Introduction by Professor Donnelly 2009
Thank you Archbishop for those warm and meaningful words. It is wonderful to have you with us here today and we are very grateful for being able to come back to this beautiful cathedral church of Christ the King to celebrate our 11th annual Pause for Hope service. With the Archbishop we have Canon Myles Davies from Liverpool Anglican cathedral and, in place of Wayne Clarke who is indisposed, we are pleased to have the Rev Ian Smith of the United Reform church who is Ecumenical Development Officer for Churches Together on Merseyside. We are delighted also that Mgr Peter Cookson, who was Dean here for many years and who is gradually winning his own battle with cancer, is with us today. The problem of cancer does not go away although each year advances in treatment bring fresh hope of cure and the mysteries of the causes of cancer are little by little being solved by scientists all over the world. Here on Merseyside we know all about the burden of cancer on our community and the distress which it causes to almost every family at some time or another and Mike McCartney will be talking about this in a very moving way later on. It is very good therefore that we come together like this once a year in th presence of the Lord Lieutenant, the Lord Mayor and the mayors of Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral representing their communities, to pray for those who have or have had cancer, for those who look after them at home or in hospital, for those who have the serious responsibility of providing adequate and readily accessible treatment and care and, of course, for our scientists trying to find the cure. It is also a meaningful time to remember those loved ones we have lost to cancer. This is always an uplifting service and the music provided by the Birkenhead Operatic Society and the choir of St Anne's school in Rainhill will certainly help to achieve this and we are grateful to them for being here. Finally a word of thanks to BBC Radio Merseyside, represented by Maureen Walsh and Roger Phillips. Radio Merseyside have again given us great support this year and will be taking our service into homes and hospitals for those unable to be with us either because they have cancer or because they are looking after someone with cancer - surely local radio at its best. You will be able to listen to highlights of the service next Sunday morning at 8.30 am and for one week thereafter the whole service will be available online on Radio Merseyside's website. Pause for Hope is an important initiative in the battle against cancer. It aims to ease, through prayer, the burden of cancer on individuals, their loved ones and the community and to pray that the day will quickly come when all cancers can be prevented or cured. This is the purpose of our service today.
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