0:00:06 > 0:00:09In the early 1970s, a young priest came here
0:00:09 > 0:00:13to the John Rigby College in Wigan to be their new chaplain.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15It was his first job.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17That plain-speaking northern lad went on
0:00:17 > 0:00:20to become Archbishop of Westminster.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23And now, as a newly appointed cardinal,
0:00:23 > 0:00:25he'll have a hand in choosing the next Pope.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32We take Cardinal Vincent Nichols on a trip back in time
0:00:32 > 0:00:35to share his vision for the Catholic Church.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39Our hymns and songs come from St Oswald and St Edmund Arrowsmith,
0:00:39 > 0:00:42where our new church detective discovers a precious relic,
0:00:42 > 0:00:45and singer Laurie Ashworth performs.
0:00:52 > 0:00:57I'm in Liverpool, not far from where Vincent Nichols was born in 1945.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Fast forward a few decades,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02and he's now the leader of the Roman Catholic Church
0:01:02 > 0:01:05in England and Wales. He's come here for a short visit,
0:01:05 > 0:01:08and I've come to take him to the nearby town,
0:01:08 > 0:01:11where his ministry began. We're off to Wigan.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17- Here's our taxi.- Good.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24Well, we're on our way now to the sixth form college in Wigan
0:01:24 > 0:01:27- where you had your first job. - Yes, it is.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30I arrived at about 3:45, which was a very bad time,
0:01:30 > 0:01:34because 600 teenagers were coming out,
0:01:34 > 0:01:36and I was trying to go in.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38I thought, "What on earth have I come to?"
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Never had a full-time chaplain before,
0:01:41 > 0:01:43so I didn't really know what to do all day.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47But, eventually, I came up with a kind of job description,
0:01:47 > 0:01:52and it was very simple. I was there to loiter with intent,
0:01:52 > 0:01:56just to walk with people, just to accompany them a bit.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59And I think that's a very important theme
0:01:59 > 0:02:01in the ministry of any Catholic priest,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04and quite a lot of the students are still in touch with me today.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08Can I take you back now to the point that led to the decision
0:02:08 > 0:02:11that actually took you to that school,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13which is why you became a priest?
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Well, I can remember on a number of occasions being at Anfield
0:02:16 > 0:02:21and watching Liverpool playing, and just really shouting at God,
0:02:21 > 0:02:23saying, "Will you please leave me alone?"
0:02:23 > 0:02:27"I don't want to do this. I just want to be one of the crowd.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31"I don't want this sense of having to step apart
0:02:31 > 0:02:34"and do something different."
0:02:34 > 0:02:37So I remember, for example, my older brother Peter,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39the night before I was to be ordained a priest,
0:02:39 > 0:02:43and we were sitting in a hotel near the college in Rome,
0:02:43 > 0:02:47and he said to me, "What are you getting ordained a priest for?"
0:02:47 > 0:02:51So I said, "Well, Peter, it's a bit late to ask that question!
0:02:51 > 0:02:53"It's in the morning." And I said, "Well,
0:02:53 > 0:02:57"because I think it makes sense of who I know myself to be."
0:02:57 > 0:03:01So it's that defining sense of purpose
0:03:01 > 0:03:04that you think you have in life.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08But I must admit, I would never regret it.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10It has actually been, I suspect,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13the one thing in life that has really made me happy.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Really deeply content.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19I'm deeply content being a priest. It's right for me.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22As the college prepares to welcome its old chaplain,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25we'll be back later to find out how the cardinal tackles
0:03:25 > 0:03:28questions from today's students.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31But now for our first hymn, from St Oswald and
0:03:31 > 0:03:33St Edmund Arrowsmith Church just up the road.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52Think of Wigan, and you might think of Wigan Pier.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56Of course, there's no coastline here and no obvious pier.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59The origin of the phrase is a matter of debate.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02The pier was probably a simple wooden jetty
0:06:02 > 0:06:05used to load coal from a nearby colliery.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09According to folklore, someone looking out of a train to Southport
0:06:09 > 0:06:14saw it and said, "Where are we?" and was told, "Wigan Pier."
