1993: Bishop Patrick O'Donoghue

He had been a hospital chaplain, a seminary tutor and rector and Administrator of the country's largest Cathedral. On this day in 1993 Patrick O'Donoghue - the man who would become the fifth Bishop of Lancaster - was ordained Bishop by Cardinal Basil Hume. It was the feast of Saints Peter and Paul (hence the red vestments), and the ordination took place in Westminster Cathedral. Bishop O'Donoghue served as an auxiliary bishop in Westminster before being appointed to Lancaster in 2001.

Here the Bishop is seen with Cardinal Hume outside the Cathedral on the day of the ordination. They enjoyed a close working relationship until the Cardinal's death in June 1999.

Here Bishop O'Donoghue is seen in later times celebrating Mass at Westminster Cathedral. A later post will cover his installation at Lancaster and his time in the Diocese.

Flower Festival 1996

Before the present event, the last Flower Festival at the Cathedral took place in 1996. It was organised to celebrate the Episcoal Silver Jubilee of the then Bishop of Lancaster, Rt Rev. John Brewer. The dates for the festival were 19th-21st July, though the event is being remembered now in order to coincide with the 150th anniversary festival.

As it was a celebration centred on the Bishop, symbols of the episcopate were of particular importance. Mitres were in evidence at the entrance (top image) and (as seen here) at the old cathedra (Bishop's throne).

The 1996 festival took place within a year of the Cathedral reordering. The triptych - recently restored to its original position - is seen here, in the decorated Blessed Sacrament chapel.

The baptistery, along with each side chapel, was also decorated. The scenes were arranged by flower clubs from all over the Diocese; the names of towns as far afield as Workington appear in the festival programme.

It seems that a great many people came to view the festival over the weekend, and people still have fond memories of this event. Hopefully the 2009 Flower Festival will also provide some happy memories for years to come.

Flower Festival 1987

With the Cathedral's 150th anniversary Flower Festival imminent, today we look back on an earlier festival. This event took place 26th-29th June 1987; as far as we can tell it does not seem to have marked any particular anniversary. These photographs were found in the Cathedral archive.

Take this, and drink from it

This chalice is still in regular use at Mass in the Cathedral. It is not known how it came to the church; unlike many chalices and other sacred vessels it bears no inscription, though it is likely that it was donated by a benefactor at some stage.

Around the base there are six scenes: the Annunciation, the Bapstism of Jesus, Gethsemane, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection and the Ascension. On this cup the story of salvation is told.

First Holy Communion

As today in the Cathedral parish a number of children will receive Holy Communion for the first time, Billington's Blog shares this old picture of First Communion day in a bygone year. If you recognise yourself or anyone else, please let us know.

2000: Bishop Brewer's Funeral

Nine years ago today Rt Rev. John Brewer, the fourth Bishop of Lancaster, was laid to rest following a requiem Mass celebrated in the Cathedral. Before Mass his body was placed in the Blessed Sacrament chapel where people spent time in prayer and paid their respects.

Bishops - over 30 in total - came from all over the country to commend their brother to God.

Most Rev. Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, then the new Archbishop of Westminster and not yet a cardinal, presided at the Mass. He had known Bishop Brewer well for many years. Before being made bishops the two had been on the staff of the Venerable English College in Rome.

The Cathedral was filled to capacity, with many priests and people from around the Diocese, as well as members of the Bishop's family.

Such was the crowd that some people had to remain outsid during the Mass.

Here Rev. Robert Billing, a year before being ordained priest, reads the Gospel.

The homily was given by Most Rev. Patrick Kelly, the Archbishop of Liverpool and a former priest of the Lancaster Diocese.

Here the Bishop's coffin is seen at the foot of the sanctuary steps as the bread and wine are brought forward for the celebration of the Eucharist.

At the end of Mass the long procession exited the Cathedral, making its way to the Cathedral cemetery.

Traffic on East Road was temporarily halted while the procession made its way up the hill.

The Bishop was laid to rest by Monsignor Paddy O'Dea, who was elected Administrator of the Diocese following the Bishop's death. Here, alongside his three predecessors and Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Bernard Pearson, Bishop Brewer's body rests in a vault beneath the cross at the centre of the cemetery. May he rest in peace.

