Oremus April 2020

April 2020 | Edition Number 257 | FREE

Westminster Cathedral Magazine The tower of St Nicholas dominates the Abbey of Le Bec Hellouin in Normandy, formerly home to St Anselm (Feast day 21 April)

Oremus Cathedral Clergy House 42 Francis Street London SW1P 1QW T 020 7798 9055 E oremus@westminstercathedral.org.uk W www.westminstercathedral.org.uk

Inside Oremus

Oremus, the magazine of Westminster Cathedral, reflects the life of the Cathedral and the lives of those who make it a place of faith in central London. If you think that you would like to contribute an article or an item of news, please contact the Editor.

Patron The Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster

Editor Fr John Scott Oremus Team Tony Banks – Distribution Ellen Gomes – Archives Zoe Goodway – Marketing Berenice Roetheli – Proofreading Manel Silva – Subscriptions Design and Art Direction Julian Game

Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily represent the views of the Editor or the Oremus Team. Neither are they the official views of Westminster Cathedral. The Editor reserves the right to edit all contributions.

Publication of advertisements does not imply any form of recommendation or endorsement.

Unless otherwise stated, photographs are published under a creative commons or similar licence. Every effort is made to credit all images. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.

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Cathedral History: Arguments and Achievements in Committee

by Peter Howell and Patrick Rogers 8 & 9 Cathedral History in Pictures: The Maundy Thursday Mandatum circa 1920

by Paul Tobin 10 & 11 A Farewell to Anne Marie 11

Features

Chairman Canon Christopher Tuckwell

Registered Charity Number 233699 ISSN 1366-7203

Cathedral Life: Past & Present

Anselmo d’Aosta was born in Italy in 1033, but his religious formation was largely in Northern France, where he became first Prior and then, in 1079, Abbot of Bec. In 1093, unwillingly, he became Archbishop of Canterbury, a post in which he twice suffered exile for upholding the rights of the Church. Two other Abbots of Bec, Lanfranc and Theobald, also became Archbishops of Canterbury.

Photo © Marc Ryckaert

Printed by Premier Print Group 020 7987 0604

Giacomo Manzù, Sculptor and Friend of Pope St John XXIII

by Dr Michael Straiton KCSG The Sistine Tapestries Briefly Restored Book Notice: Stations of the Infancy reviewed by Denis Blackledge SJ The Second Eve

by St John Henry Newman The Holy Father at Prayer in Rome Shrewsbury Cathedral – The Restoration Proceeds by Simon Caldwell

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Regulars From the Chairman Crossword and Poem of the Month In Retrospect St Vincent de Paul Primary School – Experiencing Lent

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April 2020

ST THERESE IN BRONZE

Out with Trinick, in with Manzù Dr Michael Straiton KCSG

In Westminster Cathedral one can see a work by one of the greatest sculptors of the 20th-century, Giacomo Manzù.

It is relatively inconspicuous, high on the wall to the left at the entrance to the Lady Chapel and is a bronze of St Thérèse of Lisieux. Installed in 1962, during the time of Cardinal Godfrey (1956-63), it replaced a mosaic of the saint by John Trinick that had been widely judged to be unworthy.

Manzù was from Bergamo in Northern Italy and became a friend of Angelo Roncalli, later to ascend the papal throne. The Roncallis were farmers, whereas Manzù senior was a shoemaker, one of whose responsibilities was to sweep the floor and arrange the chairs in the parish church of St Mary.

When Angelo Roncalli was ordained a priest, he gave one of his first sermons in the parish church. In the pulpit the new priest was tongue-tied and faltered, the sermon was almost a failure, but Manzù senior pulled at his cassock and gave him encouragement and urged him on.

All went well and this saving gesture was never forgotten.

At the time of the Second Vatican Council, Pope John invited Giacomo to make a sculpture of his head. This provided serious difficulties for the sculptor as a good likeness evaded him April 2020

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© Peter H. Feist

Manzù (1908-91) was a largely selftaught sculptor. He became famous when, in 1941, he began a series of bronze bas-reliefs of the death of Christ that were on display in Rome in 1942.

He became a great friend of Pope St John XXIII, who commissioned him to create the Door of Death, one of the five great gates at the entrance to St Peter's Basilica. In 1940 he obtained a teaching position in the Accademia di Brera in Milan, but later he moved to the Accademia Albertina in Turin. During World War II Manzù taught at Brera and after the end of the conflict he kept his teaching position until 1954 when he moved to Salzburg.

The Door of Death at St Peter’s Basilica

with the first head. The Pope understood the difficulty and frequent visits to the Apostolic Palace followed until an acceptable one was achieved. Manzù was at odds with many in the Catholic hierarchy because of his atheism and his mocking figures of Cardinals, yet as a friend of Pope John XXIII he was encouraged to sculpt the mammoth Door of Death. It is so named because Popes are carried through it after their death. After 16 years of work on the Door, Manzù signed the work with an imprint of his right hand. When Pope John died in 1962, Manzù cast the death mask of the pontiff's face, as well as the hand that had signed the

great encyclical Pacem in Terris. What the sculptor wanted to do in honour of his patron and his good friend was to change the final panel of the Door.

Originally it would have been an image of a saint dying, but he changed the final panel to an image of his friend St John XXIII. Dr Straiton is Vice-Chairman of the Friends of the Holy Father, who support the Pope through the study of his teaching and raising funds for his apostolic ministry.

Further information is available at: www. thefriendsoftheholyfather.org or from the Hon. Sec. 23A Vincent House, Vincent Square SW1P 2NB. 3

WE MISSED IT

Join the Companions ... and help us to keep publishing Oremus free of charge Although we earn income from the advertising which we carry, Oremus relies on donations from readers to cover its production costs.