0:06:14 > 0:06:17For some reason, the joke stuck.
0:06:18 > 0:06:24Then, in 1937, George Orwell wrote this book, The Road To Wigan Pier,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27a fairly brutal look at the working class communities
0:06:27 > 0:06:29of Britain in the 1930s,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32particularly those affected by the coal industry.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Orwell writes of his fondness for Wigan,
0:06:35 > 0:06:39disappointed only that "Wigan Pier has been demolished,
0:06:39 > 0:06:43"and even the spot where it used to stand is no longer certain."
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Wiganers are known as "pie-eaters".
0:06:48 > 0:06:51'Once again, nobody knows why for sure.'
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Hello.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55'One theory dates back to 1926,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58'when a general strike brought the country to a standstill.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00'In Wigan, the collieries were said
0:07:00 > 0:07:03'to have starved the men back down the pit.'
0:07:03 > 0:07:06With no money and nothing to eat,
0:07:06 > 0:07:10the workers were forced to eat humble pie, and so the tale goes,
0:07:10 > 0:07:14they've been known as "pie-eaters" ever since.
0:07:14 > 0:07:15Ooh! Lovely.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21The legacy of the coal-mining industry is felt
0:07:21 > 0:07:22everywhere around here.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25A century ago, Lancashire's pits produced
0:07:25 > 0:07:2826 million tonnes of coal each year.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32Now there's just one colliery left in the whole of Lancashire,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35here at Astley Green. And even it's closed.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38It stands as a museum to the industry,
0:07:38 > 0:07:40an industry fraught with danger.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48And Wigan was the site of a major disaster in 1979.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53A gas explosion at Golborne Colliery killed ten miners.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Engineer Eric Foster was there.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00We were working that Sunday morning,
0:08:00 > 0:08:04me and my colleagues, and all of a sudden,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06we heard this tremendous thud.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09I was at the pit bottom at the time.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12We realised that, when there's smoke coming towards us,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15we saw that morning, there could be fire behind it,
0:08:15 > 0:08:19flames, so we dove into where our tool boxes were,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22and pandemonium broke out.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25From then on, we went in and tried to get the men out.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30When we got to the area where the explosion was,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33this huge girder was across the tunnel,
0:08:33 > 0:08:37so we had to physically push it back in the tunnel
0:08:37 > 0:08:40while we got the manriders ready to bring the men out.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44'The 11 men were working on electrical switchgear
0:08:44 > 0:08:45'and ventilation equipment.'
0:08:45 > 0:08:47And then, at 11:25,
0:08:47 > 0:08:51methane which had built up in the tunnel suddenly ignited.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54And you lost ten colleagues?
0:08:54 > 0:08:59Ten men. Yeah. And one was a good friend.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02You know, one electrician. Was always laughing.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09The Golborne Colliery is long gone,
0:09:09 > 0:09:11and the site now contains business units,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14but this community doesn't want Wigan families
0:09:14 > 0:09:17to forget those who braved the coal mines.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Members of the community have gathered in a procession
0:09:20 > 0:09:24to remember those who lost their lives in Golborne.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40For Eric, his faith continues to help,
0:09:40 > 0:09:42as it did on the day of the tragedy.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Some lads were killed outright. Some were in hospital,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50and the least I could do was go and say my prayers for them.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55You think of the lads, don't you? Who you knew, and what you did.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58And you do get overcome by it.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50In a moment, we'll have a performance
0:12:50 > 0:12:52- from local soprano Laurie Ashworth. - Hi, Dad.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Hi, Laurie. Ready for later?
0:12:54 > 0:12:57But Laurie doesn't just sing in churches.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01She and her father Mike share a love of Wigan Athletic Football Club.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03- Bye. - And they're more than just fans.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05At the football, I'm going to be providing
0:13:05 > 0:13:07the pre-match entertainment,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09and I will be singing Puccini's Nessun Dorma.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13My association with Wigan Athletic is quite long-standing.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17My dad has been the club doctor for, I think, about 32 years.
