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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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Fr Sławomir Witon´
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Lorcán Keller
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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.
On Tuesday 16 September 2025, Cardinal Vincent Nichols celebrated the funeral Mass of HRH Katharine, Duchess of Kent, in the presence of His Majesty the King, HRH The Duke of Kent, children and grandchildren, TRH The Prince and Princess of Wales and other senior members of the Royal Family. Bishop Curry, her former parish priest in Kensington, presided at Vespers and preached the homily at Mass, before accompanying the hearse to Frogmore with the Dean of Windsor for the rite of burial. May she rest in peace. © Ashley Avery-Bennett
Inside Oremus
Cathedral Life:
Homily: Requiem Mass for HRH The Duchess of Kent by Bishop James Curry
Cathedral History in Pictures: Requiem Mass for Queen Astrid by Paul Tobin
Westminster Cathedral College of Chaplains
& 15 Comings and Goings 16 Features:
of the Hierarchy by the Editor
Papal Message to Cardinal Nichols 10
National Shrine of St Jude by Amanda C. Dickie 12 & 13
Papal Message to King Charles III 17
Prisons Week by Julia Corcoran 17
Spiritual Home by M. Louise Taylor
Lorcán writes
On the morning of Tuesday 16 September, I found myself chatting with a father and his young daughter Maxima by the West Doors. The man had arrived to present us with the Royal Standard in anticipation of the King’s arrival for the funeral that afternoon. Oblivious to the Duchess reposing by the altar, Maxima went on a fairy-tale quest around the information desk and statue of St Peter, looking to find ‘the Princess’ (of Wales, presumably). Perhaps she was expressing the anticipation we were all feeling at that moment?
Two weeks earlier, HRH Katharine The Duchess of Kent, died peacefully, aged 92, surrounded by her family in Kensington Palace. May she rest in eternal peace. ‘Lady Katharine’, or ‘Mrs Kent’ as she was often known, spent her long life in service of others, teaching music to underprivileged children, helping at The Passage, and caring for the sick in Lourdes. Despite her public conversion to Catholicism, the first Royal to do so since the Act of Suppression in 1701, she remained a loyal subject and friend of Queen Elizabeth II. Indeed, a number of elements from the late Queen’s funeral, namely the hearse and the Scottish lament ‘Sleep, Dearie, Sleep’ played on the bagpipes, were utilised.
Having ‘aided’ Sam Holloway to raise the Standard later that day, I descended in time for the arrival of the Duchess of Edinburgh, followed by other senior members of the Royal Family. It was not until the congregation rose to their feet to bow or curtsy that the significance of the day dawned on me; the first British Royal Catholic funeral for centuries. That being said, the late Queen did attend the funeral Mass of (Servant of God) Baudouin, King of the Belgians, in Brussels in 1993. Interestingly, King Baudouin was the son of Queen Astrid, whose Cathedral Requiem Paul Tobin recounts on page 11.
Of course, this particular edition of Oremus was going to be based around the canonisation of London-born St Carlo Acutis. As his first feast day (12 October) falls on a Sunday, the Cathedral will celebrate a Eucharistic festival on Saturday 11 October, beginning with the 12.30pm Mass. We were blessed to receive a relic of St Carlo, thanks to Manel Silva’s (Oremus subscriptions) contacts, and so there will be a blessing with the relic on the day. A small exhibition of St Carlo’s website, documenting Eucharistic miracles, will also be held in a side chapel from 2 to 14 October.
Westminster Cathedral
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Cathedral Chaplains
Fr Sławomir Witoń, Dean
Fr Patrick van der Vorst, Precentor
Fr Michael Guthrie
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 and Sr Angelina
Music Department
Simon Johnson, Master of Music
Peter Stevens Obl. OSB, Assistant Master of Music
Alexander Robson, Organ Scholar
Cathedral Manager
Peter McNulty
Cathedral Fundraising Manager
Laura Dudhee
Chapel of Ease
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Requiem Mass for HRH Katharine The Duchess of Kent
The Rt Rev James Curry, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster
Dear friends, the warmth of the tributes that have been paid at the passing of HRH The Duchess of Kent, known to so many as Katharine, shows the level of affection and respect in which she was, and is still, held. Her death is mourned, her life recalled and praised, both in public tributes and by the many charities with which she worked so selflessly.
The presence of Your Majesty, Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales along with the Princess Royal, and so many members of the Royal Family is eloquent testimony to your affection and respect for this woman of grace, beauty and determination. The presence of many friends, representatives of charities and organisations with which the late Duchess was connected echoes those same sentiments.
Many of you will know Katharine from her patronage, work and involvement with the Armed Forces, and her regiments. The young Duchess of course knew life as a military wife.
Our Quaker friends, and indeed the Trappist Monks, have a saying: Something has to be really good to replace silence. There is much wisdom in that saying. Often in the face of death we find ourselves at a loss as to what to say. More often than not, our presence, our embrace, our kindness is more important than the words we speak. Yet we find that we cannot remain silent. Words are often clumsy. Please forgive any clumsiness in these words.
Death, when it comes, is always like a thief in the night. No matter how well prepared we are, death robs us of a person, a person we now can no longer hold or touch. Death always leaves unfinished business, loose ends and incomplete conversations. It leaves a painful absence that rarely heals completely. Reflecting on this pain and the many ways it touches our lives the late Cardinal Basil Hume pointed to the Cross of Jesus Christ. He invited us to see that;
‘Behind every crucifix stands our Risen Lord. Hidden in every suffering and pain is the joy of closer union with Him. His is the victory. He invites us to share it.’
