Cathedral Trail

Adults looking round year of faith

This week adults and children have been looking round the Cathedral and learning more about the signs and symbols we have in church which can teach us more about our faith. 
On Tuesday evening parents looked round and this morning shared some of the things they had found out by looking at the pictures and information in the Year of Faith display.  Although it is a few years since the Year of Faith the display remains a fascinating account of key moments in Church history as well as the world.

Sharing ideas - Can you find ....

Look what I've found ...

The children then went and learned more about the offertory and the gifts of bread and wine, what we do in the benches and the link between the Ambo and the Altar, and then talked about the chalice and what we say when the priest says 'The Body of Christ' ... Amen and what it means. We finished our trail in the Blessed Sacrament chapel where we sang 'O Sacrament most Holy ... '.  More about other parts of our trail soon.

Learning from the Cathedral

Parents looking at Year of Faith corridor

Last Tuesday parents preparing their children to receive their first Holy Communion explored the Cathedral.  They spent some time looking at the Popes, Saints, Cathedrals around the world and important events in the life of the Church.  In a few weeks time they will share some of the things they found with their children.
We then looked at the vessels and vestments in the sacristy before moving round the Church to talk about blessing ourselves when we come into Church and talking about the Ambo and Altar.

Catechist showing parents round the sacristy

On Sunday young people from St Bernadette's and the Cathedral parish who are preparing for their confirmation also looked at different parts of the Cathedral, they looked at the oils and talked about the Chrism that will be used to anoint them when they get confirmed.

Confirmation group looking at the oils

Please remember our young people who are preparing to receive their first Holy Communion on 14th June and to be confirmed on Pentecost Sunday in your prayers. 

Apostles Creed Spirituality Session: I believe ...

I believe in the resurrection of the body 
and life everlasting

Focal area with images linked to the theme of the session
including images of the four last things - death, judgement, hell and heaven

With only 40 days left before we come to the end of the Year of Faith the spirituality session focused on the next two articles of the Apostles' Creed.  Using lectio divina (sacred reading) based 1 Corinthians 15 as a way of reflecting on what the resurrection of the body means, the group then shared and reflected on images of heaven.   

The next spirituality session Monday 11th November there will be an opportunity to reflect and think about the Apostles' Creed as a whole and there will be an opportunity to think about the word Amen we say at the end of this and other prayers and after we have received Jesus' Body and Blood in Holy Communion.  There will be time for individuals to reflect on what they believe and profess each time we renew our Baptismal Promises.

Apostles Creed: Forgiveness of sins

Focal Area with Paschal Candle and
baptismal font with the symbol
of Holy Spirit on top.

Monday evening parishioners gathered to continue the spirituality series exploring the Apostles' Creed. This week the focus was on the forgiveness of sins. Baptism is the first and chief sacrament of forgiveness of sins this is because it is through baptism we are united with Christ who died, rose and gives us the Holy Spirit so that we might walk in newness of life. Looking at the Catechism of the Catholic Church there was discussion about the signs and symbols of baptism and how they help us to understand this first sacrament which is known as a gateway to all other sacraments.

CCC 977 Our Lord tied the forgiveness of sins to faith and Baptism: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved." Baptism is the first and chief sacrament of forgiveness of sins because it unites us with Christ, who died for our sins and rose for our justification, so that "we too might walk in newness of life."

The next session will take place on Monday 14th October at St Thomas More at 7.30pm and will look at the final lines of the Apostles' Creed.

