Ceremony marks Isle of Man church's new cathedral status

A celebration has marked cathedral status being granted to a Catholic church in the Isle of Man's capital.

A decree from Pope Francis read during the service at the Church of Saint Mary of the Isle in Douglas said the new cathedral would be a symbol of "unity".

It means the church has now become "co-cathedral" to Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King.

The service saw the island's national anthem sung by the congregation and the Lord's Prayer said in Manx.

The Archbishop's chair has become a permanent fixture in the church

The newly designated co-cathedral status, which comes about when both dioceses are merged or when a single diocese spans two distinct civil jurisdictions, means the churches are the first in the British Isles to share the same bishop.

The elevation follows Douglas being awarded city status as part of last year's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

The service was attended by the Archbishop of Liverpool Malcolm McMahon, who sent a petition for the status change to the Pope, canons of the Metropolitan Cathedral and bishops from across England and Wales.

The Church of Saint Mary of the Isle was built in 1859

Dignitaries from the Isle of Man government and Douglas City Council joined the congregation, alongside members of the Methodist and Anglican churches on the island and children from St Mary's school.

During the service, the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, who acts as the Pope's ambassador, installed Archbishop McMahon in a special chair in the church.

Featuring a specially designed coat of arms, which blends symbols representing the Liverpool Archdiocesan with those from the Isle of Man, it will be permanently fixed in the space.

The Pope's ambassador (left) and the Archbishop of Liverpool (right) took part in the service

Parish priest Monsignor John Devine said the occasion had celebrated "the ancient Celtic traditions of the Catholic Church on the island and its links to the church in Liverpool".

It had been a "great day" for families who have been part of the congregation for years, and was a "boost to the Catholic community on the island", he said.

Many residents joined the congregation at the service to mark St Mary' gaining cathedral status

Archbishop McMahan said the "landmark occasion" had already "strengthened the bonds of friendship" and had "opened the door for the distinctive faith tradition of the island to be shared with the rest of the archdiocese".

He said the new status "serves as a permanent reminder to the people of the island that they are part of a much greater and universal worldwide church".

"I hope it means a lot to Manx people, it means a lot to us," he added.

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