Bishop Marcus was joined by Bishop Emeritus Terry and clergy and lay faithful from across the diocese and beyond to celebrate Mass in thanksgiving for 40 years of St Mary’s Cathedral.
Consecrated by Bishop Augustine Harris on Sunday May 15 1988, the cathedral was built in the suburb of Coulby Newham to replace the “old cathedral”, which had become unsafe. The roof outline of the new building was designed to echo shape of the iconic Roseberry Topping in the background.
Among those present was Canon Pat Harney, the first parish priest and later administrator of the new cathedral. Last year Canon Pat celebrated his own platinum jubilee of ordination.
In his homily, the dean, Canon Paul Farrer, spoke of the history and faith represented in the region now covered by the Diocese of Middlesbrough – from the Yorkshire Martyrs to the 19th-century Irish immigrants who came to the area seeking employment in the iron and steel works, to the present day Catholic community with the cathedral at its heart.
He acknowledged the uniqueness of the building – a place of belonging – and the importance of going out from there into the world, fortified by the sacraments, to spread the Good News.
“We all come from somewhere,” he said. The story of the town and the story of the diocese are inseparable. Irish labourers, dock workers, steelworkers, shipyard families, teachers, religious sisters, priests and parishioners built both the civic and spiritual life of this area.
“But coming from somewhere is only half the story. As people of faith, we are all on our way somewhere too. We are God’s pilgrim people.
“Our celebration of these 40 years is pointless unless, when Jesus asks us, ‘Who do you say I am?’, we can reply, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.’”