St Gregory the Great: 3rd September

St Gregory - Pope and Doctor of the Church

St Gregory the Great

c.540 – March 12th 604

Feast Day: 3rd September

Patronage: educators, England, gout, masons, musicians, papacy, plague, Popes, schoolchildren, singers, stone masons, stonecutters, students, teachers, West Indies

Also known as Gregory I. Gregory was the son of a wealthy Roman senator and St Silvia, and nephew of St Emililana and St Tarsilla. He was prefect of Rome when he decided to renounce the world, sell his possessions and enter a Benedictine monastery. He then used his money to build six monasteries in Sicily and one in Rome. When he encountered fair-skinned English children being sold as slaves in the Roman Forum he is said to have exclaimed; “Non Angli, sed angeli – “They are not Angles but Angels” and been inspired to send St Augustine to England to convert the English. Other missionaries were sent to Spain, France and Africa. He was ordained deacon and sent on a papal mission to Constantinople from 580-585. Five years later, on September 5th 590, Gregory became the first monk to be elected Pope, by unanimous acclamation. His sermons, writings, commentaries and liturgical reforms were extensive and remain influential to the present day. “Gregorian” chant is named after St Gregory because it is traditionally thought that he ordered its cataloguing and use in church celebrations. During much of his life he suffered ill health but even when he was dying he dictated letters and indicated his wishes for the needs of the church. He was canonized immediately after his death by popular acclaim.

Gregory has been given a place with Augustine, Ambrose and Jerome as one of the four key doctors of the Western Church.

Can you find Gregory on the Year of Faith Time line
What can you see in the picture that shows Gregory was a Pope?
Can you see a symbol of the Holy Spirit?

Lancaster Martyrs

Plaque listing the Lancaster Martyrs
who we remember today

Today is the Feast of the Lancaster Martyrs, the 15 priests and laymen who were executed in Lancaster for their Catholic faith.  August 7th marks the day of the final executions in 1646 of three of the martyrs Blessed Edward Bamber, Blessed Thomas Whitaker and Blessed John Woodcock.  In the Cathedral's 150th Anniversary we reported Canon Billington's report of the Lancaster Martyrs he records

"The three were drawn together to the place of execution on August 7 1645, the Catholics being much comforted and edified, and the Protestants astonished and confounded to see the cheerfulness and courage with which these servants of God went to meet that barbarous and ignominious death to which they were condemned"

For details of each of these three marytrs 

Thomas Whitaker one of the Lancaster Martyrs

My faith is my crime

Today the exhibition comes to an end, the day will include Mass, a talk, followed by a walk to the Martyrs mark and vespers. 

The exhibition has been appreciated by many visitors.  It would not have been possible without the hard work of many people - our thanks to them for their generosity of time and effect and creative talents.

We'll have a post of some of the exhibits, if you have memories or favourite sections about the exhibition let us know using the feedback form and we'll include some of them in our final posting on this year of faith exhibition.

Martyrs Exhibition - Anglia Martyres Orate pro nobis

If you've had chance to visit the Cathedral in the last week you will have seen the result of lots of hard work that has been going on in the past months preparing for the exhibition My Faith is My Crime.  There has already been lots of feedback - if you would like to tell us about your favourite exhibit or send us a short text of how the exhibition has inspired you we'd like to hear from you.
Over the next ten days we'll share highlights for those unable to visit and to encourage those who can and haven't had the chance to come and learn more about those men and women who died for their faith.  For a slideshow of pictures from this exhibition organised as part of the Cathedral's Year of Faith celebrations and to see this weeks' object of faith 'the Bishop'.

English Martyrs Pray for us

Can you find out who the two martyrs were on this vestment. They are also saints and share the same feast day 22nd June. 
Answers in the martyrs exhibition.

At the bottom of this vestment are the words 
Anglia Martyres orate pro nobis

This is Latin and we normally hear or read these the final three words in a litany of saints which is a prayer where we list the saints (who may be martyrs) to pray for us.  The phrase pray for us comes in two forms in the Latin:
Ora pro nobis - is when we ask one saint to pray for us
Orate pro nobis is when we ask more than one saint to pray for us.  
If you are listening to the litany then listen out for how the saints are introduced.  If you hear:
Sancte and Sancta - 
use ora pro nobis
Omnes or Sancti -
use orate pro nobis

To listen to a Latin litany of the saints, starting at the point where the saints are asked to pray for us.  

