Oremus November 2018

November 2018 | Edition Number 241 | FREE

Westminster Cathedral Magazine

From the coming into force of the present Treaty the state of war will terminate. from the Preamble to the Treaty of Versailles

EDITORIAL

From the Office The Editor of Oremus normally makes no comment on the content of the magazine and leaves readers to judge for themselves how much they enjoy particular regular, occasional or one-off pieces. This month, however, sees the Centenary of the Armistice and ending of the First World War. Whatever other commemorations have taken place, the major battles and turning points of the War have been marked over the last four years by Requiem Masses celebrated in their Cathedrals by the Bishops of England and Wales, and this reaches its climax and end for us with the Solemn Pontifical Requiem Mass to be celebrated by Cardinal Vincent here in Westminster. This edition of Oremus therefore includes a number of pieces relevant to the Armistice and to the effects of war.

The front cover features Lutyens’s drawings for the Cenotaph in Whitehall and is also a pointer to the remarkable body of Memorials to the Dead of the Great War in many countries of the world. The grief which was impossible to put into words found eloquent expression in many cemeteries and monuments of the highest imaginative quality. To Cardinal Bourne fell the task of

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writing to the Faithful at the dawn of peace and his letter is reproduced opposite a poem which muses on the divisions, split loyalty and hatreds thrown up by the War. Fr Nicholas Schofield, the Diocesan Archivist, looks at a book which considers the role of the priests who served at the Front and fulfilled a most demanding sacramental ministry there whilst in constant danger of their own lives. Nor would any mention of the Front be complete without reference to the myths which circulated both among soldiers and those at home about various forms of miraculous event. The ‘Leaning Virgin of Albert’ attracted much attention in this regard.

The Poem of the Month turns to Wilfred Owen, who was killed just a week before the Armistice, whilst In Retrospect reports on how the Cathedral Music Department was coping without tenors and a wounded Assistant Organist. Finally, and perhaps more peacefully, Philip Smyth writes about Lych-gates, those quintessentially English entrances to churchyards, many of which contain the graves of soldiers who died of their wounds in this country.

Oremus

November 2018

CONTENTS

Inside Oremus

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

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 one of the editorial team.

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Cathedral Life: Past & Present Editorial by Fr John Scott

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Taking to the Streets – The Rosary Crusade Procession

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A Letter to the Faithful marking the Cessation of Hostilities by Francis, Cardinal Bourne

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Patron The Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster

ACN Day at the Cathedral

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Chairman Canon Christopher Tuckwell

Herbert Vaughan, Traveller

by Anne Marie Micallef

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Cathedral History: Mosaics and Methods

by Patrick Rogers

Editor Fr John Scott Oremus Team Tony Banks – Distribution Zoe Goodway – Marketing Manel Silva – Subscriptions Berenice Roetheli – Proofreading Eucharia Sule – Office Assistant

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Patrick – A Memorial in Twickenham

by Louise Sage On Receiving Holy Communion

by Fr Stephen Brown

Design and Art Direction Julian Game Registered Charity Number 233699 ISSN 1366-7203 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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Thomas Exchange Global Ltd

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20 & 21

Taking to the Streets – The Blessed Sacrament Procession

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Cathedral History in Pictures: Cardinal Hume ordains ex-Anglicans to the Priesthood by Paul Tobin

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Features

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Who am I? by U K Dommett Portals to the Churchyard: Lych-gates by Dr Philip Smyth

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Stop, Thief! by Steve Burrows

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Exploring the Seven Hills: The Aventine by Donato Tallo

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Book Review: James Hagerty’s Priests in Uniform

by Fr Nicholas Schofield

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Our Lady in Wartime

by Fr Nicholas Schofield

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Pope Innocent III – Founder of Hospitals

by Dr Michael Straiton KCSG 24 Brothers-in-Law and in Art

by Anne Dunhill

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Douai 450th Anniversary Celebrations 31

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Regulars The Cenotaph in Whitehall was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in July 1919 as a wood and plaster construction for the Peace Day Parade that month, but public opinion demanded that it be made permanent. The unveiling of the Portland stone structure took place the following year, and the Cenotaph remains the nation’s focus for Remembrance of the War Dead.

Printed by Premier Print Group 020 7987 0604

November 2018

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From the Chairman Monthly Album

18 & 19

Cathedral Diary

22 & 23

Crossword and Poem of the Month

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Friends of the Cathedral

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In Retrospect

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St Vincent de Paul Primary School

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THE ROSARY CRUSADE

Join the Companions ... and help us to keep publishing Oremus free of charge Although Oremus earns income from the advertising it carries, we rely on donations to cover our 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 each month (see Page 7). All members are invited to at least one social event during the year and Mass is offered for their intentions from time to time.

If you are able to support us by joining the Companions of Oremus please write to Oremus, c/o Clergy House, 42 Francis Street, London SW1P 1QW or email oremuscomps@rcdow.org.uk. Members are asked to give a minimum of £100 annually. Please mention in your email or letter how you would like your name to appear in the listing. If you are eligible for Gift Aid, please provide your name and address, including postcode.

Thank you for your support.

A Procession from SW1 to SW7 Francis Carey

The 34th Annual Rosary Crusade Procession saw close to 2,000 Faithful make their way from the Cathedral to Brompton Oratory, praying the Rosary and singing Marian hymns, accompanied by Brothers of the Little Oratory and Knights of Malta as well as a representative of the Knights of Our Lady. The statue that is carried was originally blessed

by Pope Pius XII as a Pilgrim statue for the British Isles and was kept in the Cathedral for many years. This year, of course, was the anniversary of the ‘Miracle of the Sun’ in Fatima and it did not go unnoticed that, while Central London basked in sunny skies and temperatures 10 degrees above normal, most of Wales and parts of Scotland were literally under water!

Through busy streets of Westminster, Knightsbridge and Kensington, a crowd of 2,000 made quite an impact on the hordes of shoppers and hymns to our Lady charmed them on Sloane Street, Knightsbridge and Brompton Road. It is always noticeable that most people lining the route are very respectful and pleased to see the procession – despite the obvious disruption which the Crusade causes to traffic.

Taking a full hour to travel the mile and a half between the 4

two great churches, as the procession reached Harrods, the Rosary naturally concluded and the Lourdes hymn began, with many of the pilgrims waving their hymn books in imitation of the handkerchiefs waved during processions at Fatima. Our Lady was met at the door of the Oratory by Fr Ronald Creighton-Jobe, Chaplain to the Crusade, with clergy and the statue waited outside while the Faithful packed the church out. The procession might be over, but the praying wasn’t – hymns, prayers, a reading and a sermon preceded Solemn Benediction, and the Faber hymn ‘Faith of Our Fathers’ concluded the Crusade proper; all in all, a wonderful day.

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November 2018

FROM THE CHAIRMAN

The Administrator writes The architect’s drawing of the Cenotaph in Whitehall on the front cover of Oremus this month reminds us very forcefully that November is the month of Remembrance and that this year is of special significance as it marks the centenary of the end of the First World War. During these centenary years I, like many others, have been remembering individuals who perished in that dreadful conflict and through the good offices of the Royal British Legion it has been my privilege to remember a soldier who died on the Western Front in 1917.

There will be many extra acts of remembrance this year and I do encourage you to support them with your presence and with your prayers. Every July I am privileged to lead an Act of Remembrance at the Cenotaph for the fallen members of the Combined Irish Regiments. This Association will also be holding a Service of Remembrance here at the Cathedral in St Patrick’s Chapel on Thursday 8 November, followed by the annual Requiem Mass for the Catholic Police Guild. On the same day, the 5.30pm Solemn Mass will be offered for the repose of all who have contributed to or been supporters or Companions of Oremus.

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 Andrew Bowden Fr Michael Donaghy Fr Andrew Gallagher, Precentor Fr Rajiv Michael Fr Michael Quaicoe Fr John Scott, Registrar Sub-Administrator’s Intern Oliver Delargy Also in residence Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Victories Music Department Martin Baker, Master of Music Peter Stevens Obl. OSB, Assistant Master of Music Jonathan Allsopp, Organ Scholar Cathedral Manager Peter McNulty Estates Manager Neil Fairbairn Chapel of Ease Sacred Heart Church Horseferry Road SW1P 2EF

As we remember those who died in war, we also remember our own family and friends and all who have passed through the gateway of death and are now numbered among the ranks of the Holy Souls. I am sure that I do not need to encourage you to make several visits to the Holy Souls’ Chapel during this blessed month of November.

With every good wish and blessing.

November 2018

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THE ARMISTICE DAWNS

The Duty of Catholics at the Dawn of Peace The days of warfare are gradually changing into the days of peace. The constant peril from the skies that for so long Name in even here those who were far removed from the battlehaunted front is already a fading memory. Month by month the ranks of the multitudes who have been so long engaged in the industries of war are being depleted. Military hospitals, multiplied in every part of the country, will slowly be closed one after the other, as those who entered their gates stricken from the battlefield regain their health and energy and go forth to take up such active life as their strength allows them. Old careers will be resumed, new careers will be created. Men and women, millions in number, whose whole being has been absorbed by the needs of war must accustom themselves to think only of the things of peace.

There will be, inevitably, a long period of transition, trying to the individual and to the community, testing the patience, the courage, and the temper of the nation as profoundly as the war itself has done. How shall we bear the strain? What are the qualities that will carry us safely from universal war to the complete tranquillity of peace?

Two thoughts may help us much to demean ourselves aright.

They are gratitude and loyalty. Gratitude to God in the first place for the marvellous way in which He has brought us through so many perils to this day of complete triumph over all our assailants …

Not many weeks ago the best informed thought that, if all went well, we might, perhaps, expect the end of the struggle in the summer of next year. Six months earlier not a few would have been content with a peace based on the formula of ‘No annexations and no indemnities’. The African colonies might have been returned to Germany, the Allies would have borne the colossal cost of the struggle which had been forced upon them. In a few brief days the whole power of the enemy collapsed, and the Allies became absolute masters of the situation. A victory which seemed a year ago beyond all reasonable expectation was given to us in the completest fashion …

Gratitude, in the next place, to those who under God have been the instruments of this stupendous triumph; to the Prime Minister of England who discerned the supreme genius of Marshal Foch and prevailed, in face of opposition of various kinds, in obtaining the appointment of that great soldier as chief of all the Allied hosts.; to Marshal Foch himself who, uniting military skill and tactical knowledge to unswerving trust in God, in dependence on Whose power he has fought and conquered, has won for himself imperishable fame in the annals of the war. Gratitude to all the brave men and women of every degree who in their varied posts of trust and duty have done their best to uphold and serve the common cause.

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With gratitude must go a spirit of sustained loyalty to those to whom is entrusted the government of the country, whether to the King, whose crown is the enduring symbol of the one authority which binds the whole Commonwealth together, or to the actual Ministry that for a time carries the tremendous responsibility of rebuilding, reorganising and reconstructing the nation in the new conditions which confront us. It is easy to forget, in this country and in these days when true principles are so often lost sight of, when universal criticism is poured forth in many reams of printed matter, that all legitimate authority is from God, and that, whole the holders of it are men, weak and fallible, there is sinfulness in undue criticism and carping, because thereby the lawful exercise of government is hindered and impaired … So, too, the dislocation of industry by reckless strikes or heartless lock-outs are sins in many cases against the mutual charity and good-will which men owe to one another.

