Faith and Doubt
On the Sunday before Pentecost the East Door area of the Cathedral was damaged by fire. Remarkably, through detective work and the use of CCTV around the shops and the Cathedral vicinity, a lady has been arrested and has admitted to the crime and been charged with arson. The support from the police and the fire service on the day and onwards has been exceptional. Apparently, it was a doctor who was either going to or coming from the hospital who spotted the fire just after 6am and rang the emergency services. Our grateful thanks to him for his prompt actions. Thankfully it was discovered in the initial stages otherwise the damage could have been significantly worse. As it is we will need extensive repairs to the doors and frame and to the stonework and inner East Porch. These repairs could take some time and in the meantime we are left with another area of the Cathedral cordoned off along with the area surrounding the organ. Apologies that the Cathedral is cluttered and cordoned off in certain sections at present.
Following Pentecost Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity this weekend. It is a time of reflection on the wonderful mystery of God and the creative, life giving, relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who are distinctive in nature, yet truly one.
I enclose a quote from Pope Francis’ Encyclical ‘Laudato Si’
“The Father is the ultimate source of everything, the loving and self-communicating foundation of all that exists. The Son, his reflection, through whom all things were created, united himself to this earth when he was formed in the womb of Mary. The Spirit, infinite bond of love, is intimately present at the very heart of the universe, inspiring and bringing new pathways. The world was created by the three Persons acting as a single divine principle, but each of them performed this common work in accordance with his own personal property. Consequently when we contemplate with wonder the universe in all its grandeur and beauty, we must praise the whole Trinity.”
During this coming week sections of the Crypt will be closed for St Edward’s College exams. On Wednesday the Diocesan Schools Good Shepherd Mass will be celebrated at the Cathedral at 1pm. Archbishop Malcolm will be celebrating this Mass to thank the Schools for their charitable fund raising throughout the year in support of Nugent. We have a number of our Diocesan seminarians training for the priesthood at Oscott College in Birmingham. Next Saturday we will welcome them and the whole College who will be coming on a visit and tour of our Cathedral, finishing with Evening Prayer in the Crypt Chapel.
Faith and Doubt
Doubt sees the obstacles, Faith sees the way;
Doubt sees the blackest night, Faith sees the day;
Doubt dreads to take a step, faith soars on high;
Doubt questions, ’Who believes?’ Faith answers ‘I’!
Canon Anthony O’Brien
Cathedral Dean
