World Communication Sunday

In his message Pope Francis said

 "A community is that much stronger if it is cohesive and supportive, if it is animated by feelings of trust, and pursues common objectives. The community as a network of solidarity requires mutual listening and dialogue, based on the responsible use of language. ... 

He also explained how he wants people to use social media as a network, not a web:  

“not something that traps you, but something that frees you and that you make an instrument of freedom.”"

Screen capture Diocese of Lancaster Twitter Feed

There are lots of ways we can learn more about our diocese and parish via social media. 

Bishop Paul has his blog in which he shares what he has been doing and news of our wider diocesan family and a twitter feed.

Our parish blog and Cathedral website provide news of what is happening within the parish family and for some the parish newsletter which can be taken and shared with neighbours or those who are unable to get to church.  

We also have our Lancaster Young People's Facebook page which is an open page with messages for younger readers, but often with things that are of interest to adults as well.

Parish shop, Parish CD and year planner

Year planner - helping to keep us warm 

A parishioner has used their IT and creative skills to create a year planner to raise funds the  Cathedral heating fund.  All proceeds will go towards the parish heating fund.  These will be available after Mass and in the shop.  

Ladies choir CD

We'll be featuring more about the production and details of the music in a future post. In the meantime something else for Christmas.  St Peter's Cathedral Ladies Choir CD 'Adoramus Te' on sale £5 after Mass and in the Parish shop.

Parish Shop in the Social Centre

Cribs and Christmas scenes

This may be the ideal time to pop in and get last minute Christmas cards, or gifts.  A wide selection of cards, crafts, books, crucifixes, candles, statues ... if you've not been in for a while why not pop in and get a copy of the year planner and CD from Ladies choir!

Bibles, books and devotional candles

Assorted gifts including children's books, Baptism presents 

Sacristan: Peter Jones

There are many individuals who respond in quiet and unassuming ways to Jesus' commandment to love God and to love and serve others.  Peter Jones who has been sacristan for the Cathedral in recent years was one such individual.  Peter died on Monday 19th November 2012. His funeral service is on Thursday at the 12.15 mass. As it wasn't possible to include this information in the bulletin please pass on these details.
Below we see Peter in the sacristy preparing before mass on the Feast of Pentecost, when Bishop Michael Campbell was visiting to confirm young people in the parish.  

Peter Jones: Sacristan at Lancaster Cathedral

Peter will no doubt be remembered for many things, and by many individuals - not least the altar servers, who will have seen him as a familiar face in the sacristy and the children's liturgy team who will miss him popping his head round the door to say with a smile "they're saying the Creed", which was a signal that they needed to finish their liturgy.  

Peter's example of service is one many of us have benefited from - we remember him and his family in our prayers at this time.
Eternal Rest, grant to him O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him, may he rest in peace Amen

Keeping in touch

New section: events in the coming week
To help keep in touch we've added a new section to the blog - which will list some of the events in the coming week. For further details see parish newsletter and individual posts on this blog.

Interested in receiving a daily alert
Want to have an alert when a new post is added to the blog then you can add your email see right column and when new information appears on the site you'll get an email - this is both a helpful reminder and allows you to see quickly if its something you want to read.




For a quick link to some of the recent objects use the links below. 

Week beginning	No.	Object
15th October 2012	1:	Catechism of the Catholic Church
22nd October 2012	2:	Documents of Vatican II
28th October 2012	3:	Bibles
5th November 2012	4:	Communion of saints

  

Friday Photos of Faith: Remembrance

Remembering the Dead

Book of the Dead

Poppies a sign of rememberance

Last Friday parishioners gathered to remember family and friends who had died in the past year.  On Sunday we will remember the  dead of the world wars.  
Remembering a parish pilgrimage
A trip down memory lane and a chance to remember the Parish pilgrimage to Rome and their visit to the Lateran Basillica 

Please let us know if you have some Friday Photos of Faith using our contact sheet.

Don't forget
Curious about talks on the altarpiece and English Cathedrals 
Saturday 10th November starting at 2.00 in St Walberge's Chapel, Balmoral Rd. Lancaster for further details 

The Apostles Creed
Monday 11^th November 2012:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth
For further details click here

Dedication of the Lateran Basillica

Friday 9th November

Tomorrow we celebrate the Dedication of the Lateran Basillica.  An inscription at the entrance of the Basilica tells us that it is the Sacred Lateran Church, "the mother and head of all the churches of the city and the world". 

Lateran Basillica, Rome: Note the statues of the Apostles on the roof

Curious about ...
Earlier this week in the Curious about series ... Canon Stephen Shield talked about the Medieval Counsels which included four Lateran Counsels.  Like other counsels, the Lateran Counsel responded to the needs of the Church at that time and helped to guide the people by making clear statements about what the Church believed.  

CCC 253  The Trinity is One. We do not confess three Gods, but one God in three persons, the "consubstantial Trinity". The divine persons do not share the one divinity among themselves but each of them is God whole and entire: "The Father is that which the Son is, the Son that which the Father is, the Father and the Son that which the Holy Spirit is, i.e. by nature one God." In the words of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), "Each of the persons is that supreme reality, viz., the divine substance, essence or nature."