Our gratitude to God and to all the agents of the victory which He has granted to us, and our loyalty to Him and to all those who hold His place, must be shown forth and proclaimed by our determination to maintain in the return of peace an abiding sense of that mutual interdependence and brotherhood of all sections of the nation which the common anxieties of war made so gloriously manifest.

Francis, Cardinal Bourne Archbishop of Westminster November 1918

The cessation of hostilities has planted in the breasts of all of us great expectation of a lasting peace that shall shortly be agreed upon, and firmly established for an endless age to come. The part that we individually should play in the days that follow the armistice and lead up to this long desired end, is clearly pointed out in the leading article with which which the Cardinal Archbishop honours this issue of the CHRONICLE. In a word, thanksgiving to God for this unexpected near prospect of a lasting peace should be the daily inspiration of our lives in the ensuing months, as well as unstinted loyalty to our King and Government in the difficult problems to be dealt with in the immediate future, both at home and abroad. It was a very gratifying fact that, despite a little excess in the ebullient armistice rejoicings on one or two evenings, the general sentiment was one of heartfelt thanks to God when hostilities ceased. May Christmastide intensify this happy note of gratitude amid our legitimate rejoicings over our first Christmas, after four weary years, unmarred by the horrors of war. from Varia in the December 1918 Westminster Cathedral Chronicle Oremus

November 2018

IDENTITY CRISIS

Who am I? U K Dommett Mother’s from Germany; Father, Milan; Grandma’s from Moscow; Grandpa, Sudan – quietly abiding in England. Amalgam of nations is this, united in bliss.

Evolutionary kiss.

Clashing of cultures; flashing of gun; trashing of vultures; crashing of bomb tribal expansion would land overrun.

England must fight for God and for right.

Evolutionary might.

Who am I? Where does my loyalty lie – Germany, Russia, Sudan, Italy?

Must I kindred deny or England defy?

St George’s honed sword slays foe dragon’s fierce roar.

Evolutionary claw.

A family at war must itself destroy.

Cleaved, Solomon’s baby would bring no joy.

Better love others when others annoy spewing rubble and dross, pain, suffering and loss.

Evolutionary Cross.

Remembrance of the First World War must include the hatreds that were engendered and incited between nations and peoples in the cause of prosecuting the conflict.

Anything German became the object of vilification and worse; even the Royal Family had to change its name. This poem was submitted by its author after researching his maternal, Anglo-German family ‘which was torn apart’, as he notes, ‘by the anti-German hysteria pertaining to WWI’.

Companions of Oremus

We are very grateful for the support of the following: Mrs Mary Barsh Mrs Else Benson Dr Stuart Blackie Mr Denis Board Anne Veronica Bond Richard Bremer Francis George Clark Daniel Crowley Ms Georgina Enang Alfredo Fernandez Fred Gardiner Connie Gibbes Zoe & Nick Goodway Mrs Valerie Hamblen Bernadette Hau Mrs Henry Hely-Hutchinson Mrs Cliona Howell Alice M Jones & Jacob F Jones Poppy K Mary Thérèse Kelly Florence M G Koroma Raymund Livesey Barry Lock Alan Lloyd in memoriam Clare and John Lusby James Maple Dionne Marchetti Mary Maxwell Pamela McGrath Linda McHugh Peter McNelly in memoriam Mrs C Mitchell-Gotell Abundia Toledo Munar Chris Stewart Munro Mrs Brigid Murphy Kate Nealon Raymond O’Sullivan Emel Rochat Berenice Roetheli Patrick Rogers RIP John Scanlan Mr Luke Simpson Sonja Soper Tessa and Ben Strickland Eileen Terry Robin Michael Tinsley Mr Alex Walker Christiana Thérèse Macarthy-Woods Jacqueline Worth Patricia M Wright and of our anonymous Companions

If you would like to become a Companion of Oremus, see page 4

New in Cathedral Gift Shop We are pleased to announce an exquisite addition to the range of gifts available in Westminster Cathedral Gift Shop.

Cross pens are renowned worldwide for their design and quality and we now have for sale a luxury ball-point pen which comes with the Cathedral logo and in its own box.

This will make an excellent gift for a loved one on that special occasion.

Retail Price: £35.00 November 2018

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© Philip Smyth

LYCH-GATES

The Catholic Church of St Edward the Confessor, Sutton Place, near Guildford

The Portal to England's Churchyards Philip A Smyth

Most parish churches in England and Wales, especially if they date from the Victorian Age or earlier, are surrounded by a churchyard, in some of which burials still take place. The formal entrance to the church and its grounds is often a lych-gate, a porch or rectangular tent-like structure, generally made up of a wooden frame with a sloping tiled or slated roof. Often the porch has wide wooden seats on either side, with a low slab or table in the middle. These latter features and furnishings offer the best clues as to the original purpose of these elaborate gateways. Designed to provide a shelter and place of temporary rest for funeral cortèges arriving at the churchyard, these entrances protected the remains of the deceased and the mourners against the elements as the cortège paused before entering the churchyard proper. The coffin or bier was reposed on the table or one of the benches and the pallbearers rested on the other while the funeral party awaited the arrival of the clergyman to perform the rites of reception of the remains into sacred ground.

There is no standard spelling for lych-gate, the term being spelled variously lychgate, lych gate, lych-gate, lichgate or lich gate. Despite the lack of agreement as to how to spell the term, there is universal agreement as to its historical and etymological origin. It comes from the Anglo-Saxon lich or the German Leiche, meaning ‘corpse’. The hyphenated spelling ‘lych-gate’ is that generally preferred by scholars.

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None of the standard works of reference on Romanesque or Gothic ecclesiastical architecture south or north of the Alps mention lych-gates, so one has to conclude that they are a feature unknown in continental Europe. That Colin Platt (The Parish Churches of Medieval England, London 1981) makes no mention of them either and that Nikolaus Pevsner gives them only the most cursory treatment is explained by the fact that they were virtually always wooden structures, subject to fire, rotting and the elements. Moreover, the oldest surviving lych-gate is from the 1480s, and they are features more associated with the churchyard than with the church itself (nor is there any mention of them made in Simon Jenkins’ (England's Thousand Best Churches, London 1999).

The greatest scholarly authority on lych-gates is Aymer Vallance (Old Crosses and Lychgates, London 1920) who published his major study on the classification of church crosses and lych-gates over 80 years ago. He distinguishes four types of lych-gate: (i) porch – roof ridge with the same axis as the passage way; (ii) shed – roof ridge in transverse to the axis of the passage way; (iii) combination - two roof ridges intersect one another at right angles (this is rare); and (iv) room - where the passage way is incorporated into the church house or other building (also rare).

Oremus

November 2018

LYCH-GATES The narrow passage leading up to the south-east door of the early medieval Collegiate Church of St Peter in Wolverhampton (West Midlands) is known as Lychgate Street and, while the handsome church porch has many of the traditional features of a lych-gate, the original wooden structure, which gave its name to the street, has long since disappeared. This will be true of the original lych-gates in virtually all medieval churchyards. The majority of those lychgates found today in English and Welsh churchyards will be Victorian, although there are some from the immediate postReformation period and a few of earlier date.

In England and Wales the distinction between the lychgate and an ornamental church gate (as a formal entrance into the church grounds) was strictly maintained. The lych-gate as a place of station (prayerful, recollective rest), of transitus from the secular to the sacred domain, and the portal in which mortal remains (sheltered from rain or the elements) and the funeral party awaited the arrival of the clergyman to lead the funeral procession into sacred ground was consciously kept in English churchyard design.

© Philip Smyth

The tradition of burying the dead in close proximity to the parish church in England and Wales goes back to AD 752, when Pope Stephen III granted St Cuthbert authority to use the church grounds as a graveyard, thus making the burial ground an integral part of sacred space. It is commonly assumed that all graveyards had lych-gates - they are simply taken for granted – but, given that they were wooden structures, there is no archaeological evidence to support this assumption.

The oldest verified lych-gate in Britain, dating from AD 1470, is a splendid example of its type at Boughton Monchelsea in Kent. Few others survive from the medieval period. There are a number from the 16th and 17th centuries, but it was the reign of Queen Victoria which witnessed a great surge in the construction of lych-gates which continued into the 20th century, tapering off after World War II. The Lych-Gate at the entrance to the graveyard of the church

Even if the lych-gate came into its own on the occasion of a funeral, all parishioners, regardless of social status, customarily entered the churchyard for religious services of whatever kind through the lych-gate. They are often a photographer's favourite setting for the outside images of newly-married couples. From 1549 it was required by the new Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England that the minister ‘metying the corpse at the church style’ would there commence the Order for the Burial of the Dead. Only in relatively recent times has this tradition been abandoned, not least because the funeral cortège, using motorised vehicles, drives into the churchyard and up to the church door.

In an inventory of lych-gates in England and Wales carried out between 1990 and 1998, some 209 were photographed and measured. Of the four basic types identified by Vallance, the porch and shed models account for 91% of all lych-gates.

I hoped that this brief survey of a widespread architectural curio, whose original practical and liturgical purpose has been relegated by evolving funeral custom, gives an added dimension to the hymn writer's vision of the moment of final human transition, ‘through death's grim portal’.

Dr Philip Smyth is the Manager of JH Kenyon Funeral Directors and a Cathedral parishioner.

November 2018

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CHANGED STOP, THIEF!

BY LENT

Steve Burrows

This is the afternoon after the event. The traces of the 'shock of the real' are still in me. It was like this. I parked my bike at the stands on the pavement close by the large central London church, noticing a label on the handlebar of an adjacent derelict bike advising the owner that it would be removed in 48 hours if it were not claimed before then, and giving a phone number to call with any queries. That seemed to me to be a good initiative, as the stands become clogged with decrepit and deserted bikes after a while. I went into the church for confession (as good Catholics do), and then stayed on for the lunchtime Mass. Afterwards there was Morning Prayer from the Divine Office to finish and some other prayers. This is not a list to show I am holy; just to point out that the time of my leaving the church was rather random, and some while after the Mass was over.

Then at the church door I stopped to phone a friend to make social arrangements for later in the week. So I walked down the steps at last, at one with God and the world.

As I approached the bike stands I became aware of someone kneeling to cut through metal, raising hot burnt fumes on the pleasantly warm sunny afternoon air. ‘Oh, it must be the council workman removing that bike’, I remember thinking. Approaching, I looked at the ‘workman’ a little closer to see any sign of a uniform or badge; I was going to encourage him, say what he was doing was a good idea, be pleasant and show friendliness. But it was my bike he was kneeling besides! He had some sort of electric tool featuring a spinning black disc, about 7cm diameter, like a grinding wheel. He had just completed a second cut on my expensive German D-lock, removing a section of it, and freeing the bike from the stand.

What is strange is the process of realisation, realising something is happening before your eyes, becoming aware of something unexpected. I do not think I said anything at this stage; I just kept approaching him, was next to the bike.

He stood up and stepped back, someone of good height and a wiry frame. I would say he was strong, maybe in his late 20s or 30s, with a bandana pulled up over the lower half of his face, the way cyclists do in London, against exhaust fumes. To passers-by, I suggest, it would appear to have a rationale as a protection against the fumes from the cutting operation. The more sinister, but not immediately obvious, rationale was against identification whilst he carried out his crime, in broad daylight in front of passing cars and people.

