19 Confessions during Lent

Confession is the action of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Penance, Conversion. It is one of the two healing sacraments, the other being the Sacrament of the sick. The video below helps to explain the biblical origins as well as highlight the benefits of this great gift.

 At Lancaster Cathedral THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION (Confession)

Cathedral: Saturday 11:00 until 12:00 and 17:45 until 18:15.
St Thomas More's: Prior to Mass on Sunday Morning.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is also available on request at Cathedral House.

Throughout the Lancaster Diocese

During Lent the Lancaster Diocese is promoting the initiative of the light is on for you, when there will be the chance to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation between 7.00 and 8.00pm  in churches throughout the diocese.

Poster advertising the Light is on for You.

For resources about the sacrament of confession visit Diocesan website

19 Rite of Penance

This sacrament is also known as the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Confession. Jesus gave the Apostles power to forgive sins when he said. 

“Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven.” (John 20:21)

Through the Apostles, this power has been handed on to the bishops and priests. They continue to share with us God's love and mercy through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Every time we celebrate this sacrament, we are given a new beginning as we leave behind the wrong things we have done and start again. Before the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we spend time thinking about the things we have done that have turned us away from God's love. In Confession, we tell the priest the things we have done that we are sorry for. The priest represents God and through him we receive God's forgiveness. This is a wonderful sacrament as it gives us the chance to make a new start, trying to be a better person and more like Jesus.

CCC 1446 Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of his Church: above all for those who, since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin, and have thus lost their baptismal grace and wounded ecclesial communion. It is to them that the sacrament of Penance offers a new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification. The Fathers of the Church present this sacrament as "the second plank [of salvation] after the shipwreck which is the loss of grace."

For resources about the sacrament of confession visit Diocesan website  

18 Oil of the sick

Oil of Catechumens, Chrism
and the Sick

The oil of the sick is used in the Sacrament of Anointing to bring strength to a person who is ill. Jesus showed great care for those who were sick and, as his friends, we are called to continue this work through our prayer and actions. The oil of the sick is blessed by the Bishop at the Chrism mass (which is when all the priests of the diocese gather together to renew their ordination promises).  The oil of the sick is brought up during the Eucharistic prayer to be blessed, it is standing on the purple cloth, a colour that signifies Lent and Advent in the Church's Liturgical year and is a penance, forgiveness and healing.  

As for all sacraments, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) contains details of what the Church teaches about this sacrament and anointing.  

Anointing of the sick

CCC 1512 From ancient times in the liturgical traditions of both East and West, we have testimonies to the practice of anointings of the sick with blessed oil. Over the centuries the Anointing of the Sick was conferred more and more exclusively on those at the point of death. Because of this it received the name "Extreme Unction." Notwithstanding this evolution the liturgy has never failed to beg the Lord that the sick person may recover his health if it would be conducive to his salvation.

Who can give the Sacrament?

CCC 1530 Only priests (presbyters and bishops) can give the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, using oil blessed by the bishop, or if necessary by the celebrating presbyter himself.

18 Our Lady of Lourdes

Banner at back of Cathedral
Our Lady off Lourdes
Patron of Lancaster Diocese

11^th February is the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Every year, many ill pilgrims visit Lourdes in the hope of being healed or strengthened. Some miracles of healing have taken place at Lourdes and all pilgrims are strengthened in their faith by their time spent there.

At Mass, we pray for those of our Parish and our families who are sick and at the end of Mass, Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion take the Blessed Sacrament to the sick and housebound of our Parish.

We pray for all those who are sick in mind and body and remember all those who care for them.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

Lancaster Diocese Patron 
In the Year of Faith, Bishop Michael Campbell OSA will be leading a Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes.  For further details and images from previous pilgrimages to Lourdes

17 Ash Wednesday in 2 minutes

The following short video reminds us of why we have ash placed on our foreheads and explains the importance of praying, fasting and alms giving on Ash Wednesday and throughout the whole of Lent.

What are you going to give up and do to help you during the season of Lent?

17 Ashes - Season of Lent

Bowl of Ashes 
made by burning the blessed palms from
Palm Sunday the previous year. 

Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday (13th February) and it marks the start of Lent. Lent is a time of growing closer to God in preparation to celebrate the great feast of Easter, when Jesus rose from the dead. We say sorry to God for the things we have done wrong and ask for His help in becoming more like Jesus. At Mass on Ash Wednesday, we are marked with ashes on our forehead. This is a sign of our sorrow for the things we have done wrong and our desire to grow closer to God. In Old Testament times, as a sign of sorrow, people would dress in 'sackcloth and ashes' and this is why we still use ashes today. 

During Lent, there are three things we try to do to grow closer to God: give something up (fast); pray and share what we have with others.

Canon Stephen giving ashes to Bishop Michael Campbell in 2010

Season of Lent

CCC 1438 The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church's penitential practice. These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works).

16 Candles - St Blaise 3rd February

Another feast with a Candle connection.  This year, the feast of St Blaise was displaced because it fell on a Sunday, however, after masses, the traditional blessing with candles to protect against disease of the throat was given.

Parishioner receiving blessing with candles for St Blaise 

St Blaise: Feast Day February 3rd. 

ca. 4th century

Statue of St Blaise

Blaise is believed to have been the son of rich and noble Christians and to have been very young when he was consecrated Bishop of Sebaste in Armenia. During a period of persecution Blaise hid in a cave where he blessed sick or wounded animals. He saved the life of the son of a woman who brought him food and water by dislodging a fishbone from the boy’s throat when he was at the point of choking to death. The practise of blessing sufferers of diseases of the throat in the name of St Blaise continues to this day and may be accompanied by holding two candles to the throat. Water may also be given to sick cattle in the name of St Blaise. He died defending the Christian faith in 316 by being torn by wool-combs before being beheaded. At least four miracles were recorded at his shrine. St Blaise is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, a group of saints venerated because their intercession is believed to be particularly effective against disease. 

Patronage: Animals, builders, choking, throats, infants, stonecutters, carvers, veterinarians, wool-workers.

Did you know? Each week the Cathedral website features a saint whose feast day we celebrate during that week.  A useful way to learn more about the lives of Saints.