Confirmation Revisited - Blessed John Henry Newman and St Mary & St James

When Pope Benedict XVI visited England one of the highlights of his visit was the recognition of John Henry Newman as Blessed.  

Canon Dunstan Cooper

When the church communities of St Mary's, St Patrick's and the Good Shepherd in Morecambe and Heysham became a single Parish, they took the name of Blessed John Henry Newman.  The group included 10 young people and 5 adults.
Canon Dunstan Cooper is parish priest for all three church communities, here he presents the confirmandi from his parish and a candidate from Parish of St Mary and St James, Scorton to Bishop Michael Campbell.

Blessed John Henry Newman Parish

St Mary and St James, Scorton

St Mary and St James, Scorton
Bishop Michael Campbell, Fr Anthonoy Keefe

Confirmations Revisited - St Bernadette's, SS Thomas and Elizabeth and St Peter's Cathedral

This year there were confirmandi from five parishes in the Lancaster Deanery.  Over the coming days we post photos of each parish group.

Fr Peter Foulkes

Parish of St Bernadette, Ss Thomas and Elizabeth, Thurnham and St Peter's Lancaster.

Fr Peter Foulkes, Parish priest of St Bernadette's presented the candidates to Bishop Michael.  

Confirmandi St Bernadette's, Ss Thomas and Elizabeth, Thurnham, St Peter's Cathedral
Bishop Michael Campbell and Fr Andrew Dawson, St Peter's Cathedral.

Celebration Mass

On Wednesday, the Feast of st John the Baptist, the young people who received their first Holy Communion or Confirmation a few weeks ago gathered with their families and parishioners at St Thomas More for a celebration Mass and to receive their certificates. 

Holy Communion group 2015 after Celebration Mass at St Thomas More

Afterwards there was a shared party and chance to share memories of the day itself and the preparation sessions. 

A call to serve one another

As the end of Mass we are sent out with a mission, Jesus gave us the example of washing feet as a sign of love and service.  Below an image shared by one of the families of children following Jesus' example of washing feet.  Of course, most of the time we serve others by doing lots of other things.  At the end of Mass, Fr Steve asked families to think about ways they might serve the parish community, as servers, welcomes, helping with the offertory or with hospitality after Mass. 

Washing feet: A sign of love and service to others

Feast of Ss Thomas More and John Fisher

Window of St John Fisher and St Thomas More

Today we celebrate the Feast of St Thomas More and St John Fisher. 
St Thomas More is the patron of lawyers and politicians and ... can you find what else?

Do you know where these windows are?  
Which King is on the windows near these two saints?

In previous years we've held our celebration mass for the children who made their First Holy Communion on this feast day.  However, this year we will celebrate on Wednesday 24th June, the Feast of Nativity of John the Baptist.  All welcome to come and join the celebration mass when the the children who recently received their First Holy Communion will gather with their families for our celebration Mass.  Afterwards there will be a social gathering. Everyone is welcome to come and join the families at 6.30pm.

First Holy Communion

First Holy Communion Group 2015 with Fr Steve and Deacon Jim

Receiving our Lord for the first time is a very important day in many people's faith journey.  In Lancaster it is usually the second sacrament of initiation and is something the children with the help of their families and the parish catechists have been preparing for over the past months.
There will be a celebration Mass at St Thomas More's on Wednesday 24th June at 6.30pm when the children will receive their certificates - all our welcome to come and join us. 

Congratulations Fr Steve

Service Sheet with images of
his ordination

Fr Steve was joined by priests from around the Diocese and his friend Fr Philip McGovern who he met at seminary and who gave the homily in which he shared something of Fr Steve's life as a priest.  

Fr Steve Pearson

Some familiar faces on the altar as Fr Andrew Alman and Fr Stewart Keeley who both worked with Fr Steve when he was in St Bernadette's Bishpham and have both served like Fr Andrew Dawson as curates at the Cathedral.

Fr Andrew Dawson, Fr Andrew Alman and Fr Stewart Keeley

At the end of Mass Fr Steve thanked those present for coming to share the celebration with him and paid particular thanks to his mum and family who provided support for him and nurtured his vocation. After Mass there was was an opportunity for friends, family and parishioners from his previous parishes, as well as the Cathedral to continue the celebrations.

Congratulations Fr Steve

Fr Steve Pearson
ordained 9th June 1990

Today Fr Steve celebrates 25 years as a priest, all are welcome to join him as he celebrates Mass at 7.00pm at Lancaster Cathedral with refreshments in Social Centre afterwards.


To read more about Fr Steve's priestly journey read the welcome post when he arrived at the Cathedral 

WWW - Fr Steve Pearson

And look at his entry on the Joy of Priesthood featured on the Lancaster Vocations website.

Body of Christ ... Blood of Christ ... Amen

Sculpture of Last Supper where Jesus shared the Passover
meal with his friends and gave us the Eucharist.

Yesterday the children preparing for their first Holy Communion thought about how they would receive Holy Communion, on the tongue or in their hand, making a throne for Jesus.  They also practiced holding a chalice and saying aloud their Amen when the priest or Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communions says: 

The Body of Christ ... Amen

The Blood of Christ ... Amen

We also created a display to remind us that we are all part of the Body of Christ.

Now you are the Body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27 

Please pray for the children and families preparing to receive Jesus for the first time, and for ourselves that we may be renewed in our appreciation of this wonderful gift. 

Preparing for Holy Communion

Children showing their Monstrance

Today families gathered together as part of the parish sacramental programme My Lord and My God.  Parents helped their children to write prayers which will be created into prayer cards for them to say before and after Holy Communion.  Whilst parents went into church for adoration, the children talked about the Monstrance and created their own.

Children preparing their Monstrance

We then went into the Cloister to say a prayer to ask St Therese and the other saints of our parish to pray for us as we prepare to receive their First Holy Communion.  We also took time to have a photo and to follow St Therese's example of doing a small thing - by each picking up some weeds.

Picking up weeds - following St Therese's Little Way

Confirmation 2015

Confirmandi 2015

On 24th May, the feast of Pentecost parishes from the Lancaster Deanery gathered together to celebrate 46 young people and adults receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.  Over the coming days we'll be posting images and information for each parish.  Today a photo of priests the priests on the altar and then above a group photo of all the confirmandi after the wonderful celebration.

Priests from the Lancaster Deanery
wearing red for the Feast of Pentecost