dra w n from St Bede’,s High School in L y tham and O u r Lad y ’,s High School, Preston. Edie and Amelia ran a w orksho p on ‘,Body Image’,, A v a and Izz y a w orksho p on ‘,Dreams and Aspirations’, and Moll y led one on ‘,Being Ourselves’, . The w eekend incl u ded Mass, a b oat tri p on Der w ent W ater as w ell as e v ening prayer and re昀,ection in the Chapel. Being Your s elf “,It was a fun weekend making new friends”, “,My con昀,dence has had a boost”, “,Refection time was important to remember our friends and families”, “,Time to be yourself”, Come with u s to Lourde s in 2024 Save the dates 23rd to the 30th July “, Go tell the priests to build a chapel here and that people should come in procession ”, Mary Mother of God to Bernadette Soubirous on 2 March 1858

Read in full

Page 9

December 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 9 Homily p reached by Canon Chri s Loughran at the Requiem Ma ss for Fr Jo s e p h O’,Connor on Friday 3 November. J ohn, let me begin my few word s by s aying to you how s orry I am that we have to be here today. Fr Joe’, s death in many way s wa s a great ble ss ing and a merciful relea s e, but non-the-le ss it leave s a hole, an em p tine ss . S o, we o昀,er you and all the family our love, s ym p athy and s u pp ort at thi s time. No e u log y , no p aneg y ric –, Fr Joe, a b sol u tel y and u tterl y demanded this. Preach on the W ord, that w as his w ish. And that is w h y w e ha v e gi v en y o u a b rief b iogra p h y of him in the F u neral Booklet. Besides, y o u all ha v e y o u r stories to tell a b o u t Fr Joe, and the rece p tion after his bu rial is a good p lace to do that. Brothers and sisters, at the v er y centre of o u r Faith there is a death, the death of Jes u s Christ. Not all the Gos p els record his b irth, bu t none of them omit his death. His death is a b sol u tel y central. E v er y thing that Jes u s Christ said and did: e v er y sick p erson restored, e v er y sin forgi v en, e v er y teaching deli v ered, e v er y miracle p erformed w ere leading inextrica b l y to his death. His death w as the central act of his life, Fr Jo s e p h O’,Connor RIP his death w as the reason that he came to earth, his death w as the p rice p aid for o u r sins, his death cr u shed eternal death and u shered in eternal life. That w as the p aramo u nt gift that Christ w anted to b esto w : eternal life. Yo u heard it in the Gos p el, almost w ith his d y ing b reath he ga v e eternal life to the re p entant thief. That thief w ho at the 11th ho u r ‘,stole’, into hea v en. Christ fore v er coaxing p eo p le into life. Yo u kno w , it is said that his head, in the re p ose of death w as facing the thief w ho did not re p ent. E v en in death w illing the u nre p entant into his kingdom. For Jes u s Christ the cross w as an u na v oida b le necessit y , w itho u t the cross there co u ld b e no res u rrection, no ne w life, no chance of hea v en. B u t Jes u s Christ is in fact risen from the dead, the 昀,rst fruits of all who have fallen aslee p . This is the central tenet of o u r faith, and it is a b elief that Fr Joe acce p ted and li v ed. He acce p ted the cross, the p ain and su昀,erings in his life, he united those su昀,erings to those of Jesus Christ. And therefore, united with him in su昀,ering he w ill b e u nited w ith him in Res u rrection. Thro u gh the cross to the cro w n. Per crucem ad coronam. Fr Joe had man y ‘,attempts’, at b ecoming a p riest. Earl y on he w ent to the j u nior seminar y , bu t that did not w ork for him. After w ards there w as a time at Usha w . Later still, after gaining his degree he w ent to the seminar y of S. S u l p ice in Paris bu t again, he and the time w ere not read y . It w as onl y after hearing the ker y gma p reached at a catechesis of the Neocatech u menal W a y , (NCW) , and entering into that ‘,Way’, that Fr Joe co u ld set his face for Rome and st u dies at the Ponti昀,cal Beda College where I met him in 1981. It w as that ker y gma, that ne w s of the lo v e of God e v idenced in the death and res u rrection of Jes u s that made p ossi b le Fr Joe’,s entr y into the p riesthood. That is w h y after la b o u ring in the v ine y ard of this diocese and on reaching retirement age, he ser v ed the NC W v irt u all y up to his death p roclaiming the good ne w s of God’,s lo v e made manifest in Christ Jes u s, o u r Lord. Bringing life and refreshment to ‘,dry bones,’, as it said in the second reading. Joe w as p lag u ed by all sorts of trials bu t onl y to p ro v e his faith like gold. For, in the w ords of St Pa u l again, he b elie v ed and w as s u re of the end to w hich his faith looked for w ard, that is, the sal v ation of his so u l. Toda y w e gi v e b ack to God his great gift to u s of Fr Joe: y o u r b rother, y o u r relati v e, y o u r friend, y o u r p riest. A p recio u s gift: and if this is the gift, oh w hat m u st the gi v er b e like? Eternal rest give unto Fr Joe O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him, may he rest in peace, Amen. The Mater Christi Trust wishes all staff and students a happy Christmas We are very pleased that our family of schools is growing. Our Trust is now 13 schools, 11 Primaries and 2 Secondaries across North Lancashire and Cumbria. Tel: 01228 210903 Email: jacky.kennedy@mater-christi.com Chief Executive Officer : Miss Jacky Kennedy

