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Oremus, the magazine of Westminster Cathedral, reflects the life of the Cathedral and the lives of those who make it a place of faith in central London. If you think that you would like to contribute an article or an item of news, please contact the Editor.
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Inside Oremus
Life Homily: Farewell Mass by Archbishop John Sherrington 6 & 7
Cathedral History in Pictures: The Apostolic Nuncio, 2005 by Paul Tobin
The Cathedral Administrator meets Pope Leo by Mgr Mark Langham RIP,
Laying the Foundation Stone, 1895
A Sesquicentennial Jubilee by Fr Vincent Mbu’i SVD 8 & 9 A Baptism, a Funeral, and ‘All My Plans Up the Tiber’ by Ashley Carlo Avery-Bennett 10 & 11 A deeply treasured memory and privilege by Canon Daniel Cronin
Papal Funeral Rites by Philip Smyth
On Thursday 8 May Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost OSA was elected Pope Leo XIV after four ballots, and inaugurated on Sunday 18 May. The Holy Father is the first Augustinian to occupy the Chair of St Peter, the first North American, and the first native (modern) English speaker. We continue to keep him close in prayer. © TheFrenchKing, Wikimedia Commons & Mazur for cover.
Lorcán writes
On 13 March 2013 a classmate, now a priest of Meath Diocese, went running through the corridors banging pots and pans, screaming ‘Habemus Papam! Habemus Papam!’
As the community rushed downstairs to the common room, a large projector screen and snacks began to materialise. A sweepstake had been organised in the days prior, at €2 a head, and all were desperate for their Papabile to appear on the loggia. Needless to say, the Bergoglio student was nowhere to be found!
12 years later, and the excitement was much the same. White smoke was not expected until at least the evening vote, appearing instead during Vespers here at Westminster Cathedral. Unfortunately, there was no appearance on the loggia until Communion at the 5.30pm Mass, and so Fr Brian O’Mahony prayed ‘[…] together with our Pope and Vincent our Bishop […]’. I and a few others watched the coverage from my phone on the Piazza steps, ducking in and out of the Cathedral to keep an eye on the evening Mass. ITN had arrived with a camera crew and were given permission to film the Te Deum. Predictably, Dorota, a long-term supporter of this publication, and I were caught inside the West Door at the wrong time, fleeing outside like children when the Cardinal Deacon appeared.
‘Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; habemus Papam!’
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost OSA, Pope Leo XIV, had become the 267th occupant of the Chair of St Peter; the first North American (second of the Americas), and the first Augustinian Pope. News was, of course, discreetly shared with an MC so that it could be announced to the congregation, followed by that great hymn of praise.
Without wishing to give any credence to Church politics, or polemics, it has been incredibly refreshing in the weeks since, to see that both ends of the theological spectrum have been quite positive about Pope Leo. Although Prevost was not a name I was particularly familiar with, I too share their enthusiasm and optimism. Ad multos annos!
Looking ahead to June, as yet there has been no news about the canonisation of Bl Carlo Acutis, although it has been speculated that this will occur during the Jubilee of Youth, 28 July to 3 August. In the meantime, we prepare to celebrate the great feasts of Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, Corpus Christi, the Nativity of St John the Baptist, the Most Sacred Heart, our own St John Southworth and the priestly ordinations, and Ss Peter and Paul; the 130th anniversary of the Cathedral Foundation Stone (1895).
Westminster Cathedral
Cathedral Clergy House
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Cathedral Chaplains
Fr Sławomir Witoń, Dean
Fr Brian O’Mahony, Sub-Dean
Fr Patrick van der Vorst, Precentor
Fr John Scott, Registrar
Fr Vincent Mbu’i SVD
Fr Paul Zhao SVD
Fr Hugh MacKenzie
Fr Javier Ruiz-Ortiz (priest in residence)
Also in residence
Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Victories: Sr Jesuina, Sr Angelina and Sr Fatima
Music Department
Simon Johnson, Master of Music
Peter Stevens Obl. OSB, Assistant Master of Music
Daniel Greenway, Organ Scholar
Cathedral Manager
Peter McNulty
Cathedral Fundraising Manager
Laura Dudhee
Chapel of Ease
Sacred Heart Church
Horseferry Road SW1P 2EF
Farewell Mass
The Most Rev John Sherrington, Archbishop of Liverpool
In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we continue to hear of Paul’s missionary journey as he sails from Paphos in Cyprus to Perga in Pamphylia, and then journeys to Antioch in Pisidia. Paphos, Perga, Pamphylia, Pisidia; in the Greek text all commence with the capital letter Pi. It looks like a gateway, and so we imagine the Gospel is taken from one town to another as the work of evangelisation continues. Paul and his companions continue their preaching about Jesus Christ in a culture characterised by various GrecoRoman philosophies and worldviews. Paul’s preaching shows the continuity between the history of the people of Israel and Jesus Christ, who is the Saviour towards whom John the Baptist has pointed.
Today we each participate in this work of evangelisation as we teach the truths of Jesus Christ as Saviour of the world, nourish the faith of our communities and desire to build the Church through the proclamation of the Gospel.
The work of evangelisation is difficult because there is much resistance to the truth of the Gospel in our society. 170 years ago, the Venerable Ignatius Spencer, who lived for a while in The Hyde area of Edgware Road in Hendon/Colindale, where the Passionists had a mission, commented on the difficulty of evangelising the English. Fr Gerard Skinner brings out this struggle from his writings.
‘The English work all the time and with fervour to acquire a fortune, to be rich; they neglect religious services, Sunday is more for themselves.’
And later;
‘I see myself here so alone, though the people come upon me so largely and so warmly; and I may say so lovingly. Yet I have not one on whom I can think as sympathising with me. I see the necessity of a complete radical change in the spirit of the people.’
This bears resonance with our age.
We are also very aware of the green shoots which emerge each year as people seek to be baptised, received into the Church and confirmed. As a bishop, I particularly enjoy the annual Rite of Election. The various stories of the ways by which each person has come to faith weave a rich tapestry and are always fascinating. So often they reveal the importance of a personal relationship, the love of another person, or sometimes the call of the beauty of the liturgy which engenders wonder and openness towards the mystery of God leading to adoration (cf. DD §25). The deepest yearning of the human heart has been touched and finds meaning and fulfilment in Jesus Christ. The Church grows.
A recent report of the Bible Society, The Quiet Revival, shows a pattern of a new discovery of Christian faith, especially among young men, and the growth of the Church in a quiet, but steady way. I think this report identifies the reality that many people lack meaning in life. They are like spiritual nomads and come to us seeking deeper meaning and purpose in their lives, as pilgrims of Jesus Christ. They recognise the need to be set free from ‘sin, sorrow, inner emptiness, and loneliness’ to discover that
‘The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. [...] With Christ joy is constantly born anew.’ (Evangelii Gaudium §1 ).
Like John the Baptist, we are each called to point others towards Christ and sow the seeds of faith, hope and love. We, as priests and bishops, also need to take care and ensure that joy is constantly born anew in our hearts, through the daily encounters with people, in quiet prayer, and the prayerful beauty of the Mass.
The parable of the Sower gives me constant encouragement. He sows the seed which falls into different types of ground. It may become lodged between rocks and one day the sun and rain cause it to germinate. Sometimes the
weeds overwhelm it, at other times the seed grows steadily and yields a rich harvest, thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or even one hundredfold. The mystery of our faith, and the work of the Holy Spirit, mean that we can never be certain of the results of what we do and, often, only in time will they become apparent. Gardeners will recognise this pattern that growth cannot be forced. Plants need a few years to take root in a particular place. We need patience as priests to be able to understand that God’s ways are not our ways and that God’s time is not our time.
