REDEDICATION OF ENGLAND AS THE ‘DOWRY OF MARY’ On 29th March 2020

This is an event of National importance for the Catholic Church in England. There is a dedicated website for updates at http://www.behold2020.com.

In advance of this date Monsignor John Armitage and the team from the National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, are visiting each of the Catholic Cathedrals in England with the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham. Dates for visits to St Peter’s Cathedral, Lancaster are Thursday 6 February at 6pm to Saturday 8 February. Details of the timetable of Holy Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Devotions, Talks on Marian Devotion and an Exhibition are included in the attached posters. It is hoped that over the period of the visit parishes and schools will organise visits. If you intend to visit the Cathedral as a Parish group, please do be in touch with the Cathedral beforehand via email: clergy@lancastercathedral.org.uk. Obviously there is no necessity for individuals to do this. More information available at http://dowrytour.org.uk/lancaster/

I have attached a PDF on the rededication itself and some posters for our Diocesan event. Please print the posters and make them available to your parishioners.

I look forward to this being a great event in the life of the Diocese and hope to see many of you visiting the Cathedral during this time.

God bless,

+Paul Swarbrick Bishop of Lancaster

My dear friends in Christ,

Welcome to this week’s Bishop’s Blog!

In St.Peter’s Cathedral, Lancaster, on Sunday 29th March, I will formally take my part in the National Rededication of England as the Dowry of Mary. This will take place within the Mass Liturgy at 10.30am. Unfortunately, we do not have the facility to live-stream the occasion, but that will take nothing away from the relevance or efficacy of this act of piety.When the Bishops of England and Wales met in November 2017 and decided on this Re-dedication they could not possibly have envisaged the circumstances within which it would take place. That is possibly a very good thing because, if they had, they might well have been tempted to choose some other date when the country was less troubled.As it is, we are living at a time of national emergency within a global crisis. Our Catholic Faith is designed to cope with such times. When all around is utterly uncertain we fall back on the utter certainty of the Gospel, the Good News, the saving love of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. When we are anxious about ourselves and loved ones, and in many instances not even allowed to visit our aged parents, the priorities of life -what really matters to us – are made very clear.I see it as no coincidence that we make this act of Rededication now, in this way. God knew it would come, and Our Lord wanted us to be given again to His own Mother, ‘Woman, behold your child; child, behold your Mother.

’No ‘quick fix’ is expected. We are set to remain in these distressing times for a good while to come. We must adapt to a new way of living. We have been shaken, and continue to be tested. Mary re-assumes her prominence in the life of England, England’s Dowry, England’s true rose. Present to and with Her children we will come through this safely. Life may suffer, but eternal life is beyond the reach of CORVID-19.The Government advises us to ‘Stay at home; protect the NHS; save lives.’ Jesus instructs us, ‘Make your home in Me as I make My home in you.’ His home will always have Mary at its heart. We will willingly stay in this home.We will pray for all who form our wonderful NHS, commending them to the protection and prayers of our Blessed Lady. We will also be mindful of those who are of service to our spiritual well-being, parents, teachers, clergy and religious.We will dedicate ourselves to corporal works of mercy in order to enhance and protect lives, especially those most vulnerable, amongst whom we must count the unborn children. On top of this, we will dedicate ourselves to the spiritual works of mercy, making every effort to save souls, especially those in most need of God’s mercy.With my prayers and blessing at this time for all who read this message and stand in need of Grace.

+Paul

Paul Swarbrick

Bishop of Lancaster.

Watch the Blog here.

Dear  friends in Christ,

Welcome to another post of the  Bishop’s Blog!