The Companions of Oremus was established to recognise those who give generously to support us. Open exclusively to individuals, Companions’ names are published in the magazine each month (see page 7). All members are invited to one or more social events during the year and Mass is offered for their intentions from time to time.

If you would like to support us by joining the Companions, please write to Oremus, Cathedral Clergy House, 42 Francis Street, London SW1P 1QW or email oremuscomps@rcdow.org.uk with your contact details, including postcode. Members are asked to give a minimum of £100 annually. Please mention how you would like your name to appear in our membership list and if you are eligible to Gift Aid your donation. Postal subscriptions to Oremus may be purchased through the Cathedral Gift Shop’s website or by using the coupon printed in the magazine.

Thank you for your support.

A Week of Raphael in the Sistine Chapel In mid-February, as part of celebrations commemorating the 500th anniversary of the death of the famous Renaissance artist Raphael Sanzio, the Vatican Museums hosted an extraordinary exhibition. For the first time, the tapestries designed by Raphael for the Sistine Chapel were displayed in the original location for which they were intended.

The ten tapestries depict events from the lives of Ss Peter and Paul, and were woven in the famous workshop of Pieter van Aelst in Brussels, following painted designs – known as cartoons – by Raphael. Seven of the original cartoons are extant, preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London; while the tapestries themselves are normally displayed on a rotating basis in the so-called ’Raphael Room’ in the Vatican Museums. For the exhibition in the Sistine Chapel, all ten tapestries were displayed on their original 16th-century hooks.

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© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Vatican News

The cartoon for the tapestry of St Peter and the Miraculous Draught of Fish (St Luke 5: 1-11)

This one of a kind event was open to the public, sadly, for just one week, closing on 23 February. However, a sense of closeness to the Chapel’s frescoes and a sight of the tapestries being hung can be found at: https://www.bbc. co.uk/news/av/entertainment-arts-51551991/i-clean-thesistine-chapel-frescoes .

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April 2020

FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Canon Christopher Writes I wonder how many times we have all heard people say, or perhaps said ourselves in the last few days: ‘What a strange world we are living in’; and that will probably go down as the understatement of the century.

Last month I was writing about our preparations for the Rededication of our country as the Dowry of Mary, but the rapid spread of the coronavirus has caused us all to think again. Our Bishops have now instructed that the public celebration of Mass be suspended until future notice, and therefore the Sunday attendance obligation is suspended also. Please note, however, that the Cathedral remains open, with slightly reduced opening hours; our own Lenten devotions and private prayers, whether offered here in the Cathedral or at home, are even more important in these present circumstances. The Chaplains will be celebrating privately all the Masses that have been booked, to fulfil the intentions and simply to continue, through the Sacrifice of the Mass, the prayer of the Church, for herself, Christ’s faithful and the needs of all the world, especially in this time of need and sickness.

This edition of Oremus is a rather slimmed-down offering and we have reduced the number of copies in print, but hopefully it won’t be too long before we can return to normal. I am very concerned for our elderly parishioners who live alone and would urge you, if you feel the need for any reason at all, to contact Clergy House and ask to speak to one of the priests. We may well have to practice self-isolation, but this shouldn’t lead into loneliness or a sense of being abandoned. Please follow the advice that we are given, and look after yourself, keeping an eye out also for your neighbours; be assured that no matter what steps we have to take, what matters most is that our concern for your spiritual welfare and sustenance will be uppermost in our thoughts.

Westminster Cathedral Cathedral Clergy House 42 Francis Street London SW1P 1QW Telephone 020 7798 9055 Service times 020 7798 9097 Email chreception@rcdow.org.uk www.westminstercathedral.org.uk Cathedral Chaplains Canon Christopher Tuckwell, Administrator Fr Daniel Humphreys, Sub-Administrator Fr Julio Albornoz Fr Michael Donaghy Fr Andrew Gallagher, Precentor Fr Hugh MacKenzie Fr Vincent Mbu’i SVD Fr Rajiv Michael Fr John Scott, Registrar Also in residence Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Victories Music Department Awaiting appointment, Master of Music Peter Stevens Obl. OSB, Assistant Master of Music Callum Alger, Organ Scholar Cathedral Manager Peter McNulty Estates Manager Neil Fairbairn Chapel of Ease Sacred Heart Church Horseferry Road SW1P 2EF

May God give you every blessing and keep you in his love and care.

Oremus has no April Diary, as this would have focused largely on the celebration of Holy Week and Easter, about which we await further information. In the meantime, Apps and websites such as Universalis offer access to the Church’s Daily Prayer, whilst prayer books will contain the prayer for making an Act of Spiritual Communion, something which many may have forgotten over the years. A number of churches and shrines offer streamed liturgies and the Bishops of England and Wales commend the liturgy streamed from the National Shrine at Walsingham (www.walsingham.org.uk).

Other prayer resources will be on the Bishops’ Conference website (www.cbcew.org.uk); please do also keep an eye on the Cathedral website (www.westminstercathedral.org.uk) for further information about streaming of Masses from the Cathedral – Ed.

April 2020

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BOOK NOTICE

Stations of the Infancy Denis Blackledge SJ In his Introduction the author mentions two saints, separated by centuries and nationality, who believed that: ‘the most distinguishing belief of the Catholic Church was not the resurrection but the incarnation - that the Son of the almighty God had become fully human’. The two saints were Alphonsus Liguori, founder of the Redemptorists, who composed Stations of the Infant Jesus, and our most recent English saint, John Henry Newman.