1993: The Rehanging of the Bells

Sixteen years ago today a service for the Redediction of the Bells was held in the Cathedral. It took place to mark the completion of work on the peal of ten bells, which had been rehung. Nine of the ten bells remained in the tower throughout the work. Only the largest (seen here) was brought down - partly as an appeal for funds and partly because the space was needed higher up. Note the statue of St Peter in its old position.

The bell had been lowereed through an opening in the floor of the ringing chamber. It was later weighed and came in at 19cwt 0qtr 21lbs. Aside from the event, this picture also shows just how poor a state the Cathedral was in before the reordering of 1995.

Once up the tower the bells had to be placed in position, and once again it was all hands on deck.

It is a relief to see that somebody also fixed them in place! The work was carried out by Eyre and Smith, though to keep costs down most of the labour was supplied locally.

It seems from the photographs that a number of the ringers got involved in the work. Amongst them were two future priests: here, the future Fr Andrew Broster (now Parish Priest at St Joseph's, Skerton) is seen facing the camera...

... and here the future Fr Stewart Keeley (presently of St Bernadette's, Bispham, and also the diocesan MC) lends a hand. Sixteen years later all ten bells are in good working order, though the ringing team often struggle to recruit members. Do you fancy giving it a go? Get in touch.

Descending from on high

The worried look is quite understandable: there is around 100 feet between this lady and the ground below. Over the years many parishioners and priests have abseiled down the Cathedral tower to raise money for various causes. We believe that this occasion was to raise money for the rehanging of the Cathedral's 10 bells in June 1993.

There were those, of course, who were more relaxed. Pictures of the rehanging of the bells can be seen in tomorrow's post.

Corpus Christi II

Eucharistic Processions have always been one way in which the feast of Corpus Christi has been celebrated. These pictures from the Cathedral archive show one such procession.

Many different groups from within the parish walked in these events. The Blessed Sacrament is being carried beneath a canopy, visible towards the rear of this picture.

Here the procession is seen on St Peter's Road, just outside the Cathedral gates. Although the tradition died off to some extent in this country in the 1980s and 1990s, it seems that Corpus Christi processions are beginning to see a welcome revival in some areas.

1962: Consecration of Bishop Foley

Newly ordained to the episcopate, Lancaster's third Bishop steps out onto the lawn outside Cathedral House. Rt Rev. Brian Charles Foley had been a priest of the Diocese of Brentwood before being appointed Bishop of Lancaster. It was on this day in 1962 that his episcopal ordination took place. He presided over the Diocese for over twenty years, overseeing the opening of many new parishes and being present at the Second Vatican Council. After his retirement in 1985 he continued to live in the Cathedral parish and was notable in retirement for visiting the sick and housebound. He had a keen interest in the past and wrote a number of books on local Catholic history. He died in December 1999, just a few months before the death of his successor, Bishop John Brewer.

Bishop Foley was consecrated by Archbishop (later Cardinal) Heenan, who at that time was the Archbishop of Liverpool. The co-consecrators were Bishop George Beck of Salford (who later succeeded Heenan as Archbishop of Liverpool) and Bernard Wall, the Bishop of Brentwood. In the picture here Bishop Foley is seen kneeling in the sanctuary; the canons are in the choir stalls, and the cathedra which he was to occupy can be seen in its original position on the far right of the picture. We are grateful to Fr Gerard Dakin for the loan of these pictures; he himself is visible on the far left of this image, while stood behind the seated bishop on this side may be seen Monsignor Shaun Monaghan, who died last year.

1944: Prayer in time of War

Following the D-Day landings in Normandy and the liberation of Rome, Cathedral parishioners were being encouraged to pray in thanksgiving for what had been achieved and in supplication that the war might soon end. The notice book for this day in 1944 includes the following announcements: "The bishops exhort us to pray continually in thanksgiving for the deliverance of Rome and the safety of the Holy Father: Te Deum [will be sung] before procession. Further they urge all of us to pray without ceasing for the success of the invasion – Mass, Holy Communion and evening devotions. [They] call on all of you to give support to the fighting forces in these days of battle – we owe everything to them under the guidance and providence of God. Baptisms today at 2.0 not 3.0pm. His Lordship the Bishop will preside at the last Mass today. Make an effort to be present and take part in this great act of thanks to God." Clearly there was an air of excitement but also an awareness of the task still to be done. It is also intriguing that an announcement about the time of baptisms sneaks in between notices concerning the war effort. It is a reminder that for everyone back home, life had to go on.

