175 YEARS:

I am conscious that in last week’s bulletin I noted the Mass at the Cathedral last Wednesday was marking 150 years of service from the Sisters of Notre Dame in Liverpool. In fact it is 175 years since Fr Nugent invited them to come and teach the poor children in the inner city. As Archbishop John was outlining the story in his homily, I began to make a series of connections! Of course, we too are marking the 175 years since the Redemptorists came to Liverpool in 1851. Perhaps, we could include this as part of our celebration in honour of  St Gerard in April. And just for good measure, you may like to know that it was the Redemptorists who first invited the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur to this country to work with them in Clapham in the 1840s!

The Mass on Wednesday was a wonderful occasion, as were the Baptisms and Confirmations of Chelsea and Maeve in Hope University Chapel later in the day. Maeve plans to be with us for the Easter Vigil when we will receive Amanda and Lynnette into full communion with us. They all took part in the ‘Journey in Faith’ for our Family of Parishes at St Mary’s over recent months. Perhaps, we could now begin to think of others who may be interested in becoming part of our Christian family in the future and sow some seeds as we look forward to the next programme that will be launched in the autumn.