At the same time, we must not give up, but find new ways to spread the Gospel and help people discover the truth and happiness of their lives is realised in Jesus Christ. As we heard in today’s Gospel, Jesus, after washing his disciples’ feet, gives us the simple message that we are to be servants of one another. We are promised blessings if we are faithful. As St Teresa of Kolkata stated, ‘God calls us to be faithful, not successful.’ Jesus also warns us of the temptations that we must endure lest they overwhelm us. We need to be attentive to the changing patterns of our lives.
Companions of Oremus
As I reflect on my 14 years as an Auxiliary Bishop in Westminster, I am grateful to Cardinal Vincent for his support and encouragement, as well as the many responsibilities that he has given to me. I have particularly enjoyed the celebration of Confirmation with young people and the visitation of the parishes in Hertfordshire and then north London. I thank you, the priests, for your service to your parishes and the way that so many of you work hard with teams of people such as catechists, parish safeguarding representatives, finance committee members and many others. I thank the curial services for their dedication and hard work. The seed continues to be sown and we pray for the grace of the Holy Spirit to make it bear fruit. I thank you all for your dedication to go the extra mile on many different occasions in the love and service of the Church, following the example of Jesus, the servant and shepherd who came to serve and not to be served.
I ask your forgiveness for my faults and the ways in which I have not been duly attentive to your needs, and for any time you felt that I have
We are very grateful for the support of the following:
Leticia Dominguez Abada
Lally Ambatali
Leonila V Bennabe
Keith Best
Dr Stuart Blackie
Anne Veronica Bond
Lolita Botanes
Richard Bremer
Hajnalka Burai
Lorenzo Cabrelli
Mrs Erlinda Chin
Francis George Clark
R & L Collyer-Hamlin
Daniel Crowley
Angelita Caronan Duran
Cora Emflorgo
Ms Georgina Enang
Fr Joseph Farrell K.H.S.
Ruby & Joseph Farrell in memoriam
Fred Gardiner
William Gardner-Hunter
Connie Gibbes
Zoe & Nick Goodway
Rosalinda Grimaldo
Agnes Haein Kim
Mrs Valerie Hamblen in memoriam
Amanda Hill
Jithro and Ira Nadine Hangad
Bernadette Hau
Mrs Cliona Howell
Alice M Jones & Jacob F Jones
Poppy K
Rosanne Kay
Mary Thérèse Kelly
John Langan
David Lawton
Raymund Livesey
Alan Lloyd in memoriam
Clare and John Lusby
Linda McHugh
Christiana Thérèse Macarthy-Woods
Ms Ludivina Mangmang
James Maple
Paul Marsden
Mary Maxwell
Dr Denis Moloney
Dr George Morris
Abundia Toledo Munar
Euphrasie Mundele Kilolo
Chris Stewart Munro
not truly followed the path of justice and truth. We are stewards of God’s mysteries which is held in earthenware vessels, who rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s grace. Our priestly vocation is a call to continual conversion towards the face of Christ and an ever-deepening relationship with him and God’s holy people.
Since meeting the Apostolic Nuncio, the words of the book of Deuteronomy (1:6) have echoed in my heart and mind. God said to Moses;
‘The Lord our God said to us in Horeb you have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn and take your journey and go.’
I am now called to leave this land, to which I am hefted (we speak of hefted sheep as knowing their land and pasture), and go to another more distant land, and there become the shepherd and preacher of God’s Good News of salvation.
I ask your prayers, and will keep you in my prayers, as I look forward to my new service seeking to do the will of Christ who sends us out to preach the Gospel.
Mrs Brigid Murphy
Kate Nealon
Cordelia Onodu
Nigel Parker
Cris Ragonton
Alan Rainer
Clementina Rokosu
Precy Salvador
John Scanlan
Veronica Scrope
Sonja Soper
Tessa and Ben Strickland
Yollie Sumayod
Julia Sutherland
Eileen Terry
Robin Michael Tinsley
Lucila Torrefiel
Peter W Wilson
Dr Timothy I Young in memoriam and of our anonymous Companions
If you would like to become a Companion of Oremus, see page 2
150 Years of Divine Word Missionaries
Fr Vincent Mbu’i SVD
The Societas Verbi Divini (SVD), or Society of the Divine Word, will celebrate its 150th anniversary on 8 September 2025. This milestone reflects the enduring vision of its founder, St Arnold Janssen, canonised by Pope St John Paul II on 5 October 2003, and the unwavering dedication of its members in spreading the Gospel and serving humanity.
Founded in 1875, the Society was a reaction to the political upheaval and growing secularisation in Europe. Amidst this backdrop, the kulturkampf in Germany led to the suppression of the Church and the closure of seminaries, prompting Fr Arnold Janssen, a diocesan priest of Muenster, to transcend local politics and discover his missionary vocation. Indeed, rather than establishing the Society in his native Germany, he chose a small town called Steyl across the border in the Netherlands.
The Society’s initial mission was clear: to preach the Gospel in foreign lands, particularly in those regions where the Christian message had yet to be heard in full. In just four years, following its inception in 1875, the Society sent its first two missionaries to China; Fr Joseph Freinademetz and Fr John Baptist Anzer. This early deployment to China marked the beginning of the Society’s global missionary outreach, which later continued with missions to Argentina.
Throughout the 20th century, the Society of the Divine Word continued its expansion, establishing missions in Africa, North America, and Oceania. The missionaries encountered many diverse cultures, languages, and often challenging and perilous conditions. Despite these obstacles, their unwavering dedication to their vocation remained steadfast. They not only preached the Gospel but also established schools, hospitals, and agricultural projects, striving to uplift the communities they served, and to address both their material and spiritual needs.
The SVD’s mission identity is shaped by four key characteristics; the Bible, Mission Animation, Communication, and JPIC (Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation). However, in response to the rapid pace and constant changes in the world, the Society has embraced the call to inculturation, recognising the importance of presenting the Gospel in ways that resonate with the specific cultures and contexts in which it is proclaimed. While remaining faithful to their traditionally missionary territories, the SVD has also ventured into new frontiers, such as working with migrants and refugees, promoting environmental sustainability, and engaging in digital evangelisation. Prophetic dialogue is also at the heart of their missionary endeavours, discerning and engaging with the world in a way that is inspired by God’s prophetic call. It is a process of listening to God’s voice, understanding the needs of the world, and responding with actions that reflect God’s love and justice.
Throughout its 150-year history, the SVD has faced numerous challenges and difficulties. Some of the missionaries paid the ultimate price to spread the Gospel in challenging situations, enduring violence and rejection. Today, the Society operates in nearly 80 nations across the globe, with members from over 70 countries.
The latest General Chapter in 2024 centred around recognising the call to shine the light of Christ before others, and becoming faithful and creative disciples in a wounded world. The goal was to examine the wounds within the Church, society, and the world, and to reaffirm the Society of the Divine Word’s commitment to healing and to service. The Chapter focused on understanding and addressing the wounds of our contemporary world, encompassing social, cultural, economic, political, physical, psychological, and environmental wounds. Through shared experiences and challenges, the Chapter aimed to inspire and inform, ultimately reaffirming the SVD’s missionary calling.
As the SVD approaches its 150th anniversary, there are many reasons to celebrate. It is a time to honour the blessings and opportunities bestowed upon us by God. We must remember the legacy of our founding father, St Arnold Janssen, whose spirituality was deeply rooted in the prologue of St John’s Gospel (John 1:1-18). His prayer, which sought that the love of the Triune God may dwell in the hearts of all people, and that the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief may vanish from their hearts, continues to inspire us today.
This Sesquicentennial Jubilee has brought together all members of the SVD family to celebrate the events in various parts of the world. Not only priests and brothers, friends and lay partners, but also the two affiliated congregations founded by St Arnold Janssen; Missionary Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS) and the Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration (SSpSAP) known for their distinctive pink habit. In preparation for the celebration, liturgical services, cultural events, and academic conferences have been held in numerous provinces across the globe.