Beside the bike stands, the one-way traffic queues at a junction to join another road and many waiting drivers must have seen him at this business.

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‘You're a criminal!’ I said, quite loudly. He turned away, to where he had a getaway bike and I noticed an accomplice also with a bike across the road. ‘You're a criminal!’ I repeated louder. Now he was on his bike and beginning to move, but still close by. He didn’t say much else except maybe for a muttered swear word. The taxi driver was looking on with interest now. ‘You're a criminal!’ I shouted at him again, so he couldn't avoid hearing it, along with everyone else in the vicinity. It was a mixture of dawning relief at finding myself just in time, so that I still had hold of my expensive Brompton bike, and dawning outrage at his action in trying to take it, that energised me then. By the grace of God I got in the third shout, really telling him what he was. To the grace of God, too, I am convinced, was owed the lucky timing of the whole thing. Ten more seconds and he and the bike would have gone. So close, and yet nothing for him on this occasion. Tough luck!

In some Gospel passages phrases are repeated three times, for completeness. For instance, when Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him, and Peter is forced three times to declare that he does, and in the process is healed from having three times publicly denied Christ. I read an article about this sort of use of language, which is called 'performative'. The actual saying of the words causes something to happen. Another example is in the rite of marriage. The couple make their promises to each other, and through the act of saying those words they marry each other.

I don't know what my telling the bike thief three times he was a criminal did, but I felt that I had done something.

© Shirokazan

It’s London Life

I put my hand on the saddle of the bike and saw my opened D-lock lying on the pavement. He was 2 metres away now. His face, from what I could see of it, had the pale complexion that goes with thick reddish hair. ‘Hey, give me my bike, mate!’ he said, regrouping and attempting a bluff, in case I was just a suspicious passer-by, and he made a move towards me. But behind his back, waiting at the junction, there was a black cab with the driver at the open window, and a car behind him, and people nearby on the pavement. He seemed to realise that physical action against me now was a bit too public, and anyway, at last I had caught up with what was happening.

A typical Brompton bike Oremus

November 2018

ACN SPOTLIGHT DAY

Murcadha O Flaherty Aid to the Church in Need’s annual Cathedral Event brought supporters to Mass and then to Cathedral Hall on Saturday 13 October to show solidarity with the family of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman awaiting Pakistan’s Supreme Court death row verdict for alleged blasphemy.

With the judiciary deciding her case, Asia Bibi’s husband, Ashiq Masih, and daughter, Eisham Ashiq, spoke of their concerns for Asia’s life. Pakistan’s blasphemy laws call for the death penalty or life imprisonment after conviction for using derogatory remarks against the Muslim Prophet Mohammad, a charge which the mother of five has denied. Fr Emmanuel Yousaf, Director of Pakistan’s National Commission for Justice and Peace, concelebrated the Mass and thanked the faithful for their support. Media reports note that extremist groups in the country are primed to protest violently if Asia is released.

November 2018

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© Weenson Oo

News of the Church in Need

Also speaking at Cathedral Hall was Sr Luma Khudher OP, who was driven out of Qaraqosh when Daesh (ISIS) seized the town in 2014, as well as Chaldean Archbishop Habib Al Nafali Jajou from Basra. Sr Khudher was able to update benefactors on how the charity is helping rebuild Christian villages on the Nineveh Plains, enabling thousands of displaced families to return home. Coptic Archbishop Angaelos of London then spoke of the plight of Christians in the Middle East and especially in Egypt, home to the largest minority Christian community in the region whilst the BBC’s Religious Affairs correspondent Martin Bashir also addressed issues of Christian persecution and religious freedom worldwide.

ACN supporters practise for the forthcoming Red Wednesday

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ROMAN EXPLORATION

The Aventine Hill Donato Tallo

Rome is a city that is rich in history, renowned throughout the world for its architecture and beauty and also for its stunning churches, chapels and museums, yet it is also a very contemporary and cosmopolitan city and one that is considered to be very fashionable and cultured. As with any modern city, Rome can be busy and noisy, and visitors to Central Rome may be unaware of the many peaceful and tranquil sites located only a stone’s throw away from the centre. The Aventine Hill is one such place, the southernmost of the famous seven hills of Rome and a place of beauty and calm just outside the central area of the city, where visitors can escape the cacophony and business of the capital’s streets for a while.

A little further south from Santa Sabina is the basilica of Santi Bonifacio e Allessio, a church that has several interesting side chapels and possesses a light and airy feel inside. The crypt has some amazing frescoes on its walls and the church itself is said to have been founded between the third and fourth centuries, although it has subsequently been restored many times.

The church of San Anselmo with the International Benedictine College and monastery are also located on the Aventine Hill. San Anselmo is a beautiful church enriched by the observation of the monastic rhythm of the daily offices.

It enjoys a large sanctuary and some simple yet stunning windows.

Next door to the church there is a large piazza and often an ice cream stall can be found there! However, and in any case much more important than the ice cream, there is the famous Aventine Keyhole located on the Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta. Through the keyhole on the large green doors, St Peter’s Basilica can be clearly seen through a corridor of exquisitely maintained hedges belonging to the Sovereign Order of Malta.

The Hill has a rich history that is worth exploring in detail and depth, and it is a site that was very important in Roman mythology. Being an elevated site close to the river Tiber and fairly close to the Colosseum, it commands some very impressive views of Rome from both the Giardino Storico Di Sant Alessio and the Parco Savello which is famous for its beautiful and colourful orange trees that are almost ornamental in appearance. Visitors to either of these two gardens can admire stunning views of the Eternal City where St Peter’s Basilica and other famous Roman landmarks can be seen.

Located next to the Parco Savello is the church of Santa Sabina where the Holy Father celebrates Mass on Ash Wednesday each year. The church, which is in the care of the Dominicans, ranks as a minor basilica and amazes by the beauty of its simplicity. The main doors of the basilica have been and continue to be the subject of much historical analysis, since the top left hand door panel has an image on it that is regarded as being one of the oldest and first depictions of the crucifixion in artwork; and both the individual panel and the doors themselves are a joy to behold.

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© Donato Tallo

The Crucifixion on the doors of Santa Sabina

Any visit to Rome would really not be complete without a visit to the Aventine Hill; the churches and gardens are stunning and it is from here that the beautiful skyline of the city can really be appreciated. Being able to appreciate the peace and tranquility of Rome in an area that is steeped in history and beauty is a fantastic experience. The Hill is easily accessible from central Rome by foot, cars are also allowed on the Aventine and the nearest metro station is Circo Massimo. Here’s to your next Roman Holiday.

The Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta Oremus

November 2018

BOOK REVIEW

Priests in Uniform: Catholic Chaplains to the British Forces in the First World War James Hagerty (Gracewing 2017, £25) ISBN 978 085244 906 6 Reviewed by Fr Nicholas Schofield, Diocesan Archivist day of his death during the Battle of Passchendaele (16 August 1917) was seen hurrying ‘all day hither and thither over the battlefield like an angel of mercy.’ Many thought he deserved the Victoria Cross, but it was said he was triply disqualified for being an Irishman, a Catholic and a Jesuit. However, many of these ‘priests in uniform’ were decorated for their bravery.

The war did much to dispel the negative myths that were still in circulation about Catholics. Many were impressed by the devotion and courage of the chaplains and began to realise the power of the sacramental system.

As a result, there were a number of conversions, though chaplains also had to face indifference and loss of faith as a result of the horrors of war. Though this was not an ‘ecumenical age’, the war broke down many boundaries.

Mass was said in non-Catholic army huts, such as those run by the YMCA. Chaplains of different denominations, who perhaps might not have had much to do with each other during peacetime, were thrown together. Shortly after arriving at Le Havre in August 1914, for example, Mgr Bickerstaffe-Drew (a senior chaplain and Westminster priest) had the privilege of sleeping in his own tent due to his seniority, ‘but the Church of England Chaplain was to be one of three, so I gave him half my tent.’

The Centenary of the First World War, now coming towards its end, has seen a sometimes bewildering number of publications, exhibitions, events and films.

However, the ecclesiastical and spiritual dimensions of the conflict, with a few notable exceptions, have largely been overlooked. Yet most of the participants identified with a church and frequently used religious imagery and concepts in their thoughts and writings. Although Catholic clergy had officially served as military chaplains since 1858, the scale of the armed services during the First World War brought a heightened demand for their presence on the battlefields, camps and service hospitals.

All in all, over 800 Catholic priests worked with the British forces between 1914 and 1918 and James Hagerty’s Priests in Uniform tells their fascinating story.

Catholic chaplains were known for their closeness to the troops, especially since the wounded and dying required the sacraments. One of the most famous chaplains was the saintly Irish Jesuit, Fr William Doyle, who on the November 2018

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Dr Hagerty, who over 20 years ago co-wrote a general history of Catholic chaplains in the armed forces, The Cross on the Sword, is to be commended on this clear, well-researched and authoritative study. He examines the political, military and ecclesiastical background to the provision of Catholic chaplains and the eventual appointment of an Episcopus Castrensis (military bishop), despite Cardinal Bourne’s opposition. There are plenty of inspiring stories from the different theatres of the conflict; not only the Western Front and the Dardanelles but the Middle East and East Africa.

A useful – and moving – appendix provides an illustrated ‘Roll of Honour’ to the chaplains who lost their lives, including one Westminster priest: Fr Herbert (‘Bertie’) Collins, attached to the 9/Black Watch who was killed by a shell while searching for an advanced aid post on 9 April 1917, aged 35. His friend, Fr George Cravan (a future bishop), wrote that his death ‘leaves the world sadly changed and darkened.’ Thanks to Priests in Uniform, we shall remember them.

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OUR LADY IN WARTIME

The Leaning Virgin of Albert Fr Nicholas Schofield As we commemorate the Armistice in this month, many iconic images will come to mind: troops going over the top, the barbed wire of No Man’s Land, the trenches and, it must be said, the ‘Leaning Virgin’ of Albert, one of the principal towns of the region of the Somme. The gilded statue was on the tower of the impressive basilica of Notre Dame de Brebières and it quickly entered the folklore of the conflict.

The Marian shrine at Albert had been popular among locals for centuries. According to tradition, a medieval shepherd noticed a sheep pawing at the ground one day.

He sent a dog over, but the ewe remained stationary and so he went over and struck the ground. He heard a mysterious voice: ‘Stop, shepherd, you hurt me’, and discovered that his crook was covered with blood.

The shepherd nervously bent down and uncovered a stone statue of the Virgin and Child, with a sheep grazing at their feet. Our Lady’s head was marked by the shepherd’s blow.

A chapel was built at the spot and the statue was given the title ‘Our Lady of Brebières’ – originating from brébis (sheep) and berger (shepherd’).

Devotion quickly spread, especially among shepherds. St Colette turned to her at the age of 14 with her typically teenage concerns over delicate health and lack of height.

The Virgin heard her prayers, we are told, and not only did her constitution improve, but she miraculously gained several inches. The saint went on to reform the Poor Clares.

In 1637 the sanctuary was partially burned by Spanish troops and eventually in 1727 the image was moved for safety to the nearby church at Albert. During the French Revolution the image survived after being hidden in a coffin – a lucky escape, since the church was briefly turned into a temple to the ‘Goddess of Reason’. Whether known as Notre Dame de Brebières, ‘the Virgin of Albert’, ‘Our Lady of the Ewes’ or ‘the Divine Shepherdess’, devotion revived in the second half of the 19th century. A new basilica, with the famous gilded Virgin and Child on the tower, was completed 14

and Leo XIII even called it the ‘Lourdes of the North’ – though the numbers of pilgrims never began to compete with those of the Pyrenean shrine.