The format of this book is simple. Fourteen episodes are chosen from the Infancy Narratives in the Gospels of Matthew

and Luke, except for the very first, which is taken from John, and which stresses the awesome reality of God becoming truly human. Each episode has the same shape: after the opening response there is a scripture reading, followed by the author's personal reflection, then a prayer and a closing response. Carefully chosen works of art match each station as appropriate. The stations follow the sequence in the Gospels, beginning with John the Evangelist's proclamation of the Word becoming flesh and blood, pitching his tent with us all: God incarnate. The art work chosen for this is a shot of our earth taken from space, to get across the sense of the massive move our God chose and dared to make in becoming a vulnerable human being, a baby.

The rest of the stations unfold the story as we find it in the first two chapters of Matthew and Luke, but in such a way that familiarity does not breed contempt. There is no Jesus without his predecessor prophet-cousin, John the Baptist, so we go first to the annunciation to Zechariah before that to Mary. Then Mary goes to visit Elizabeth, both unexpectedly expectant mothers. Mary's song of praise, the Magnificat, has its own section. The birth of John the Baptist is next, before we meet Joseph the dreamer, and arrive at the birth of Jesus himself.

Who would have thought that disreputable shepherds would be the first adorers, before the eastern magi? The author makes the scenes come alive vividly.

The last four scenes bring the pain and suffering not just of Jesus, Mary and Joseph into sharp focus, but that of our present century's folk who live on the edge. Innocents being massacred, and flights into Egypt; these are stories happening before our eyes now. The words of Simeon as Jesus is presented as a poor child with two pigeons break the hearts of mothers and father then and now. And finally Jesus must declare to Mary and Joseph he was not theirs, but belongs ultimately to his Father. So the wheel comes full circle, with the complete implications of God becoming human so that we humans might become God. The art works for all the stations are meant to take the reader into the lived experience, to jump into the frame, as it were, to give a focus and a ‘feel’ to the prayerful pondering of each particular moment of the story of the infancy of Jesus.

There is a delightful variety, from tender to shocking, as the author wants the reader not just to touch the story of the infant Jesus, but also to grasp the reality of what the incarnation means right here, now, today. There is particular poignancy in the choice of paintings for the massacre of the innocents and the flight into Egypt.

All in all, McBride has created a thoughtful book which would make a good present for any time during the year; and it can be used for personal prayer and devotion, or in a community context.

Stations of the Infancy by Denis McBride CSsR; Redemptorist Publications 2019; pbk, 87 pp; ISBN 978-0-8523155-9-0; £12.95

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April 2020

ST JOHN HENRY NEWMAN ON MARY

It was fitting, then, in God’s mercy that, as the woman began the destruction of the world, so woman should also begin its recovery, and that, as Eve opened the way for the fatal deed of the first Adam, so Mary should open the way the the great achievement of the second Adam, even our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to save the world by dying on the cross for it. Hence Mary is called by the holy Fathers a second and a better Eve, as having taken that first step in the salvation of mankind which Eve took in its ruin.

Mrs Mary Barsh Dr Stuart Blackie Anne Veronica Bond Richard Bremer Francis George Clark Daniel Crowley Ms Georgina Enang Alfredo Fernandez Fred Gardiner Connie Gibbes Zoe & Nick Goodway Rosalinda Grimaldo Mrs Valerie Hamblen Bernadette Hau Bernard Adrian Hayes Mrs Henry Hely-Hutchinson Mrs Cliona Howell Alice M Jones & Jacob F Jones Poppy K Mary Thérèse Kelly Florence M G Koroma Raymund Livesey Alan Lloyd in memoriam Barry Lock Clare and John Lusby Pamela McGrath Linda McHugh Peter McNelly in memoriam Christiana Thérèse Macarthy-Woods James Maple Dionne Marchetti Paul Marsden Mary Maxwell Abundia Toledo Munar Chris Stewart Munro Mrs Brigid Murphy Kate Nealon Cordelia Onodu Cris Ragonton Emel Rochat Berenice Roetheli John Scanlan Mr Luke Simpson Sonja Soper Tessa and Ben Strickland Julia Sutherland Eileen Terry Mr Alex Walker Jacqueline Worth Patricia M Wright

© Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

The Second Eve

Companions of Oremus

An early 17th-century monogram of the name of Mary by an anonymous Netherlandish engraver

How, and when, did Mary take part, and the initial part in the world’s restoration? It was when the Angel Gabriel came to her to announce to her the great dignity which was to be her portion. St Paul bids us ‘present our bodies to God as a reasonable service’. We must not only pray with our lips, and fast, and do outward penance, and be chaste in our bodies; but we must be obedient, and pure in our minds. And so, as regards the Blessed Virgin, it was God’s will that she should undertake willingly and with full understanding to be the Mother of our Lord, and not to be a mere passive instrument whose maternity would have no merit and no reward. The higher our gifts, the heavier our duties.

It was no light lot to be so intimately near to the Redeemer of men, as she experienced afterwards when she suffered with Him. Therefore, weighing well the Angel’s words before giving her answer to them – first she asked whether so great an office would be a forfeiture of that Virginity which she had vowed.

When the Angel told her no, then, with the full consent of a full heart, full of God’s love to her and her own lowliness, she said: ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word’. It was by this consent that she became the Gate of Heaven. from Newman’s Meditations and Devotions April 2020

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and of our anonymous Companions If you would like to become a Companion of Oremus, see page 4

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CATHEDRAL HISTORY

Arguments and Achievements Peter and Patrick continue their account of the Cathedral’s Art Committee and its various contributions.