From 27 to 29 March this year, the Generalate in Rome held an SVD International Conference on Mission, focusing on ‘Missio Dei in today’s world’, at the Pontifical Gregorian University. The conference aimed to explore how the Church, as a Sacrament of Salvation, shares God’s mission of healing wounds, confronting postmodernity, and interacting with various cultures and religions. The Missio Dei Conference remains a potent platform for reimagining Christian mission and upholding the charism of Spiritus Vitæ, to reach the most vulnerable communities, particularly at the intersections of cultures, ideologies, and human aspirations. The conference emphasised the Church’s role in embodying God’s love, mercy, and dialogue in a diverse and wounded
world. It highlighted the need for ongoing education, research, and reflection in missiology, theology, and social sciences, to adapt to the contemporary world. It also underscored the significance of inculturation, interculturality, and synodal attitudes in its missionary endeavours, striving to be faithful and creative missionary disciples.
Looking ahead with unwavering faith in divine providence, the Society of the Divine Word remains steadfast in its mission in the 21st century. Despite the profound changes that have swept the world since 1875, the fundamental call to proclaim the Good News and to serve those in need remains as relevant as ever.
The ongoing challenges, such as declining vocations in certain regions, and the need to adapt to new cultures and technological realities, compel the Society to renew its unwavering commitment to be a faithful servant of the Lord. This was emphasised by Pope Francis in his message to the Society for their 150th anniversary. He urged them to become prophets of hope in a world plagued by conflict.
This Jubilee is not merely a commemoration of the past; it is also a moment of renewal and recommitment for the future. It presents an opportunity to celebrate the enduring power of faith, the transformative impact of service, and the enduring legacy of a missionary
society that has touched the lives of millions across the globe. The Society is compelled by the Word of God to be faithful and creative disciples in a wounded world, as highlighted in their 2024 General Chapter.
St Arnold Janssen
©
Wikimedia Commons, Mary Henryetta Carson
A Baptism, a Funeral, and ‘All My Plans Up the Tiber’
What my first week as a Catholic taught me about control, chaos, and grace.
Ashley Carlo Avery-Bennett
If there’s one lesson I have taken from my first week as a Roman Catholic, it’s this; God doesn’t always follow your script. You can pour in the effort, muster all the good intentions, and still, he has a habit of scribbling in the margins with a red marker. It’s as maddening as it is humbling. But if you remain patient, open, and faithful, you might just glimpse him working through the chaos to create something special. Thus began an eventful first week as a neophyte.
Plan 1: Baptism brings boundless energy and clarity of purpose.
For a brief, glorious moment it did! The Easter Vigil was incredibly special and, by Easter Sunday, the reality had settled in; I was Catholic. I had done it! I was renewed, ready to take on the world and wrestle whatever metaphorical lions life might lob my way.
In hindsight, this was fairly naïve. I woke up on Easter Monday to the infernal drone of my phone, vibrating like an irate wasp. As someone who works in Catholic communications, the death of a Pope is not just a sad moment, it’s also enough to scupper any plans for a peaceful bank holiday stroll. By the end of the week, that energy and drive had been completely zapped, replaced with exhaustion and frustration. My grumpy old self had returned with a vengeance, waiting for me with bloodshot eyes, clutching a lukewarm coffee and a long list of things I’d undoubtedly forgotten to do. The serenity
and confidence I felt just a few days prior, a distant memory. Plan 1: Admirably launched. Swiftly sank.
Plan 2: Attend the canonisation of my Confirmation saint, Carlo Acutis.
Bl Carlo Acutis captured my imagination from the beginning. He was a millennial, not much older than me. He understood the internet, he likely played Mario Kart, and yet here he was on the cusp of sainthood.
So, when a work trip to Rome came up to cover a youth pilgrimage for his canonisation, I didn’t hesitate. In fact, I did something very out of character; I got sentimental and chose him as my Confirmation saint. It all felt very poetic. Full-circle. He would become a saint a mere week after my Baptism, surely it was meant to be! A practically pre-written story I could wheel out with bleary-eyed sentimentality for years to come.
However, once again the script had a few major edits. When the Pope’s death was announced, the canonisation was postponed and, with it, my carefully constructed narrative. It was humbling, really. A timely reminder that these moments, however well-drafted, don’t actually belong to us. They are not ours to choreograph, and when we try, we usually miss the point. But God was not quite done rewriting.
The Trip to Rome went ahead as planned. On the day before we would
have attended the canonisation, we instead found ourselves standing outside St Peter’s, beneath a blazing Roman sun, attending the funeral of Pope Francis. A once-in-a-lifetime moment. Hundreds of thousands gathered, the scale of it all overwhelming.
One moment, however, will stand out to me for the rest of my life. I was a Catholic for barely a week, emotionally and physically jet-lagged, receiving Communion at a papal funeral. It was surreal; something I literally couldn’t have done a week earlier. Now, here I was, physically among hundreds of thousands of fellow Catholics, and spiritually united with another 1.6 billion. That spark I had felt at Easter returned in abundance in that truly unforgettable moment. It wasn’t what I had planned, instead, it was a moment far greater, and somehow even more precious than the one I had envisioned.
Plan 3: Walk through the Holy Door at St John Lateran.
By this point, with plans repeatedly upended, there remained one constant on our itinerary; the Holy Door at St John Lateran. A fitting conclusion to my first week as a Catholic, and, if I’m honest, a golden opportunity for fantastic content for our audience back home. I had it all mapped out, sweeping shots of our pilgrims stepping through the door, awestruck, reverent. It was going to be great! But — and you may be sensing a theme here — God had other ideas.
We arrived at St John Lateran to find a suspiciously long queue. Another diocese, which out of charity shall remain nameless (though I will say it rhymes with ‘MeLan’), had arrived in force, 7,500 pilgrims strong. Our carefully booked time slot was instantly rendered a mere historical footnote. So, there we sat, weary, sundrenched, and slightly deflated on the steps outside. I found myself no longer surprised. Derailment had become the recurring motif of the week. Fr Domagoj, our wonderfully unflappable pilgrimage leader, said it best; ‘I’m not sure why God didn’t want us to do this today, but I’ll pray on it.’
As it turns out, he wouldn’t have to pray long. The following morning, Bishop Nicholas Hudson, who had been with us for parts of the trip, happened to rise earlier than usual. In a chance encounter, he bumped into the bishop responsible for organising the Jubilee Year. He mentioned our missed Holy Door opportunity and managed to arrange something extraordinary. That afternoon, we walked through the Holy Door at St
Peter’s Basilica. From the ashes of a double booking, we were granted something far beyond what we’d hoped for. Bishop Nicholas personally guided us through the Basilica, its history, and its treasures. For many on the pilgrimage, this immediately became an unexpected highlight. Fr Domagoj’s question, ‘Why didn’t we go through the Holy Door?’, now had its answer.
As I wandered through the majestic interior of St Peter’s, camera in hand, snapping photos of our pilgrims taking it all in with wide eyes and open hearts, I had to pause and pinch myself. This sort of thing doesn’t happen twice. Professionally, this was as good as it gets. Personally, I was overflowing with awe. It was, once again, a plan that had unravelled only to be rewoven into something more special.
Final Thoughts.
If my first week as a Catholic taught me anything, beyond the vital importance of sunscreen in Rome, it’s this; God is not constrained by your itinerary. He isn’t
opposed to your plans, necessarily, but he’s not bound by your bullet points, careful sequencing, or poetic notions of timing. Again and again, I watched the best-laid plans go awry, some dramatically, others with almost comic inevitability, only to be replaced by moments of far deeper grace. It was far from the story I had written, but nonetheless the one I needed.
