Welcome to the Apostolic Nuncio
Today we extend a warm welcome to His Excellency Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendia, the Apostolic Nuncio to England, Wales and Scotland. Following three days of visits and meetings with people throughout the Archdiocese involved in catholic education, social care and pastoral ministry he will end his formal visit to the Diocese presiding at 11am Solemn Mass and Choral Evening Prayer at 3pm.
In September 1850 Pope Pius 1X appointed 13 Diocesan Bishops for England and Wales and restored the Catholic Hierarchy after an absence of almost three centuries following the Reformation. The Diocese of Liverpool at the time extended into Northern Lancashire and Cumbria covering a much greater geographical area than it does today, with the Diocese of Lancaster being formed from parts of Liverpool and Hexham and Newcastle in 1911. One of the first things the first Bishop of Liverpool, Bishop George Brown, wanted to establish was a Chapter of Canons, senior priests based across the new Diocese as a consultative body to assist him with the running of the Diocese. This week the Liverpool Chapter celebrate its 175th anniversary of foundation. Nowadays there are a considerable number of consultative bodies with lay expertise to advise the Archbishop and Diocesan Trustees regarding the running of the Diocese but the Chapter still has a number of functions perhaps most importantly to regularly gather in prayer at the Cathedral to pray for the Diocese. The 175th Anniversary will be celebrated at the Chapter Mass this Thursday at 12.15pm in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.
We celebrate our Annual Cathedral Community Mass on Sunday 20th September. With the start of the new academic term we take the opportunity to welcome everyone back after the holiday period and any new parishioners and students and renew our commitment to the various ministries of service within the Cathedral community.
Monsignor Anthony O’Brien
Cathedral Dean