Read in full

Page 10

10 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + December 2023 A fter a ga p of over 40 year s , S t Catherine’, s , Penrith once again have a functioning bell in their belfry. S ince arriving 5 year s ago, p ari s h p rie s t Fr John Win s tanley had a wi s h to re p air the bell to allow the church to p roclaim it s p re s ence in the town after s uch a long brea k and thi s wa s made p o ss ible than ks to a legacy from p ari s hioner, Patricia Bille. The p roject started in 2019, w ith the p arish Practical Management Group taking on the responsibility of 昀,nding out w hat w as needed by commissioning a re p ort and o b taining estimates. The y q u ickl y fo u nd o u t the costs w ere m u ch higher than antici p ated and it w as onl y after the legac y w as recei v ed that the y co u ld go ahead. These f u nds allo w ed St Catherine’,s to u se internationall y reno w ned, Ta y lor Bells from Lo u gh b oro u gh Bell being hoisted into the tower. Church bell rein s tated than ks to a legacy to repair the bell and use stainless steel 昀,xings to ensure the bell has a long life w ith minim u m maintenance. Ta y lor’,s u sed the ser v ices of v ol u nteer Ron East w ho is the Bells Ad v iser for the Anglican Diocese of Carlisle, a good exam p le of p artnershi p by the Ch u rches Together in C u m b ria. Pa u l Har p er w as the p roject manager for the p arish, p icking up a ne w skill in the p rocess, that of a cam p anologist! The b ell w as b lessed by Fr John on 17 Se p tem b er and is no w in u se at all ser v ices. After his p ra y ers w ere ans w ered, Fr. John sa y s, ‘,I am delighted that the bell can be used again to call people to prayer and give glory to God. It is great we can ring our bell once again in good company with our friends at neighbouring Christ Church on Drovers Lane and St. Andrew’,s whose bells are a welcome sound across our town.’, Paul Harper Bell installed 4 hours later. Blessing by Fr John Winstanley. Paul Harper tolling the bell for the 昀,rst time. Boarbank Hall Contact: Sr Marian Boarbank Hall, Grange over Sands, Cumbria, LA11 7NH Telephone: 015395 32288 Website: www.boarbankhall.org.uk Canonesses of St Augustine of the Mercy of Jesus “,She who accepts the common life possesses God”, St Augustine A Warm Welcome to Everyone Prayer •, Community •, Hospitality •, Care of the poor and sick SELF STORAGE Secure Units Available Sizes To Suit All Needs Competitive Rates Open 7 Days Curly Tail Storage Park Lane, Forton PR3 0JX Tel: 01524 791837 E: andrew@curlytailstorage .co.uk www.curlytailstorage.co.uk Our advertisers are great supporters of the Lancaster Voice, so please help them by supporting their businesses Our Lady of Fidelity The church needs religious sisters URGENTLY to bring Christ to others by a life of prayer and service lived in the community of Ignation spirituality. Daily Mass is the centre of community life. By wearing the religious habit we are witnesses of the consecrated way of life. If you are willing to risk a little love and would like to find out how, contact Sister Bernadette Mature vocations considered. CONVENT OF OUR LADY OF FIDELITY 1 Our Lady`s Close, Upper Norwood, London SE19 3FA Telephone 07760 297001 090699502 OUR WORLD IS ON A COURSE That madly resists the good and true, Bent on obliterating God, Whose grace is ever present.