Peter Howell and Patrick Rogers

In 1943 Cardinal Hinsley was succeeded by Bernard Griffin, who apparently disliked committees, and the former Art Committee, which had lapsed with the onset of war, was not recalled. Before long things were going wrong again with regard to the Cathedral decoration, to such an extent that Edward Hutton organised another letter of protest. Published in The Times on 17 November 1853, the letter was signed by some of the signatories of the 1935 protest – Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, Kenneth Clark and John Rothenstein – together with Philip Hendy, Graham Greene, Henry Moore and John Pope-Hennessy.

The mosaics were still a source of complaint, and there were also new ones. Hutton was distressed by the marble lining of the walls of the galleries on either side of the sanctuary, which he felt: ‘destroyed the fine effect’ of Bentley’s arcades.

Francis Bartlett later described it as ‘formica marble’. Worse still, the column supporting the arcade across the north transept had been removed in 1949 and replaced with a steel girder, because the Administrator, Mgr Collingwood, thought that it got in the way of processions.

In December 1953 the signatories of the letter, which had urged the setting up of a committee on the model of Hinsley’s Art Committee, were invited to meet the Hierarchy at lunch. The new committee which resulted had as its members H S Goodhart-Rendel (who, as a former member, had declined to sign the letter), Sir John Rothenstein, the sculptor Arthur Pollen and Professor Thomas Bodkin. In January 1954 Collingwood was succeeded as Administrator by Mgr Gordon Wheeler, later to become Bishop of Leeds.

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Collingwood's folly? The removal of the pillar in the north transept lasted for only a few years before its replacement, and led to the removal of Mgr Collingwood as Administrator

In February the transept column was retrieved from Messrs Fenning, marble merchants, and a scheme to replace the beautiful marble floor of the narthex was cancelled.

The committee was then asked once again to consider replacing Pownall’s tympanum mosaic over the sanctuary. Designs had previously been put forward by Thomas Derrick, Eric Newton and Colin Gill, but Rothenstein and Pollen strongly urged an approach to Boris Anrep, who had been responsible in 1914 for the mosaics on the soffit over Cardinal Manning’s tomb in the crypt, and in 1924 for the Oliver Plunkett mosaic outside St Patrick’s Chapel. In October 1954 Griffin approved Anrep’s design, and gave £1,000 towards an appeal for the cost, estimated at over £26,000.

Meanwhile, the replacement of John Trinick’s 1950 mosaic of St Thérèse of Lisieux in the south transept, also regarded as unworthy, was under consideration, and eventually Rothenstein’s suggestion that Giacomo Manzù should be asked

to replace it with a bronze relief was accepted. However, in March 1955 Griffin abandoned the proposal to replace Pownall’s tympanum mosaic, on the grounds that the public would not subscribe for a replacement. Anrep was offered the design of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel mosaics instead, finally completing these in 1962.

During 1955 signs of disagreement appeared among the committee members. Wheeler and his SubAdministrator, Francis Bartlett, supported by Goodhart-Rendel and Bodkin, thought that Bentley’s designs should be used wherever they existed, but Rothenstein and Pollen were not so sure. Nevertheless, on the matter of the revetment of the nave with marble, they were won over. A suggestion that Stanley Spencer might design mosaics for the Baptistry alarmed Rothenstein, who thought Spencer ‘too keen on the audience’, and suggested Henry Moore instead. His idea that the Baptistry could be ‘like Matisse at Vence’ alarmed Wheeler and Bartlett in their turn.

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CATHEDRAL HISTORY In November 1955 the Cardinal asked Sir Albert Richardson and John Betjeman to join the committee.

Other matters under consideration included an image of St Patrick for his chapel, an altarino to stand before the statue of Our Lady of the Pewe (installed that year), the Lady Chapel floor and communion rails. In March 1956 Griffin finally decided to go ahead with the marble revetment and balustrade for the nave. Francis Bartlett’s brother, Aelred was to be in charge; the two would ‘interpret’ Bentley’s drawings. Pollen created great difficulties about this, as he had doubts about Aelred Bartlett’s abilities. These were quite unjustified, but Pollen also suggested that his employment smacked of nepotism.

This was rather rich, considering that Pollen had proposed that his own son, Francis, should act as architect for the Baptistry; this had progressed far enough for specimen mosaic designs to be painted on Francis’ drawings by his brother Patrick. However, the Baptistry proposals were dropped in April 1956.

Pollen then managed to shake Goodhart-Rendel’s confidence in Aelred Bartlett. The elderly Curtis Green was asked to act as consultant architect, but was away in France, so Wheeler asked Richardson to advise Bartlett. This led to a furious row. In August 1956 Cardinal Griffin died and was succeeded by William Godfrey, but the committee carried on as before. Finally, in November 1957, it expressed itself entirely satisfied with the balustrade, and confident in Aelred Bartlett. Manzù’s relief of St Thérèse of Lisieux arrived at last, in March 1958, and was much admired, although not

by Hutton, who also believed that Pollen objected to all that had been done.

The main subject under consideration that year was St Patrick’s Chapel. After various other sculptors had been considered, a statue was commissioned from Arthur Pollen himself. It is interesting to note that in February 1956 Bodkin had warned Wheeler that it would be a great mistake to employ Pollen or his sons, for as long as Pollen was a member April 2020

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of the committee: ‘I have always held the view that members of committees should pass self-denying ordinances respecting their own participation in work under consideration’. In the event Pollen resigned from the committee in April 1960: ‘to remove some of the embarrassment which could arise from my commission’.

The roles of two members at this time are particularly interesting. Betjeman was very active, frequently making suggestions. In April 1956 Pollen praised his judgment to Goodhart-Rendel, who agreed. However, earlier that same year he had expressed doubts about him, complaining that ‘one cannot discuss the spiritual side’ with him or Richardson, and that for him Bentley was ‘a champion collector’s piece’. In May 1956 he described Betjeman to Goodhart-Rendel as the key man in the fight over Bentley’s balustrade.

