St Edmund Arrowsmith

Terry Caradice
At St Peter's Cathedral, Lancaster, Sunday, 28th August, Feast of St Edmund Arrowsmith, Mr Chris Robson will give a lecture on the life of this fascinating English martyr at 4pm in the Cathedral. The talk will be followed by Sung Vespers.

Bishop Paul Of Thamarassery

Kathryn Cavanagh
Bishop Paul of Thamarassery, South West India celebrated Mass in the Syro-Malabar Rite in Malayalam at St Kentigern’s, Blackpool on the birthday of John the Baptist, 24th June. Over 60 members of the local Indian community were present to welcome the bishop who was spending time in Preston with Fr Jose Thaiparambil. The photograph shows:Matthew Thankachan, Bishop Paul, Fr Jose and local St. Kents man, Kevin Starkey

SIGNPOST WEEKEND AT CASTLERIGG

Jack Regan
On Friday June 24th Castlerigg Manor held its second SIGNPOSTS weekend. 37 young people turned up for the weekend, which gives young people a chance to meet others from across the diocese and beyond. Many of those attending had been to Castlerigg with their schools, but a few had not.
The theme of the weekend was Growing in Christ and through the activities, liturgies and prayer times the group were given a great chance to reflect on their faith and their journeys through life.
As well as the more retreat-type activities, we also had a chance to get out for some more social activities. The beautiful weather on Saturday meant that we could have a picnic in the park in the afternoon. The group enjoyed playing games by the lakeside, although I think that the locals were somewhat perplexed by the groups of people space-hopping along, playing with kites and playing parachute games. The fancy dress disco on Saturday evening was a particular highlight of the weekend, producing some rather amusing results!
At the end of the weekend it was clear that participants had got a great deal from it. It was a nice chance to think about the part that faith plays in life and to challenge ourselves to grow as Christians, as well as simply to make friends and relax.
Castlerigg Manor runs 2 open retreats in the year. SIGNPOSTS weekends are held every June for young people in Year 10 or above and the Easter Retreat, which runs from Holy Thursday through to Sunday, is open to everyone: families, young people, couples and single adults. Both are a great change to meet new people and to be revitalised in our faith.More information about Castlerigg Manor’s open retreats can be found on the website www.castleriggmanor.co.uk

School Fiftieth Anniversary

St Pius X Prep School, Preston, has brought the curtain down on a series of spectacular celebrations for its fiftieth anniversary.Highlight of the golden jubilee for St Pius X prep school was a Mass concelebrated by the Bishop of Lancaster, the Right Reverend Patrick O’Donoghue, and the school chaplain Father Adrian Towers, a former pupil at the school and now parish priest of St Andrews in Cottam. Former teachers, pupils and friends of the school had been invited to attend the Mass with the headteacher Bridgeen Banks, staff, parents, pupils and governors and the school hall was packed with several hundred guests.
One of the school’s founding governors, Oswald Barton whose children and grandchildren have been pupils at St Pius, also attended the event to celebrate the school’s 50th anniversary. The parents paid more than £2,000 for a special commemorative, stained glass window to be installed in the reception area at St Pius X Prep School. And, on Sunday, the window was officially ‘opened’ by the Mayor of Preston, Councillor Bihkhu Patel at the school’s annual garden party.

The decorative window replaces an uninspiring, frosted piece of glass and marks the ends of a term of celebrations at St Pius marking the 50th anniversary since it first opened its doors in May 1955.
The children at the school which has more than 300 pupils - a far cry from the 40 pupils it had on its first day of opening – also enjoyed a day of fun and games during the summer term to mark the 50th anniversary.
The Parents Society have also produced a special commemorative brochure marking the golden jubilee containing pictures of all today’s pupils, as well as a selection of pupils from the school’s earliest days. Headteacher, Bridgeen Banks commented: “Our golden jubilee celebrations have been enjoyable and memorable and having the Bishop here at the school as our guest to celebrate our anniversary was a special event and a memorable occasion for everyone concerned.”

Mouse at Mass

Eamon Cushen
On Sunday, June 19th, the parishioners of Good Shepherd church, Torrisholme (near Morecambe) were joined at Mass by a mouse. The parishioners were somewhat surprised, but it seems that during the following week, the little creature sought to explain. The following lines were pushed through the Parish Priest’s letter box.
“Wee and sleekit - yes that’s me,
But timorous and cowering I shall never be!
I braved the glaring light of day,
To join your service and perchance to pray,
For this is true that now I tell,
The Good Lord made us mice as well!
Signed: A Church Mouse

MAN OF VISION BRING INDIAN DANCERS TO MASS

Fr Aidan Turner
Nrityavani means the “voice of dance”. Star of the Sea parish in St. Annes was delighted to welcome this dance troupe from Bangalore on Saturday 25th June.