Read in full

Page 11

December 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 11 F r. John Dob s on wa s born in Barton, near Pre s ton in January 1 9 30 and attended Bond s p rimary s chool, Gar s tang, Xaverian College, then on to Us haw from where he wa s ordained at the Engli s h Martyr s Pre s ton in July 1 9 56. He ser v ed as a p riest in man y Parishes in the diocese from Carlisle to Cla u ghton. He told me that w hen he w as j u st ordained, fo u rth c u rate at O u r Lad y ’,s Carlisle, He’,d v isited e v er y ho u se in his area by Christmas. He said “,They don’,t want to see me again,”, so he w ent and p la y ed golf. He w as a v er y good golfer. I met him once in the earl y ‘, 6 0s at Ro y al L y tham and St Annes, w here he’,d come to see the British O p en, and he said to me “,the di昀,erence between the way these professionals play, and ho w we play is like the di昀,erence between professional footballers and children in the school yard.”, It w as a realism and h u milit y w hich are characteristics of him. At 昀,rst as a young priest he was L anca s ter Dioce s an Faith &, Ju s tice Commi ss ion ho s ted an ecumenical ‘,Care of Creation’, day at S t Bernadette’, s RC church in Lanca s ter to mar k the end of the S ea s on of Creation. The theme of the event wa s ‘,Let Justice and Peace 昀,ow’, . Sp ea k er s included: •, Sr Margaret Atkins w ho did an amazing jo b of o u tlining La u dato Si in relation to Catholic Social Teaching •, Dr Ste p hen Garsed (Our Environmental Lead) w ho s p oke a b o u t the ‘,War on Nature’, w e are c u rrentl y ex p eriencing Fr John Dob s on 1 9 30-2024 RIP attracted by the st y lish things in life...for a w hile he o w ned and dro v e a Bentle y …,. bu t he gre w from b eing interested in the super昀,cial to a becoming a true p astor of so u ls. His gifts w ere p astoral, he w as h u m b le, a pp roacha b le, a good listener and tr u l y interested in p eo p le. His smile w as w elcoming. In more w a y s than one, w hile he w as a p astor at Carnforth, he b o u ght t w o shee p to kee p the grass u nder control! And he w as earthed in realit y , w ith his name inscri b ed on a tom b stone here, w ith a s p ace left for date of death! He retired to Catterall, St. W inifred’,s, then to McCa u le y Mo u nt Care Home, and w as gratef u l (as the diocese is) for the care he recei v ed there. Fr. John w as “,not a servant but a friend of Christ”, and as w e mo u rn his death, he w o u ld tell u s, in the w ords of the o p ening h y mn “,Fill your hearts with joy and gladness”,. May he rest in peace. Canon Aidan Turner Lanca s ter Dioce s e Care s for Creation! •, Dr Pa u l Kell y w ho ex p lained the conce p t of ‘,Living Simply so others can simply live’, •, John Pa u l De Q u a y from the Ecological Con v ersion Gro up w ho led an interacti v e ‘,Let u s Dream’, acti v it y to facilitate f u t u re p lanning w ithin o u r comm u nities. Man y thanks to all o u r w onderf u l s p eakers for making this da y s u ch a s u ccess, St Bernadette’,s Faith &, J u stice Gro up for all their s upp ort and to Canon H u gh Pollock w ho led u s in p ra y er, and did a fantastic jo b of facilitating the da y . Sue Grubric JILL GLENCROSS FUNERAL DIRECTORS An Independent Multi Award Winning Family Funeral Directors Female and Male Funeral Directors Private Chapels of Rest Nothing Is Ever Too Much Trouble 16 The Square, Dalston, Carlisle CA5 7PY Tel: 01228 317373 https://www.jillglencrossfuneral - director.co.uk/ To advertise please contact Charlotte on 01440 730399 or email charlotter@ cathcom.org Michael G Maddison Independent Funeral Director 57 –, 61 Newtown Road, Carlisle, Cumbria CA2 7JB Tel : 01228 317577 I offer a 24 hour 365 day a year Caring, Professional Service and have over 20 years experience Private Chapels of Rest and Memorials Pre Paid Funeral Plans Able to support you when needed Michael George Maddison holder of an Advanced Diploma in Funeral Directing email: mgm.funerals@outlook.com website: www. mgmfunerals.co.uk fb: Michael G Maddison Independent Funeral Director

