The Catholic Diocese of Lancaster

Cathedral Spire Appeal

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My dear people,

For generations, our Cathedral has stood as a symbol of faith, hope and community. Rising above Lancaster’s skyline, the cathedral spire has stood witness to the place where the martyrs received their crown, marked important moments for both the City and the Diocese and served as a treasured landmark for the faithful in the Diocese, the cathedral parish and the City of Lancaster.

Today, this historic structure is in urgent need of repair. While Victorians built things to last, years of exposure to wind, rain, and changing weather have taken their toll, and essential restoration work is now required to preserve the spire for future generations. Without these repairs, the spire is in genuine risk of collapse.

I am asking for your help. The cathedral parish has already secured £200,000 of the projected £800,000 we require. The Friends of the Cathedral have begun an ambitious fundraising campaign encompassing the parish, the City of Lancaster and now the Diocese.   

On this Feast of the Dedication of the Cathedral, I would like to ask you to play a part in saving the Cathedral for generations to come. Every donation, no matter the size, will contribute directly to safeguarding this magnificent heritage asset and ensuring it continues to inspire generations to come.

St Peter’s Church, which became the Cathedral, was built by subscription. Parishioners and others gave both large and small amounts. By 1859, a generation after the Catholic Emancipation Act removed the legal restrictions long been imposed, those donations meant Lancaster had a church the city and the faithful were proud to call their own.  

By supporting our appeal, each of you is not only helping to repair stone and structure. You are preserving a place of worship, the building at the head of the Diocese, a piece of our shared Catholic history in the North-West and a beacon of the City of Lancaster.

The appeal has a website with more details about the works required and how to donate. Please take a look: www.saveourspire.com

Together, we can ensure that our cathedral spire continues to stand proudly for many years ahead.

Please give generously and be part of preserving our Diocesan legacy.

Thank you for yoursupport.

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✠ Rt Rev Paul Swarbrick
Bishop of Lancaster

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Canon Philip Connor Installed as a Member of the Cathedral Chapter

There was a joyful gathering at our Cathedral on Thursday 24th September, the Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham, as Fr Philip Connor was installed as a Canon of the Cathedral Chapter.

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Fr Philip, Parish Priest of Christ the Good Shepherd, Workington, and Episcopal Vicar for the Clergy, was joined by family, friends, brother priests and members of the Cathedral community for this special moment in his ministry.

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Canon Hugh Pollock began the ceremony by reading a letter from Bishop Paul Swarbrick inviting Fr Philip to join the Cathedral Chapter. The installation was then conducted by the Provost of the Cathedral Chapter, Canon Luiz Ruscillo, as Fr Philip formally took his place among the Canons.

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The ceremony was followed by Midday Prayer and the celebration of Mass, with Canon Bob Dewhurst as principal celebrant. Among the Canons present on the sanctuary were Canon Peter Hart, Canon Michael Doherty, Canon Paul Embery and Canon Chris Loughran, together with other priests of the Diocese.

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The Cathedral Chapter is made up of priests appointed as Canons to support the life and mission of the Diocese. They have a particular responsibility for the prayer and worship of the Cathedral and also bring their pastoral experience and wisdom in support of the Bishop and the wider diocesan family.

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It was especially fitting that Canon Philip’s installation should take place on the Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham, a day which holds a special place in the life of the Church in England and reminds us of Mary’s faithful response to God’s call.

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We give thanks for Canon Philip’s ministry and pray for him as he begins this new responsibility, that Our Lady of Walsingham may continue to guide and accompany him in his service of Christ and the people of the Diocese of Lancaster.

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With every blessing,

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✠ Rt Rev Paul Swarbrick
Bishop of Lancaster

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Bishop's Message: Season for the Care of Creation

My dear people,

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May the peace of Christ be with you all.

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As we move from the long, dry summer into autumn the Church marks the Season for the Care of Creation, beginning on 1^st September and concluding on 4^th October. The 4^th October holds a double significance for us; it is the anniversary of Lancaster Cathedral’s Dedication, and it also marks the Feast Day for Saint Francis of Assisi, this year being the 800th anniversary of his death.

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I commend to you the Pastoral Message issued by our Holy Father, Pope Leo XlV, specifically for this Season of Grace. I commend it to your attention for this short period of time, inviting you to take particular note of Pope Leo’s invitation for each of us to pray for a renewal of the heart. Without such renewal we are inclined to take for granted the Lord’s self-Revelation in His work of creation. His gift of nature will be belittled or misused or misunderstood. We will blame others for the state of the world, whilst awarding ourselves license to do nothing. Without such renewal we are inclined to lose sight of His gift of re-Creation through the saving Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lord, and then lose our belief in our eternal destiny.

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Pope Leo has, with a true shepherd’s heart shown us a way of conversion and growth which is open to each of us. He emphasizes the need for our action now. With humility may your each be moved to respond in a spirit of grateful hope. This first September weekend I shall be travelling to London to take part in the March For Life, an event I have attended often since I became your Bishop. This annual event highlights how great the threat to creation is, especially given the stark evidence showing how our secular culture seems committed to self-destruction. I ask your perseverance in prayer in defence of God’s gift of creation, and particularly in defence of the gift we each carry, made as we are, in His own image and likeness. Let us remember those most at risk.

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With every blessing,

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✠ Rt Rev Paul Swarbrick
Bishop of Lancaster

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https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/messages/creation/documents/20260815-messaggio-giornata-curacreato.html

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