Sts Peter and Paul
We celebrate the joint Solemnity of these two great saints this weekend, Saint Peter the figurehead and source of unity and St Paul the great missionary who took the faith to the gentiles. According to church tradition both these great Apostles were martyred at separate times in Rome and the two great church basilicas are built over the sites where they were buried. Last year on this feast our Archbishop John Sherrington attended the Festival Celebrations at St Peters in Rome during which he received the Pallium from Pope Leo which is a collar given to all Archbishops by the Holy Father as a sign of their unity with him through the office bestowed on them. This year it is the turn of the recently appointed Archbishop of Westminster, Richard Moth to attend a similar ceremony. We pray for Pope Leo, the successor of St Peter and both Archbishops today.
It has felt this week that we have been slowly fenced in around Cathedral House and the entrance to the car park. We had been informed last week that, due to regular power cuts in this area, a new mains cable would need to be laid to replace the older failing cables that provide power to the Cathedral and nearby shops and areas of the University. Due to the hot weather all the work has been carried out through the night and each morning we were waking up to find that the trench had extended further around our properties making access more and more constrained. It is likely that this work will continue for another three weeks. Please take care this weekend driving in and out of the car park as there may be only single access along the driveway into the car park.
There will be an exhibition of Icons within the Cathedral from Tuesday which will be in place for the next two months. They are all icons of the Virgin Mary interpreted by Dian Kostov, a well known Bulgarian icon artist. The exhibition is entitled “Maternal Warmth” an artistic and spiritual event, which will include some large pieces and some that will be available for sale.
On Thursday evening at 7pm our Diocesan Education Service have their Annual Mass of thanksgiving for staff and governors at which there is particular reference to those who have given long service to catholic education and who due to retire at the end of term. Later in the week the Friends of the Cathedral have an exclusive Afternoon Tea Event on Saturday 4th July. It promises to be an enjoyable afternoon exploring the Crypt and discovering some of its secrets and fascinating stories of the past, which has proved to be a sell out event.
Next Sunday 5th July our Cathedral Choir will be joined by Liverpool Cathedral Choir for the 3pm afternoon service/ meditation at which they will jointly perform Herbert Howells choral piece ‘”Take him earth for Chasing” written for American Independence day following the assassination of President John Kennedy.
Monsignor Anthony O’Brien
Dean