Requiem at Clifton

Nearly 200 priests, including 15 Bishops concelebrated a Requiem Mass last week at Clifton Cathedral for Bishop Joseph Rudderham, former Bishop of Clifton. Among those present were the Archbishops of Birmingham, Cardin and Liverpool. The Apostolic! Delegate was represented by his Charge d'Affaires, Mgr Oliveri.
The principal concelebrant was Bishop Mervyn Alexander. In his homily Bishop Alexander spoke about Bishop Rudderham's 25 years as Bishop of Clifton and how the Catholic population of the diocese had doubled during the Bishop's reign. Bishop Rudderham, he said was a man of great forthrightness and real kindness and one who loved talking to children. Mr Wilfred Rudderham, brother of the late Bishop, read the first reading at the Requiem Mass and members of the Rudderham family joined in the Offertory Procession.
Bishop Rudderham was buried at Holy Souls Cemetery, Bristol.
• Last week-end 23 young people from Clifton spent the week-end at Buckfast Abbey, Devon. Led by Fr Martin Fitzpatrick from the Cathedral Parish the aim of the week-end was to find out the young people's ideas on the National Pastoral Congress. The weekend, the first of a number of "Weekends Away", centred round discussions on the Church in the future.
For relaxation the young people took part in a 10-mile walk over Dartmoor and a brave swim in the River Dart.