Read in full

Page 12

12 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + December 2023 T here wa s a time when mi ss ion s were not only de rigeur in p ari s he s , but also renowned for their 昀,re and brim s tone me ss aging, de s igned to frighten the living daylight s out of p eo p le. Tho s e were the good old day s (so I’,m told) . But what would ha pp en if we could redi s cover the good thing s about tho s e mi ss ion s and re p ac k age them for our contem p orary world? For the p ast y ear and a half, Christ the Good She p herd p arish in W orkington has b een asking the Hol y S p irit to rene w o u r p arish. W e u sed the S y nod as a springboard to re昀,ect upon how our p arish is w orking or not w orking, looking at o u r strengths and w eaknesses, and tr y ing to u nderstand the o pp ort u nities and threats aro u nd u s. And then w e b egan to dream w hat w e w anted o u r p arish to look like. The p arish p riest set up a leadershi p team to w ork w ith him to esta b lish a v ision for the p arish, a p ict u re of the f u t u re that in v ited p assion. W e w anted a p arish w ith o p en doors, gro w ing and v i b rant w ith y o u ng families, centred aro u nd the E u charist, no longer li v ing for itself bu t reaching o u t to those b e y ond, a p arish that jo y f u ll y li v es o u t the Gos p el and ser v es o u r w ider comm u nit y , a p arish of missionar y disci p les. This v ision then b ecame the aim of o u r p arish mission w hich w e ran in Octo b er 2023. The mission took as it’,s theme, ‘,Rise Up and Walk’, (Acts 3:6) and it w as led by the Franciscan Friars of the Rene w al from Bradford. Our four schools re昀,ected up on the theme and p re p ared some fantastic art w ork and learnt a b o u t St Francis, his enco u nter w ith the Gos p el Ri s e Up and Wal k Mission in Workington and ho w it transformed his w hole life. All the p arish p ra y ed o u r mission p ra y er each da y in the months b efore and w e enlisted the p ra y ers of all the ho u se b o u nd p arishioners and v ario u s religio u s comm u nities to s u rro u nd the e v ent w ith grace. St Francis u sed to cr y thro u gho u t the streets of Assisi, “,Love is not loved”, , calling p eo p le to con v ersion. The Friars w ho v isited o u r p arish shared that message w ith u s too, b ringing u s all into a li v ing enco u nter w ith Christ, s p eaking of Jes u s’,s u nconditional lo v e for u s, His immeas u ra b le merc y and the gift of sal v ation. The p o w er of the W ord of God and the sacraments b roke into p eo p le’,s li v es, w ith one p artici p ant sa y ing that the y felt as if the y had b een b orn ane w , and another exclaiming that the y had j u st ex p erienced the most amazing s p irit u al s p a! The Friars v ent u red into all o u r schools, sharing their testimonies, talking a b o u t their life, their ser v ice of the p oor, and leading the y o u ng p eo p le in p ra y er. The w eek’,s e v ents concl u ded w ith a Voti v e Mass of the Hol y S p irit, follo w ed by a Meal of All Nations, w ith p arishioners from di昀,erent backgrounds and countries all b ringing some of their fa v o u rite foods to share. The la u ghter, jo y and sense of fello w shi p w ere a real sign of w hat has b een achie v ed o v er these da y s. As one p artici p ant said, the mission had ended, bu t no w the real mission b egins. W e p ra y that the seeds of this mission ma y no w ins p ire all of u s to Rise U p and W alk. Fr Philip Conner