It is the most beautiful Spring day! You can almost hear the grass growing in response to the sun’s warmth. Of course, that does not do away with the fact that we are experiencing the early stages of a global pandemic. We must all help to manage this threat to life and give our NHS workers a chance to cope.Across society we also mark the tradition of Mothers’ Day. It’s a good time to think of our mums and thank God for them. (I will be sneaking out to visit the grave of my own mum later today.) In times of difficulty we instinctively think of them. Many of us took them for granted. Only with the passing of adult years do we come to know them better, often recalling advice they gave years ago, or remembering their example of ‘being there’ for us.I thank mothers living far away whose children now live here, working and living by our side, fulfilling roles that make life better for us. Their children are a tribute to them. So many of them provide strong examples of faith.I have been reading a little about early Irish monasticism, and the influence the Egyptian desert fathers had on it. These were times that predated St. Benedict and his monastic Rule that has gone so far to shape monasticism as we know it. Two early saints of particular influence were St. Anthony of Egypt and St. Cassian. This St. Anthony should not be confused with the better known St. Anthony of Padua. We all know him well because he helps us find things when we lose them. St .Anthony of Egypt is likely to tell us we are better off without whatever it is we’ve lost! He lived a very spartan life, with practically no belongings apart from what he wore.St. Cassian grew as a strong guide to prayer. He pointed out that every individual prays differently, personally. He pointed out the great obstacles to prayer; sin, anxiety, pride, an absence of tranquillity. He taught that in spite of different ways of praying all prayer comes together in resolution, penitence, intercession and gratitude.He was a moderate man who discouraged all exaggerated forms and extremes of religious experience. No need to constantly striving for another ‘personal best’. Let the Good Lord achieve that in us if He so chooses.Interestingly for these current times, St.Anthony of Egypt is looked to as the patron Saint of contagious diseases. You may wish to explore this further.We are instructed to observe social isolation, but we do well to remember we are given other ways to keep in touch and remain in social contact. The wonders of modern communication are at our service for our good. Use them well.And don’t forget that the Saints and the Holy Souls are part of our social network too. Long before the internet was invented we had this tradition of social communication with the saints in heaven, and the Holy Soul awaiting entry into the fulness of Life. No need for sophisticated IT equipment to reach them. All that is needed is the simple ability to spend time in prayer. No one is truly alone.I also encourage us to remember our guardian angels in these times. When we pray for those in the front line let’s include them too.

With my prayers for you all,

+Paul

Paul Swarbrick

Bishop of Lancaster

My dear brother and sisters,

Welcome back to the Bishop’s Blog for this week!

We know we live in exceptional times when, the day following a remarkable budget, the news is dominated by something else.I do not need to comment on COVID-19, except to say that the two sources of information for us are Public Health England and specific guidelines from the Diocesan office. What is clear already is that we are not at liberty to excuse ourselves from following the public guidelines. This is impacting on all our lives.What is equally clear is the need for us to live our Faith in an intense way in our daily lives. Now, more than ever, lives of Faith are needed. At the beginning of Lent I talked about our need to guard life And eternal life.In these circumstances we must retain our access to the Lord in any way we can. Our churches should be open for individuals to pay their visits to the Blessed Sacrament and find ‘that peace the world cannot give’. What a gift of peace they will find there!

Let us commend ourselves to the Lord. Let us pray daily for those most frightened, most lonely, most lost. Let us be at the heart of the daily news as people who confidently carry the Good News of Jesus: ‘Have no fear, I am with you always!’

With my Prayers,

+Paul

Paul Swarbrick

Bishop of Lancaster

Dear friends in Christ,

Welcome to this week’s Bishop’s Blog!Last Saturday I presided at the Rite of Election in the Cathedral, Lancaster, receiving those who desire to be baptized into the Catholic Church at Easter Vigil. Also present were those adults from a number of parishes across the Diocese, wishing to be received into the Church during the Vigil.None of them looked mad, none gave the impression of ‘doing it for a bet’. They were genuine and sincere in their desire to become Catholics. What a joy this is to share! They have found the pearl of great price, the treasure hidden in the field.Complacency is always a temptation for those of us who were baptized as infants and have known no other way of life. How easily we can take our Faith for granted. How easy it is to neglect caring for it.How easy it is to let it risk being lost or damaged. How much in need we stand of being refreshed in Faith. Lent provides a suitable time for this, and these individuals making a choice to become Catholics provide us with good example.The risk of spreading Corona-virus is constantly ‘in our faces’ through the Media. We now hear of cases within the Diocese. Our response is led by Government guidelines and more detailed advice from the Bishops’ Conference Health desk. Of course, all this comes on top of everything else we have to attend to.Beware doing things in such a way as to ignite panic or distress in others. We must play our part within the national picture, and do it in a way that gives evidence of Faith. The way we treat one another can help or hinder, depending on the choices we make. Let this be a time when we can look after one another better.Finally, something that made me smile . . . . On Wednesday I had to go down to London for a meeting. On the Underground a young Moslem lady offered me her seat. I declined, politely of course! It seems I have crossed a certain ‘age-threshold’. Sometimes others recognize this more quickly than we do.
Don’t forget the Stations of the Cross . . . . . and Confession. As I write this I am preparing to head off to make mine.

Let us continue to pray for those experiencing the deepest despair and darkness at this time.

As ever in Christ our Lord,
+Paul

Paul Swarbrick

Bishop of Lancaster