There’s a strange sense of liberation in all of this, realising that failure and frustration are essential parts of the journey. That, while it may not be immediately obvious, delays and derailments gently guide us to fields far greener than we had imagined. In the end, that’s what faith really is, not just believing in God, but trusting that he sees further than you do.
And so I finished my first week as a Catholic a little more sunburnt, much more tired, and perhaps a little less of a control freak than when I started. That being said, I do pray that God holds off scheduling any more surprises. Just one week, if it’s not too much to ask!
CATHEDRAL HISTORY A PICTORIAL RECORD
The Solemn Reception of the Apostolic Nuncio, 20 June 2005
In December 2004, Pope St John Paul II appointed His Excellency Archbishop Faustino Sainz Muñoz as Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain (2004-2010), following the resignation of his predecessor Archbishop Pablo Puente. In June 2005, two months after the election of Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop Sainz Muñoz took up his position, leaving Archbishop’s House in a horse-drawn carriage to present Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with his credentials.
Several days later, on 20 June, the feast of St Alban, Protomartyr of Great Britain, His Excellency was received at the West Door of the Cathedral for
the Solemn Reception of the Apostolic Nuncio. Here he was welcomed by the Hierarchy of England and Wales, headed by Cardinal Cormac MurphyO’Connor, and the Metropolitan Chapter, followed by the 5.30pm Mass which he concelebrated.
Pictured, from left to right; the Apostolic Nuncio, HE the Cardinal, Canon Provost Michael Brockie, and Archbishop (now Emeritus) Patrick Kelly of Liverpool, processing through the nave as the Cathedral Choir sang Ecce Sacerdos by Anton Bruckner.
Paul Tobin, one of the Cathedral MCs and a faithful contributor to Oremus, has just completed a section of the Via Francigena Camino from Montefascione to Rome, as part of a small group. Paul is using this walk to raise funds to support the Cardinal Hume Centre and its work with young people, children and families in need, tackling the pressing issues of homelessness, poor housing and poverty.
If you would like to support Paul’s efforts and the work the Cardinal Hume Centre undertakes in Westminster, please visit his Just Giving page.
Paul Tobin
Source: Oremus, July/August 2005
A deeply treasured memory and privilege
As Cardinal Basil Hume OSB, one-time Abbot of Ampleforth, was very fond of saying; ‘You join a monastery for one reason and stay for another.’ Like many others I went to Rome recently for one reason, the Canonisation of Blessed Carlo Acutis, and stayed for another, the Funeral Mass of our late beloved Pope Francis.
For months I had planned to arrive on Wednesday 23 April. As it turned out, that happened to be the day that Pope Francis’ body was transferred from his residence in the Casa Santa Marta to St Peter’s Basilica. Indeed, Cardinal Vincent described that procession as one of the most moving events he had attended in Rome.
On arrival, I was told that the queue for St Peter’s that evening was some two or three hours long, and so I decided to go there at 11pm, when the wait was much shorter. Once inside the great basilica the large group of people moved remarkably quickly to view his mortal remains, but one was only allowed to stay for about 10 seconds before being ushered to move forward. However, I noticed an area reserved for bishops and priests and decided to ask if I could enter. The gentleman from the Papal Household very kindly offered to escort me, leading me to an area next to the Holy Father’s body where I was able to pray for the repose of his soul. After about three minutes, I was then allowed to sit and pray for another half hour.
In addition to praying for the repose of his soul, I spent the time reflecting on his exquisite kindness to me. On 24 September 2013 his then Private Secretary Mgr Alfred Xuereb, now an Archbishop and Papal Nuncio to Morocco, had invited me to join them for breakfast after Mass in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta.
On Thursday 24 April, I decided to return early in the morning to see if I could concelebrate Holy Mass in St Peter’s. I was made welcome in the sacristy and invited to vest alongside some 20 priests. Having done so, I looked where I might sit until the Mass began and had the very good fortune to sit next to a priest who invited me to join him. After some initial conversation I asked him whether he was local or from abroad, to which he replied ‘No, I am a Canon of St Peter’s.’ With as much humility as I could muster, I responded ‘Well, I am a Canon of Westminster.’ This evoked a very fraternal insistence that I should remain with him in the prima fila (‘front row’). In fact, the Canon originally hails from Canada, Prof. Mgr Guy-Réal Thivierge. He could not have been more kind or hospitable, and introduced me to the Principal Celebrant, Mgr Daniel Emilio Estivill, another member of the Chapter.
We were joined by priests from around the world at the Altar of the Chair under the beautiful stained-glass window of the Holy Spirit. Like Pope Francis, Mgr Daniel hails from Argentina and gave a most beautiful homily on the Pontificate of the late Holy Father.
When the three of us were brought to the altar for the Eucharistic Prayer, the MC placed before me a specially typed prayer of the dead for Pope Francis, which I was incredibly privileged to read in the presence of his mortal remains, lying just beyond the high altar. It was an unsought for privilege, one which I shall always treasure. Many have said it was surely God’s will. I genuinely believe that, and I am certain that Our Lady Untier of Knots was also at work.
After Mass, Canon Guy-Réal very kindly invited me to his stunning apartment in the Canonica for coffee and scintillating conversation. I was then invited to join the Canons of St Peter’s on Sunday for Vespers, where I had the joy of meeting yet another member of the Capitolo di San Pietro, Archbishop Emery Kabongo who was Secretary to Pope St John Paul II for seven years.
The culmination of my visit was to concelebrate the Funeral Mass of Pope Francis alongside some 4,000 fellow priests, cardinals, and bishops of the Church. As our new Holy Father Pope Leo XIV shared, our hearts were saddened; we felt stranded without our earthly Father in God and, for those few days, were ‘like sheep without a shepherd’ (Mt 9:36). Happily now, that void is filled once again with our new Pope, an Augustinian whose smile, and competence and gentleness will put new wind into our sails for a very hopeful future.
‘God bless our Pope, the great, the good!’
Canon Cronin’s latest book, Hope Springs Eternal, was written for the Jubilee Year and can be purchased for £9.99 in the Cathedral Gift Shop and St Paul’s.
Canon Daniel Cronin
Farewell in Splendour and Simplicity: Papal Funeral Rites
Philip Smyth, Manager of JH Kenyon Funeral Directors
In the previous edition of Oremus, there is an evocative photograph of Cardinal Nichols praying beside the earthly remains of Pope Francis, following his death on 21 April 2025. There, the body of the Pontiff lay, dressed in red vestments, a white mitre on his head, the pallium around his shoulders, and rosary beads in his hands. Although His Eminence had also prayed by the body of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI back in 2022, it was a notably different scene.
Pope Francis’ remains were laid in a simple coffin, resting just off the floor; the first time that the Lying-in-State of a Pope had been conducted in such a manner. This was the result of a decision taken by the Holy Father in the year before his death, having decreed that there should be simpler funeral rites for Popes. At the time, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, the Papal Master of Ceremonies, explained that Pope Francis wanted his own funeral (and one must presume the funerals of future Popes) to be more akin to that of any Catholic, and devoid of anything that may be seen as to signify earthly power and status.
This simplification is not without precedent, however, tracing its roots to the reforms of Pope Paul VI, following the Second Vatican Council. His funeral in August 1978 was significantly different in style and content from those of his predecessors, John XXIII and Pius XII, although some essential elements undoubtedly remained the same.
Following his death at Castel Gandolfo on 6 August, his remains were washed (but not embalmed), dressed, and placed on view for the local faithful at the papal summer residence. Paul was dressed just like Pope Francis, with the addition of red shoes and the iconic pastoral staff, created by Lello Scorzelli (1921-97), resting under his arm. Here his body remained before being transferred in a coffin by a specially adapted Mercedes hearse to St Peter’s Basilica, where it was removed from the coffin and exposed on a catafalque, known in Italian as the ‘bed of heaven’. Even by this early stage, the decomposition of the remains in the midst of the searing summer heat was causing comment. By the time of the Pope’s funeral on 12 August, the putrefaction was at quite an advanced stage.
