Golden days at Liverpool Cathedral

Thousands of people flocked to Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King to celebrate its Golden Jubilee from 2 to 5 June 2017. The festivities began with the opening ceremony of a spectacular Flower Festival: 'Cathedral Life: A Floral Tribute' on Friday morning, 2 June. Throughout the next four days people travelled from throughout the country to see displays by more than twenty parish groups and flower clubs.

After a celebration of Evening Prayer on Saturday 3 June more than 300 people enjoyed a celebration dinner held in the Lutyens Crypt of the Cathedral.

Sunday 4 June, the Feast of Pentecost, marked the Jubilee of the Cathedral which was opened at Pentecost 1967. Archbishop Malcolm McMahon was the celebrant at a Solemn Mass at 11am at which Cardinal Vincent Nichols preached.

Among the concelebrants were Archbishop Paul Gallagher, a Liverpool priest who serves as Secretary for Relations with States in the Secretariat of State at the Holy See; Bishop Thomas Williams, Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool; Archbishop Emeritus of Liverpool Patrick Kelly; Bishop Emeritus of Hallam and former Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool, John Rawsthorne and Emeritus Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool, Vincent Malone.

As he introduced the Mass, Archbishop McMahon read a message from Pope Francis for the occasion.

In his homily Crosby-born Cardinal Nichols reflected on the history of the Cathedral and shared his personal memories.

He concluded saying: "In our thanksgiving and celebration in this Cathedral of Christ the King, we pray that God's Holy Spirit, which transforms base material into divine substance, may fill us and work in our lives, transforming our humble humanity into a noble instrument of God's purpose in our world. In this we will be faithful to our great mission, so well symbolised in this cathedral, anicon of our endeavour and, more importantly, of our faith."

Liverpool's ecumenical tradition was reflected in a Service in the Cathedral at 3pm when Merseyside's Church Leaders gathered for a Two Cathedrals Service with the theme of 'Thy Kingdom Come'.

In his homily Cardinal Nichols said: ''Thy Kingdom Come, thy will be done, on earth asit is in heaven!' This prayer has inspired so much Christian endeavour across the centuries and continues to do so. Surely, it has sustained the long and costly effort of the construction of these two great cathedrals, built to the glory of God and as a sign and place of his realm and the peace it gives.

At the Metropolitan Cathedral, we celebrate our 50th birthday. May this occasion and this prayer reinforce our commitment to each other and our deep desire to work side by side, in a profound unity of spirit.'

Text: Homily of Cardinal Vincent Nichols given at the Golden Jubilee of Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool on the Solemnity of Pentecost, 4th June 2017

Golden jubilees are a time for memories. And today is no exception as we celebrate this bold and magnificent Cathedral of Christ the King.

This cathedral enjoys a 150 year history. Its first design was presented in 1853 by Edward Welby Pugin (1834-1875) and became Our Lady Immaculate Parish Church, in Everton. Then came designs by Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944) and by Adrian Gilbert Scott (1882-1963), the brother of the architect of the great Anglican cathedral, in Liverpool (Giles Gilbert Scott, 1880-1960).

Then we come to 1959, and the competition for ‘a cathedral in our time’ with 299 entries and the winning design by Sir Frederick Gibberd. So today, we celebrate a history, which discloses much of the story of this city and its Catholic population, always wanting a cathedral landmark and proudly cherishing this cathedral, the largest place of Catholic worship in England and Wales.

But memories, if they are to warm the heart, have to be more personal. As I look around today so many memories come into my mind and heart: the presence here of Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on 22nd June 1977, and the chairs specially made for her visit, her first ever visit to a Catholic cathedral in this country; the gathering of the National Pastoral Congress in 1980; the visit of Pope St John Paul II, in 1982. I remember too, so vividly, the atmosphere in this cathedral, filled to overflowing on the Sunday evening of 16th April 1989, as we waited for an hour, in total silence, for the arrival of Bishop David Sheppard so that we could begin our solemn prayer for all who had died at Hillsborough Football Stadium the previous day, that fateful Saturday. On that day, a bond was formed between the people of this city and this place in a story never forgotten. In its short life, this cathedral has seen so many remarkable events.

And not just events, but people too. Archbishops and Bishops: the fiat of Archbishop Heenan, the joy of Bishop Augustine Harris who consecrated this cathedral, in the presence of Her Royal Highness, Princess Margaret (14th May 1967), the dedicated service of Archbishop George Beck, followed by the most remarkable Archbishop Derek Worlock, keeping an eye on us from just over there. Then, of course, Archbishop Patrick Kelly, and Archbishop Malcolm who presides over this great church with such grace and perception. Artists and musicians: John Piper, Patrick Reyntiens, Elizabeth Frink, Sean Price, Sir James MacMillan, Roger McGough and the Duffy brothers, Terence and Philip. There are others to recall: Sister Anthony and her transforming skills and workshop, the Cathedral Administrators who have borne the burden of everyday effort, and their army of helpers. One other person, too. 1967 saw not only the opening of this cathedral but also the release of the record, Seargent Pepper. One track comes to mind: 'I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in and stops my mind from wandering......' The repairing of the roof and stabilising of this cathedral was a remarkable achievement, fruit of the determined partnership between Archbishop Derek and Monsignor Michael McKenna. It was a great effort, which I hope, is never forgotten.