Dr John Rigby

On this day in 1818 Dr John Rigby, the priest who founded the chapel at Dalton Square, died. Canon Billington: "Dr. John Rigby, the builder of the chapel... received charge of the Lancaster mission in 1784. He was a son of Richard Rigby of Pemberton by Mary Winstanley his wife, and was born in 1753. He went to Douay in 1766, and thence to St. Gregory's Seminary, Paris, in 1773, remaining there for over ten years. He was ordained priest in 1782, and the following year acted as superior of the seminary during a vacancy. While there he obtained his D.D. degree at the Sorbonne in 1784. Soon afterwards he came over to England for a short visit, and while here was persuaded by the Vicar Apostolic, Bishop Talbot, to accept charge of Lancaster, where he arrived about the end of October. Here he continued to minsiter until his death." Canon Billington tells us that his absences from Lancaster were "few and brief", that he wrote a catechism and composed the inscription which is carved into the Lune aqueduct, which was built in 1797. He then records of Dr Rigby, "He died on June 10, 1818, 'of a creeping apoplexy'."

In the Cathedral today there is a memorial recording Dr Rigby's contribution to Catholic life in Lancaster. Canon Billington writes, "The general esteem in which he was held locally was shown by the subscriptions to his monument, which amounted to £158, 19s, 6d. The mural tablet represents Faith standing by the cross, at the foot of which lie priestly vestments and chalice". He also quotes a local newspaper report of Dr Rigby's death, which states that he "had uniformally discharged the duties of his situation with a zeal and prudence which, while they endeared him to his own flock secured to him the esteem of men of every religious denomination... To Lancaster he was warmly attached. On all occasions he proved himself ready to devote his abilities and leisure to the promotion of its interests; and the great work of the canal owes much to his discernment and unwearied attention."

Dr Rigby's body was buried before the altar in the Dalton Square chapel on June 15th; in January 1860 it was moved to the new St Peter's cemetery, where it rests until this day. It was uncovered for a brief spell in September 2008, when this image was taken. After Rigby's death there was a vacancy of several months with no resident priest (although services were maintained by visiting clergy); Rev. George Brown then took over in April 1819.

Corpus Christi I

The feast of Corpus Christi (the Body of Christ) is rapidly approaching at the time of writing in 2009, so Billington's Blog takes a look at this feast as celebrated in years gone by. It seems very likely that this image comes from the feast of Corpus Christi sometime in the 1970s. A makeshift altar has been set up on the grass outside Cathedral House, and the monstance is clearly visible, as is the canopy under which the Blessed Sacrament would have been carried. Here Benediction would be given at the end of a short procession from the Cathedral. If anyone knows the year or anyone involved, we would - as always - be grateful for information. Contact us if you can help.

1953: For Queen and Country

57 years ago today Elizabeth II became Queen of England upon the death of her father, King George VI. Her coronation took place almost exactly one year later, on 2nd June 1953. It was an event that caused great excitement - not least because, for many, it was a first chance to watch an event on television. Before the reforms of the Second Vatican Council a prayer for the monarch was offered at the end of every High Mass. Back in 1953 Cathedral parishioners were also being encouraged to offer prayers for the Queen on the eve of Coronation Day, as the notice book entry for 31 May 1953 records: "Monday at 8pm - the Bishop will sing Pontifical High Mass to beg God's blessing on Queen and Country. You are expected to attend and receive Holy Communion, given after Mass. No solid food after 5pm; no drinks after 7pm." The final sentence is included to remind parishioners of the requirement to fast before receiving Holy Communion.

1963: The Death of Pope John XXIII

On this day in 1963 Pope John XXIII died. The Second Vatican Council, which he had called, was only a few months old but already it was clear that great change was in the air. John XIII was elected as Pope in October 1958; Benediction was given and the Te Deum sung at the Cathedral in thanksgiving for the new Pope. He was in his late seventies when elected, and few thought that he would make much of a long-term difference to the Church. As it turned out, he set in motion a process of radical reform which many welcomed and many found painful. His death was marked at the Cathedral with a requiem Mass, as the notice book entry for 9th June 1963 records: "On Monday at 7:30pm the Bishop will sing Requiem Mass for Pope John. We ask you to attend and to receive Holy Communion, which will be given after Mass." The Pope's body lies in St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, and he was beatified on 3rd September 2000.