Saturday on the Liverpool Fringe

Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir and Frank Cottrell Boyce

As the Parallel Programme for Adoramus looked so inviting, Josie and I decided at the last minute to go to Liverpool and we weren't disappointed. We arrived at Lime Street from London Saturday morning, 8 September, got soaked and lost finding our accommodation so decided to skip the idea of visiting the Blessed Sacrament Shrine and went directly to the Redemptorists at Bishop Eaton for "The Eucharist & the Redemptorist Charism".

Arriving early for the midday Eucharist, it being Our Lady's birthday, we were able to spend some time before the Blessed Sacrament there instead. Bishop Ralph Heskett presided, joined by a good number in the congregation. In his homily he referred to St Alphonsus Liguori's ideas on Adoration. If God came to visit us, we should visit him in the Blessed Sacrament. After the visit he recommends visiting Mary which may seem odd but to St Alphonsus was most natural. Also he held Spiritual Communion in high regard. To our surprise after the Eucharist we were treated to a lovely buffet. The event concluded with a deep talk on St Alphonsus' spirituality by Fr Andrew Byrne. Salvation is for the many not the few. No one can see God, only through the human presence in Jesus Christ. Pray to God as a friend.

Next we visited St Vincent de Paul in St James Street where the Liverpool Deacons were presenting a day concerned with the link between the Eucharist and Food Poverty. We caught the end of a talk about Micah Liverpool - a project between the two Cathedrals which aims to help people out of poverty and runs a foodbank. Then Virginia Moffat began her talk on "How Matthew 25:35-41 relates to hunger in the UK today" by quoting Pope Francis: "You cannot be a Christian without doing what Jesus teaches us in Matthew 25." She reminded us that by partaking in the Last Supper we participate in solidarity with those that suffer.

We did hope to visit Pax Christi and those from the National Justice and Peace Network who were presenting "Environment on the Altar of the World" at St Philip Neri but unfortunately time was against us.

An ecumenical conversation - Eucharist the Bread of Life was our next stop at Liverpool's Parish Church with Bishop Paul Barnes the Anglican Bishop, Rev Sheryl Anderson, Methodist District Chair and Archbishop Malcolm McMahon. An interesting conversation during which Bishop Paul said that we meet the real Jesus in the Eucharist and He will love you and ask you to love others. Rev Sheryl referred to the different practices in Methodism and that for them theology arises from practice. Archbishop Malcolm McMahon eventually joined us having been delayed by the main event over running and reminded us of the four ways Christ is present in the celebration of the Eucharist; including in the Person of the Minister which he refered to as a tricky one these days. That Adoration extends the union with Christ after Holy Communion, an "after dinner conversation".

During the discussion afterwards he twice quoted a fellow Dominican whom he visited in Africa: "to break blest bread in Christ, then not to break unblessed bread with the poor is a blasphemy". Interestingly the two bishops of Liverpool go back to Greenham Common. Unfortunately, in the short period allowed for questions every question was about the Catholic Church not allowing Inter-Communion. We met two other couples, members of the Association of InterChurch Families at this event, who were in Liverpool for Adoramus.

Because of the late running, we had to grab a quick snack before going to the Echo Arena to enjoy Lost and Found, Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir with Frank Cottrell Boyce, telling the story of the prodigal son, and a Ukulele band.

We retired to our bed exhausted but we had a wonderful day with good Eucharistic Theology, which deepened our understanding, and very enjoyable entertainment. Our only regret that there was so much available in the Parallel Programme that we couldn't even go to everything we planned let alone the other presentations that sounded very interesting.

We were surprised to hear it poured on the Blessed Sacrament Procession the next day after we had left Liverpool. Earlier we had enjoyed a barbecue following the Eucharist at Liverpool's Parish Church in the garden overlooking the waterfront. Well Archbishop Malcolm did tell us the procession was going to be Penitential and the Heavens obliged!