In the Golden Book of the cathedral, which records the names of all who have contributed to it and promises them prayers, my name can be found, back in the early fifties. We thought that one day the great cathedral might rise. I remember being told that, with a typical Liverpool pride, it would be just a few feet shorter than St Peter's Basilica, in Rome, a gesture to due deference, you understand! I also recall as a boy, singing with great gusto the hymn 'Hail Redeemer King Divine', without a doubt my boyhood favourite. It was, of course, written for the ceremony of the laying of the foundation stone of the great cathedral in 1930. Its verses still express today our faith in Christ, who alone stands at the centre of all this great history and endeavour.

For us, however, the word memory has a far deeper and more remarkable meaning. Here, in this cathedral as in every Catholic church, we not only remember, but we make real again. Our ‘remembering’ of the person of Jesus, makes him present to us in his words and actions, in a real and vivid way. At the focal point of every church, seen so vividly as in this cathedral, lies the altar, the place at which the sacrifice of Christ in his death on the Cross is not only remembered but made again a living reality. Here we gather at the foot of that Cross. Here we receive again its fruits: the Father's mercy, our forgiveness.

This living memorial, this memory which makes present, comes about only through the power of the Holy Spirit, whose coming upon the Apostles we celebrate on this day of Pentecost. We heard of that coming and its transforming power in the reading from the Acts of the Apostles and in the Gospel. This power of God first brought order to creation and still sustains all living beings. This power of God changed fearful fishermen into powerful witnesses to the Gospel of Jesus. This power of God which, though his gift, we invoke, changes the bread and wine we place on this altar into the Body and Blood of Christ, our food and drink for the forgiveness of our sins, for the sustaining of our lives as his disciples and for our eternal life. It is this power of God, his Holy Spirit, which is so wonderfully portrayed in that burning, red, stained glass window, whose light floods this altar of sacrifice.

This same Spirit, as St Paul tells us, is poured into our hearts so that the different gifts we have been given may be used for a good purpose and in a manner which is not only harmonious but for the benefit of all. The refracting of this light of the Holy Spirit, into the corona of light and colour of the great lantern here above us, speaks eloquently of how the Holy Spirit is to flood out from here to this city and this County of Lancashire in a spirit of service offered always in the name of our Beloved Lord Jesus.

At the end of this Mass, as at every Mass, we will be sent out to fulfil the task given to us by the Lord. Today as you leave, glancing back towards this great cathedral, please remember that it is built on the site of the Liverpool Workhouse, which stood here from 1771 to 1928. In 1900, for example, over 4,000 poor people were housed on this site, in conditions which were very harsh, even if not quite punitive. Remember, too, that Catholic priests were often refused entry and could not fulfil their ministry to the poorest of their people.

These foundations can serve to remind us that our first mission is to those who today are poor and forgotten, who are on the margins, the very ones who are indeed the most beloved of Christ our King. In fulfilling this mission no obstacle, misunderstanding or hostility should ever deflect us from our purpose.

In our thanksgiving and celebration in this Cathedral of Christ the King, we pray that God’s Holy Spirit, which transforms base material into divine substance, may fill us and work in our lives, transforming our humble humanity into a noble instrument of God's purpose in our world. In this we will be faithful to our great mission, so well symbolised in this cathedral, an icon of our endeavour and, more importantly, of our faith.

Amen.

Homily of Cardinal Vincent Nichols given at the Ecumenical Service in Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral on the Solemnity of Pentecost, 4th June 2017.

'Thy Kingdom Come!' These three words stand at the heart of Christian prayer. Thankfully, they have stood at the heart of much prayer in these last eight days, a prayer shared openly and deliberately by many Christians of different churches and traditions, in many parts of the world. We thank God as we bring to a close this Octave of Christian prayer for our shared Christian mission, which has helped to make these three words resonate afresh in so many hearts and minds.

'Thy Kingdom Come!' This is at the heart of Christian prayer because it is at the centre of the ministry of Jesus, our gracious and loving Lord. His coming was announced by John the Baptist in this manner (Mk 1.15). He himself broke the silence of his early years with the words: 'Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is close at hand' (Mt 3.2).

The coming of his Kingdom is his promise and, as his disciples, it is our hope. For this coming, we pray every day.

The texts of the Gospels affirm this focus. The Kingdom of Heaven, or the Kingdom of God, is mentioned 61 times in the Gospel texts, yet its precise meaning is hard to pin down.