Read in full

Page 13

December 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 13 T he Catholic Voice ha s p reviou s ly re p orted on the fundrai s ing activitie s of thi s Tru s t and have recently been s ent a re p ort from Fr Fabian in Rwanda. He write s : W hile reiterating o u r gratit u de for the ra p id assistance sent to hel p those a昀,ected by the 昀,oods, we would like to tell y o u ho w the aid w as shared. The disasters are immense. W a v es thro u gho u t the co u ntr y w ith more than 135 dead. And in N yu ndo w e mo u rn 13 p ersons deceased w ith man y ho u ses and schools destro y ed. O u r ‘,minor seminar y ’, hosting 400 y o u ng people was completely 昀,ooded. Rwanda Grou p Tru s t W ith y o u r hel p w e ha v e b een a b le to p ro v ide u niforms for the seminarians, men’,s, w omen’,s and children’,s clothing, blankets, beans, rice and corn昀,our. W e gi v e thanks to God for this s upp ort. W e gi v e thanks to God b eca u se all of o u r y o u ng seminarians s u r v i v ed bu t some ca u ght slee p ing lost their clothing. Yo u r hel p p ro v ided them w ith 50 u niforms. The Tr u st contin u e their f u ndraising w ith a Ta b le To p Sale in St. Anthon y ’,s Annexe, St. Anthon y ’,s Dri v e Preston on 9 Decem b er w here it costs £,10 to hire a ta b le. Website, Graphic &, Logo Design for Parishes &, Charities christiancreativedirectory.com/rob-hotchkiss