After the 2nd Vatican Council they were set up by the Indian Bishops Conference to promote the expression of Catholicism through Indian culture especially dance. Inculturation is the word!
Seven female, and one male dancer (a Claretian priest,ordained last January) accompanied by Fr.Thomas D’Sa arrived in time for the Saturday evening Mass. Their trip had been kindly arranged by that man of vision, Dale Barton, an Anglican priest who is the Inter-Faith worker for Churches Together in Lancashire.

The dancers had arrived in England that morning; but they were happy to change into their colourful costumes and perform at the Mass. They danced to CD music for the entrance, the offertory, the Great Amen, The Our Father and after Holy Communion.

The sanctuary was filled with colour and grace; especially striking was the offering of threefold gifts at the end of the Eucharistic prayer, and the Our Father, performed by Rosemary (aged 9) and Anne-Marie (aged 11). For another hour they entertained us in the Parish Centre after Mass, with dances in praise of India, and a short enactment of the life of Our Lord. Muslim friends provided an Indian meal which fed if not the 5,000, certainly the 120 parishioners who came to delight in the evening. Nrityavani are in Lancashire for a week. We hope their voice brings as much joy at the rest of their venues.

FAIRTRADE RICE COMES TO THE UK

The first rice to be certified by the Fairtrade Foundation is being launched in Tesco supermarkets. The basmati rice is grown by smallholder farmers in the foothills of the Himalayas in North India. It will be marketed by Community Foods Ltd in their ‘Crazy Jack’ range and from this week can be found in the organic sections of 150 Tesco stores across the country. Rice is one of the world’s most important agricultural commodities and one of the most significant for farmers in developing countries. The Fairtrade Foundation is especially delighted that the Fairtrade certified rice is now available in the UK.

LIVING WITH AUTISM

Patricia Davis of Wembley, Middlesex was struck by the article on the “Faith & Light” organisation in our April issue. “Faith & Light” cares for the handicapped and Mrs Davis has a severely autistic son. She sent us a copy of a little book of poems she has published on the experience of living with an autistic child. It really is a lovely little book and we do recommend it. It is published by Mathew James. ISBN 1 893366 17 9. This is one of the poems:

To my handicapped Son on his 21st birthday

Dear child, you are a man.
Long years have brought you
Tread by lonely tread,
Not through childhood's rosy days
But through the sad, forsaken ways
Where hopes and dreams lay dead.

Young man, you are a child.
The years that brought you
Growth and stature true,
Could not stir the sleeping mind,
Nor the tangled thoughts unwind,
Nor those dark mists break through.

But through these years, now spent,
Your soul has kept
its innocence and grace.
A child you are and pure of heart,
And Christ has said “The pure of heart
Shall surely see God’s face”.

NEWS FROM THE BROUGHTON

Text & Picture from Andrew Seacombe
A Knight of the Holy Sepulchre and of St. Columba, from Preston, is the new president of one of Britain’s oldest charities.

Mr Gerard Vandome, who is also Chair of the Lancaster Diocesan Lourdes society has taken over from Mr John L Cranshaw of Bolton as president of the Broughton Catholic Charitable Society which was founded in 1787 following a disastrous smallpox epidemic which ravaged the Broughton district of the Fylde north of Preston. The disease carried off many smallholders, whose families would have been destitute had not the society’s members helped them with money and by working their lands.

Since then “The Broughton,” which represents the whole of the original county of Lancashire, incorporating what are now parts of Cumbria, Greater Manchester and Merseyside, has given alms to many different organisations and individuals, abroad as well as in the U.K. Mr Vandome’s election took place at “The Broughton’s” 219th annual meeting at Garstang at which Mr Michael Hull of Hindley near Wigan was nominated as president elect for 2006 –07.

Among the speakers at Garstang was the Rt. Rev Vincent Malone, Auxilliary Bishop of Liverpool. Bishop Patrick was among the guests.

In the picture, from the left are, are Dr Peter Wren of Whittle-le-Woods, near Chorley, Mr Gerard Vandome and Mr John L Cranshaw. A long-standing member of “The Broughton’s’ board of management, Dr Wren installed the new president.