Friday Photos of Faith: English Martyrs Exhibition

Click for a copy
of the poster

Lancaster Cathedral: English Martyrs

Today we begin an exhibition on the lives and times of the English Martyrs, entitled 'My Faith is my Crime'. Lots of hard work has been going on behind the scenes to get this exhibition prepared.  
The calendar includes details of the talks, films and liturgical services that will be taking place between
19th July and 7th August when we celebrate the Feast of the Lancaster Martyrs.  


Today's Friday Photos of Faith we feature the stained glass window of the English Martyrs which is above the entrance of the Baptistery. The Cathedral has a stained glass window of the English martyrs - from left to right, St John Fisher, St Thomas More, Blessed John Houghton, St Cuthbert Mayne.

Below a video made by a parishioner of the Lancaster martyrs which readers may wish to use to remember those who were willing to give up their lives for their faith. 

Feast of St Peter and St Paul

Statue of St Peter

Happy Feast Day. Although the feast is on the 29th June, this year we celebrate it on Sunday. Today read a past post on the original Cathedral Blog to find out more about when and why our statue of St Peter was dressed in vestments and crowned with flowers.

St Peter Pray for us

St Paul Pray for us

New Keys

New St Peter's Keys given out to those leaving Mass this weekend.  The summer challenge is to see where St Peter will travel.  Take a photo of places your visit with St Peter's Keys and yourself or just the picture if you are shy!  You can pass details to members of the Children's Liturgy Team or let us know via the contact form. To mark our Year of Faith, we we've chosen the image that shows St Peter's Cathedral in Lancaster and Rome to see the image visit our Year of Faith site.

Confirmations ... Come Holy Spirit

Bishop Michael Campbell with Confirmandi 2013

Today, five young parishioners received the Sacrament of Confirmation, and said Amen to the Baptismal promises their parents and Godparents had made on their behalf.  Bishop Michael Campbell explained how that when they received the gifts of the Holy Spirit they would be helped to be the person Jesus wanted them to be, the sons and daughters of the Father.  

Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of your faithful

and enkindle in them the fire of your love

Oil of Chrism

Oil of Chrism is kept here
throughout the year

In the sacrament of confirmation, The oil of chrism that blessed by Bishop Michael Campbell during the Chrism Mass was used for today's confirmations.  To learn more about chrism see some of our posts about objects of faith on the year of faith site.
Oil of Chrism
Blessing the oil of chrism
Chrism and consecration of the altar
Chrism and ordination 

Friday Photos of Faith: New Life and an invitation

A few weeks ago we posted the image of a stone cross, a reminder of the stations of the cross prayed by our confirmandi, and the cross on which our Lord died to save us all.  Today, in this Easter octave (eight days of Easter) we post the same cross ... this time with signs of new life -we gain through the resurrection. 

On Easter Sunday, Pope Francis gave his greeting of peace to the world which is known as Urbi et orbi. In it he gave an invitation for us all:

Friday Photo of Faith: Taize Service and Snow!

The final Friday before Holy Week closed with the stations of the cross followed by a Taize service led by Fr Philip Connor and the Castlerigg team.  It was a quiet and prayerful service, which was very special because it took place in the Blessed  Sacrament Chapel of the Cathedral. A very different prayer experience for those who haven't been to Taize, and a cooler experience for those who have! 

Lancaster Cathedral after the Taize Service

Following the service some people who had attended had a photograph taken by the statue of Our Lady.   

A snowy journey
Taize intercessions included prayers for those affected by the cold and snow. It is sometimes the more extreme weather conditions when we are reminded to remember others who may be suffering or struggling. This picture sent in shows that in Lancaster we may be very lucky.  At this time we remember those who are having to work and travel in the snow. Let us also think of those closer to home our neighbours who may be struggling to get out.

Image from train outside Huddersfield on 22.3.2013

Mini Mission 1: Starts tomorrow

This is the last of our nine days preparation for the Mini Mission.  We hope its given you a flavour of some of the different things that are going on in the Lancaster Diocesan Youth Centre, Castlerigg.  As the team prepare to come from the Lake District we pray that they will be given the energy and gifts they need to help to inspire and share their faith with the children, young people, parents, parishioners and teachers they meet in the schools and parishes of the Lancaster and Morecambe Diocese.

