With Lent over, we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord and throughout this month and beyond we rejoice that the Lord has risen and has triumphed over sin and death. If like me you managed to shed a few pounds during the Lenten season the challenge will be to avoid celebrating to excess and replace the weight that has been shed and end up back to how we were before – but I suppose that challenge applies to the whole of our spiritual endeavours.Having presided at all the Solemn Feasts of Holy Week, Archbishop Malcolm also celebrated the Family Mass in the Crypt Chapel at 10am on Easter Sunday morning for a change, leaving the Cathedral priests to celebrate the Solemn Mass at 11am and the Choral Baptismal Evening Prayer at 3pm.
We welcomed a visiting choir from Southern Ireland, Tuam Cathedral, which sang at the Solemn Mass and Evening Prayer on Low Sunday, 8 April. On 15 April the Commemoration Service for the anniversary of the Hillsborough football tragedy was held in the Cathedral at 2.45pm, led by Bishop Williams.
Over the years of my time as Dean I thought I had experienced most things that could take place in our Cathedral; however I welcomed invited guests for the installation of a High Sheriff of Merseyside here on 19 April, which is not something I had witnessed before. The venue was chosen because the newly appointed person is a parishioner of the Cathedral, Mr Peter Woods, and he wanted it to happen here in the Crypt. Apparently it is a very ancient and formal ceremony, and so I needed to perform my duties correctly as the sheriff receives a sword and I didn't want to be the first person he wielded it on!
I wish you all a very Happy Easter.