Every two years the Cathedral also hosts an Epiphany Service for schools across the Archdiocese. At this year's edition, which took place on Friday 12 January, we were joined by a delegation from our twin city of Cologne in Germany. Our visitors played a prominent part in the service, and before they left they inscribed onto the wall of the Cathedral the initials: CMB 2018. CMB stands for 'Christus mansionem benedicat' which translates as 'Christ bless this house'. But, of course, CMB also represents the names of the Three Kings, Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. Since before the Middle Ages, Catholics would bless their homes by writing in blessed chalk the initials of the three kings above their doorways, a tradition which is still alive in Germany and was brought to Liverpool by our Cologne friends.
Liverpool is a unique city in many respects, but none more so than the close relationship between its two Cathedrals. To mark the beginning of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the choir and congregation of both Cathedrals gathered at Liverpool Cathedral for Choral Evensong on Sunday 21 January. The joint choirs sang music by Tallis, Howells and Vaughan-Williams, surely three of the greatest ever English composers.