Nine preachers share their experience of priesthood during Novena of Grace

The auxiliary bishop of Liverpool will be the first preacher for St Francis Xavier's Novena of Grace, beginning on Thursday, 4 March 2010.  Bishop Vincent Malone, himself a former pupil of SFX College who worshipped in the church as a boy, will preach at the midday Mass on the theme of priesthood.  As it is the Year of the Priest, a short homily over the nine-day period of the Novena will be given each day by one of the priests of the Pastoral Area on 'My Life as a Priest'.

The Novena of Grace is a Catholic devotion addressed to Saint Francis Xavier, who co-founded the Society of Jesus and worked as a missionary in the Far East.  It was on 12 March 1622 that Xavier - along with Ignatius Loyola, Philip Neri and Teresa of Avila - were canonised by Pope Gregory XV.  The Novena of Grace is traditionally held between March 4 and 12 inclusive.  It is believed to be a period of special blessing for those who take part in it.

Subsequent speakers at St Francis Xavier's (SFX) in Liverpool with be
Fr Arthur FitzGerald of St Michael's Church, West Derby Road (Friday 5 March),
Fr Chris Fallon - Director of the St Bede's Institute at Ushaw College (Saturday 6 March),
Fr Patrick Connors SJ - parish priest of SFX who will preach at the 10.15am Mass on Sunday 7 March,
Fr Terry McSweeney, St John's, Kirkdale (Monday 8 March),
Fr Graeme Dunne - St Anthony's, Scotland Road (Tuesday 9 March),
Fr Steve Maloney - Vocations Director for the Archdiocese of Liverpool (Wednesday 10 March), and
Fr Frank Ferns, All Saints, Anfield (Thursday 11 March).
The final preacher on Friday, 12 March, will be the RC Chaplain for the National Catholic Scout Fellowship, Fr John Seddon.


 SFX Church, Liverpool