At times it has been taken to indicate the coming of a visible reality akin to, or replacing, an oppressive political order. Perhaps this was the first thought of the disciples. It has been entertained many times since then. Yet the phrase has also been taken to mean a truly 'spiritual kingdom', a kingdom of the heart, an inner moral ethic. Perhaps this has been part of a particularly liberal vision, which has seen humanity progressing on a pathway of continual growth and goodness. Then the 'Kingdom of God' has an eschatological meaning, pointing to the close of history and the restoration of all in Christ. But the meaning that is surely most clearly reflected in the prayer the Lord gave us is that his Kingdom will come, his will be done 'on earth as it is in heaven'. The Kingdom is a reality both already secured for the eternal future and still to be realised step by step, in our lives, both individually and in the way we fashion our communities and societies.

This Kingdom, then, this conformity to the will of the Father, is central to our Christian endeavour, to our discipleship. But here I think we benefit from one firm clarification: that we are not primarily called to build the Kingdom as to seek to enter it. We are not so much its prime movers as its recipients. Our radical quest is to enter the Kingdom, to dwell in it and to be shaped by it, both now and in the fullness of time: our limited, personal time and in the fullness of all created time.

The unfolding of this Kingdom, and of these intertwining histories, is the work of the Holy Spirit. Of that there can be no doubt, for it is this Holy Spirit who hovered over the chaos at the emerging of time and rendered that chaos into an ordered world, a cosmos. So too the final eschaton will be achieved by the power of the same Holy Spirit, when all things are rendered whole and pure and brought into the presence of God. And now, each day, the Holy Spirit refashions our nature, in as much as we permit, into an image of the life of God, seen in its fullness in Christ Jesus.

So, there cannot be a better day than this day of Pentecost on which to pray anew these same three words: 'Thy Kingdom Come!' For on this day we seek to be in the place of the first apostles, gathered with Mary, to receive afresh this gift so that we too may be heralds
of this Kingdom, now and in the days to come. This is the pattern of the coming of the Kingdom, even as we have heard in the words of the Gospel: 'As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you. Receive the Holy Spirit' (John 20.20).

St Cyril of Jerusalem, writing in the fourth century, provides us with such a beautiful commentary on the work of the Holy Spirit among us. His words are both reassuring and challenging. He refers first to the image of water, used by Jesus himself 'on the last and greatest day of the festival' when he said that we were to come to him and drink for 'from his breast shall flow fountains of living water' (John 7.37-38). Then Cyril asks: 'But why did Christ call the grace of the Spirit water?'

And his answer is wonderful: 'Because all things are dependent on water...... Water comes down from heaven as rain, and although it is always the same in itself, it produces many different effects, one in the palm tree, another in the vine, and so on throughout the whole of creation. It does not come down, now as one thing, now as another, but while remaining essentially the same, it adapts itself to the needs of every creature that receives it.'

He continues: 'In the same way the Holy Spirit, whose nature is always the same, simple and indivisible, apportions grace to each person as he wills. Like a dry tree, which puts forth shoots when watered; the soul bears the fruit of holiness when repentance has made it worthy of receiving the Holy Spirit. Although the Spirit never changes, the effects of his action, by the will of God and in the name of Christ, are both many and marvellous.'

Then he says: 'The Spirit makes one person a teacher of divine truth, inspires another to prophesy, gives another the power of casting out devils, enables another to interpret Holy Scripture. The Spirit strengthens one person's self-control, shows another how to help the poor, teaches another to fast and lead a life of asceticism, makes another oblivious to the needs of the body, trains another for martyrdom. His action is different in different people, but the Spirit is always the same. In each person, Scripture says, the Spirit reveals his presence in a particular way for the common good.'

St Cyril, then, assures us that today too we need not fear our differences if we are truly open to the same Holy Spirit. Nor should we feel hesitant in our task of mission 'for the common good', for that is precisely the purpose for which this Spirit nurtures our different gifts and reciprocal relationships. We should be fearful if we are not repentant, for as Jesus himself said, the first purpose of this great gift is for the forgiveness of sins, and we can hardly be ready to receive this gift if, at heart, we do not acknowledge and repent of our sins and of our divisions. This too should be the fruit of our prayer.

'Thy Kingdom Come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!' This prayer has inspired so much Christian endeavour across the centuries and continues to do so. Surely, it has sustained the long and costly effort of the construction of these two great cathedrals, built to the glory of God and as a sign and place of his realm and the peace it gives. At the Metropolitan Cathedral, we celebrate our 50th birthday. May this occasion and this prayer reinforce our commitment to each other and our deep desire to work side by side, in a profound unity of spirit. We pray that as we seek to enter the Kingdom the will of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit may indeed be seen in our lives and revealed to be at the source of so much good in our society today, for we know that the Spirit always blows where he wills. And for this too, this utter freedom of the Holy Spirit, we give thanks today and always.

Amen.