In fact, this was something that had beset the funerals of many 20th century Popes, following a prohibition by Pope Pius X of what may be considered rudimentary embalming. Prior to this, the internal organs were removed from the papal cadaver (which included the draining of blood) and placed in canopic jars. These were then enshrined in niches in the sanctuary of Ss Vincent and Anastasius in Piazza di Trevi, just opposite the fountain which gives the square its name. Pius, a most simple and modest man, had considered this to be ‘pharaonic’, which indeed it was. The practice had been developed in ancient Egypt to hold
the embalmed organs of the Pharaohs during the mummification process. Pius forbade this to happen to his precordia and so the tradition died with him.
This, however, was interpreted as an absolute prohibition of any papal embalming, with all too predictable results, especially with remains being placed on public display for up to seven days after death, quite often in summer heat. This was not so obvious with Pius X (1914), Benedict XV (1922), or Pius XI (1939), as their bodies rested, removed from close proximity to the faithful, behind the locked gates of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of St Peter’s. When it became an issue, and scandalously so, was at the end of the pontificate of Pius XII, the last Principe di Dio.
Papa Pacelli died on 9 October 1958 at Castel Gandolfo. He had been ailing for many years and was not well-served in the ministrations of Riccardo Galeazzi-Lisi, the Archiatra Pontificio (papal physician). Galeazzi-Lisi had no medical qualifications whatsoever, but the sensitive, and some would argue hypochondriac Pontiff, hung on his every word and medically spurious treatment. So too in death, for Pius had left strict instructions that his remains were not to be embalmed, and that his trusted friend was the only person allowed to touch his body. He had a horror of any invasive treatment, even dentistry.
After the papal demise, the quack doctor sold an article, accompanied with photographs of the dead Pope in his night garments, to Paris Match and any other magazine that would pay his fee. He had managed to be present at the Pope’s deathbed and had photographed him soon after he expired. In a notorious press conference, he alleged that Pius had wished him to do this ‘to show that I die like other men’, and described in forensic detail the embalming [sic] of the late Pontiff.
This undignified treatment was the opposite of the usual and perfectly successful process of embalming. Instead of draining the body and keeping the remains as cold as possible, Galeazzi-Lisi covered the corpse in a plastic envelope, inside of which he placed aromatic herbs and spices. By eliminating air circulation, he instead hastened putrefaction. Thus, when exposed for viewing at St Peter’s Basilica the next day, Pius, dressed in magnificent papal vestments and Lying-in-State on a 12-feet high bier, surrounded by 30 lighted candles, was decomposing rapidly before the eyes of those who came to pay their respects.
This was mentioned in an article in The Times, described with the usual English understatement of ‘some difficulties with the embalming process’. The situation became so intolerable that, at one stage, the viewing of the remains was halted and the basilica cleared. Local undertakers were engaged to see what they could
do to rectify the situation, but it was too late. Retribution was swift for Galeazzi-Lisi and he was expelled by the Camerlengo from the Vatican, never to return.
There is no doubt that the fiasco surrounding the death and funeral rites of Pius XII had a profound effect on his immediate successors. John XXIII, his immediate successor, was present at the Lying-in-State and funeral and described the ‘shameful scenes’ surrounding ‘the august Pontiff’ in his diary. So too with Cardinal Montini, who had served Pius faithfully before becoming Archbishop of Milan. When elected as Paul VI in 1963, he reformed papal funeral rites, simplifying them greatly.
While there remained similar, if not quite as serious, issues with the bodies of Popes John XXIII (1963), Paul VI and John Paul I (1978), and John Paul II (2005), it appears that the remains of Benedict XVI and Francis were fully embalmed, though not quite to the standard expected and delivered in the United Kingdom or North America. There seemed to be significant discolouration on the face of Pope Francis (hypostasis, or post mortem staining, when the blood settles under the skin) and his hands, un-joined, were set rigid in rigor mortis. Both issues, essentially Mother Nature taking its course, can be alleviated with a proper professional embalming, the sooner the better.
Pope Paul VI had requested that his coffin be of simple wood and placed in the earth, with just his name and the symbol of Christ on the gravestone, with absolutely no monument. And so it was. However, the tradition of carrying the body to the basilica on a litter, and the encoffining the remains in three coffins, one of elm, one of lead, and one of pine, remained up to and including the funeral of Benedict XVI in January 2023. Pope Francis was buried in a single, zinc lined coffin. This is a standard requirement in the UK for coffins being placed inside a building, including those in Westminster Cathedral and St George’s Chapel, Windsor. Interred in a niche at St Mary Major’s, Francis is the first Pope buried outside of the Vatican in over a hundred years.
It is not known if his previous pallium, given to him by Pope St John Paul II in 1998 when appointed Archbishop of Buenos
Aires, rests under his head. This is a poignant and evocative tradition that when a Pope, or Metropolitan Archbishop who has been transferred to another metropolitan see, is placed in his coffin, the previous pallium is folded up and placed under his head as a cushion for the mortal remains to rest upon for eternity.
The Cathedral Administrator meets Pope Leo
Mgr Canon Patrick Fenton was Administrator of Westminster Cathedral from 1894 to 1904, that is, from shortly before laying the foundation stone (29 June 1895) to shortly after the opening of the Cathedral in 1903. Inevitably, much of his tenure was taken up with fundraising for the new building. In 1896, he toured the Continent, and headed at once for Rome:
‘When the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster entrusted me with the noble mission of collecting for our great Cathedral on the continent of Europe, my first thought was to seek those limina Apostolorum, which have ever been the loadstone of the priests and bishops of God’s Church in earth.’
In Rome, he was to be received by Pope Leo XIII, but was held up by the delayed arrival of the drawings and plans of the intended Cathedral:
‘The promised plans and designs had not reached me, and Cardinal Rampolla, the Pontifical Secretary of State – the keenest and most courteous of diplomats – assured me that the Holy Father’s sollicitude would be more aroused, and his pastoral joy greater, if he saw the picture and more detailed drawings which were on their way.’
Eventually the plans arrived, and the measurements and notes converted into Italian. Mgr Fenton was granted an audience with Pope Leo XIII on 30 April:
‘Monsignor Merry del Val stood by my side [...] On this occasion he simplified my task by gently prompting me when occasionally the Pope wandered from French into Italian.
I rose from my knees, and carefully laid out the plans of Westminster Cathedral, which he silently scrutinised for some moments, taking in every technical detail of nave, aisles, altars and crypts, especially the latter. The comparison between the Metropolitan Cathedral and St Paul’s, London, was a leading theme of our colloquy.’
The Pope noted that building the Cathedral would involve a tremendous outlay of funds. Mgr Fenton replied:
‘Holy Father, our Cardinal Archbishop's intention is to construct the shell of a Cathedral with High Altar, canons’ stalls and all that is essential to Divine Worship, which can be achieved in three years at a cost of £15,000. The work of internal decoration may be handed over to the next generation.’
He continued:
‘The Pope was curious to know how an English architect could have evolved a design which so accurately develops the early Christian Basilica in its plenitude. I then informed him that Mr Bentley, the architect, had been in Italy for six months to study this very style at its fountain
head. The Holy Father exclaimed: “Now I understand. And he has not lost his time, for it will be a noble cathedral, and I congratulate him.” Looking at the etching of the interior, he added naively, “I suppose you are going to use white marble?”
“Certainly,” I unthinkingly answered; whereupon, with a twinkle in his eye, and shaking his forefinger, Leo XIII said:
“Don’t! When I went to St Paul’s they showed me some black marble, which they assured me was white! You have too much smoke in London, tell Cardinal Vaughan, for white marble.”’