Sir John Rothenstein was a difficult member, complaining in 1957 to Wheeler that various works in the Cathedral had not been put before the committee, including Cardinal Griffin’s gravestone in the crypt and the temporary Cathedral Shop. Wheeler pointed out that Rothenstein was mistaken in some of his complaints, not least about the employment of Aelred Bartlett, and reminded him that at least four proposals had been turned down by the committee. Furthmore, the committee’s choice of Anrep and Manzù had been accepted. Neverthless, in 1961 Rothenstein was still complaining and Wheeler replied that it was difficult to find times for meetings to suit all members, emphasising that in urgent matters they were consulted individually.

Cardinal Godfrey died in 1963 and was succeeded by John Carmel Heenan.

In 1964 Gordon Wheeler became Coadjutor Bishop of Middlesborough, and in 1967 Francis Bartlett was appointed Administrator. It was a matter of great regret to him that Heenan’s unwillingness to spend money on the Cathedral decoration (even when earmarked for the purpose) meant that so little was done. Nevertheless, the committee continued to meet in Mgr Bartlett’s elegant sitting-room; fine sherry was drunk, but no minutes were taken.

In 1975, when Heenan died, the members still included Rothenstein and Betjeman, and also John Beckwith (of the V & A), Nicolete Gray, Francis Pollen, Patrick Reyntiens and David Stokes (architect son of Leonard Stokes). I [Peter Howell] had been appointed to represent the Victorian Society, a role which I found rather embarrassing at first as Betjeman was our Vice-Chairman; however, his friendly charm soon put me at rest. The committee occasionally had important matters to discuss, such as access for the disabled, resulting in a new door in the south transept. This was designed by John Phillips, who had succeeded the veteran Laurence Shattock as Cathedral Architect in 1976.

The committee was also skilfully deployed by Francis Bartlett to deflect pressure (some of it from inside the committee) for a drastic reordering of the sanctuary and Blessed Sacrament Chapel in line with the (supposed) requirements of the Second Vatican Council. The possibility of executing mosaics was also sometimes considered. It was mentioned that Graham Sutherland might be willing to produce designs, and Mgr Bartlett even made a fruitless attempt to call on the reclusive William Roberts to ask if he might design mosaics for the Baptistry.

During Oliver Kelly’s time as Administrator, from 1977, even less was done in the Cathedral, and the committee either was not consulted (for example, about the new chairs) or was consulted on an individual basis. By the time Patrick O’Donoghue succeeded to the role in 1989, few of the members were still alive, and it was decided to reconstitute the committee under the title ‘Art and Architecture Committee’. The only member retained from the old committee at the outset was Corinne Bennett, but after a couple of years I [Peter Howell] was asked to rejoin.

Since its reformation, the committee has had regular meetings, with agenda and minutes. [Sherry, however, is no longer offered – Ed.] 9

CATHEDRAL HISTORY

CATHEDRAL HISTORY – A PICTORIAL RECORD

The Maundy Thursday Mandatum (Washing of the Feet) circa 1920

© Planet News, 3, Johnson 's Court, London EC4

Paul Tobin

Before the major reforms of Holy Week in 1956, all the ceremonies during the Triduum were anticipated; in other words, brought forward as much on account of the Eucharistic Fast which had started at midnight as for any other reason. Ceremonies such as priestly ordinations would start at 9 or 9.30 am for this very reason.

On Maundy Thursday the Office of Tenebrae (Matins and Lauds) was sung the night before and the only Mass that was permitted that day in any church was the Mass of the Lord’s Supper (In Coena Domini). Being a Cathedral meant that the Blessing of the Holy Oils took place during this Mass, rather than on a separate occasion as is done nowadays. The 1956 reforms saw the creation of the Chrism Mass, which always took place on the morning of Maundy 10

Thursday, until it became impractical for priests to get back to their parishes in time for the Mass in the evening.

Nowadays most dioceses hold their Chrism Mass earlier in Holy Week, as is done here in Westminster.

At the time this picture was taken, the Blessed Sacrament had been carried at the end of Mass to the Altar of Repose, to remain overnight for the Mass of the Presanctified on Good Friday morning. What was reposed in the tabernacle was not a ciborium for Communion for the faithful, but a chalice with a consecrated host which the celebrant consumed the next day at the Mass of the Presanctified.

Immediately after the Blessed Sacrament been reserved in the tabernacle, Vespers took place as had been the Oremus

April 2020

FAREWELL, WITH THANKS case during the weekdays in Lent due to the fast not being allowed to be broken until after this Office had been sung.

The altar was then stripped. The Mandatum took place in mid-afternoon, after lunch. As can be seen from the picture, the ceremony took place in the middle of the nave and keen observers will note that 13 Cathedral Choristers are having their feet washed. There are a number of theories for this; it was thought that either St Paul or St Matthias was included, or even the Lord himself. Another theory is that an angel appeared and joined the twelve poor men being entertained

by Pope St Gregory I. The ceremony started with the singing of the Gospel of St John 13: 1-15 from the legilium covered with the white fall, after which the presiding bishop removed his violet cope to perform the Mandatum. The Sub-deacon (in white

tunicle and kneeling) held the right foot of the person whose foot was being washed by the celebrant whilst the Deacon held the towel, which was kissed before being used. The ceremony concluded with a sung prayer following the Pater Noster and a number of versicles and responses.

The picture from the Cathedral Archive is not dated, although there is a pencil query as to the 1920s. To the right of the picture are 10 Cathedral Chaplains wearing the distinctive fur cappas that were used from the end of October to the end of April. Note the veiled statue under the Third Station of the Cross and the confessional box opposite.