Read in full

Page 14

14 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + December 2023 “, The 昀,rst time I dressed up as Santa to go on board a ship and take gifts to the crew, I felt a bit embarrassed,”, admit s Deacon Peter Barrigan, S tella Mari s regional p ort cha p lain in Tee s , Hartle p ool and S eaham. “,But when I arrived in the mess room, singing Christmas songs as I went in, the crew were waiting like eager children. You should have seen the joy on their faces. They carefully put each parcel under their small tree and told me they’,d wait until Christmas morning to open them. Later that month, I had a ‘,thank you’, email from the captain.”, The p resents the seafarers recei v ed meant that someone had tho u ght a b o u t them, sa y s Peter. “,The gifts may have been simple things like toiletries, socks, woolly hats, chocolate or phone cards. But when you give to seafarers, it sends a powerful message: you’,re not alone, we care for you, God loves you. “,It’,s the same with Christmas cards. I met a captain one time who showed me a card he received last year. He’,d kept it all this time! When you show kindness towards seafarers at Christmas, it means everything to them.”, For most of u s, Christmas is seen as a time to relax w ith famil y and friends, bu t for man y seafarers it is bu siness as u s u al. The y are likel y to b e w orking on deck h u ndreds or tho u sands of miles o u t at sea, or u nloading or loading a v essel in a p ort some w here. Many of the items that 昀,ll the shelves of o u r sho p s o v er Christmas w ill ha v e Greg Watts and the Stella Maris team - 15/11/2023 Remembering tho s e s e p arated from family thi s Chri s tma s arri v ed here by sea, e v er y thing from the latest mo b ile p hones and Pla y Stations to clothes and fr u it. E v en on the largest container shi p s, s u ch as the MSC Irina, w hich is 400 metres long and can carr y 24,000 metal containers, a cre w might j u st consist of up to 25 seafarers. W orking on s u ch a h u ge shi p w ith so fe w other seafarers can b e a lonel y ex p erience and exha u sting w ork. The majorit y of seafarers are from co u ntries in the de v elo p ing w orld, s u ch as the Phili pp ines and India, and join a shi p to earn eno u gh mone y to s upp ort their famil y b ack home. Man y seafarers are Catholic. The maritime w orld still remains a largel y hidden one. W hile lots of u s are familiar w ith air p orts, w e kno w nothing a b o u t w hat goes on in a p ort. W e might kno w that Heathro w and Gat w ick are the UK’,s bu siest air p orts, bu t w e w o u ld str u ggle to name the bu siest UK p orts. Thro u gh small gest u res, Stella Maris p ort cha p lains and v ol u nteer shi p v isitors aro u nd the UK, w ill make Christmas s p ecial for seafarers. And the y u nderstand j u st ho w im p ortant these small gest u res are. If readers would like to 昀,nd out more a b o u t hel p ing a seafarer this Christmas, the w ork of Stella Maris and o pp ort u nities to v ol u nteer or donate to s upp ort it, go to www.stellamaris.org.uk Let u s also p ra y for seafarers and 昀,shers and their families at this s p ecial time of the y ear. Look around you: 90% of the things you use has been brought here by sea. It’,s extraordinary to think how much we depend on the shipping industry. But so often, men and women of the sea are forgotten. This Christmas, the port chaplains and ship visitors of Catholic charity Stella Maris will welcome many seafarers and ﬁ,shers in ports around the UK, bringing them gifts, and ensuring Mass is organised for them, where possible, at this special time. And it’,s all thanks to you. Your gift to Stella Maris helps us to share God’,s love with seafarers and ﬁ,shers and make their Christmas special. Please visit www.stellamaris.org.uk for more information about how you can light up Christmas for seafarers and ﬁ,shers. Please also keep them in prayer. Thank you, in advance, for any support you can kindly give. Light up Christmas for hundreds of seafarers and ﬁ,shers.

Read in full

Page 15

December 2023 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + 15 T he p re s entation of a s croll to acknowledge his 昀,fty years in the Catenian A ss ociation wa s done in an unconventional way recently. Normally the National Pre s ident would tal k about the reci p ient before handing over the s croll but in the ca s e of Pa s t Grand Pre s ident (PGP) Mi k e O’,Malley of Lytham S t Anne s (LSA) Circle the accolade s were given by hi s two fellow PGP s Tony Godden and David Rowley al s o of L S A Circle p rior to the p re s entation. H ere are two exam p le s of how the Catenian A ss ociation hel p other s . The A ss ociation ha s two charitie s , it s Bur s ary Fund for a ss i s ting young p eo p le and it s Benevolent Fund for a ss i s ting it s own member s and their familie s . A s well a s the s e each grou p (Circle) tend s to rai s e monie s for worthwhile cau s e s . Garstang Circle held a charit y concert by Pilling Sil v er Band at Garstang Co u ntr y Hotel and Golf Cl ub recentl y and raised £,1335.00 for MacMillan Cancer S upp ort. The p hotogra p h a b o v e, sho w s the Circle President Gerard Po w er p resenting a cheq u e to the local f u ndraising gro up in Preston to Doroth y Bonser, the treas u rer of the gro up . Standing on the right and w atching is Jill Armer their f u ndraising coordinator. Preston Circle made a B u rsar y A w ard p resentation to a former altar ser v er of St. Clare’,s, Isaac. The p resentation of the a w ard w as p erformed by the Tr u stee/ Secretar y of the F u nd, Terence Donnell y , w ho is also a mem b er of the Circle. Isaac had a pp lied for an a w ard from the F u nd to hel p his indi v id u al p roject in taking p art in a challenging and c u lt u ral p roject b et w een Ston y h u rst College and St. Ignati u s’, college in S y dne y , A u stralia Catenian Mi k e O’,Malley Celebration Mike joined the Oldham Circle w hilst a p ractising GP and took on v ario u s roles at a local and p ro v incial le v el b efore b eing elected to the go v erning b od y of the Association and u ltimatel y b ecame Grand President. In his retirement he and Anne-Marie mo v ed to St Peter’,s p arish, L y tham w here he again has taken on v ario u s roles and is c u rrentl y Pro v incial President. Mike’,s life has b een one of ser v ice to the Ch u rch, to Medicine and the Catenian Association com b ined w ith lo v e and s upp ort for his famil y . Catenian s Helping Others for a nine - month p eriod. This w ill in v ol v e teaching in the j u nior school on a f u ll-time b asis b oth in the academic and sporting activities o昀,ered by the college in S y dne y . Terence s u ggested to Isaac that w ith the hel p of his s upp orti v e p arents and the B u rsar y F u nd he w as b eing gi v en the o pp ort u nit y to go w here he w o u ldn’,t normall y b e a b le to go and to do w hat he w o u ldn’,t normall y do and in that way he would 昀,nd out what he was tr u l y ca p a b le of doing. E v er y one ga v e their b est w ishes to Isaac as he set o u t to car p e diem (seize the day) or in the w ords from Ston y h u rst Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam. The Catenian B u rsar y F u nd recei v es its donations from mone y raised by the mem b ers of the Association and it s upp orts y o u ng Catholics b et w een the ages of 1 6 and 25 w ho w ish to go on p ilgrimage to Lo u rdes or w ho w ish to hel p others, like Isaac, to make a di昀,erence in o u r w orld. Catenians meet monthl y to enjo y each other’,s com p an y and s upp ort one another thro u gh faith, friendshi p and famil y life. Visit thecatenians.com for more information or email Ro b ert Thom p son at candr.thompson@btinternet.com Bro Terence Donnelly. Isaac. Fr. Stephen She