0:13:19 > 0:13:20Yeah, you'll be fine, OK?
0:13:20 > 0:13:22My prime duty is on match days.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25It's to sit at the side of the pitch
0:13:25 > 0:13:27and be available for any medical emergencies.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32I've been doing this job for over 32 years, and during that time,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35obviously, there's a potential for a lot of serious injuries,
0:13:35 > 0:13:39but fingers crossed and touch wood, it doesn't happen very often.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Wigan's a very community-minded town,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45and I think that's reflected in the football club.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49And next to me is this beautiful trophy, the FA Cup,
0:13:49 > 0:13:51won by Wigan Athletic last year.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53It was the best day of my life.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00I was baptised in St Oswald's Church in Ashton-in-Makerfield,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02which was our local parish.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05My mum brought both my sister and I up as Catholics,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08and it was a very important upbringing for us.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12And it's definitely shaped how I behave in my adult life.
0:14:15 > 0:14:16- ANNOUNCER:- Laurie Ashworth!
0:14:16 > 0:14:19APPLAUSE
0:14:20 > 0:14:24# Nessun dorma
0:14:24 > 0:14:28# Nessun dorma... #
0:14:28 > 0:14:33Performing in a church is wonderful. It's a wonderful experience.
0:14:33 > 0:14:34Very spiritual experience, really.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38Performing in front of the fans at the football, it can be...
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Well, it's more nerve-racking. I don't have any music,
0:14:40 > 0:14:44which I can fall back on when I'm performing in church.
0:14:44 > 0:14:51# Ma il mio mistero e chiuso in me... #
0:14:51 > 0:14:54I have on occasion been jeered by the away fans.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56It's true. Spurs fans!
0:14:56 > 0:14:59SHE LAUGHS
0:14:59 > 0:15:01I would hope that my singing inspires others.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04The music definitely inspires me,
0:15:04 > 0:15:06and I think music has this power
0:15:06 > 0:15:08to bring people together and to heal people.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12HOLDS LONG NOTE
0:15:12 > 0:15:14CHEERING
0:15:26 > 0:15:34# May the Lord show his mercy upon you
0:15:34 > 0:15:41# May the light of his presence be your guide
0:15:41 > 0:15:49# May he guard you and uphold you
0:15:49 > 0:15:57# May his spirit be ever by your side
0:15:57 > 0:16:05# When you sleep, may his angels watch over you
0:16:05 > 0:16:13# When you wake, may he fill you with his grace
0:16:13 > 0:16:23# May you love him and serve him all your days
0:16:23 > 0:16:37# Then in heaven may you see his face
0:16:41 > 0:16:49# May the Lord's loving kindness surround you
0:16:49 > 0:16:55# Keep you safe as you journey on your way
0:16:56 > 0:17:04# May he lead you and inspire you
0:17:04 > 0:17:11# As he grants you the gift of each new day
0:17:11 > 0:17:20# May he bless all your loved ones and cherish them
0:17:20 > 0:17:26# Ev'ry friend, ev'ry stranger at your door
0:17:28 > 0:17:38# In the name of his Son our Saviour Christ
0:17:38 > 0:17:52# May God bless you now and ever-more
0:17:52 > 0:18:06# Bless you now and ever-more. #
0:18:09 > 0:18:13A Clare Benediction, performed by Laurie Ashworth
0:18:13 > 0:18:17at the beautiful St Oswald and St Edmund Arrowsmith Church in Ashton.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22But what secrets does this church conceal to an expert eye?
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Richard Taylor is our church detective.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31As a Christian and lifelong churchgoer,
0:18:31 > 0:18:33I've always been fascinated
0:18:33 > 0:18:36by church buildings and what they mean,
0:18:36 > 0:18:40and this one is an absolute cracker.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43It's the sort of building that you might find on the Continent,
0:18:43 > 0:18:45somewhere in southern Europe.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48So what's it doing here, just outside Wigan?