Pope Leo then contributed £1,000 to the building of the Cathedral. His name is duly inscribed in the Sacristy, at the head of the list of donors, as a Founder of Westminster Cathedral.
£1,000 equates to £112,000 today, according to the Bank of England’s inflation calculator.
Mgr Mark Langham RIP
Bishop Patrick Fenton (circa 1916) by Walter Stoneman, for James Russell & Sons
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Exciting News Ahead!
Andrew Hollingsworth
As we navigate this transition following Joe Allen’s departure as Coordinator on 2 May 2025, it’s important that we pay tribute to our past achievements while keeping our eyes on the future.
Thank You!
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported our Lent/Easter Big Give campaign! We raised over £49,000 for the refurbishment of the Hall windows, with additional donations received outside of the campaign. This remarkable effort will ensure the restoration of all the windows on Ambrosden Avenue, and the lower-level windows facing the car park. Another campaign will be held later this year, to address the upper windows. More information will be provided in due course.
Annual General Meeting and Thank You Party
This year, I aim to conduct the formal business of our Annual General Meeting swiftly, followed by a celebration to recognise the Friends’ contributions to supporting Westminster Cathedral over the past three years.
Wednesday 2 July, 6.30pm, Westminster Cathedral Hall.
Please note, this is a closed event, and I will be contact members and donors directly. If you wish to attend and have not received a message by 17 June, please reach out to me at friends@rcdow.org.uk.
Looking Forward
Currently, we have three confirmed events on the calendar, but there are numerous possibilities for additional
activities. I’d love your input on which events you are likely to support, and ideas for additional events that might interest you. Please share your thoughts via email.
Potential Upcoming Events:
Monastic Order Beer and Wine Tasting: After a successful inaugural event in June 2024, we hope to include this in our autumn 2025 line-up.
Jubilee Walk Westminster Way: Mentioned in the March Oremus, there has been interest following that article. We plan to set a date for September. I will email all who have expressed interest, but feel free to reach out if you would like to join.
Walking Tours and Visits to Other Churches: We are considering trips to Tyburn Convent and Our Lady of the Assumption and St Gregory, Warwick Street. Additionally, in collaboration with Joanne Bogle, who has written a history of St Mary’s University Twickenham, we hope to arrange a visit there.
Your feedback on these ideas is invaluable, and I would love to hear from you!
Mailing address: Society of Friends of Westminster
UPCOMING EVENT
The Venerable Ignatius Spencer
Join us for a captivating talk by Fr Gerard Skinner on Thursday 12 June, at 6.30pm in Westminster Cathedral Hall. Fr Ignatius Spencer, the great-greatgreat-uncle of Diana, Princess of Wales, was born George Spencer in 1799. The youngest child of the 2nd Earl Spencer, George was raised at Althorp, the Spencer family’s ancestral home. He later converted to Roman Catholicism and dedicated his life to serving the poor, famously begging throughout the British Isles and beyond in the rough black habit of the Passionists.
Booking Information: tinyurl.com/IgnatiusSpencer or email friends@rcdow.org.uk.
Upcoming Quizzes at Westminster Cathedral Hall, 6.30pm:
Tuesday 30 September, with Fr Hugh Mackenzie.
Thursday 20 November, with Fr Patrick van der Vorst.
Laying the Foundation Stone, 1895
On 29 June 1985, the feast of Ss Peter and Paul, the foundation stone of Westminster Cathedral was laid and blessed in much pomp and ceremony by Cardinal Herbert Vaughan, Archbishop of Westminster, and Cardinal Michael Logue, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland. The ceremony included a large procession of clergy around the empty grounds, litanies, Low Mass coram Episcopo, and a festal luncheon attended by the Cardinals, the Duke of Norfolk, Lord Acton, and others. The Cathedral structure was then finished in 1903 and one of the first public services was that of Cardinal Vaughan’s funeral. May he rest in peace.
In retrospect: from the Cathedral Chronicle
Westminster Cathedral Chronicle, June 1925
Varia
Messrs. Burns Oates and Washbourne have just opened a handsome shop in the precincts of the Cathedral. It has a double frontage and entrance, one in Victoria Street and the other in Ashley Place, facing the Cathedral. We congratulate them on their enterprise and welcome their coming, convinced that they are promoting thereby their own advantage and that of their Catholic neighbours engaged in similar trade. The first Catholic firm to show its foresight in establishing itself in the precincts of the Cathedral was the Art and Book Company—by now wellknown, more especially for its artistic devotional articles and church requisites. Then came Messrs. Tucker, of candle fame. Now we have Messrs. Burns Oates and Washbourne, the foremost Catholic publishing house in the British Isles. It is whispered also that we may soon see a shop opened in Ashley Place under the auspices of the Catholic Truth Society, which is already near, but yet far, because hardly seen. We hope that, in accord with the Society’s policy in recent years of moving forward, it will keep on doing so and find it possible to join the happy combination of Statue, Book and Candle in Westminster Cathedral Precincts.
Westminster Cathedral Chronicle, June 1955
The Cathedral Choir School
We feel that we should record in this issue of the Chronicle an important development in the history of the Cathedral Choir School. We have been fortunate in securing the services of a religious order of nuns to provide two permanent highly qualified teachers and a matron to work under the Rector and Vice-Rector, and we have created for them an enclosure on the ground floor. Indeed, this part of the building has been completely transformed at a very considerable cost and the kitchens have been entirely reequipped. In addition, three separate rooms have been crafted for the nuns and a matron’s dispensary and community room. It is with very real satisfaction and gratitude that we welcome the Teaching Sisters of the Holy Cross. Founded in Switzerland, they have already made a great name for themselves in the educational sphere and in this country they are running schools at Gerrards Cross, Corby, and New Malden. The Mother Provincial has now accepted this invitation of His Eminence the Cardinal to work in Westminster. Already the new Superior, Sister Gabriel, and her assistants Sister Anne and Sister St John have made a great difference to the life of the school. We wish them all blessings on their new venture.
This development is only one aspect of a number of improvements either accomplished or envisaged. The classrooms have already been redecorated and one of them has been refurnished in the most modern style. It is hoped to continue this throughout the building. The timetable has been brought more closely into line with the requirements of the Ministry of Education, so that in a very short time the academic standards should be as high as any Catholic preparatory school in the country. This, together with the unique musical traditions and training under Mr George Malcolm, the Master of Music, should render the school doubly attractive to parents. For here the liturgical tradition is complemented by the most up-to-date efficiency in other respects. It is hoped shortly to refurnish the Song School as a gymnasium and in the meantime the services of a professional footballer have already been acquired for physical training.
Those of our readers who listened to the remarks of the Administrator on the occasion of the Carol Festival earlier this year will have realised how important it is that the school should be re-endowed. All the previous endowments invested by Cardinal Vaughan in Russian Railways were lost in 1917. We have already received one generous contribution to help pay for the necessary alterations. We are anxious to receive more, to be able to found a bursary or bursaries which will enable promising boys to receive the benefit of this training independently of their parents’ income. Any contributions will be most gratefully acknowledged by the Headmaster.
In our night prayers we pray for our benefactors. The school has a very happy family atmosphere and the advent of nuns with all their maternal kindness has already enhanced this. We ask your prayers and help, that this great new development may prosper and redound to the glory of God in the Cathedral singing even more than it has done in the past.
You are warmly invited to a Mass of Thanksgiving to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Caritas Bakhita House, a safe house for survivors of trafficking and exploitation.
Monday 30 June, 5.30pm in Westminster Cathedral, celebrated by Cardinal Vincent Nichols.
Victory in Europe!
In addition to the Papal election, Thursday 8 May was the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe. Earlier that week, on the bank holiday, a number of celebrations were arranged, including a flypast of historic aircraft and Red Arrows down The Mall.