On 15 January 1915 a German shell caused the gilded statue to lean forward, almost at a right angle. ‘It is really wonderful,’ wrote one British officer, ‘and personally I think it is a miracle. The statue is huge (with an immense base), and of metal; all the girders which used to support it are smashed, and the statue appears to be suspended in mid-air.’

It soon became the focus of much legend – that whoever caused her to fall would (depending on the version you heard) win or lose the war, or simply ‘when the Virgin fell, the war would end’. It became an iconic image, appearing on numerous postcards, and was known as the ‘Golden’ or ‘Leaning’ Virgin. The Australians were less reverent; they christened it ‘Fanny Durack’ (after the Olympic swimmer), because the statue looked as if it was about to dive into a pool. In March 1918, the Germans occupied Albert and the British artillery deliberately targeted the church tower, to prevent it from being used as an observation post. The Virgin finally fell that April, six months before the Armistice.

Allied troops recaptured the town in August 1918.

A soldier of the 8th East Surreys wrote: ‘Streets, once picturesque and lively with the business of British military life, had become mere paths littered with rubbish, lined with stumps of walls and wrecks of buildings, and undermined in every direction with land-mines and charges. The basilica from which the golden image of the Virgin and Child had hung for so long was there yet, and its vast nave still dominated the town, but it had become a mere huge forbidding shell of red brick.’ The church was subsequently restored and reopened amid much jubilation in 1931, thanks to a large grant from the French Government and the gifts of many donors. A special relationship existed with the people of Birmingham, who raised a considerable sum of money towards the town’s reconstruction and opened an almshouse for the aged poor. To this day, the street on which the basilica is located is called Rue de Birmingham.

Thus, the ancient image returned to its rightful place and a copy of the original gilded Virgin once again looks over Albert and the surrounding war-scarred countryside. In the words of a poem by M E Francis: Mother, this place was peaceful once, and blest, That golden statue on its tower poised high Held the Child Jesus – not upon its breast, But raised aloft, with little arms outspread As once upon the rood's unyielding bed – And all who passed might hear thy voiceless cry, From break of dawn until the day was done: ‘Look up, my children, look upon my Son’.

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November 2018

CARDINAL VAUGHAN EN ROUTE

A Much-Travelled Man Anne Marie Micallef Cardinal Vaughan was born in April 1832. Aged nine, he travelled to Stoneyhurst to begin his education (this was the Stoneyhurst prep school in Birmingham). At 14 he went to another Jesuit school in Brugelette in Belgium. He began his priestly studies in Rome; and in order to get there crossed the Channel and travelled by horse-drawn coach for nearly three weeks. He was ordained in Bargo near Lucca in Italy on 28 October 1854, before returning to Ware in Hertfordshire.

Before he was 30 he had visited some of the principal seminaries in Europe. In May 1860 he visited Dublin and in the summer of the same year travelled extensively in France and Italy. In 1863 he went to Spain. As soon as he had the idea for a missionary college, he decided to go on a ‘begging trip’ to the Americas. He left from Southampton on 17 December 1863, travelling on the steamer ‘SS Taranto’. He arrived on 31 December at St Thomas in the Virgin Islands, moving on to Nicaragua and Panama. Next he took another steamer, the ‘St Louis’, on 17-day journey to California, where he spent 5 months before sailing to South America

where he visited Peru. He went to Chile, sailed round the Cape of Good Hope to Rio de Janeiro and returned thence to England, arriving first by mail boat in Bordeaux.

Travel to Rome in the winter of 1866-7 saw him falling ill in Genoa, although this did not stop him travelling widely in subsequent years both in Europe and the States, returning to Rome again in 1870 and to Baltimore in 1871. Becoming Bishop of Salford in 1872 limited his travelling a bit, since he confined his trips mainly to Europe, but with an excursion to Baltimore, too. He became Archbishop of Westminster in 1892, at which point his travels abroad almost stopped as he set about building up the diocese and the Cathedral.

By my calculations he visited at least 14 countries, some of them many times. He must have witnessed a variety of church building styles; one can only wonder how his travels influenced the type of Cathedral he wanted and discussed with John F Bentley, the Cathedral Architect. He thought, of course, about being a missionary to Wales and then Australia, but luckily for us, the latter journey never happened.

Vaughan, when In Baltimore, would have seen the Basilica of the Assumption, ‘America’s First Cathedral’ and a Designated National Landmark November 2018

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CATHEDRAL HISTORY

Cathedral Mosaics and Methods Patrick Rogers Only a small part of our Cathedral has received its mosaics.

Yet already over 25 million pieces of mosaic have been laid. To complete the decoration in the manner originally planned would require perhaps a hundred million. Mosaic comprises small cubes of marble, stone or glass (tesserae) applied to a prepared surface to produce a pattern. The technique has been used since at least 3,500 BC. The early Christians adapted the Greek and Roman use of floor mosaics and applied it to floors and ceilings, particularly in the Byzantine period (6th-15th centuries AD). The glass tesserae used in the Cathedral average one square centimetre in size and come mainly from the island of Murano in Venice. Some have gold or silver leaf fused fused on to clear glass with another thin sheet of Glasson top to protect the metal from the atmosphere. On average 700 tessarae are used to the square foot, so the sanctuary arch mosaic consists of about 700,000 pieces and the Lady Chapel has 6 million of them!

The first mosaics were designed for the Holy Souls Chapel by the artist W C Symons. It is only here that the Cathedral architect, J F Bentley, played a direct part. They were laid over 18 months from June 1902 by the ‘English Lady Artists’ from the Oxford Street studios of George Bridge.

The tesserae used are of irregular shape and predominantly silver in colour, the effect being toned down by the use of salmon-tinted cement and wide joints. The ‘direct method’ advocated by Bentley was used. In this, tracings of full-size colour cartoons of the designs are taken and put on the wall or ceiling. The cartoons are then reproduced by pressing the tesserae individually into special oil-based putty (which allows more time for adjustment than water-based material) behind the tracings.

The main advantages of the ‘direct method’ are precision and that individually placed tesserae reflect the light at different angles to produce a glittering effect. The alternative is the ‘stuck-on method’ in which the tesserae are stuck face downwards on full size paper cartoons. A coat of plaster (water-based for quick drying) is applied to the wall or ceiling. Then the tesserae attached to the cartoon are pressed and hammered flat into the plaster all at the same time. When set, the cartoon is pulled away, revealing the mosaic (now face up) below. This was the method used by the firm of Clayton and Bell in the Chapel of Ss Gregory and Augustine. In both these chapels opus sectile (cut and painted marble segments) was adopted for the altarpieces.

This is because mosaic is only effective to the eye at a distance, while opus sectile is so at a closer range.

The next mosaics were designed and supervised by an unsung hero in the Cathedral’s history, J A Marshall. He had succeeded Bentley as Cathedral Architect in 1902. He was 16

A 'direct method' mosaic in the Holy Souls Chapel, demonstrating the use of Opus sectile at eye level and mosaic above

responsible for the blue and gold flower-like patterns for the lining of the baldacchino in 1906 and for the simple but effective red and gold colour scheme for the Shrine of the Sacred Heart five years later.

The ‘direct method’ used by Marshall was also used by Robert Anning Bell, whose predominantly blue mosaics for the altarpiece and four recesses in the Lady Chapel were laid by Gertrude Martin in 1912-13. Meanwhile the Fourth Marquess of Bute had chosen Robert Weir Schultz, a noted Byzantine scholar, to organise the decoration of St Andrew’s Chapel. Mosaic designs were prepared by George Jack in the conventional Byzantine style. The tesserae were laid in 1914-15 by six mosaicists under the direction of Gaetano Meo, who had earlier assisted Sir William Richmond with the mosaics in St Paul’s Cathedral. Particularly effective are the arch soffits, which contain 33 birds, and the sparkling fish-scale patterned gold vault.

Cardinal Francis Bourne, who had succeeded Cardinal Vaughan in 1903, chose Anning Bell both for the early mosaics in the Lady Chapel and for the sober tympanum above the main entrance (1916). But in neither case was he happy with the result. He then turned to Gilbert Pownall and from 1930-35 five mosaicists used the ‘direct method’ to execute Pownall’s designs in the confessional recess (1930),the Sanctuary arch (1931-33), St Peter’s Crypt (193334) and the Lady Chapel (1930-35). Work on a Pownall design was underway in the apse when Bourne died in early 1935, but in response to an organised campaign of criticism, his successor agreed to abandon the work and remove the mosaic (about a fifth of the design) already in place.

The most recent [in 1999 – Ed.] major mosaic work in the Cathedral was the decoration of the Chapel of the Blessed Oremus

November 2018

CATHEDRAL HISTORY Sacrament and that of St Paul in the 1960s. Boris Anrep, a Russian-born artist who had designed earlier, smaller mosaics in the Cathedral, was commissioned in 1956 to undertake the completion of the decoration in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. He chose a simple, very early Christian style, a pink background colour (to indicate serenity) and the ‘stuck-on method’. Full-size colour cartoons were made in his Paris studio, tesserae selected and attached to working drawings in Venice and the results crated and sent to London. Peter Indri undertook the fixing in 1960-61, but the work was closely monitored and adjusted by Anrep and his assistant, Julian Vulliamy, using a huge work table in the transept.

The gathering of manna in the desert is illustrated in Boris Anrep's 'stuck-on method' mosaic in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel

The 19 years since Patrick Rogers wrote this piece have seen significant additions to the Cathedral mosaics: the Vaughan Chantry, St Joseph’s Chapel, the Chapel of St George and the English Martyrs, and mosaics of St Alban, Bl John Henry Newman, St Francis, St Anthony of Padua, St David, St Ambrose and St Patrick in the body of the Cathedral as well as Ss Lawrence, Stephen, Jean-Marie Vianney and Thérèse of Lisieux on the sanctuary.

Plans are now afoot for mosaics on the vault of St Patrick’s Chapel (that and the Baptistry are the only chapels left incomplete); please contact the Friends of the Cathedral if you are able to assist with the funding of this project.

Patrick Rogers RIP Louise Sage

The mosaic of St Thomas Becket by Christopher Hobbs is on the west wall of the Vaughan Chantry and is unnoticed by many

The two also worked together in St Paul’s Chapel, but this time Anrep (now over 80 years of age) assisted Vulliamy.

He designed the principal figures, though in the event he disliked the final result. Peter Indri again undertook the fixing (1964-65). And the latest [in 1999 – Ed.] Cathedral mosaic?

Designed by Nicolete Gray, it commemorates the 1982 visit of Pope [now St] John Paul II and was put in place in June of that year. In translation the Latin inscription reads: ‘May this door be the gateway of peace, through Jesus Christ who called himself the Gate’.

I’ll leave you to find it!

November 2018

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On Thursday 11 October a small group of family, friends and Cathedral parishioners gathered at St James’ church in Twickenham, the home parish of our late Cathedral historian, for the unveiling of a small marble plaque in his memory placed on the wall of the Lady Chapel. The Parish Priest, Fr Ulick Loring, welcomed us for a service of blessing.