0:18:55 > 0:18:59This is magnificent, and intriguing.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03This is a style of architecture known as Romanesque.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06In Britain, we're much more used to a style called Gothic,
0:19:06 > 0:19:08where you've got pointed arches
0:19:08 > 0:19:13and stone carvings in the middle, but here, the arches are all round,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16covered by these delicate little chevrons.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21My first task is to find out when it was built.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29Well, this is the foundation stone, and this tells you the date.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32MCMXXV.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34So why was it built in 1925?
0:19:34 > 0:19:37This was a prosperous area at that time.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Maybe there was just an influx of new workers,
0:19:40 > 0:19:42and they just needed more space.
0:19:48 > 0:19:49Now, this is a surprise.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55These are stained-glass windows by the Irish artist Harry Clarke.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57You can tell, because he always used to work
0:19:57 > 0:20:01in these deep reds and vivid greens.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04I wonder if there's a connection with Ireland?
0:20:08 > 0:20:12I think this is a place for which martyrdom is important.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15You've got three stained-glass windows here,
0:20:15 > 0:20:20and at each of their feet is a scene of horrible violence.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23And they're all set in the 17th century,
0:20:23 > 0:20:27in that period of strife between Catholics and Protestants,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30but I've got to tell you, I'm ending up with a lot of loose ends.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38Local expert John Francis is on hand to provide some answers.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Well, the church replaces the original church,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44which was built on this site in 1820.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47- Oh, yes.- Completely different design.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49- But really pretty.- Indeed.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51The old church was getting too small.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55- Lots of people coming into the area? - Indeed. The area had become
0:20:55 > 0:21:00more populated due to the influx of miners and metalworkers.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Who actually did the building on the church?
0:21:03 > 0:21:05They were the local miners.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08And the unemployed who were out on strike,
0:21:08 > 0:21:10because it was the era of the general strike.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12- Oh, wow.- In the late '20s.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14- So that's the 1925 connection. - That's right.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17- They effectively built their own church.- That's amazing.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20'John also explained that there was an Irish connection.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24'The priest at the time, Canon O'Mara, was Irish.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28'But I could never have guessed the reason behind this Romanesque style.'
0:21:28 > 0:21:31The story goes that the architect, Brocklesby,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34went on holiday to France
0:21:34 > 0:21:39and was very much taken with the French Romanesque designs.
0:21:39 > 0:21:40HE LAUGHS
0:21:40 > 0:21:46- So the whole place is a sort of holiday tour present?- Very much so.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48And is there a connection with the church
0:21:48 > 0:21:51- over martyrdom?- There is.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53I mean, this area of South West Lancashire
0:21:53 > 0:21:56produced quite a number of the English martyrs,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58including St Edmund Arrowsmith.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02He was hung, drawn and quartered at Lancaster in the 17th century,
0:22:02 > 0:22:06- and we hold the relic of his right hand.- Right!
0:22:06 > 0:22:08- Here in the church. - Good heavens.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16Now, this is the treasure of St Edmund Arrowsmith.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19Gosh, I hardly know what to say.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21How do you use the relic nowadays?
0:22:21 > 0:22:24It is used to give blessings to the sick,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27but anybody can come to the church and request the parish priest
0:22:27 > 0:22:30to give them a blessing with the holy hand.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33- Well, thank you very much for sharing it with us.- Thank you.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05In Deum potentis...
0:25:05 > 0:25:08In February, Archbishop Vincent Nichols
0:25:08 > 0:25:10was formally elevated to the College of Cardinals
0:25:10 > 0:25:13by Pope Francis in a ceremony in Rome.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17Now, he's back in Wigan, on a visit to St John Rigby College,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20where his ministry began over 40 years ago.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22I know you are!