Until the 1960s there were confessional boxes under each pair of arches on both sides of the nave, with boxes assigned to individual priests, as is still the case at the Brompton Oratory and other churches.

With thanks for the Guild Cardinal Heenan ‘had touched’ her sister when she was ill … I wish each one of you health and happiness; may God bless us all’.

Anne Marie, second from left, at the Farewell drinks

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A drinks party in Clergy House Library marked the departure of Anne Marie Micallef, who has worked as Cathedral Finance Officer, for which we thank her, but perhaps more importantly as organiser of the Guild of St John Southworth whose volunteers conduct such a ministry of welcome and tour guiding in the Cathedral. Canon Christopher took the opportunity to speak of how he had the idea of a group who could undertake some form of work to assist visitors to the Cathedral and how Anne Marie had responded to this with vision and enthusiasm, creating the Guild in its present form. She replied that: ‘This place, the work and you, the Team, have meant so much to me .. I will always remember ‘The Year of Mercy’ and some of the wonderful people and children who have come on tours. There have been moments of joy and sadness, and moments of great humour, too. I cannot forget the little boy who, hearing the story of St John Southworth being hidden and dug up, commented ‘Does he smell?’ Or the lady who thrust £40 in my hand because

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CROSSWORD AND POEM

THE WAY OF THE CROSS, VIII – XIV Jessica d’Este VIII Jesus speaks to the daughters of Jerusalem

Where will it end

Unless we begin – blessed with God’s children

Giving with bread

Nurture of love.

IX Jesus falls a third time Felled

And again felled

The world’s evil, a well

Of deepening peril

Buoyant, only, is love.

Alan Frost February 2020 – No. 76

Clues Across 1 Her ------- the Queen resides less than a mile from Westminster Cathedral (7) 6 Animal sacred to Hindus (3) 8 Hubert -----, composer who set to music Blake’s poem in Jerusalem (5) 9 A shaving of much of the head, typical of monks in the Middle Ages (7) 10 ‘The ----- Altarpiece’, world famous Van Eyck polyptych in the city’s St Bavo cathedral (5) 11 ‘The Divine ------‘, said everyday by a cleric using his breviary or smartphone (6) 13 St ------ Merici, founder of the Ursuline order of nuns (6) 15 Place of worship or one of the main legal districts in London (6) 17 Financial market depressions in the City (6) 20 Iberian city, in whose cathedral King John I married the English Princess Philippa (5) 21 Queen, in whose memory the Charing Cross in Westminster (and eleven others) were built (7) 23 ‘----- pro nobis’, response from The Litany of the Saints (5) 24 See 5 Down 25 Archbishop of Westminster who founded the Mill Hill Fathers (7)

X

Jesus is stripped of his garments Its more shameful effect Than humiliates him: Inner redress Without forgiveness More ruthless

XI

Jesus is nailed to the Cross With swagger and orgy Hammering nails Verge on a clamour Purulence and prurience prevail And the glamour

XII

Clues Down

1 St Louis-Marie de --------, author of True Devotion to Mary, Feast Day

28 April (8) 2 ‘---- -- the Cross’, Carmelite Saint who wrote The Dark Night of the

Soul (4,2) 3 ‘In ----‘, in position (4) 4 First World War battlefield, commemorated by the famous Menin Gate memorial (5) 5 & 24 Acr: What we are freed from through Baptism (8,3) 6 Where Simon who helped Jesus carry his Cross came from (6) 7 Sunday commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles (4) 12 Fr Donald -------- (MIC), author of recent Consecration to St Joseph and Champions of the Rosary (8) 14 National from over the border near Oberammergau and the 2020 Passion Play festival (8) 16 Member of a sect known as Latter Day Saints, associated with Salt Lake City (6) 18 Capital city of Bavaria, whose name derives from a community of Benedictine monks (6) 19 Desert in the Holy Land (5) 20 Pope (V) and saint, who instituted the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary in thanks for Lepanto victory (4) 22 Son of Isaac and brother of Jacob (4)

ANSWERS Across: 1 Majesty 6 Cow 8 Parry 9 Tonsure 10 Ghent 11 Office 13 Angela 15 Temple 17 Slumps 20 Porto 21 Eleanor 23 Orate 24 Sin 25 Vaughan Down: 1 Montfort 2 John Of 3 Situ 4 Ypres 5 Original 6 Cyrene 7 Whit 12 Calloway 14 Austrian 16 Mormon 18 Munich 19 Negev 20 Pius 22 Esau

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Jesus gives up the spirit A spent spirit dims: ‘Father forgive them.’

A rent earth opens heaven A last breath is drawn in A last hurt being human

XIII The body of Jesus is taken down from the Cross

Finally, tenderness

The finish of death

Acquits flesh its arousal

A gift, given rabble

Rid of its trouble XIV Jesus is laid in the tomb

It ends, so begins again

Intimation of life after death

Ardour, ancient and long enlivens the earth

A singing and rebirth of singing

Its song To submit a poem whether by yourself or another for consideration, please contact the Editor – details on page 3.

Oremus

April 2020

FIFTY AND ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO

In retrospect: from the Cathedral Chronicle The Real Presence in our Day Godfrey Wilson It is an unfortunate fact, but a fact that must be recognised and reconciled, that many good and devout Catholics, both amongst those who have been Catholic from infant baptism as well as amongst many who have been drawn to the faith in later life, are experiencing dismay and anxiety at the many changes that their traditional and beloved forms of divine worship have undergone during the past five years since the Second Vatican Council. Some feel bereft of a solid foundation which had been the bedrock of their spiritual lives, others are bruised and hurt by the sudden and often illexplained dramatic changes which have affected them at their deepest level of consciousness – at the point where their own souls have for so long felt the healing balm of the finger of God. To deny this fact is to ignore the genuine bewilderment amongst so many loyal and holy Catholics. To ignore it is to be guilty of lacking that real compassion which we are to have for all men – ‘but especially towards those who are of the household of the faith’ …

Some have fearfully voiced ‘demotion’ of worship of the unique presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament ..