Healing & Hope
Thank you to the Diocesan Safeguarding Service, and to LOUDfence, for organising a service of prayer for those who have been harmed by abuse, for their families, and for those who support them. Pictured here, the grille of St Joseph’s Chapel is covered in ribbons and intercessions.
Mass for Migrants
Covering for Cardinal Fitzgerald, the Most Rev George Stack, Archbishop Emeritus of Cardiff celebrated the annual Mass for Migrants, shared between Westminster, Southwark and Brentwood Dioceses.
Come, Holy Spirit!
On Tuesday 6 May, His Excellency Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, celebrated a Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit, invoking the Spirit’s guidance on the College of Cardinals as they prepared to enter the Conclave. We were also joined by His Excellency Mr Ivan Romero-Martinez, Ambassador of Honduras and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, the Right Worshipful Lord Mayor of Westminster, Councillor Robert Rigby and Lady Mayoress Emiko Rigby.
Adult Confirmations
Following those who were received and baptised into the Church at the Easter Vigil, 10 adults from our parish RCIA group received the Sacrament of Confirmation at the hands of the Right Rev Michael Campbell OSA, Bishop Emeritus of Lancaster.
©
Fergus
Sheppard, Westminster City Council
All roads lead to Rome!
Following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, the eyes of the world were fixed on Rome for the Papal Funeral, the Conclave, a new Pope, and the Inauguration. Mr Marcin Mazur, a well-known photographer here in Westminster Cathedral, was there to capture every moment. His entire collection can be viewed at flickr.com/photos/catholicism.'
The Prince of Wales
Funeral procession
Cardinal Nichols swearing the Oath of Secrecy
Leaving the English College
Habemus Papam
Regina Cæli
White smoke
Some English faces on the Loggia
Receiving the Fisherman’s Ring
Pope Romeo I
St John Cardinal Fisher, 1535
The day after his burial, the head being somewhat parboiled in hot water was pricked upon a pole and set on high upon London Bridge, among the rest of the holy Carthusians’ heads that suffered death before him. This head, after it had stood up the space of fourteen days upon the Bridge, could not be perceived to waste or consume, neither for the weather, which was then very hot, neither for the parboiling in hot water, but grew daily fresher and fresher, so that in his lifetime he never looked so well. The executioner was then commanded to throw down the dead into the river Thames, and in the place thereof was set the head of the most blessed and constant martyr, Sir Thomas More. Reredos, St George’s Chapel
The Month of June
The Holy Father’s Prayer Intentions
That the world might grow in compassion.
Let us pray that each one of us might find consolation in a personal relationship with Jesus, and from his Heart, learn to have compassion on the world.
Sunday 1 June Ps Week 3
7th SUNDAY OF EASTER
World Communications Day
12 noon Solemn Mass (Full Choir)
Victoria – Missa Ascendens Christus Tye – Omnes gentes plaudite manibus
Organ: Duruflé – Toccata (Suite Op. 5)
4pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction
Bevan – Magnificat octavi toni
Victoria – Ascendens Christus in altum
Organ: Messiaen – Alléluias sereins (L’Ascension)
4.30pm Mass for the Deaf Community (Cathedral Hall)
Monday 2 June
Easter Feria
(Ss Marcellinus & Peter, Martyrs)
Tuesday 3 June 2025
St Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs
5.30pm Chapter Mass
Wednesday 4 June
Easter Feria
1.15pm Lunchtime Concert
Thursday 5 June
St Boniface, Bishop & Martyr
The Cathedral is open from 7.30am and closes in time for 7pm.
Monday to Friday: Morning Prayer 7.35am, Mass 8am, Mass (Latin, unless there is a Funeral) 10.30am, Confessions 11.30-12.30pm, Mass 12.30pm *, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 1.15-4.30pm, Benediction 4.30pm, Confessions 4.30-5.30pm, Sung Vespers 5pm (Latin, Choir, except Tuesday, English, Cantor), Solemn Mass 5.30pm (Choir, Tuesday: Boys’ voices, Wednesday: Men’s voices)
Saturday: Mass 8am, Morning Prayer 10am, Mass 10.30am (Latin, Choir,) Confessions 11.30-12.30pm, Mass 12.30pm *, Confessions 5-6pm, Sung Vespers 5.30pm (English, Cantor), Sung Mass 6pm.
Sunday: Mass 8am, Sung Morning Prayer 9.30am, Sung Mass 10am, Confessions 10.30-12.30pm; Solemn Mass (Choir) 12noon *, Solemn Vespers (Choir) and Benediction 4pm, Confessions 5-6.45pm, Sung Mass 5.30pm, Mass 7pm.
For full opening and closure times of the Cathedral and for confession and service times please consult the Cathedral diary on the website.
* Live streamed via the Cathedral website
Friday 6 June Friday abstinence
Easter Feria (St Norbert, Bishop)
Saturday 7 June
Easter Feria
10.30am WCCS First Holy Communion Mass
4pm Low Mass (Blessed Sacrament Chapel) 6pm Vigil Mass of Pentecost with Youth Confirmations (Cardinal Nichols)
Sunday 8 June
PENTECOST SUNDAY
12 noon Solemn Mass (Full Choir) Langlais – Messe solennelle Palestrina – Dum complerentur dies Pentecostes
G. Jackson - Factus est repente
Organ: J.S. Bach – Fantasia super Komm Heiliger Geist (BWV 651)
4pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction Victoria – Magnificat primi toni Tallis – Loquebantur variis linguis Organ: Messiaen – Sortie: Le vent de l’Esprit (Messe de la Pentecôte)
Monday 9 June Ps Week 2
Mary, Mother of the Church
Tuesday 10 June Feria
Wednesday 11 June
St Barnabas, Apostle 1.15pm Lunchtime Concert 2pm Caritas Ambassadors’ Festival (Bishop McAleenan)
Thursday 12 June
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE ETERNAL HIGH PRIEST
Friday 13 June
Friday abstinence
St Anthony of Padua, Priest & Doctor 2pm All Saints Catholic College Requiem Mass (Bishop Curry)
Saturday 14 June
Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday 6pm Marriage preparation couples attend Vigil Mass
Sunday 15 June
THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
Collection for Day for Life
Ps Week 3
12 noon Solemn Mass (Men’s voices) Byrd – Mass for three voices
Victoria – Benedicta sit sancta Trinitas
Sheppard - Libera nos
Organ: Tournemire – Triptyque (L’Orgue mystique XXVI)
4pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction
Victoria – Magnificat quarti toni
Byrd – O lux beata trinitas
Organ: Messiaen – Le mystère de la Sainte Trinité (Les Corps Glorieux)
Monday 16 June
Feria
(St Richard of Chichester, Bishop)
Tuesday 17 June 2025
Feria
St Boniface
Wednesday 18 June
Feria
1.15pm Lunchtime Concert
Thursday 19 June
Feria
(St Romuald, Abbot)
5.30pm Mass attended by Patrons of the Sick and Retired Priests’ Fund (Cardinal Nichols)
Friday 20 June 2025 Friday abstinence St Alban, Protomartyr
Saturday 21 June 2025
St Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious
2.30pm Brent and Willesden Deanery Confirmation Mass (Bishop Campbell OSA)
Sunday 22 June Ps Week 4
CORPUS ET SANGUIS CHRISTI THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
12 noon Solemn Mass (Full Choir)
Williamson – Missa tertia Mendelssohn – Lauda Sion
Organ: de Grigny – Pange lingua
4pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction
Reid – Magnificat quinti toni
Messiaen – O sacrum convivium
Organ: Messiaen – Offrande au Saint Sacrement
Monday 23 June
Feria
(St Etheldreda, Virgin)
5pm Solemn First Vespers
5.30pm Vigil Mass of the Nativity of St John the Baptist
Tuesday 24 June
THE NATIVITY OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST
2pm Diocesan Schools’ Mass for the Jubilee Festival of Hope (Cardinal Nichols)
5pm Solemn Second Vespers
5.30pm Solemn Mass (Full Choir)
de Padilla – Missa Ego flos campi
Victoria – Descendit angelus
Victoria – Ne timeas
Organ: J.S. Bach – Christ unser Herr zum
Jordan kam (BWV 684)
Wednesday 25 June
Feria
1.15pm Lunchtime Concert
Thursday 26 June
Feria
The fifth anniversary of Canon Christopher Tuckwell
2.15pm Mass with the St John Southworth Catholic Academy Trust (Bishop Curry)
5pm Solemn First Vespers
5.30pm Vigil Mass of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Friday 27 June No Friday abstinence
THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS
5pm Solemn Second Vespers
5.30pm Solemn Mass (Full Choir)
Rheinberger – Cantus missæ
Lassus – Improperium exspectavit
Organ: Buxtehude – Toccata in F (BuxWV 157)
Saturday 28 June
ST JOHN SOUTHWORTH, Priest & Martyr
10.30am Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood (Cardinal Nichols)
No 12.30pm Mass
5.30pm Solemn First Vespers
6pm Vigil Mass of Ss Peter and Paul (fulfils Obligation)
Sunday 29 June Ps Week 1
Ss PETER AND PAUL, Apostles (Holy Day of Obligation)
Collection for Peter’s Pence
12 noon Solemn Mass (Full Choir)
Palestrina – Missa Papæ Marcelli
Palestrina – Tu es Petrus
Palestrina - Quodcumque ligaveris
Organ: Vierne – Final (Symphonie III)
4pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction
Palestrina – Magnificat primi toni
Duruflé – Tu es Petrus
Organ: Bruhns – Præludium in G major
Monday 30 June 2025
5.30pm Vigil Mass of the Dedication of the Cathedral and Thanksgiving for 10 years of Bakhita House (Cardinal Nichols)
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.