Commenting on the plaque’s wording, he explained that Patrick was a parishioner first, a friend to all and a great scholar. The quotation from St Thomas More referred to Patrick’s military war intelligence work, and was one which he himself used from time to time. It was a short, but very meaningful, ceremony and a well-deserved tribute to a good man. May he rest in peace.

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MONTHLY ALBUM

How to be Square It’s floral, it’s a cube; and it’s art. London Design Festival saw various installations popping up, among them Zita Elze’s Floral Art Cube on the Piazza. Taking the Piazza as a square, the cube is a square within a square (you get the idea?), but is designed to make us think ‘outside the box’. The mirrored panels reflected the surroundings, but were billed as the opportunity for selfies also. ‘It’s mainly for fun,’ suggested the flyers, but the assembled students of the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, who had come to the Cathedral for their Founder’s Day Mass, all seemed to have turned their backs so that they could chat to each other.

A Farewell Song At the Party for Fr Martin Plunkett, all present were challenged to join in song, as he got out his guitar and we sang the chorus and clapped. It was a great evening of parochial fellowship, fuelled by very decent and popular refreshment.

Doing the rounds of all present meant that Fr Martin had time for young Joseph, a very regular member of the faithful, whom he baptised more recently during his time here at the Cathedral.

A Day of Penitential Prayer The Divine Mercy Day of Prayer focused on Penitence both for Church and nation. Led by Bishop John Keenan of Paisley in Scotland, all prayed: God, merciful Father, in our Son Jesus Christ you have revealed your love and poured it out upon us in the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. We entrust to you today the destiny of England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and the whole world and of every man and woman.

Bend down to us sinners, heal our weakness, conquer all evil and grant that all the peoples of the earth may experience your mercy. In you, the Triune God may they ever find the source of hope. Eternal Father, by the Passion and Resurrection of your Son, have mercy upon us and the whole world.

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November 2018

MONTHLY ALBUM

Completing the Chapter At the October Chapter Mass the number of the Canons was made up by the admission of Fr Gerard King, parish priest of Highbury, into the brotherhood of the Chapter and his installation by the Provost, Canon Brockie. Canon Gerard takes his place in the Chapter’s counsels, which are not only concerned with the Cathedral. The Church’s Canon Law requires that each diocese should have a College of Consultors to assist the bishop and here in Westminster it is the Metropolitan Chapter that is appointed to fulfil that role.

Taking to the Floor Canon Gerard received into the Chapter and vested, before his Installation

Becoming Professional Singers The Probationer Choristers spend their first year learning the rudiments: how to sing, becoming familiar with the repertoire, standing still and so on. But the beginning of each October brings the moment of their full entry into the Choir.

The image shows them after they have been vested in their cottas, at the moment when Canon Christopher speaks of the privilege and work they are now taking on. The boys look appropriately serious, but, believe us, cheerfulness breaks through very quickly as soon as Vespers are over and the choristers are released for the afternoon.

Lights, music, action, camera Silver Sunday may not, thankfully, attract the publicity that Strictly Come Dancing does, but plenty of dancers came to Cathedral Hall for an afternoon Tea Dance organised by the Filipino Club. It was wet and cold outside, but action on the floor quickly warmed up the Hall. Among the guests was Mary Barsh (96), herself a reminder of great dancing days as a former Tiller Girl.

Mary Barsh (centre), in fine form for the afternoon November 2018

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ON RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION

Body and Soul in Co-operation at Mass Fr Stephen Brown Occasionally it is useful to look at things from a practical perspective, in the sense of the practical way we express what we believe. I want to look at the subject of the reception of Holy Communion which we believe to be the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, in other words, the Living Risen Jesus Himself, hidden under the appearance of bread and wine. Holy Communion is received on the Church’s terms, because Holy Communion comes from the Church and she is its guardian. Therefore, the rules she makes about the reception of Holy Communion are a consequence of her faith – that Holy Communion is truly Our Lord’s Body and Blood and merits the greatest reverence and worship, and a consequence of her desire that whoever receives Holy Communion does so in the way most likely to be spiritually fruitful.

Holy Communion is the sacrament designed by Christ to transform us into Himself, and for this to happen, it is vital that we are properly prepared and receive worthily; otherwise it will do us no good at all.

What are the conditions under which a person may receive Holy Communion? First, you must be a Catholic, secondly, you must truly believe that Holy Communion is Jesus Christ Himself and not a piece of blessed bread.

Thirdly, you must want to receive Him. That sounds obvious, but casual indifference, and an unthinking reception is a possibility and a danger. Fourthly, you must be in a state of grace, that is, you must be free from serious sin; otherwise refrain from receiving until you have been to confession.

You don’t have to be perfect – Holy Communion is a means towards perfection - but you do have to be free from serious sin. And fifthly, you must have kept the Eucharistic Fast; you must have refrained from food and drink (except water and medicine) for one hour before receiving. It is fitting that our body join in the preparation to receive Our Lord, and so we receive Him on an empty stomach. One hour is not difficult, perhaps too easy in fact, but nonetheless that is the present discipline. The first meal of the day is called breakfast, stemming from the time when people would go to early morning Mass and receive Holy Communion having fasted all night. Afterwards they could then eat and break their fast.

As to the manner of receiving, this too is important because it has an effect on our faith. How we receive can reinforce our faith that we are receiving Jesus, or it can chip away at it and eventually destroy it. Our body and our soul are united, so what one does has an impact on the other.

Body language is important and the body speaks to the soul and indeed is witnessed by others, who understand the meaning. As an example, if you shake someone’s hand but

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are busy watching TV or talking to someone else, the person whose hand you are shaking would conclude, reasonably, that you were not really interested in them, because of their body language. So, too, in receiving Holy Communion, what the body does is important because it speaks to the soul and to others about what is happening.

The Church lays down the manner in which Holy Communion must be received – we are not completely free to decide for ourselves how would like to receive. The first option is to receive directly on the tongue. This option applies to every parish throughout the world by law. If you choose to receive this way, you say Amen, you open your mouth, bring your tongue forward till it covers your bottom lip and receive. The second option is to receive in the hand where a country’s bishops have given permission, as most have. If you choose to receive in this way, you hold up your hands clearly so the priest can see you intend to receive this way, you hold them flat so the priest can place the Sacred Host easily, with one hand beneath the other. You pick up the host immediately and place it in your mouth. Those are the ‘dos’.

Now here are the ‘don’ts’ if you receive on the hand: Do not receive with anything other than scrupulously clean hands – check before you come to church; parents may need to check their children’s hands.

Do not try to grab the Host with two fingers – it is a gift, and gifts are not grabbed, they are received. Do not manhandle the Host, as this increases the possibility of it breaking.

Do not turn round and walk off carrying the Host, it must be consumed immediately, then and there in front of the priest or minister; otherwise you risk being embarrassed by them following you to make sure that you have consumed it.

Do not receive with gloves on or with bandages.

Putting out one hand is not acceptable, as it is usually followed by an attempt to cast the Host into the mouth like a peanut, and that is not an appropriate way to receive Our Lord and God. If you are carrying a baby or young child, you must receive on the tongue; there is too much that can go badly wrong otherwise.

The Church’s law says that if the priest thinks there is a danger of irreverence, he must place the Host on the tongue.

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November 2018

THE BLESSED SACRAMENT PROCESSION There we have our practicalities, which are inseparably related to the spiritual mysteries they serve. It might sound a little stern, but the motivation is a fatherly desire to protect and nourish people’s faith and ensure the receiving of Our Lord Jesus Christ is as fruitful as possible. Everything about the way we worship should foster a sense of adoration of God. The way we receive Holy Communion should be especially conducive to awe and wonder since here, God not only comes to meet us, but invites us to union with Himself - a taste of Heaven upon earth.

Fr Stephen is a priest of the Oratorian Community in York, serving the parish of St Wilfrid.

His advice is particularly pertinent to us at the Cathedral, where many visitors come to Mass each week. Some are well-instructed and careful in their reception of the Blessed Sacrament, but others are not and we regularly find non-Catholics and the unbaptised in the queue for Holy Communion. If the priest or Eucharistic minister is unsure as to your good standing, they will ask if you are Catholic.

Please do not take offence at this, but understand that it is done to safeguard the Blessed Sacrament and to promote fruitful reception.

Taking to the Streets The annual Blessed Sacrament Procession, although held right at the end of September, benefited from the remains of the hot summer weather and resumed its usual route of travel northwards from Westminster to Southwark.

Northwards? Yes, because the bend in the river disguises the fact that St George’s Cathedral is slightly north of Westminster Cathedral, despite serving South, rather than North, London. But why quibble? St George’s was, in fact, the Cathedral known to Cardinal Wiseman at the Restoration of the Hierarchy and the Procession bears witness to friendship and co-operation between the two cathedral communities.

The route takes us past a real mixture of housing, with the brick of the multi-storeyed Victoria flats around the Cathedral, the terraced houses around Sacred Heart church in Horseferry Road and then the restrained splendour of the former hospital buildings near Lambeth Bridge. South of the river, council estates sit opposite late Regency and early Victorian terraces of some splendour.

It was pleasing that the weather meant people were out and about. Some watched with interest, especially outside the pubs, whilst others were intent on checking their phones.

However, several asked with interest what was happening and what event was being marked and comments from Catholics whom we met on the way were encouraging, too.

As the images show, Cathedral Chaplains were well in evidence and we thank Canon Richard Hearn, the Dean of Southwark, who carried the Blessed Sacrament.

At the Horseferry Road corner

We do not need to be kneeling or divided by sexes to receive Holy Communion well, but we do need to be prepared and aware that it is Jesus Christ who comes to us and whom we are receiving November 2018

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Crossing Lambeth Bridge; blue sky and tinted glass in flats and office blocks 21

St Hilda, 614-680, Abbess of Whitby (feast day 17 November) Hilda had the advantage of being born into a royal household in what is now the North East. Her father, King Edwin, was baptised in 627 along with all his family, but was killed in battle six years later. Hilda, with other relatives, moved to Kent with St Paulinus, whilst her sister moved to France and became a nun. It was not until 647 that Hilda followed her into the religious life, rapidly becoming Abbess of Hartlepool and then, in 657, of Whitby, where she presided over a mixed community of monks and nuns, excelling, St Bede tells us, in administration and teaching, both great gifts of the Spirit.

The Month of

November Holy Father’s Prayer Intention: Universal: In the Service of Peace That the language of love and dialogue may always prevail over the language of conflict

Thursday 1 November

ALL SAINTS 5pm Solemn 2nd Vespers 5.30pm Solemn Mass (Full choir) Victoria – Missa O quam gloriosum Palestrina – Vidi turbam magnam Victoria – O quam gloriosum Organ: Vierne – Carillon (Pièces en style libre)

Saturday 3 November Ps Week 2 BVM on Saturday (St Winifride, Virgin, St Martin de Porres, Religious) 2.30pm Pontifical High Mass of Requiem (Latin Mass Society, Bishop Michael Campbell OSA) Sunday 4 November Ps Week 3 31st SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 10.30am Solemn Mass (Full choir) MacMillan – Westminster Mass Croce – In spiritu humilitatis Organ: Dupré – Toccata (Symphonie II) Knights of St Columba attend 3.30pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction Lassus – Magnificat septimi toni Mathias – The Doctrine of Wisdom Organ: Mathias – Toccata giocosa 4.30pm Deaf Service Mass in Cathedral Hall 4.45pm Organ Recital: Kris Thomsett (Newcastle Cathedral)

© Wilson 44691

DIARY

Sunday 11 November Ps Week 4 32nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY) 9am Family Mass 10.30am Solemn Requiem Mass for the Fallen (Cardinal Vincent Nichols) (Full choir) Mozart – Missa pro defunctis Mozart – Domine Iesu Christe Mozart – Lux aeterna Organ: J S Bach – Fantasia in C minor (BWV 562) 3.30pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction Bevan – Magnificat quarti toni Brahms – Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen Organ: Alain – Luttes (Trois danses) 4.45pm Organ Recital: D’Arcy Trinkwon (commemorating Jeanne Demessieux 50 years R.I.P.)

