For the second year in a row, Merseyside Police’s branch of The Catholic Police Guild of England and Wales organised two Ash Wednesday services in police buildings, enabling officers and staff to mark the start of Lent with the distribution of ashes.
One service was held at the Forces’ Training Centre at Mather Avenue whilst the other was held at one of the large response and patrol stations situated near to Liverpool city centre.
The service at the Training Centre was conducted by Father Richard Ebo, one of the Force Chaplains and Parish Priest of one of the city’s oldest and most well-known parishes, St Anthony’s, Scotland Road. The second service was conducted by the Forces’ Lead Chaplain John McCarthy, who is a retired Merseyside Police officer and Deacon in the Archdiocese of Liverpool.
On the first Sunday of Lent, the Guild was invited to the Civic Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, which was celebrated by the Archbishop of Liverpool and was attended by HM Lord Lieutenant, the High Sheriff and other civic leaders from Merseyside along with other senior figures including the Chief Constable.
The Catholic Police Guild, founded in 1914, exists for serving and retired Roman Catholic police officers and police staff.