What Happens and When
Catholic Evidence Guild
Clergy House Room 2, Tuesdays 7pm Catholic Grandparents’ Association Hinsley Room, Second Sundays 12-3.30pm
Charismatic Prayer Group
Cathedral Hall, Fridays 6.30-9pm
Divine Mercy Prayer Group
St Patrick’s Chapel, Sundays 1.30-2.30pm
Filipino Club
Cathedral Hall, Second Sunday 1-5pm
Guild of the Blessed Sacrament Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Mondays 6.15pm
Guild of St Anthony Lady Chapel, Tuesdays 6.15pm
Interfaith Group Hinsley Room, Third Wednesdays 1.30 -3pm
Legion of Mary Hinsley Room, Monday 1.30-3.30pm
Nigerian Catholic Association Hinsley Room, Fourth Sundays 1.30-2.30pm
Oblates of Westminster Cathedral Hinsley Room, Fourth Sundays 2.30-4pm
Padre Pio Prayer Group
Sacred Heart Church, First Thursdays 1.30-3.30pm
Rosary Group
Lady Chapel, Saturdays 11.15-12.00noon
Walsingham Prayer Group
St George’s Chapel, First Tuesdays 2.30-4pm
Yoruba Association Hinsley Room, Third Sundays 1.30-3pm
St Alban
Across
1 Financial supporters (7)
6 Neat knot for London Bells? (3)
8 ‘Magna -----‘, signed on the banks of the Thames [Runnymede] 1215 (5)
9 Famous old prison with executions outside its walls (7)
10 Made record of (5)
11 Bay of ------, along the French-Spanish coast (6)
13 Constantine’s mother, not a favourite saintly connection for Napoleon! (6)
15 Saint allowed to see the infant Jesus before he died (6)
17 ‘Tristan and ------’, famous lovers and Wagner opera (6)
20 French town associated with Van Gogh and his paintings (5)
21 Frank singer who enthused about ‘New York, New York’ (7)
23 Milk container (5)
24 Initial reference to Royalty (1.1.1.)
25 See 12 Down
Clues Down
1 Patron Saint of Cyprus, travelled on missions with St Paul (8)
2 Symbols of Heads of State (6)
3 Priest and scribe, wrote one of the Books of the OT (4)
4 Fixative or Archimedes’ hydraulic machine (5)
5 Saint, 2nd c. Greek Bishop and Doctor of the Church (8)
6 Hastings 1066 for example (6)
7 St Margaret from Cheshire, one of the Forty Martyrs, ‘the Pearl of Tyburn’ (4)
12 & 25 Across: Young Italian saint who died treating plague victims (8,7)
14 ‘Hail Mary’, title of many lovely pieces of music (3,5)
16 Monster in Leviticus to whom children sacrificed (6)
18 Country bordering the Baltic Sea (6)
19 Putting to deployment (5)
20 Marble Corner of Hyde Park (4)
22 Town where Jesus raised a widow’s son from the dead (4)
Dawn Janet Wilkes
Come to this sacred island where Prayers are offered and God is Sought. This thin place beyond the edge Where heaven almost touches earth. Here, in the hush of the morning, Before light rises in the east, Before mist clears and the voice of A lone dove is heard calling – then The dreaming ends and one hears sounds Of water slapping on the shore And shingle slipping with the ebb And one knows there IS a God who Cares and Jesus said, ‘This day you Will be with me in Paradise.’
Full in the panting heart of Rome
Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman (1802-65) Archbishop of Westminster
Full in the panting heart of Rome, beneath the apostle’s crowning dome, from pilgrims’ lips that kiss the ground, breathes in all tongues one only sound: ‘God bless our Pope, the great, the good.’
The golden roof, the marble walls, the Vatican’s majestic halls, the note redouble, till it fills with echoes sweet the seven hills: ‘God bless our Pope, the great, the good.’
Then surging through each hallowed gate. Where martyrs glory, in peace, await, it sweeps beyond the solemn plain, peals over Alps, across the main: ‘God bless our Pope, the great, the good.’
From torrid south to frozen north, that wave harmonious stretches forth, yet strikes no chord more true to Rome’s, than rings within our hearts and homes: ‘God bless our Pope, the great, the good.’
submit a poem whether by yourself or another for consideration, please contact the Editor – details on page 3.
The Sacred Heart
Hamish, Year 6
June is the month of the Sacred Heart. Over a couple of years, ending in June 1675, Jesus appeared to a nun named St Margaret Mary, who was a member of the Visitation Sisters. Jesus asked her to spread devotion to his Sacred Heart. This year, we will celebrate the 350th anniversary of these apparitions, and it will fall on Friday 27 June. The date changes each year because it is celebrated on the Friday, the week after Corpus Christi.
The Sacred Heart is a symbol of Jesus’ divine love for all of us. It is often shown with flames, a crown of thorns and a cross, each with its own meaning. The flames are Jesus’ love burning for us, the crown of thorns is his suffering, and the cross on which he died out of love for us.
One popular devotion to the Sacred Heart is the First Friday Devotion. Many Catholics will attend Mass and receive Holy Communion on the first Friday of the month for nine months in a row. This is because Jesus promised St Margaret Mary that those who do this and devote themselves to him will receive 12 graces. Thinking about these promises in June can help us feel close to Jesus and remember how much he loves us. Prayer is really important if we want to be close to God. In June, we can pray to the Sacred Heart every day and ask Jesus to be with us. We can even do this at school with our classmates.
We can also go to Eucharistic Adoration and pray quietly in front of the Blessed Sacrament. It’s a special time to be with Jesus and feel his love. We can also talk to our family or friends about Jesus’ love for us, or do something kind for someone who needs help, just like Jesus would.
June is a great time to love Jesus even more and remember how much he loves everyone. Even when the world feels a little broken or sad, Jesus’ Sacred Heart reminds us that his divine love can fix everything.