Monday 5 November Feria

Tuesday 6 November All day NHS Blood Transfusion Service in Cathedral Hall 5.30pm Chapter Mass Society of St Augustine attends

Wednesday 7 November © Simon Q

Feria (St Willibrord, Bishop)

Reredos of the altar of All Souls College Chapel, Oxford

Friday 2 November Friday Abstinence THE COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED (ALL SOULS’ DAY) 7, 8, 10.30am Masses in the Holy Souls Chapel 5pm Vespers of the Dead (Holy Souls Chapel) 5.30pm Solemn Requiem Mass (Full choir) G. Anerio – Missa pro defunctis G. Anerio – Domine Iesu Christe G. Anerio – Lux aeterna 22

1.30pm Combined Irish Regiments Service, St Patrick’s Chapel 3pm Catholic Police Guild Requiem Mass (Bishop Tom Burns)

© Mykola Swarnyk

Thursday 8 November

St Josaphat

Friday 9 November Friday Abstinence DEDICATION OF THE LATERAN BASILICA

Monday 12 November

Saturday 10 November

Feria

St Leo the Great, Pope & Doctor 2.30pm Polish Independence Day Mass 4pm Extraordinary Form Mass N.B. in Cathedral Hall 6pm Victoria Choir sings at Mass

St Josaphat, Bishop & Martyr

Tuesday 13 November Wednesday 14 November

Feria 5.30pm Cathedral Organists’ Association attends Mass Oremus

November 2018

DIARY AND NOTICES Thursday 15 November

Feria (St Albert the Great, Bishop & Doctor) 5.30pm Deceased Clergy Mass (Cardinal Vincent Nichols)

Friday 16 November

Friday Abstinence St Edmund of Abingdon, Bishop

Saturday 17 November

St Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious 6pm RCIA Rite of Acceptance at Mass

Friday 23 November

Friday Abstinence Feria (St Clement I, Pope & Martyr, St Columban, Abbot)

Saturday 24 November St Andrew Dũng-Lac, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs 6pm Schola of the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School sings at Mass

Sunday 18 November Ps Week 1 33rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 10.30am Solemn Mass (Full choir) Lassus – Missa Bell’Amfitrit’altera Oades – Sicut cervus Messiaen – O sacrum convivium Organ: Holst, arr. Quinney – Jupiter (The Planets) 12pm Catenians attend Mass (Bishop John Wilson) 3.30pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction Viadana – Magnificat primi toni Philips – Salve Regina a 8 Organ: Holst, arr. Sykes – Venus (The Planets) 4.45pm Organ Recital: Tom Coxhead (Chester)

Sunday 25 November

Monday 19 November

Monday 26 November

Feria

OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, King of the Universe 10.30am Solemn Mass (Full choir) Rheinberger – Cantus Missae Gounod – Tu rex gloriae MacMillan – Sedebit Dominus Rex Organ: Tournemire – Fantaisie sur le Te Deum et Guirlandes Alleluiatiques (L’Orgue Mystique Ll) 3.30pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction F. Anerio – Magnificat octavi toni Byrd – Laudibus in sanctis Organ: Reger – Te Deum 4.45pm Organ Recital: Simon Lloyd (Carmelite Church, Kensington) Ps Week 2

Feria

Tuesday 20 November

Tuesday 27 November

Feria

Wednesday 21 November

The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Thursday 22 November

St Cecilia, Virgin & Martyr

Feria

Wednesday 28 November 6.30pm Aid to the Church in Need Red Wednesday Event (Cathedral Piazza)

Thursday 29 November Feria

Friday 30 November

Friday Abstinence ST ANDREW, Apostle, Patron of Scotland 7, 8, 10.30am Masses in St Andrew’s Chapel

© Andreas Praefcke

Key to the Diary: Saints’ days and holy days written in BOLD CAPITAL LETTERS denote Sundays and Solemnities, CAPITAL LETTERS denote Feasts, and those not in capitals denote Memorials, whether optional or otherwise. Memorials in brackets are not celebrated liturgically.

The Abbot St Columban November 2018

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What Happens and When

Public Services: The Cathedral opens shortly before the first Mass of the day; doors close at 7.00pm, Monday to Saturday, with occasional exceptions.

On Sunday evenings the Cathedral closes after the 7.00pm Mass. On Public and Bank Holidays the Cathedral closes at 5.30pm in the afternoon.

Monday to Friday: Masses: 7.00am; 8.00am; 10.30am (Latin, said); 12.30pm; 1.05pm and 5.30pm (Solemn, sung by the Choir). Morning Prayer (Lady Chapel): 7.40am. Evening Prayer (Latin Vespers* sung by the Lay Clerks in the Lady Chapel): 5.00pm (*except Tuesday when it is sung in English). Rosary is prayed after the 5.30pm Mass.

Saturday: Masses: 8.00am; 9.00am; 10.30am (Solemn Latin, sung by the Choir); and 12.30pm.

Morning Prayer (Lady Chapel): 10.00am. First Evening Prayer of Sunday (Lady Chapel): 5.30pm.

First Mass of Sunday: 6.00pm.

Sunday: Masses: 8.00am; 9.00am; 10.30am (Solemn, sung by the Choir); 12 noon; 5.30pm; and 7.00pm. Morning Prayer (Lady Chapel) 10.00am.

Solemn Vespers and Benediction: 3.30pm. Organ Recital (when scheduled): 4.45pm.

Holy Days of Obligation: As Monday-Friday, Vigil Mass (evening of the previous day) at 5.30pm.

Public Holidays: Masses: 10.30am, 12.30pm, 5.00pm.

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament: This takes place in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel every Monday to Friday following the 1.05pm Mass, until 4.45pm.

Confessions are heard at the following times: Saturday: 10.30am-6.30pm. Sunday: 11.00am1.00pm; and 4.30-7.00pm. Monday-Friday: 11.30am-6.00pm. Public Holidays: 11.00am1.00pm.

Sacred Heart Church, Horseferry Road SW1P 2EF: Sunday Mass 11.00am, Weekday Mass Thursday 12.30pm Funerals: Enquiries about arranging a funeral at the Cathedral or Sacred Heart Church, Horseferry Road, should be made to a priest at Cathedral Clergy House in the first instance.

Throughout the Year Mondays: 11.30am: Prayer Group in the Hinsley Room. 6.30pm: Guild of the Blessed Sacrament in the Cathedral Tuesdays: Walsingham Prayer Group in St George’s Chapel 2.30pm on first Tuesday of the month; 6.30pm: The Guild of St Anthony in the Cathedral.

Wednesdays: 12.00pm: First Wednesday Quiet Days on the first Wednesday of every month in the Hinsley Room.

Thursdays: 1.15pm: Padre Pio Prayer Group at Sacred Heart Church. 6.30pm: The Legion of Mary in Clergy House.

Fridays: 5.00pm: Charismatic Prayer Group in the Cathedral Hall – please check in advance for confirmation.

Saturdays: 10.00am: Centering Prayer Group in the Hinsley Room. 2.00pm: Justice and Peace Group in the Hinsley Room on the last of the month.

23

CARE FOR THE SICK

The Pope who founded City Hospitals Dr Michael Straiton KCSG

At the beginning of the 13th century, the people of Europe began to live together in towns, much more so than previously. It was this closeness of population that gave rise to social needs. When people were scattered across the country, diseases were not so prevalent, epidemics were less likely to spread and rural communities looked after those who were sick. With the advent of city life, albeit in a small way, came the demand for hospitals to care for the population. Innocent III saw the need for a hospital in the city of Rome and set about discovering the best way to accomplish it. He consulted many visitors to Rome and many distinguished medical authorities on what they considered the bestmanaged institutions for the care of the sick at that time.

Most of these recommended that the most successful hospital management was to be found in Montpellier, a French town near the shores of the Mediterranean, a few miles west of Arles. He was told

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that it was run by the Fathers of the Holy Spirit. Accordingly, the Pope invited its administrative head, Guy of Montpellier, to whom the hospital there owed its successful organization, to come to Rome and establish a hospital of his Order in the Papal capital. He provided land near St Peter’s close to the Tiber. At the beginning of the 13th century the Hospital of the Holy Spirit was built and soon attained worldwide fame for its careful nursing and skilful medical attention as well as the skill with which its surgical cases were treated. Attendants at the hospital went out into the streets and poorer quarters of Rome to find sick patients, who were then transported to the hospital.

most flourishing period of its university, was under 50,000. In the larger cities, hospitals were already in existence and these took on a new life because of the new hospital movement.

© Marie-Lan Nguyen

It may be a surprise to some that the modern world owes the institution of the city hospital to one of the medieval Popes, Innocent III, some eight centuries ago. He was the prime mover in what was probably one of the most far-reaching good works of supreme social significance, ever accomplished. He was elected to the papacy at the age of 37 in 1198, at the time when it was the greatest political power in Europe. Thus he exercised a wide influence over the Christian regimes in Europe, claiming supremacy over all Europe’s kings and was at the centre of the Catholic Church’s reforms of ecclesiastical affairs. He approved the foundation of St Francis of Assisi’s Order of Friars Minor and St Dominic’s Order of Preachers.

Pope Innocent’s tomb in the Basilica of St John Lateran, Rome

Pope Innocent’s idea was not to establish a hospital in Rome alone, but in every city of Christendom. By his personal persuasion and by official papal encouragement he succeeded, during his own pontificate, in having a number of hospitals established in all parts of the then civilized world, based on the model of the Roman Holy Spirit hospital. Even after the pontiff’s death, hospitals of the Holy Spirit continued to multiply across Europe, until scarcely a city of any importance was without one. Many of these places were comparatively small.

The population of London then was not more than 20,000; Paris, even at the

That the influence of the movement initiated by Pope Innocent III was felt even in distant England is clear from the fact that all of the famous old British hospitals date their existence as institutions for the care of the ailing, from the 13th century. Barts, founded in 1123 by Rahere, an Anglo-Norman priest and monk, was built as the Priory Hospital of St Bartholomew for the care of the poor and destitute sick. At the beginning of the 13th century it became, in imitation of the Hospital of the Holy Spirit in Rome, a hospital in the modern sense of the word. St Thomas’s Hospital was founded by Richard, Prior of Bermondsey, in 1213.

The Priory of St Mary of Bethlehem, was built just outside the city walls in 1247 and stood on the site now occupied by Liverpool Street station.