Please try to support them and use this opportunity to think about what the Year of Faith means to you.  The week will end with a Taize Service of Celebration at the Cathedral on Friday at 7.00pm 

Preparing for First Confession
Today one of the children who are enrolled in the Cathedral parish preparation programme for the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion, checked out the confessional.  He will join others on Wednesday evening, when they make their first confession. 

Throughout the Lancaster Diocese all churches are open and a priest is available to hear confessions on a Wednesday evening between 7.00 and 8.00pm.
The Castlerigg team have prepared a reflection which you may wish to use to prepare for this healing sacrament. 

Mini-Mission - Being a Young Catholic - 5

Today we include an entry from the Castlerigg website - Being a Young Catholic Today.  The posting is from Bridget Huddleston who is a member of the Cathedral and St Thomas More Parish who is currently working in America as part of the NET ministries, for details see earlier postings.  

Wednesday Words of Witness - Bridget Huddleston - Live life to the full

Being a Catholic has always been something that is a part of me. I was brought up in a Catholic family – but in the past few years it has become something that is truly a part of my whole self. I was brought up going to Mass with my family at St. Thomas More in Lancaster, and it was a great part of my childhood. But as I grew up, as I’m sure a lot of others did, I began to grow distant from my faith. It was a pilgrimage to Lourdes at the age of 17 that ignited the spark for faith once more in my life. It was an incredible experience, and one that would start a huge change in my life. I went through the next few years with highs and lows of my faith journey. I found myself having moments of extreme highs, like being able to attend World Youth Day in Sydney in 2008, to extreme lows, like some of my times at university, where I felt lower and lonelier than I ever had before.  It was a trip to Rome that was to change everything. Whilst there in 2009, I met members of the team at Castlerigg Manor. They told me about the work they did, and it sounded amazing. Before I knew it, I was there for a weekend having an interview. And from then I have spent the past 2 years working on the team there, which has been the most inspiring and uplifting 2 years of my life. There I have truly learnt what faith means to me – that it isn’t just something for a Sunday, or when you feel like it. It has an effect on every part of my life now, and I couldn’t be more thankful to God for never giving up on me, and for bringing me to somewhere where I can have such a true, raw and loving experience of faith.  So what next? I could have never have pictured myself doing youth work, or any kind of work for the Church. But from August 16th, I will be heading to Minnesota in the USA to work for an organisation called NET ministries. Their focus is on a ‘New Evangelisation’ – reaching young people in schools, parishes and youth clubs. I feel this next step is going to form my faith in an ever greater sense, spending day to day meeting young people and preaching the Gospel. I will spend 9 months travelling the USA, going from place to place, and living with different host families along the way. What could be a greater adventure? And for me this is what faith has helped me to understand about life. That it is an adventure, that it is to be enjoyed, and that we must live each day for God and His mission for us. This is what will make us truly happy. As it says in John, let us “Live life to the full”.  For more information about NET ministries go to: www.netusa.org

Calling all young people - what is your experience of living life as a young Catholic?  If you'd like to send us something for a future Wednesday Word of Witness or a Friday Photo Faith please use contact page.


For details of the programme see our post Mini Mission coming soon
For a pdf of a poster that can be used to advertise the Mini Mission

Mini Mission - Photo Gallery - 6

Today we offer a link to the Casterigg Photo Gallery, this gives you a chance to learn more about what they do and to see for yourself what happens at some of the activities they organise.  HAve a look at the pilgrimages, retreats and outreach activities.

To learn more about Castlerigg activities click Photos page

For details of the programme see our post Mini Mission coming soon
For a pdf of a poster that can be used to advertise the Mini Mission

Mini-Mission - Facebook - 7

Did you know Castlerigg have a facebook page?  You could be one of the 3,718 likes and learn more about what other young people in the Diocese are doing.  

For details of the programme see our post Mini Mission coming soon

For a pdf of a poster that can be used to advertise the Mini Mission

Mini Mission - Faith in the family - 8

The Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC talks about the importance of faith in the family.

