Mass at Liverpool church to mark fifth anniversary of Madeleine McCann’s disappearance

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2012/05/01/mass-at-liverpool-church-to-mark-fifth-anniversary-of-madeleine-mccann-s-disappearance-100252-30880081/

Mass at Liverpool church to mark fifth anniversary of Madeleine McCann’s disappearance

A MASS for Madeleine McCann will be said in Liverpool to mark the fifth anniversary of her disappearance during a family holiday in Portugal.

It will take place at 7.30pm tomorrow at Our Lady of the Annunciation, Bishop Eton, in Woolton Road, Childwall.

The venue is the parish church of Liverpool-born Kate McCann’s parents Brian and Susan Healy and also the church where Mrs McCann and her husband Gerry got married.

Explaining a poignant aspect of this year’s service, Mrs Healy said: “It will be the first time a Mass has been said for Madeleine on a Thursday – the day of the week she was taken.”

Madeleine’s grandmother also paid tribute to her fellow Merseysiders for the backing they have always given the family.

She said: “Their support has been tremendous and we want to thank them for that.

“People show kindness every day. I would just ask people to keep on praying for Madeleine.”

Madeleine will be nine on May 12 and an image was last week released to show what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

The case’s profile was also raised when the detective leading the Metropolitan police review said he believed it could still be solved – and revealed there were 195 potential leads to be followed up.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood said he believed Madeleine’s disappearance was a stranger abduction and added his 28 detectives and seven civilian support staff had dealt with 40,000 pieces of information.

Mr and Mrs McCann are said to be “hugely encouraged” by Scotland Yard’s ongoing review of the case, which has identified nearly 200 potential leads.

But the Portuguese authorities have so far refused to reopen their investigation into how the little girl vanished on the family holiday to the Algarve on May 3, 2007.

The official Portuguese inquiry into Madeleine’s disappearance was formally shelved in July 2008, although private detectives employed by the McCanns continued the search.

Scotland Yard’s review of the case – called Operation Grange – was launched last May after a request from home secretary Theresa May supported by prime minister David Cameron.

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No doubt that will set off more anti-Catholic rants in some places.

This will give further indication of the support that the good people of Liverpool and the Catholic community will continue to give to Madeleine's family.

There will be many masses and prayers said for her and her family.
Sadly as a practising,"genuine" CatholicI have seen quite a few posts which give off more than a whiff of bigotry..............

I hope that the recently-outed, thuggish stalker who threatened on Twitter to disrupt a similar church service in Liverpool last year won't be in any mood now to go ahead with his sick threats.

I am not a Catholic, erngath, but I have seen some disgraceful bigotry today - some people don't seem to know this is the 21st century.

greenink211 wrote:I hope that the recently-outed, thuggish stalker who threatened on Twitter to disrupt a similar church service in Liverpool last year won't be in any mood now to go ahead with his sick threats.

Oh, you don't think he will be popping up to Liverpool to share his press cuttings with his Number One Fan, then?