The Council insists that the tabernacle must still occupy a prominent and respectful place in the Church .. the main altar is for the Sacrifice; the tabernacle is for the reservation of the real presence of Christ which comes only from the celebration of that Sacrifice. It is in consequence of our private and public devotion to the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the tabernacle that we are drawn into an ever deeper participation in the Sacrifice of the Mass …

Let us then go forward to renewed devotion to Christ in the Blessed Sacrament – confident and encouraged by the true Spirit of the Council. from the April 1970 Westminster Cathedral News Sheet .....

Fake News By the time this number appears, readers will have learnt that the irresponsible report, published in several morning papers on March 22, that the Cardinal had been taken seriously ill at Nice, was a false one. In order to check, if possible, the rumours that are being spread in reference to the Cardinal’s health with such reckless disregard of accuracy, we take this opportunity to state April 2020

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that His Eminence is not at Nice and is not suffering from disease of any kind whatsoever. He contracted a severe chill some time ago, and as this was aggravated by strain due to overwork, his doctor insisted upon a complete and prolonged rest from work in the south of France. At the time of going to press news comes that His Eminence has already greatly benefited by his enforced leisure.

Varia The ‘Revelations of the After Life’, by the Rev Vale Owen, were so widely advertised that probably many readers even of this magazine so far succumbed to curiosity as to read one or more of them. As a matter of fact, these ‘Messages’ began in 1913, but, apparently, the Weekly Dispatch had sufficient ‘copy’ during the war to fill its pages. After giving examples of various descriptions of the other world put forth by different spiritualists, Fr Thurston SJ concludes his interesting article: ‘Three brief comments suggest themselves. The first is the remark that there must surely be something unhealthy, something stupefying about the atmosphere of Spiritualism which allows men of integrity and really first-rate abilities to swallow all this twaddle and to treat it as a serious contribution to our knowledge of religious truth … Secondly, I venture to affirm that the different accounts of life in the spirit world abound in contradictions of the most formal kind … the accounts which I have read seem to me to vary with almost every automatist. In some we have houses, in others, not; in some we have food, in others knowledge; in some the children are educated only in the seventh sphere, in others they may be found even in the second. Lastly, Mr Owen and Sir A C Doyle seem to exclude altogether the hypothesis that at least nine-tenths of the matter of spirit communications comes from the brain of the automatist himself or from that of those with whom he is intimately associated. When Professor Flammarian, the astronomer, began to practise automatic writing and found that his hand was continually writing out religious platitudes and astronomical speculations, signed “Galileo”, he had the good sense to see that all this rubbish, as he himself called it, came from his own subliminal consciousness.

It is a great pity that Mr Vale Owen cannot be induced to look upon the matter in the same light.’ from the April 1920 Westminster Cathedral Chronicle 13

ST VINCENT DE PAUL CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Experiencing Lent Nicole, Year 6 Lent is the most important season in the Church’s year and it’s the period between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. It is a time when we do three things: pray, give and fast. We celebrate Lent remembering Jesus as he fasted in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights, without any food or drink. We then remember the Easter story from Palm Sunday to Maundy Thursday and the Last Supper to Good Friday when Jesus died on the cross for our sins up to Easter, when a great miracle happened: Jesus rose from the dead.

During Lent, Catholics make promises, so we that we can become more like Christ and strengthen our friendship with God. Some people may want to give up things or to be more generous; this is called almsgiving. Many would want to pray more or go to Church more often during this important time.Lent to me means to become more like Jesus and start a fresh, new page; to change.

This Lent, I want to pray more and go to Church more often, to hear the Good News and spread it, just like Jesus did himself.

At school, we also do many things to prepare ourselves for the celebration of Easter, such as: going to confession, so God can forgive our sins; our Ash Wednesday Service, when we receive ashes on our foreheads; the weekly Stations of the Cross assemblies (led by our Headteacher, Mr Scott Cree); our Lent topic in class during RE lessons, where we go deeper into the story of Easter; and finally, the Passion Play, performed by Year 5 children. We also help the Catholic Children’s Society (CCS) by getting money boxes from our teachers and raising money for children who are in need. It also shows how lucky and fortunate we are.

14

Lent is a time of repentance, or forgiveness, so we can all learn to be generous and kind to one another and look forward to the most important feast of the Church’s year. The Stations of the Cross represent and show us Jesus’ journey up to the hill where he was crucified on Good Friday, which is one of the days in Holy Week, and one of the things we remember during Lent. At the end of this journey, the feast of Easter then occurs. This celebration is really joyful, as Jesus has risen from the dead to new life.

We remember how the stone that

protected the tomb where Jesus was buried had been rolled away and how this was a miracle.

Lent and Easter are two times: Lent being a time of forgiveness and Easter being a time of great joy. As Catholics, we celebrate these times and turn over a new page, to have a brand new start, to be kind and caring towards all.

This Lent, we will remember that God loves us and that we should always try to forgive people when they are unkind towards us. Lent means three things: Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving; and also forgiveness, every year.

