DEAN JOHN LINEHAN. 84, has retired as parish priest of

St. Mary's, Blackburn. He was ordained b y Bishop Vaughan at St. Alban's Church, Blackburn. in 1910. Ile is a former chief religious inspector of schools for the Salford diocese. In his early days he served the Church in Manchester, Bury, Oldham and Castleton.
He is succeeded by Fr. Gerard Fearon, at present curate of St. John's, Rochdale.
THREE church infant schoolsSt. Charles R.C., St. Peter and St. Pauls C. of E., and the Methodist School-made a practical contribution to Christian unity by meeting at the Methodist School for the opening of three Tufty Clubs, organised by the North East Lancashire Road Safety Committee. The main character of the clubs is Tufty Fluffy/tail. a squirrel who does everything right on the road.
READINGS from the prose and verse of Francis Thompson. who has been called 'The Great Victorian Hippy," form the centre of Viewpoint on BBC-I TV on Wednesday, February 21.
THE first meeting of the Liverpool Archdiocesan Pastoral Council will be held on February 17 in the University Chaplaincy, aftet: a Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit concelebrated at 3 p.m. in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of the cathedral by Archbishop Beck, Bishop Harris and other priests.
A PROMISE to examine carefully the shortage of accommodation in Catholic schools in Bootle was given by Mr. Gordon Walker last week after a talk at the House of Commons with Mr. Simon Mahon, M.P. for Bootle, and Fr. Hugh O'Donoghue, parish priest of St. Monica's.
FR. WILFRID JOHNSON, of Wellingborough. Northants. in his campaign to clear his parish of debt. has held two dinners for more than 500 parishioners in the local drill hall. Parish collectors have themselves promised an average of 13s. a week.
LORETO COLLEGE, Cavan, Ireland, appeals for used postage stamps to aid the foreign missions. PROPOSALS for changing the Irish Republic Constitution are the subject of the inaugural lecture of the forthcoming 17th session of Milltown Park Public Lectures on Wednesday, February 21. The lecture will deal with the proposals regarding the special position of the Catholic Church, divorce and related questions. The speaker is Fr. Laurence Ryan, St. Patrick's College, Carlow.
CANON ADRIAN CHAPPLE, of St. Mary's, Falmouth, Cornwall, hopes soon to begin saying Mass in local homes. People_are asked to send in their names so that Catholic neighbours can be invited, ST. OSMUND'S CHURCH, Barnes, Surrey, is paying £60,000 for the premises of the Convent of the Sacred Heart which is to become a Catholic primary school after the closure of the convent school next July.
THE FIRST united service at Bitterne, Southampton, was held at the Catholic church of Christ the King. The sermon was by the Portsmouth VicarGeneral Mgr. Mullarkey and the service was conducted by Fr. D. Walshe, parish priest.