Read in full

Page 16

16 + The Catholic Voice of Lancaster + December 2023 Church Supplies –, ser v i ng Sch oo ls , B usi n ess and Hom es Our advertisers are great supporters of the Lancaster Voice, so please help them by supporting their businesses To advertise please contact Charlotte on 01440 730399 or email charlotter@cathcom.org For ALL of your Parishioners For some of your Parishioners 100 copies: from £,12 (12p per copy) 200 copies: from £,23.20 (11.6p per copy) 300 copies: from £,32.80 (10.9p per copy) 50 copies: from £,9.60 (19.2p per copy) 10 copies: from £,7.20 (72p per copy) Individual Subscriptions Online Subscriptions 1 Online Copy via Email from £,2.40 per month Annual 1 Copy from £,3.20 per month Subscribe to All prices include delivery www.catholicpost.co.uk subscribe@catholicpost.co.uk 01440 730399 Christmas Mass Times Wishing all the Catholic Voice of Lancaster Readers a very Merry Christmas from all the Parishes, the Diocese and everyone at CathCom St. Joseph’,s Ansdell and St Peter’,s, Lytham Christmas Eve Sunday 24th December 6.00pm St Joseph`s - Children`s Mass of Christmas 8.00pm St Peter`s - Candlelit Mass of Christmas with Carols and Readings from 7.30pm Christmas Day Monday 25th December 9.15am St Joseph`s - Morning Mass of Christmas 10.30am St Peter`s - Morning Mass of Christmas St Annes-on-the-Sea Our Lady Star of the Sea Christmas Eve: 4.00pm Mass (Family Mass) 8.00 p.m. Christmas Day 9.30am Family Morning Mass of Christmas 11.00am Family Morning Mass of Christmas Preston The Parish of St. John XXIII Christmas Eve 4.00pm English Martyrs 6.00pm St Joseph Christmas Day at St. Joseph’,s Church Christmas morning Mass at 10am Preston, St Clare’,s Sunday 24th December 6pm: First Mass of Christmas 11:30pm: Carols &, Midnight Mass Monday 25th December The Nativity of the Lord Mass at 10am Tuesday 26th December St Stephen Mass at 10am (Mass for altar servers)

Read in full

Find your local Catholic Historical Church newspaper. Scroll to find yours.