0:25:22 > 0:25:29# With roots to grow and wings to fly... #
0:25:29 > 0:25:31I greeted you this morning.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34- I noticed the ring that you have. - Oh, yeah?
0:25:34 > 0:25:39I got this from Pope Francis on February 22.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42And so, this is the ring of a cardinal.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45OK? Now, do you want to have a look at it?
0:25:45 > 0:25:49So, in St Peter, you've got this image of the solidity of faith.
0:25:49 > 0:25:54So there's something rock-like about Peter and about our faith.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58Paul was the great adventurer, the great missionary,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01the one who had a drive that kept him going,
0:26:01 > 0:26:03travelling, on and on and on.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07And Mary, as it were, reflects the light of Christ to us
0:26:07 > 0:26:10in a very warm and personal and motherly way.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Have a look. Pass it round.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16THEY SING
0:26:16 > 0:26:20How do you see yourself? Do you see yourself any different?
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Well, I'm very conscious that people see me differently,
0:26:23 > 0:26:27and I think I have to grow into this a bit, yeah.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29I have a sense that being a Cardinal
0:26:29 > 0:26:32gives me greater profile,
0:26:32 > 0:26:34and a greater access,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37and I think people are more attentive to what I say.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41And on that occasion, that glorious occasion for you,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44the pinnacle so far of your priesthood, in a way,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46is there a bit of you that's saying to yourself,
0:26:46 > 0:26:47"I'm just a wee boy from Liverpool"?
0:26:47 > 0:26:49Oh, yes, absolutely.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52He said in his letter that he sent to us,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55"Please do not think of this as a promotion.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58"Please do not think of it as an honour.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01"Please think of it as an opportunity to serve."
0:27:01 > 0:27:03And so in that sense, it's in absolute continuity
0:27:03 > 0:27:07with where I started out wanting to be a priest.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10But just in a different framework, in a different setting.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13We'd like to present you with a memento.
0:27:13 > 0:27:14LAUGHTER
0:27:14 > 0:27:16It's got the college motto on the front.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Now, who's not had a go? You've not had a go yet.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23I was wondering if you've any future visions or hopes?
0:27:23 > 0:27:28Four or five years ago, people would often happily say,
0:27:28 > 0:27:32and would be proud to say, "Oh, I'm a lapsed Catholic."
0:27:32 > 0:27:37Now, I think today, people are saying, "Actually, I'm a Catholic."
0:27:37 > 0:27:41So I'd like to see more confidence in the life of faith,
0:27:41 > 0:27:43in the Catholic way of life.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46I'd like to see us, all of YOU, you know,
0:27:46 > 0:27:49really confident about your faith.
0:30:25 > 0:30:26Let us pray.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31Visit, we beseech thee, oh Lord, this house and family,
0:30:31 > 0:30:34and drive far from it all the snares of the enemy.
0:30:34 > 0:30:39May your holy angels dwell herein, who may keep us in peace,
0:30:39 > 0:30:44and may your blessing be always upon us, through Christ, our Lord.
0:30:44 > 0:30:45- ALL:- Amen.
0:30:45 > 0:30:50And may the blessing of Almighty God, father, son, and holy spirit,
0:30:50 > 0:30:53come upon you and remain with you tonight and always.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55Amen.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07There's a real sense of confidence when you visit Wigan.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09Of course, this might be something to do with the fact that
0:31:09 > 0:31:12Wigan Athletic is defending its FA trophy next weekend
0:31:12 > 0:31:15but, appropriately, our final hymn
0:31:15 > 0:31:19is about having the courage of our convictions.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22It's Bunyan's famous Who Would True Valour See.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26Next week, it's Palm Sunday, and Pam's in Bradford
0:33:26 > 0:33:29to explore what Holy Week means for some remarkable people.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31Tom Courtenay reads the Bible's account
0:33:31 > 0:33:34of the days before Jesus' crucifixion.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37Pam introduces hymns from the city's cathedral,
0:33:37 > 0:33:40and there's a special performance by Beth Nielsen Chapman.