It was a general hospital for the care of the sick of all kinds, though by the 14th century it was specializing exclusively in the treatment of mental illness. Christ’s Hospital was founded in 1225 as a convent of the Grey Friars – St Francis of Assisi’s mendicant Order of Friars Minor – on the north side of Newgate Street on a good plot of ground given by John Ewin, a pious and generous mercer who eventually became a lay brother himself. London Mayor Richard (Dick) Whittington and Queen Margaret, wife of King Edward I, were generous donors to the hospital, but at the Reformation the Hospital was converted into a school by King Henry VIII. This piece first appeared in Petrus, the magazine of the Friends of the Holy Father, and is reproduced by permission.

Oremus

November 2018

CATHEDRAL HISTORY

Cathedral History: A Pictorial Record Cardinal Basil Hume Ordains ten former Anglican Clergymen to the Priesthood – Friday 1 November 1996 Paul Tobin On the Solemnity of All Saints in 1996, Cardinal Hume (Archbishop of Westminster 1976-1999) ordained ten former Anglican clerics to the priesthood. The Westminster Cathedral Bulletin described this as: ‘marking the occasion as a rare and unusual ordination’.

Following the decision of the General Synod of the Church of England in 1992 to ordain women as priests, a number of both clergy and laity converted to Catholicism. Special provision was made to allow former Anglican clergy to be ordained as priests, even though some (four on this particular occasion) were married with families.

In July 1995 the first group of ex-Anglican clergy were ordained to the diaconate in the Cathedral by Cardinal Hume. This event captured the interest of the media, with photographs of the candidates prostrating during the Litany of the Saints appearing in some daily newspapers. Among this group were both Bishop Alan Hopes (now Bishop of East Anglia) and Canon Christopher Tuckwell. This group was ordained as to the priesthood in the following December.

In the picture, Cardinal Hume is seen against a background of incense clouds, caught in the late autumnal sunshine.

The Master of Ceremonies, facing the camera, is Fr (now Canon) Daniel Cronin. Immediately to the right in the background is the then Cathedral Administrator, Mgr (now Archbishop) George Stack. Two Auxiliary Bishops of the diocese, seen wearing Roman chasubles in front of the group of concelebrants, are Bishop Patrick O’Donoghue and (at the end of the altar) Bishop (now Cardinal) Vincent Nichols.

In the back row of priests, nearest the camera on the left is Mgr Graham Leonard, who had been previously Bishop of London (1981-1991 ). He was ordained a a priest (sub conditione) at a separate ceremony in the private chapel of Archbishop’s House by Cardinal Hume in 1994, as there was some doubt over the validity of his ordination as a bishop in the Church of England. He was later appointed a Prelate of Honour by Pope St John Paul ll, which allowed him to retain the title of Right Reverend.

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25

CROSSWORD AND POEM

Strange Meeting Wilfred Owen It seemed that out of battle I escaped Down some profound dull tunnel, long since scooped Through granites which titanic wars had groined.

Yet also there encumbered sleepers groaned, Too fast in thought or death to be bestirred.

Then, as I probed them, one sprang up, and stared With piteous recognition in fixed eyes, Lifting distressful hands, as if to bless.

And by his smile, I knew that sullen hall, By his dead smile I knew we stood in Hell.

Alan Frost: October 2018

Clues Across 1 Video cameras that provide streamed images through a computer (7) 6 Much bother in Shakespeare play! (3) 8 Goblin a nuisance on the internet! (5) 9 & 7 Down: Leading World War I poet, killed November 1918 (7,4) 10 See 20 Down 11 Allan. Leading Scottish poet before Robert Burns, and father of same-name painter (6) 13 See 20 Down 15 Parchment instruction to move up and down computer page? (6) 17 Relating to an orderly universe (6) 20 Informal greeting (5) 21 Action that is against the law (7) 23 Instrument for which Elgar wrote a famous concerto (5) 24 Symonds ---, popular tourist attraction overlooking the Wye Valley (3) 25 Saint with Agricola, both martyred during Diocletian persecution, share Feast Day of 4 Nov. (7) Clues Down 1 Nature of figures in London’s world famous ‘Madame Tussaud’s’ (8) 2 Asylum for the insane derived from the word ‘Bethlehem’ (6) 3 A J ----, London-born philosopher, wrote the book Language,Truth and Logic (4) 4 Room for personal research and learning (5) 5 St Charles --------, leading figure of the counter-revolution, Feast Day 4 Nov. (8) 6 Former male students of school or college (6) 7 See 9 Across 12 Feast of the faithful departed on 2 November (3,5) 14 ‘Gloria in -------- Deo’ (8) 16 Term common on Victorian gravestones, referring to deceased’s widow (6) 18 San ------, St Michael in Spanish churches (6) 19 Famous Russian Ballet company now also known as the Mariinsky (5) 20, 10 & 13 Acr: Former body of European states supporting the Pope, first leader Charlemagne (4,5,6) 22 Period for acts of atonement, leading up to Easter (4)

ANSWERS Across: 1 Webcams 6 Ado 8 Troll 9 Wilfred 10 Roman 11 Ramsay 13 Empire 15 Scroll 17 Cosmic 20 Hello 21 Illegal 23 Cello 24 Yat 25 Vitalis Down: 1 Waxworks 2 Bedlam 3 Ayer 4 Study 5 Borromeo 6 Alumni 7 Owen 14 Excelsis 16 Scroll 18 Miguel 19 Kirov 20 Holy 22 Lent

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With a thousand fears that vision's face was grained; Yet no blood reached there from the upper ground, And no guns thumped, or down the flues made moan.

“Strange friend,” I said, “here is no cause to mourn.”

“None,” said that other, “save the undone years, The hopelessness. Whatever hope is yours, Was my life also; I went hunting wild After the wildest beauty in the world, Which lies not calm in eyes, or braided hair, But mocks the steady running of the hour, And if it grieves, grieves richlier than here.

For by my glee might many men have laughed, And of my weeping something had been left, Which must die now. I mean the truth untold, The pity of war, the pity war distilled.

Now men will go content with what we spoiled.

Or, discontent, boil bloody, and be spilled.

They will be swift with swiftness of the tigress.

None will break ranks, though nations trek from progress.

Courage was mine, and I had mystery; Wisdom was mine, and I had mastery: To miss the march of this retreating world Into vain citadels that are not walled.

Then, when much blood had clogged their chariot-wheels, I would go up and wash them from sweet wells, Even with truths that lie too deep for taint.

I would have poured my spirit without stint But not through wounds; not on the cess of war.

Foreheads of men have bled where no wounds were.

“I am the enemy you killed, my friend.

I knew you in this dark: for so you frowned Yesterday through me as you jabbed and killed.

I parried; but my hands were loath and cold.

Let us sleep now. . . .”

Wilfred Owen was killed on 4 November 1918.

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

Oremus

November 2018

THE FRIENDS OF WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL

Reliving the Grand Tour

Paul Pickering in Westminster Hall

Christina White The Friends met at the Houses of Parliament in October for the last Parliament tour conducted by Paul Pickering. He has worked as a volunteer tour guide in Parliament for over 20 years, but with new rules and regulations for the Palace of Westminster, he has now given up this particular branch of guiding. It was a sad day for the Friends as his expertise, his knowledge and his faith always came to the fore and he knew exactly how to pitch the tour to the Friends eager to see the mother of all Parliaments. He gave a Catholic insight to the history of both Houses that will be hard to replace.

I am, however, delighted to inform you that Paul has not given up on his artistic tours for the Friends, and this month he is offering a Grand Tour of the National Gallery following in the footsteps of those intrepid travellers of the 17th and 18th centuries who November 2018

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headed for Europe to complete their education. The Grand Tour was an essential part of a gentleman’s education – a European rite of passage – and allowed a cross-fertilisation of culture and ideas to flourish. Young women, too, undertook this cultural tourism, always accompanied by the strictest of chaperones. A Room with a View by EM Forster rather memorably recounted the Grand Tour of Lucy Honeychurch!

I recommend both the book and the delightful film. The focus for these bright young things was usually, but not exclusively, the cultural legacy of classical antiquity and the Renaissance.

A Grand Tour could last for months – even years - and was undertaken in the company of a cicerone. Paul fits this title rather well and as a knowledgeable guide and tutor he will be our cicerone for the afternoon. There will be tea and cake to follow and an opportunity to discuss the art that we have viewed.

We are now taking bookings for the Friends’ trip to Winchester on Tuesday 20 November. This is an opportunity to see Winchester Cathedral with a guided tour and then we will have Mass celebrated by Canon Christopher before enjoying the sights, sounds and tastes of the Winchester Christmas Fair.

The produce of our own Christmas Fair really holds its own by comparison and Zoe Goodway is already busy in the kitchen producing some wonderful jellies – rosemary and mint – for the Friends. Marmalade and preserve makers are really needed, so please do let us know if you will be adding to the produce stall this year.

The Big Give donors’ supper is on Tuesday 27 November, the date when the online giving campaign is launched.

Our appeal is again for the ongoing project to refurbish Cathedral Hall.

If you are intending to be one of the £1,000 donors, please do let us know in advance and we can add you to the list for the donors’ supper. Thank you for your continued support of Westminster Cathedral.

Forthcoming Events Friday 9 November: The National Gallery Grand Tour with Paul Pickering. Meet in the foyer of the Sainsbury Wing at 1.45pm for the tour to start promptly at 2pm. Tea and cake to follow. Tickets £20 Tuesday 20 November: Private tour of Winchester Cathedral followed by Mass in the Cathedral to be celebrated

by Canon Christopher Tuckwell. In the afternoon the Friends will visit the Winchester Christmas Market in the environs of the Cathedral – this is at your leisure. Please note that the coach will leave Clergy House promptly at 8.15am, as we have been advised to leave at least two hours to get to Winchester. If time allows there will be a coffee stop on the way down – facilities will also be available on the coach. Please note that lunch is not included. Ticket price: £39.00 Tuesday 27 November: The Big Give Donors’ Supper with Canon Christopher Tuckwell. Donors who give £1,000 or more to our Big Give Christmas Appeal are invited to a private supper with the chaplains.

Please see the Cathedral newsletter and the Friends’ winter newsletter for details.

Sunday 9 December: The Westminster Cathedral Christmas Fair. Please keep the date. Donations for the Fair may be brought to Clergy House Reception, clearly marked ‘Christmas Fair’. We urgently need able-bodied helpers for the set-up on the Saturday.

If you want to get involved, please ring the office on 0207 798 9059.

Contact us • Write to: Friends’ Office, 42 Francis Street, London SW1P 1QW • Call: 020 7798 9059 • Email: friends@ westminstercathedral.org.uk Registered Charity number 272899

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BROTHERS-IN-LAW AND IN ART

© Metropolitan Museum of Art

Mantegna and Bellini at the National Gallery

The Adoration of the Shepherds by Andrea Mantegna, circa 1540

Anne Dunhill Andrea Mantegna and Giovanni Bellini were brothers-in-law. Mantegna (1430-1506) was born in Padua, the son of a carpenter, while Bellini (c.1430-1516) was the scion of the greatest artistic family in Venice. His father, Jacopo, had founded a highly successful studio circa 1424, which was later taken over by Giovanni's brother Gentile. Mantegna married Giovanni's sister Nicolosia in 1453, thus forming a valuable alliance with this most prominent of artistic families. The new exhibition at the National Gallery, Mantegna and Bellini, brings the two brothers-in-law together once more and, in showing how they depicted the same themes, reveals how each was inspired by the other's example.

Room 1 of the exhibition is entitled Beginnings and includes an early depiction by Mantegna of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (1454: Staatliche Museen, Berlin).

