Maureen Finnegan, Archdiocesan vice-president

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February has always been thought of as one of the worst months. Christmas seems so long ago, and the promise of spring is yet to come. However, we do have some special dates ahead. 

On 2 February, we celebrate the Feast of Candlemas, the Presentation of the Lord. Jesus was presented in the temple in Jerusalem and Mary was purified after the birth of Jesus. Then, on 11 February, comes the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. My nephew has a birthday on that day and I always envy him. What a lovely day on which to have your birthday. Many people travel to Lourdes for this special feast each year. 

Of course, 14 February is the feast of St Valentine. A third-century saint, he was born in Terni in central Italy and died in Rome in 273 AD. St Valentine is the patron saint of bees. Known for his gentle and caring treatment of bees, he would often talk to them and bless them with his prayers. 

On St Valentine’s Day, we will hold our business meeting in the Gibberd Room at the Metropolitan Cathedral. This meeting offers an important opportunity to focus on our new committee. In April we will hold our AGM and most of the present committee will end their term of office. We need a president, two vice-presidents, a media officer and a minuting secretary. These vacancies must be filled; otherwise we will not have an archdiocesan committee in Liverpool. Please think seriously about whether you can help. It is a commitment but a very pleasant one. I look forward to seeing you all there. 
Our next bi-monthly Mass will take place on 11 March at St Anne’s on Overbury Street.  As it is our first Mass of the year, we will present Father Ron Johnson with a cheque for the Priests’ Training Fund.