The Holy Father, Pope Francis RIP.

Brothers and Sisters,

It is with a sense of deep sadness with thanksgiving to God for a life lived in the Lord’s service that we have learned of the death of our Holy Father Pope Francis.

From the first moments of his pontificate, as a bishop from the peripheries on 13 March 2013, he has impacted the minds and hearts of many in the world seeking that we should all be fratelli tutti (brothers and sisters together) in this our common home.

The Catholic Church has lost its universal Pastor, and so today we pray for his eternal rest; we thank God for the much good he has done and we pray for the Cardinals as they move to elect another successor of Saint Peter to continue to guide and lead the Church in 2025. I have many fond memories of meeting him – most recently in January at the first general audience of the Jubilee Year.

I will remember him as a kind and welcoming priest and bishop. Francis asked everyone who met him to never forget to pray for him. Let us assure him of our prayers that he would finally meet the Good Shepherd and gentle judge he so zealously served.

With my prayers for you all.

Most Revd Malcolm McMahon OP

Archbishop of Liverpool

Mass of Installation - opportunity to attend.

There is an opportunity for 2 named parishioners to attend the Mass of Installation on May 27th at the Cathedral in Liverpool. If you are interested in attending this event, please give your name to either Fr Mark or Deacon Jim who will make the application for the lucky two.

In addition to the 2 named parishioners above, and while they do expect a full cathedral, there will still be some unreserved sections of the cathedral for members of the faithful who wish to attend on the day. In this instance, you should register your interest and request a space, should one become available, with Claire Hanlon via email to [email protected] who liaise with you should a space become available.

It will be a great occasion in the history of our Archdiocese and we ask you to hold archbishop-elect Sherrington in your prayers.

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Pope Francis appoints Bishop John Sherrington as new Archbishop of Liverpool

His Holiness Pope Francis has appointed Bishop John Sherrington as Archbishop of Liverpool. Ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Nottingham on 13 June 1987, Bishop Sherrington has been an Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster and Titular Bishop of Hilta since 14 September 2011. Archbishop-elect Sherrington will become the tenth Archbishop of Liverpool in succession to Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP, who has been Archbishop of Liverpool since 2014.

The Installation as the tenth archbishop will take place in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King on Tuesday, 27 May at 12 noon.

Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP said: “I am grateful to God and to the Holy Father, Pope Francis, for appointing a bishop to serve this local church, the archdiocese of Liverpool. We are receiving a new Archbishop with considerable gifts, talents and skills, but most of all we are receiving a man of deep prayer who loves the Lord Jesus and who loves His Church. I have had the pleasure to serve with Archbishop-elect Sherrington in the Diocese of Nottingham and in the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and I am delighted to welcome him today.”

On hearing of his appointment, Archbishop-elect Sherrington said: “I thank Pope Francis for his trust in me on my appointment as Archbishop of Liverpool which I accept with humility and joy. We pray for our Holy Father at this time of sickness as he recuperates and prepares for Holy Week and Easter.

“I look forward to serving as shepherd of the historic and faith-filled Church in the Archdiocese of Liverpool which is rich in its heritage of the English martyrs, Irish immigration, and now looks to the future.

“Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP has served Liverpool Archdiocese with love and generosity, and I am honoured to succeed him… I look forward to building on the foundations already laid in the synodal pastoral plan ‘Together on the Road’ to serve the Church and bring the hope and joy of Jesus Christ to all people.

“In this Jubilee Year, we are a people living the hope of Christ who has loved us, saved us and walks with us. We share this hope with other Christians and people of all faiths and good will. I welcome meeting and building friendships with leaders, both Christian and of other faiths, which has always been a strong dimension of the Church here.

May we receive the fire of the Holy Spirit into our hearts to bring Christ to others.”

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, said about the appointment: “Those who have been following reports on the health of the Holy Father and keeping him in their prayers will know that he has continued his work, including the appointment of bishops.

“I am so pleased that he has appointed our Bishop John Sherrington to be the next Archbishop of Liverpool. Liverpool is, of course, my home diocese and I am delighted that it is to be led by Bishop John.

“In Westminster we know his gifts, dedication and utter generosity only too well. We will miss him greatly. Archbishop Malcolm will welcome him with great joy as, I’m sure, will everyone across the extensive Archdiocese of Liverpool.

“Today we offer our profound thanks to Bishop John for all that he has given to us over these last fourteen years, and we assure him, wholeheartedly, of our prayers and constant support.

“And, of course, we continue to hold Pope Francis very much in our prayers, too.”

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Racial Justice:  A Message from Archbishop Malcolm

This week, as we celebrate World Mission Sunday, Archbishop Malcolm invites us to reflect on diversity of the Universal Church and in our parishes and communities.  In his video message on racial justice, the Archbishop echoes the Pope’s message, “Go and invite everyone to the banquet!”, and shares some practical ways you can do this at a local level. Please watch his video below:

Scam emails about Ukraine

We have been alerted to an email entitled ‘FINANCIAL REQUEST FOR THE EMERGENCY MASS STIPENDS FOR PRIEST FOR THE EXARCHATE OF DONETSK UKRAINE’ being sent to people in our archdiocese. We have checked this with Bishop Gregory in Ukraine and he confirmed that this correspondence is a scam email so please do not respond to the email or send any funds.

Please do be vigilant if you receive any emails on this subject matter.

If you would like to make any donations to Ukraine, please do so via our #Liverpool4Ukraine appeal as this is a safe and secure way to get your funds directly to the people of Ukraine.

New Bishop for the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle

This week,  His Holiness Pope Francis appointed Rt Rev. Stephen Wright as the Fifteenth Bishop of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle.

More information can be found here: Appointment of a new Bishop for the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle - Catholic Bishops' Conference (cbcew.org.uk)