BY A•enaFor M BROWN

CATHOLICS HONOURED in the New Year honours list include a toy manufacturer, a muchloved London priest and Hong Kong's last governor.
Chris Patten becomes a Companion of Honour. Fr Christopher "Kit" Cunningham IC received an MBE for his services to the community. Thomas tassidy was awarded an MBE for services to the toy industry and for his charitable work in Lancashire.
An OBE went to Brian Davies, lately Director of Education of Cafod, for his work in the field of Third World development. Mr Davies, speaking from Bangladesh, said he was proud to accept the honour.
In education, Thomas O'Malley received an OBE for his work as headmaster of St David's Roman Catholic High School, Dalkeith, near Edinburgh.
An MBE was also bestowed on Robina Rafferty, Director of the Catholic Housing Aid Society (CHAS), .
Ms Rafferty, who has worked for CHAS for 21 years, said she had wanted to work with the dispossessed in Britain after seeing the effects of absolute poverty in Asia.
"Homelessness denies people one of the most basic human rights, and means that they lack the security and space in which they can fulfil their potential as human beings," Ms Rafferty said.
"I am still gripped by a sense of outrage that, in a country as wealthy as ours, we still have people living on the streets or in housing which is unfit for human habitation." Sister Anthony Wilson SND becomes an MBE for service to Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral.
Catholics in the Armed Forces were numerously recognised with CBEs, OBEs and MBEs.
They are Col Paul Davis (CBE), Lt Col Nigel Lloyd (OBE), Lt Col Godfrey McFall (OBE), Group Captain Glenn Howard (OBE) and Wing Commander Anthony Leonard (OBE). MBEs went to Majors Mark Davis, Phil Fisher, Tony Hollingsworth and David Morgan, Warrant Officer P H Lewis, Squadron Leader John Abra, Sergeant Stephen Corrigan, Warrant Officer Owen Frame and Squadron Leader Maxwell Jardim.
Meanwhile, the former Anglican Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Rev David Sheppard, said his life peerage was recognition for the cooperation of Protestant and Catholic Churches in the service of the community.
"I am deeply touched to be singled out for this very special honour for a bishop," said Bishop Sheppard. "I have always sought to be a team player.
"I see it as recognition for the Anglican, Roman Catholic and Free Churches working together with increasing trust in service to the whole community, and especially to those who are so often pushed to the edges of our society I believe it is also some recognition for lay people and clergy who live and work in the urban priority areas of Merseyside." Profile: Fr Kit Cunningham — Page 7