On 9 August at 3pm, Mark Stanford will be installed as a Residentiary Canon and will serve as an Executive Member of Chapter. Mike Kirby will also be installed as Canon Scientist.It is wonderful to have them both joining us at the Cathedral, bringing their own unique skills, gifts and experience. Please do come and support them as Bishop Simon collates them. We look forward to celebrating this special occasion together!If you can, It would be good to support Mark at this service.Using the words that he said many times in Holy Trinity 'I’m going.It’s going to be good. Are you going too?’
August 2026 NEWSLETTERDear FriendsOur Summer Series this year is entitled, “Walking in the Way”, and we will be considering the direction in which we are travelling in the light of the Beatitudes.Thinking about this I was reminded of a Retreat I went on at St. Bueno’s Spiritual Centre in North Wales. The Retreat was based on walking a labyrinth they had created in the grounds of the Retreat House. I remember that as I walked the twisting network of paths, I was struck by how often I seemed to be going away from the centre rather than moving towards it, although I knew that I was on the only path which could eventually take me to the heart of that labyrinth. Sometimes our faith can be like that. There are times in our lives when we seem to be moving away from God. Times when the things that are happening to us don’t appear to be blessings. But as we walk this way together, I hope that we can share our own experiences of finding that God is close to us even in the most difficult of times, enabling us to be not only blessed but a blessing to others.Ruth
Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. Ps 2:10-11We are just starting to get used to having a new Prime Minister, and having his colleagues influencing our lives, we pray for all in governance, not just in our country but throughout the world. Different styles of government, different ways of doing things, sometimes they cause us alarm. But the one thing that we should have in common is, that the people they govern should be treated with respect, fairness and kindness, so we ask God to step in and bring this about.The young people, not in school, continue to be at the centre of our prayers, that they come to no harm through being online, or being allowed to roam free because they have no supervision. We also pray for those children, who because they don’t have access to the free dinners they have in school, will be going hungry and in need of protection.We pray for the Holiday at Home scheme, that it will bring joy to those who are house bound and to the helpers alike.Over the past couple of years, we have had a housing boom in Formby, we pray that people who have joined us from elsewhere, will be welcomed and find friendship and love from those who have been here a while, especially from our churches.With the uncertainty of how the hot weather will have affected the crops in the fields, we pray for all who work on the land, for all producers of food and those who are essential for our food security. We pray that they will be fairly paid for their labours and no exploitation causing distress.The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Ps 19:1
