The past 12 months have been filled with many joyous occasions for the Archdiocese of Liverpool, but sadly there have also been very dark moments including the horrific incident in Southport, which sadly took the lives of three young girls, and the riots that subsequently followed.

Personally, this year has been significant for me, as I celebrated my 75th birthday in June and I started the process of retiring from my position after serving as the Archbishop of Liverpool for over a decade.

Since arriving at the city, I have found everyone to be so incredibly welcoming, supportive and encouraging to me. It has been such a good place to be an archbishop, and I look forward to continuing my time in the city when I do retire, as Liverpool is now very much my home.

Throughout this year, the archdiocese has made very positive strides in progressing the pastoral plan. In March, Families of Parishes were confirmed, a move which will help parishes advance their mission by having multiple priests, deacons and laity who can share their gifts and talents with the whole local family.

Also in March, we joined forces with the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool to host the city’s first LOUDfence event. This ground-breaking initiative provided a platform for all those affected by abuse, offering healing and support through a visible demonstration of solidarity. It’s an event we are planning to host annually as part of our transparent and open approach towards safeguarding.

In the summer, we celebrated the ordination of four new priests: James Finnegan, Martin Fyles, Peter Ross and Lister Tonge - a joyful occasion for everyone in the archdiocese. Later in the year, Bill McMahon was ordained as a permanent deacon.

It was an honour, as it is every year, to lead the annual archdiocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes in the summer - a week filled with love, kindness and renewal. My thanks go to our young people, volunteers, medical staff and pilgrims who make the week so special.

In September, we celebrated Adoremus at both the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King and the Co-Cathedral of St Mary of the Isle, an incredible day of prayer and reflection for people across the archdiocese, that included workshops, Mass, Exposition and Benediction.

It was also an honour to witness Professor Gerald Pillay being invested as a Knight of the Order of Saint Gregory the Great by the Apostolic Nuncio in October. This was a wonderful ecumenical event held at Liverpool Cathedral.

At the end of the year, it was with great joy that I could officially declare the case of John (Jack) Traynor as a miracle after he was cured from multiple serious medical conditions during the archdiocese’s first official pilgrimage to Lourdes in 1923. I give thanks to Dr Alessandro de Franciscis and Dr Kieran Moriarty who conducted a review of the case. 

I look forward to marking this significant moment in history in February 2025 with a fitting celebration, helping us all to respond to the Jubilee call to be ‘Pilgrims of Hope.’

We give thanks for all of the positive moments throughout 2024 and remember all those who we have lost throughout the year. I continue to pray for peace herein the archdiocese and internationally, including the Holy Land and Ukraine.

I look forward to seeing what 2025 will bring. It will be a significant year for the archdiocese as we take part in the Jubilee celebrations as well as the prospect of a new Archbishop of Liverpool.

I want to thank you all for your continued support and prayers.