Oremus

April 2020

THE PRAYER OF THE HOLY FATHER

Pope Francis on the Streets of Rome Vatican News

© Antoine Tavenaux

On the afternoon of Sunday 16 March, Pope Francis walked through the empty streets of Rome to two important pilgrimage sites, to pray for the city and the world, in the midst of the Coronavirus outbreak. Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, said the Holy Father first went to the Basilica of St Mary Major, to pray before the icon of the Virgin Mary, Salus Populi Romani. Then, after walking along the Via del Corso - he visited the church of San Marcello on the Corso, where a miraculous crucifix is kept.

Bruni said: ‘In 1522 it was carried in procession throughout the neighbourhoods of the city so that the “Great Plague” might cease in Rome. With his prayer, the Holy Father pleaded for an end to the pandemic that has struck Italy and the world. He also implored the healing of the many sick people, remembered the numerous victims of these past days, and asked that their families and friends might find consolation and comfort.

His prayer intention Our Lady Salus Populi Romani in the was also extended to basilica of St Mary Major healthcare workers, doctors, nurses, and all those working in these days to guarantee the smooth functioning of society. The Holy Father returned to the Vatican around 5.30’.

of the bans put in place by the authorities to halt the spread of the contagion. The crucifix was carried through the streets of Rome toward St Peter's Basilica. The procession lasted 16 days: from 4 to 20 August 1522. As it progressed, the plague showed signs of retreating, and every neighbourhood sought to keep the crucifix as long as possible. Finally, as the crucifix reentered the church, the plague ceased altogether. Since 1600, the procession from the church of San Marcello to St Peter's Basilica has been a tradition repeated during Holy Years. The names of the Popes who called each Jubilee are inscribed on the back of the crucifix, along with the year.

Pope St John Paul II embraced that same crucifix to mark the culmination of the Day of Forgiveness during the Jubilee Year of 2000.

Pope Francis was accompanied by Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, Archpriest of the Basilica, and Fr Elio Lops from the vicariate of Rome on his walk.

Watch a film clip here: www.facebook.com/ watch/?v=811646989344012

Pope Francis has a special devotion to Our Lady Salus Populi Romani. He visits her icon on major Marian feast days, and also visits the shrine before and after his international Apostolic Journeys. In 593 Pope St. Gregory the Great carried the icon in procession to stop a plague. And in 1837 Pope Gregory XVI invoked her to put an end to a cholera epidemic.

The 15th century wooden crucifix in the church of San Marcello on the Corso has been associated with many miraculous events. On 23 May 1519, a large fire completely destroyed the entire church but the crucifix from the main altar survived untouched, with an oil lamp still burning at its base. The people of Rome were so touched by this scene that several began to meet every Friday evening to pray. Pope Leo X ordered the rebuilding of the church in 1519.

Three years after the fire, Rome was hit by the “Great Plague”. The faithful carried the crucifix in procession - in spite April 2020

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15

SHREWSBURY RESTORED

What’s Under the Carpet?

Simon Caldwell various heritage and Church bodies to deliver a sustainable and future-proofing project. Being a once in a lifetime opportunity, the Cathedral, a place of immense historical and religious importance, will certainly add value to our local and regional communities as well as offering enhanced pastoral outreach’.

© Zik2

The tiled floor will be cleaned in time for the liturgies of Holy Week when the Cathedral hopes to be reopened in its entirety to the public. In the meantime, the tiles and other parts of the restorations can be seen by the public from the viewing gallery on Saturdays from 12 noon and Sundays from 8.30am.

In the months ahead, the Cathedral will seek the guidance and advice of the Historic Churches Committee of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales and of the Diocesan Heritage, Art, and Architecture Committee about proposals for the renewal of the sanctuary, hoping wherever possible to be inspired by the original design.

That blue carpet has to go!

Restoration work at Shrewsbury Cathedral has uncovered beautiful tiles dating from the late Victorian period and turn of the 20th-century. They had been hidden by carpets and an artificial floor following the reordering of the building's interior in more recent times. The concealed floor appears to consist of a mixture of highly-decorative mosaic and encaustic or ‘inlaid’ tiles and were uncovered by workmen of M Salt Ltd, a conservation specialist firm, when a project to recover the original beauty of the Cathedral was initiated at the beginning of March.

Most of the tiles are in a very good condition but there is some damage to the flooring in places where piping was elevated, where concrete was used to fill spaces, and boxes of cables for electric lights were laid. The Rt Rev Mark Davies, Bishop of Shrewsbury, said: ‘It is always an amazing moment to see something that has been hidden from sight for generations suddenly uncovered. I found it particularly moving to find the floor of our Cathedral so well-preserved, giving testimony in all of its intricacy and beauty to the faith and sacrifices of generations before us. We look forward to being able to share this beauty with all who come to the Cathedral’.

Richard Keddie, the Development Officer, noted that: ‘The project is about rediscovering beauty. The reordering has been spearheaded by a dedicated team here at the Cathedral, which, under the guidance of Bishop Mark, has worked with

The Cathedral Church of Our Lady Help of Christians and St Peter of Alcantara was begun in 1853 and opened by Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman in 1856. The original design was drawn up by Augustus Welby Pugin at the request of John Talbot, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury. Both the Earl and Pugin died in 1852 before the Cathedral was off the drawing board, but the Earl's 20 year-old-heir, Bertram, was happy to continue the project and turned to Pugin's eldest son, Edward, to complete his father's work. Bertram in turn died, aged 23, two months before the Cathedral was completed.

Today the Cathedral is home to a thriving parish community, as well as serving the diocese as its mother church. One of the greatest treasures of the building is its stained glass. Seven of the windows are masterpieces in the Arts and Crafts tradition by Margaret Rope, an artist born in Shrewsbury in 1882 who later became a Carmelite nun, but continued to design and paint glass for many commissions both in the UK and abroad. Visitors are welcomed from great distances who come to see her work in the Cathedral.

The sanctuary floor, uncovered