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Bellini tackled the same subject circa 1470 (Fondazione Querini Stampaglia, Venice). His central figures, the Holy Family and Simeon, are identical to Mantegna's and are believed to have been traced, but Bellini has added a female figure to the left of the Madonna, who is believed to be a portrait of Nicolosia, and two young men to Simeon’s right, said to be the Bellini brothers.

After working in close collaboration for seven years, Mantegna moved to Mantua to take up the post of court painter to the Gonzaga family, which he occupied until his death, while Bellini spent his whole life in Venice. Nevertheless their creative exchange continued, shaped by their years together and knowledge of each other's work and achievements. To begin with Mantegna led, with his particular brilliance at composition and knowledge of classical antiquity, but in time Bellini's passion for landscape

painting was to have a deep effect on Mantegna’s work.

The exhibition occupies the six great rooms of the Sainsbury Wing, each dedicated to a mainly religious theme such as Pieta, Landscapes, Devotional Paintings and Portraits, where we are lucky enough to see both artists' depictions of the same subject - for example Mantegna’s Descent into Limbo (1492, private collection) and Bellini's version of the same subject (1475-80, Bristol Museum) - side by side.

Dr Caroline Campbell, curator of the exhibition, comments: ‘Fifteenth century paintings are fragile and cannot travel very often; therefore Mantegna and Bellini really is a once in a lifetime chance to explore the relationship and work of these two artists who played such a pivotal role in the history of art’.

The exhibition Mantegna and Bellini will be at the National Gallery until 27 January 2019.

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November 2018

FIFTY AND ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO

In retrospect: from the Cathedral Chronicle The importance of music in the life of the soldier at the Front has long been recognised, and the home authorities have now begun to organise it on a large scale under the direction of Major Walford Davies. An R.A.F. Music School has been established at Hampstead for the training of Instructors, who will be sent out to the Front as soon as their course is completed. The interest for readers of the CHRONICLE in this piece of purely military news lies in the fact that, out of the first batch of forty Instructors sent to the Front, no fewer than five are or have been connected with the Cathedral Choir. That one choir should provide so large a proportion of this first batch is something in the way of a record.

From Dr Terry [the Master of the Music] we receive some interesting accounts of the doings of former choirmen in France, and some of the letters he has received would seem to be well worthy of publication in the CHRONICLE. One of the men, having preserved a scrap of music paper through all the vicissitudes of the last push, has utilised it for the composition of a Benediction Service which, we are told, is quite good and will shortly be sung at the Cathedral.

Another choirman in a most interesting and amusing letter describes how he used to beguile the tedium of sentry duty by trying to see how many of the Cathedral Masses he could mentally sing through before his memory failed. To succeed in remembering one’s part for the whole of Missa ‘Papae Marcelli’ seems rather wonderful. There was an element of comedy in his chagrin at finding that after a mental repetition of big Masses like ‘Papae Marcelli’ and Byrd for five voices he was brought to a standstill in such a simple one as ‘Iste Confessor’.

Lieut. Michael Gilsenan, the assistant organist of the Cathedral, is at present at home, wounded. But we are glad to say that although an operation may be necessary, the injury to his hand and wrist is not considered sufficiently serious to affect his playing in the future.

The calling up of the last available tenor deputy to the colours has created a state of affairs without precedent in the history of the Cathedral Choir. During the greater part of October, tenor deputies have been available for Mass only. Consequently Vespers (and notably those of St Luke) have had to be sung without any tenor voices. But such are the resources of Catholic Church Music that there is always three-part music to fall back on, with Plainsong as the mainstay and bulwark.

With a view to this possible shortage of men this Term, Dr Terry scored at Oxford during the holidays the whole of Dering’s Cantica Sacra (thirty-two motets in all) for two and three voices. A number of them were sung by the boys last month and the whole set will have been performed by November 2018

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Christmas. With the inclusion of the Cantica Sacra the Choir repertoire now includes all the known church music of Richard Dering. When Charles I brought his Catholic queen Henrietta to England she had her private chapel at which the Catholic services were held, and Dering was appointed her organist in 1625.

by Cantor in Church Music Notes, November 1918 Westminster Cathedral Chronicle We take the occasion to extend our congratulations to Canon Vere, who has recently celebrated the golden jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood. He is not only well known and revered by his own people in Soho, and in the diocese, but he has won the confidence and respect of those with whom he has come into contact in public municipal life in which he has figured for many years. Although seventy-four years of age, Canon Vere remains an active member of the Westminster City Council, and has just been appointed Chairman of its Housing Committee. Ad multos annos!

From Varia, November 1918 Westminster Cathedral Chronicle The sanctuary of the Cathedral presented an unusual scene when the Cardinal pontificated at a Concelebrated Mass on Sunday 6 October. The occasion was the Centenary of the White Fathers.

The striking feature was the presence among the 14 concelebrants of ten African priests. They were given the place of honour in the ceremony.

Impressive as this was, to the White Fathers, at whose request this was done, it was the most natural and at the same time the most significant way of marking their centenary. For the White Fathers were founded in Africa and for Africa, and have sought from the beginning of their African apostolate to identify themselves with Africa and the Africans in order to fulfil their mission of bringing the Gospel right into African life. In their earliest rules they were told that although they may not be African by birth they must belong to Africa by total dedication and attachment. They also set out from the start with plans for training an African clergy as a capital move towards giving the Church wholly to Africa. The Cardinal took up this point in his sermon. ‘They have not gone out’, he said, ‘to bring a Church to Africa, but to build up an African Church, a very different thing indeed.’ from a Correspondent A Hundred Years in Africa, November 1968 Westminster Cathedral News Sheet 29

ST VINCENT DE PAUL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Saints in Mosaic – St Laurence Benjamin Ybarra

The first time I walked into Westminster Cathedral, I saw many treasures, which are worth a lot. One thing that caught my eyes were the mosaics. They are hidden all over the Cathedral in secret places and in places where you can clearly see them. One thing that interests me is that the Cathedral seems never ending. By that, I mean it is full of aisles and chapels, never ending as a sign of God’s love. All of these areas contain mosaics of saints. They have a purpose for being there and they have a job to do. They are meant to remind us of the words of Jesus: ‘Come follow me!’ That is what the saints have done in their different lives. The saints are role models for us today. The saints show us that it is not impossible to follow Jesus’ command: ‘Love one another as I have loved you’ (which is also my school’s mission statement). These mosaics were donated and various people asked for them to be put there and the Cathedral always wants to add to the collection.

They also are put there to help us remember that in the past the saints did great actions that we should remember and try to do. They are set in places for a reason, like in chapels; some are put in chapels because the chapel is dedicated to them. Some are placed right in the front of the Cathedral; they are placed there because they are very important. Some are hidden where you cannot see them. On 17 September, I walked over to the Cathedral and looked at all the mosaics!

bring forth the treasures of the Church. As he did so, he said: ‘Behold in these poor persons the treasures which I promised to show you; to which I will add pearls and precious stones, these widows and consecrated virgins, are the Church’s crown’.

The prefect was so angry he started to burn the coal underneath a grill which he was going to be killed on. I learnt that he holds a palm branch because it is the symbol of martyrdom and there is a griddle in the mosaic because it was the instrument of his death. He holds a purse because he was given the money which was donated by his fellow early Christians. I think his mosaic has been put at the right hand of the Cathedral because Laurence was a deacon and deacons always stand beside the celebrant during Mass.

Peter Sheppard, chairperson of the Catholic Herald and a Cathedral parishioner, donated the mosaic in memory of his late mother and Cardinal Vincent Nichols blessed it. I think the new mosaics renew the Cathedral, because they bring freshness and style into the decoration. The two new mosaics by the altar inspire the deacons of today to carry out their role of assisting the priest, bishop or archbishop. They also inspire us to live a Christian life.

That is when I spotted the mosaic of Saint Laurence. I wondered: Why did he have a palm branch in his hand and why did he have an open purse in his hand? Also why is there a griddle behind him? Why was the mosaic put on the right hand side of the church? Therefore, I decided to find out these things and write about him.

St Laurence was born in the town of Huesca, in Valencia.

He was born on 31 November 225. He grew up there until he was a teenager. He decided to move to Rome to study to become a priest. When Sixtus II became the Pope in 257, he ordained Laurence as a deacon, and though Laurence was still young, Sixtus appointed him first among the seven deacons who served in the church in Rome. At that time, the pagan Emperor Valerian declared that all bishops, priests and deacons should immediately be put to death. Pope Sixtus was captured on 6 August 258 and was killed the same day. After the death of Sixtus II, the Emperor demanded that St Laurence should turn over the riches of the Church. St Laurence gave the riches to Emperor Valerian, but he said addressing the crowd: ‘The Church is truly rich, far richer than your emperor’.

This act of defiance led to his martyrdom on 10 August 258.

Before St Laurence was killed, the Emperor demanded he 30

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SEMINARIANS AND STUDENTS CELEBRATE

Reconversion of England Starts in France with gratitude to those days of adversity when our brothers joined with so many other Catholics in witnessing to the faith by giving their lives. May the martyrs continue to support us with their example and their prayers’.

© Jakub Joszko

Celebrations in France at the end of September marked the 450th Anniversary of the founding of the English College at Douai by William Allen in 1568. He was one of a small group of Catholic exiles from Protestant Elizabethan England, where the law classed as treason the celebration of Mass by a Catholic priest. Allen persuaded Pope Pius V to allow him to establish a college at Douai, then in the Spanish Netherlands, where English students could train for the priesthood. The Collège des Grands Anglais, as it became known, was key to the English mission for the reconversion of England. Over 130 former students from Douai were put to death under the penal laws, among them the Jesuit saints Edmund Campion, Alexander Briant, Henry Walpole, Ralph Sherwin and Robert Southwell. Allen himself later travelled to Rome to set up the English College there and was created a cardinal in 1587.

Scholars of the English College were responsible for the Douay-Rheims English translation of the Bible published between 1582 and 1610. During the French Revolutionary wars in 1793 the College fled to England and was established in Hertfordshire as St Edmund’s College, Ware - now a coeducational Catholic school which retains strong connections with its Douai origins. Within St Edmund’s, those training for the priesthood were accommodated in a building called Allen Hall, the name transferring with the seminarians when they moved to the seminary’s present site in Chelsea Douai is likewise proud of its English connections and the town has been holding a number of events to celebrate the anniversary. The students from the local school, Institution Saint-Jean, played hockey and rugby fixtures against St Edmund's on Friday 28 September. An exhibition on Douai's English literary heritage was mounted at the Bibliothèque Marceline Desbordes-Valmore, whilst the choir and orchestra of the College gave a concert at the Auditorium Henri Dutilleux. They also sang at a Solemn Mass on Saturday 29 September celebrated by the Archbishop of Cambrai, Vincent Dollman, in the Collegiate Church of Saint-Pierre, with the seminarians of Allen Hall assisting and serving. The restored altar and tabernacle of the English College, all that remains of the building, were blessed.

Fr Damian Howard SJ, Jesuit Provincial, said: ‘It was a privilege and a joy to be part of such a special day.

It's important for us today to remember how much the Catholic Churches of these islands have been shaped by the experience of exile, and how generously our ancestors in the faith were treated in their hour of need in places like Douai and Saint-Omer. The Jesuits of Britain will always look back November 2018

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