CCC 2226

Education in the faith by the parents should begin in the child's earliest years. This already happens when family members help one another to grow in faith by the witness of a Christian life in keeping with the Gospel.  ...

The parish is the Eucharistic community and the heart of the liturgical life of Christian families; it is a privileged place for the catechesis of children and parents.

For details of the programme see our post Mini Mission coming soon

For a pdf of the Faith in the Family poster that can be used to advertise the Mini Mission


Answer to the 9 day count down
We chose our count down for 9 days, because this is the number of days in a Novena, nine days of prayer, which was the number of days the Apostles waited in the upper room after Jesus ascended into heaven for the Holy Spirit to come at Pentecost.

Friday Photo of Faith: Adopt a cardinal

Today we adopt our very own Cardinal.  As the Cardinals gather in Rome we are called to pray for them that they may be guided by the Holy Spirit. A way in which we might get involved is to Adopt a Cardinal by visiting the website Adopt a Cardinal.  At the time of writing there are 378,016 who have sent their name and email address and been given the name and details of one of the Cardinals.  The intention is to pray for that Cardinal that the Holy Spirit will guide him during the election of the next Pope.

Did you know that the Lancaster Vocations blog have adopted Cardinal Severino Poletto and the Cathedral Primary School have also adopted a Cardinal. This seems an excellent way to learn more about the Cardinals.    

Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski

The Cathedral blog's randomly selected adoptee is Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski from Poland, who is the Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education (for Seminaries and Educational Institutions).

His motto is illum oportet crescere 
To learn more about this see John 3: 30

To read more about Cardinal Zenon

Candlemas - Presentation of the Lord

In recent years the parish has celebrated the Feast of Candlemass and Presentation of the Lord with the blessing of candles, a candlelit procession and tableaux of the reading by pupils from the Cathedral Primary School. The scene is shown in stained glass windows that are in the Lady Chapel.   

Stained glass window of Presentation of the Lord 

Candlemas, 2nd February also marks 40 days since Jesus' birth.  The presentation of the Lord at the temple is also remembered as the 4th joyful mystery in the rosary.

This short video shows the events of the Presentation of the Lord and includes the words of Simeon, whose song of praise is sung as part of night prayer. 
To find out more about Candlemas candles - which has been the object of faith, look in the Cathedral's Year of Faith blog and look at other entries in that week to learn more about the Nunc Dimittis and presentation of the Lord.

WWW: Called to serve

This week our Wednesday Word of Witness comes from Kirsten, who is the 'Master of Ceremonies' at the Cathedral. To learn more about being a server click here.  This week we are looking at the medal of St Stephen, patron saint of servers on the Cathedral Year of Faith blog, click here to find more.  

I started serving at the altar about seven years ago.  I was asked to help supervise children as they learned to serve but I had not expected to become a server myself.  During the last training session, I had an over-riding desire to become a server and felt that I had been ‘called’ to this ministry.  A year later, I became Master of Ceremonies here at the Cathedral.  This position demands commitment, reverence, leadership and good team work skills.  I love serving!  I serve for the people of the parish, for the priests, for the bishop, for the servers, for you, but, most of all, for God.  Each time I serve, I offer myself to God Almighty and I always do my best, with reverence and understanding.  In my role as Master of Ceremonies, I organise the servers, giving them jobs, directions, training and guidance to ensure that the Mass runs smoothly.  I also serve at Vespers on Sundays; this is a very special time when Jesus Christ, under the appearance of the consecrated host, is exposed and adored.

Kirsten training new servers
click here for an earlier post on learning to use the thurible

Serving is a ministry which I find fulfilling and inspiring.  I hope that I can lead by example and that many more people will be inspired by all of our Altar Servers and may even like to join our team.  It is a privilege to be a part of the life of the Church and to serve at the altar of God.  Kirsten Grove

Our thanks to all those who have served in the past, to those who currently serve and those who may respond to this calling to serve in the future.