For dates and full programme of the Curious about ... what happened before Vatican II click here  

If you aren't able to attend the talk tomorrow then why not follow the links and go on a virtual tour of  Westminster Cathedral

In the inscription at the Lateran Basillica you can see the Keys of St Peter, when you next visit the Cathedral, see how many keys you can find.

The Apostles Creed
Monday 11^th November 2012:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth
For further details click here

Day of Prayer for Year of Faith

11th October 2012: Programme for our Day of prayer 
People are welcome to come along to Lancaster Cathedral for any part of the day or just call in for quiet private visit to the Blessed Sacrament.
9:00am       The Angelus and Mass followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament; 
10:00am     The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary 
11:00am     The Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary 
12 Noon     The Angelus and Midday Prayer 
12:15pm     Mass 
2:00pm       The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary 
3:00pm       Meditation: The Passion and Death of Jesus 
5:00pm       The Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary 
6:00pm       The Angelus 
7:00pm       Sung Vespers, Sermon, Eucharistic Procession and Benediction. 
8:00pm       Meditation: Pentecost - The Birth of the Church 
9:00pm       Compline and Final Benediction 
Angelus
On our companion Year of Faith blog we provided a link and explanation to the Angelus which is a prayer said three times during the day.  If you are not able to join us at the Cathedral tomorrow then you may wish to pray the Angelus at 9.00, 12,00 or at 6.00pm.  The video below is a version sung in Latin the universal language of the church.  It has subtitles in English to follow.  For an English version and explanation click here.

Compline (Night Prayer) For a link to video of Compline (night prayer) to end the day and for further information about the Year of Faith see our year of Faith blog click here

John Millar's Ordination

John Millar on the eve
of his ordination as Deacon

Saturday 22nd September 

at 11.00am

at Lancaster Cathedral

All welcome

Please pray for John as he prepares for his ordination and for his family who have supported him in his journey of faith and enabled him to respond to God's call to be a priest.

Matt Talbot - Talk Tuesday 11th September

Prayer card for the Venerable Matt Talbott

On Tuesday 11th September 

at St Walburghe's Day Chapel, 

Balmoral Road, at 7.30pm 

Fr Brian Lawless, will share more about the life of the Venerable Matt Talbot, his devotion to the Eucharist and to Mary, which gave him the grace and support he needed to give up drinking. He will also show relics (objects) that belonged to Matt Talbot. 


For more information about the life of the Venerable Matt Talbot, click here, to see the website and for some videos about his life click here 
Matt Talbot 
Over the weekend, Fr Brian Lawless, talked about the life of the Venerable Matt Talbot. In his life he faced great poverty, he hardly went to school and from an early age developed a drink problem and became an alcoholic. When he was 28 years old, he made a pledge to give up drinking.  He spent the rest of his life going to daily Mass, helping the poor and had a great devotion to Mary.  After his death in 1925, people suffering from addiction and their families prayed to him as a patron (supporter) of those with addictions, especially alcohol.  In 1996 an Apostolate (a group of people called to support the work of the Church) was formed to pray for the Venerable Matt Talbot to be canonised and become recognised as a Saint.  

Sister Zela on the web

On Tuesday 24th July, Sister Zela launched a new blog ursuline-religious-life designed to help women to learn more about the Ursulines, St Angela, the Company of St Ursula and the Angelinas.  It is hoped that the blog will offer encouragement for women who are seeking God's will.  Click here 

Sr Zela's new blog - ursuline-religious-life

The blog will complement her facebook page on Ursuline Spirituality click here We have added a link to Sr Zela's blog (see right) and will from time to time feature posts.  
For other news of vocations, click here for the Lancaster Diocesan Vocations blog developed by Fr Andrew Allman, Vocations Director who developed the first blog for the Cathedral back in 2007.

Jellies - Memories of First Holy Communion

Over the coming week we will hear from a range of different parishioners who share some of their memories of the First Holy Communion day. As we hear about others memories it may be a time to pull out those old photographs and remember the day and the people who helped each of us on our faith journey to prepare to receive our First Holy Communion.  It is also a time to remember those families and children preparing this week.  

Jellies for breakfast 

Miss Goddard

Miss Goddard shared how one of the things she remembers about her First Holy Communion day was the nuns at her school preparing Communion breakfast which included jelly! 
This may seem strange thing to have for breakfast but until recently it was customary to have a special Holy Communion breakfast, after mass.  The menu was often party food, no doubt a way of continuing the celebration. 
Younger readers may ask - why Miss Goddard didn't have breakfast till after Mass?  It was not because she got up late!  The answer, is simple, it was because until quite recently the fast before communion started at midnight (see later this week for fasting before Communion).  Today we are only asked to fast for one hour before we receive Holy Communion. This is one of the ways we can prepare to receive Jesus. 


