In light of the developments concerning Coronavirus and COVID-19 I would like to reassure members of our community – staff, volunteers, parishioners and day-visitors – that we are committed to following measures set out by the government.
Over the coming weeks our priorities will be to:
• Protect our staff, volunteers and visitors against the spread of COVID-19.
• Offer support to those who are sick or bereaved, on reduced / lower income, or are isolated.
• Stay connected with members of our community who cannot attend Mass and Services in the usual way.
• Reassure our community that we are prepared and ready for the coming days and months.
We know the Cathedral plays a vital role in offering spiritual guidance and practical support to the whole of the community in times of uncertainty. Following a recent statement from the Church of England, we are awaiting guidance from the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales regarding public Masses and Services. At the time of writing the Cathedral remains open to visitors and daily liturgies continue, although we expect this to be reviewed in the coming days. We are urging as many people as possible to sign up to our email bulletins at https://liverpoolmetrocathedral.org.uk/sign-up/ and would also advise people check our website which will be updated regularly.
After due consideration we have decided to suspend all guided tours and educational visits, along with external and internal meetings until further notice.
We expect to see a temporary reduction in staff and volunteer numbers, as people are asked to self-isolate. We will monitor this and adapt day to day operations accordingly.
In the coming days and weeks I will consult with partner organisations, multi-faith leaders and local charities to identify ways in which we can assist and collaborate to ensure our wider community is supported.
We are looking at ways to bring elements of services to those who cannot attend and details will be announced in the next few days.
I would like to thank our staff, volunteers and wider community for their continued support and offer our prayers to those who are sick or self-isolating.
Canon Anthony O’Brien
Cathedral Dean