Celebration Mass - Friday 22nd June at 6.30 St Thomas More
As well as being the feast day of St Thomas More and St John Fisher, we will also have a parish celebration for young people who have made their confirmation and children who have received their First Holy Communion.  Mass will be followed by a shared supper ... everyone is welcome, but we don't promise jellies!
  

40 Hours - Votive Mass for Vocations

Today's votive mass at 12.15 is for vocations.  A votive mass is one which said for a special intention (votum). For more information about votive Mass click here.

Ordination of Deacon John Miller

Earlier this year, John Miller was ordained a Deacon, news of his forthcoming ordination as priest was announced in the Diocesan website for vocations. For a 3 minute video on World Youth Day and vocations click here  

Vocation Prayer

Dear Father,Shine your light upon me so that I may see my true vocation. Give me the grace to hear your word and be an example to others of your love for us.I pray for all in Priesthood, Consecrated life, Marriage and Single life, and for all who are listening to your call, that they may answer you in their vocation.Thankyou for sending your son Jesus - with the help of your Holy Spirit help me to follow His example. May I freely, courageously and lovingly respond. Amen.

40 Hours - A time to pray ...

An invitation open to all

Introduced over 500 years ago (see history below), the Forty Hours Devotion continues to provide a wonderful opportunity for the spiritual growth of each person and every the parish throughout the world. 

Why not come along and spend some time in prayer, privately by yourself or with others? 

Night Prayer

For those not able to attend night prayer (compline) you may wish to join in by praying with the monks of Ampleforth who pray Night Prayer click here for a link to the page with text version of what is being sung, or click on video below.

Build your own custom video playlist at embedr.com ipage hosting

For those who missed the bulletin a little History on 40 hours ...

The practice of Forty Hours Devotion originated in Milan about the year 1530. By 1550 both St Philip Neri and St Ignatius Loyola were encouraging the devotion in the parishes of Rome especially for the reparation of sin. Seeing the great graces offered through this growing devotion Pope Clement VIII wrote on November 25th 1592:

"We have determined to establish publicly in this Mother City of Rome an uninterrupted course of prayer in such ways that in the different churches, on appointed days, there be observed the pious and salutary devotion of the Forty Hours, with such an arrangement of churches and times that, at every
hour of the day and night, the whole year round the incense of prayer shall ascend without intermission before the face of the Lord."

This same Pope issued regulations for the devotions, which were later collected and promulgated by his successor Pope Clement XI in 1705, and known as the Clementine Instructions. 

Novena to Holy Spirit: Day 2

Who is the Paraclete?

692 When he proclaims and promises the coming of the Holy Spirit, Jesus calls him the "Paraclete," literally, "he who is called to one's side," ad-vocatus. "Paraclete" is commonly translated by "consoler," and Jesus is the first consoler. The Lord also called the Holy Spirit "the Spirit of truth."

Christ's Promise To Send The Paraclete

Come, Father of the poor!

Come, treasures which endure!

Come, Light of all that live!

Come, O Blessed Spirit of Holy Fear, fill me with devotion to God alone.

In the Risen Christ, I welcome You, O Spirit of truth,
whom the Father sends in Jesus' name.

Wash clean the sinful soul, and rain down your grace that we may be one
with the Church in fidelity to our Lord Jesus, Christ. Amen.

Priscilla one of our young people has chosen St Lucy as her confirmation saints name. Light is of special significance to St Lucy, in Latin her name means light.  Her feast day is the 13th December it falls in the season of Advent when we are looking forward to the coming of Jesus who is the Light of the world.  For a 2 minute video about St Lucy suitable for children as well as adults click here.

Holy name of Jesus

On the 3rd January we celebrate the Holy name of Jesus. Saying the holy name of Jesus is one of the simplest prayers we can say. 
Here we see one of the vestments from the Cathedral's 2011 Vestment Exhibition showing the three letters IHS which remind us of the name of Jesus.

Image of Vestment

For children, a wordsearch to find some of the names of Jesus. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says:
2665 The prayer of the Church, nourished by the Word of God and the celebration of the liturgy, teaches us to pray to the Lord Jesus. Even though her prayer is addressed above all to the Father, it includes in all the liturgical traditions forms of prayer addressed to Christ. Certain psalms, given their use in the Prayer of the Church, and the New Testament place on our lips and engrave in our hearts prayer to Christ in the form of invocations: Son of God, Word of God, Lord, Saviour, Lamb of God, King, Beloved Son, Son of the Virgin, Good Shepherd, our Life, our Light, our Hope, our Resurrection, Friend of mankind.
2668 ... [Saying the name of Jesus] This prayer is possible "at all times" because it is not one occupation among others but the only occupation: that of loving God, which animates and transfigures every action in Christ Jesus.

Cathedral Parish Family Blog

Welcome to the new Cathedral Parish Family blog provides information about parish activities relating to:

• the sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation

• Children's Liturgy of the Word at St Peter's and St Thomas More's
• Servers and information about serving at Mass
• Impact - parish youth group for young people in year 9 and above
• other parish family activities