That is to say, Jesus of Nazareth, the Risen One, embodies the hope offered to all of us, that our lives are more than simply sunrise and sunset; not just toil and heartache; that we are, all of us, caught up in the eternity of God’s loving embrace. The Cardinal continued:
‘And when we see God in all his beauty we will be able to whisper into the ear of a merciful and compassionate God the story of my life which I had never been able to tell. Death is only the way which leads us to the vision of God [...]. It is in heaven that we shall rest in him and our hearts will be restless until they rest in God.’
Katharine knew this restlessness. She understood the needs to which it gives rise. In an interview for an ITN programme featuring her work with a children’s hospice she was asked why she spent so much time talking with those in the hospice. Katharine answered: ‘I have learnt that tears and smiles walk side-by-side.’
Indeed, at a time such as this, our tears of sadness, loss and regret, become mixed with our smiles of remembrance, of our shared laughter, of the silly, loving moments when we so enjoyed each other’s company, lost in wonder and embrace. Katharine experienced, as every heart does, upset, disappointment, and heartache. Yet she also knew the joy of living. She experienced and gave compassion, empathy, forgiveness and reconciliation. She also had a mischievous sense of humour and so many of you today will cherish memories of your encounters with her.
You may have heard the story of a woman who thought she had spotted someone she knew in a well-known Knightsbridge store; she rushed up to embrace her acquaintance, asking how she was. Katharine, recovering quickly, said she was ‘fine, and I hope you are too.’
The woman, realising her mistake, began to apologise. The Duchess, completely unfazed, smiled and said, ‘it was lovely to meet you.’
Bishop Curry laying the funeral spray on Cardinal Hume’s tomb
In this funeral Mass, Katharine’s family are surely at the centre of our prayers: Your Royal Highness, George, Helen, Nicholas and your families. There is such sadness today at the passing of a wife, mother, grandmother, an attentive Godmother, and a dear, dear friend.
Katharine was fortified by the Rites of the Church. She died surrounded with prayer, love and cared for by her family. I know that the family are immensely grateful for all who helped care for the Duchess in these recent years.
The Worsley family, who have a special place here today, will also have their own memories of Katharine, a Yorkshire Rose who was famous for her great love of Yorkshire, the people and landscape, delighting in God’s creation.
Was it mere coincidence that a nearby neighbour to the family in Yorkshire should be a young Benedictine monk who would go on to become the Abbot of Ampleforth and later Archbishop of Westminster, Basil Hume? The Cardinal would play an important role in the Duchess’ life when, in 1994, she was received into full Communion with the Catholic Church. When Lady Katharine, as the Cardinal called her, took this step, she was ever grateful for the gracious
Companions of Oremus
consent of her late Majesty the Queen, whom the Duchess continued to serve with love, admiration and loyalty. Guided by Cardinal Hume and others Katharine continued a personal spiritual journey that had begun for her in the Church of England. As is true for every human soul, that spiritual journey involved a search for wholeness, healing, inner peace and, ultimately, for God.
Music of all genres, and its healing power, was a passion for Katharine Kent. It is said that ‘when the angels play music for God, they play Bach, but when they play music for themselves, they play Mozart.’ I hope heaven is ready for a rapping Duchess.
Katharine gave her name, time and empathy to so many charities in all parts of the country. Supporting and encouraging the musical education of children in East Hull students at The Royal Northern College of Music, and caring for the sick and the elderly, whether on the Lourdes Pilgrimage, in a hospice or a day shelter for homeless people.
What a sight it was to see Lady Katharine with a mop cleaning out the lavatory or relaxing and laughing with other pilgrims in the sunshine enjoying an ice cream. Lady Katharine also trained to
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
Benedicta Gamogha Dako
Angelita Caronan Duran
Cora Emflorgo
Ms Georgina Enang
Fr Joseph Farrell K.H.S.
Ruby & Joseph Farrell in memoriam
Fred Gardiner
William Gardner-Hunter
Juanita Grecalda
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
Tony McGee
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
work with the Samaritans and was a CoFounder of the charity Future Talent. Mrs Kent loved teaching children, knowing that a classroom is full of learners.
Too often young lives, and ours, are solely defined by hurt, wounds and disappointments. With Future Talent the Duchess, Mrs Kent, wanted those young persons to have the opportunity to be defined by the gift, potential and promise they possess, and to give them the opportunity to flourish. And who could ever forget that Wimbledon moment at the Ladies’ Final with Jana Novotná. When questioned by the press about the embrace Katharine simply said, ‘We are human you know! It’s what you do when someone needs comfort.’ The great Spanish spiritual Mystic, St John of the Cross, reminds us that in the evening of our lives we will be judged by our love.
‘I have learnt that tears and smiles walk side-by-side’. There is sadness today, and there is also gratitude for a life lived with dignity, bravery and faith.
We entrust Katharine’s soul to your goodness, Lord. Console the hearts of all those who love her in the hope that she, all who trust in you, will find rest and peace in your kingdom. Amen.
Chris Stewart Munro
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
Peter and Teresa Zurenkas
and of our anonymous Companions
If you would like to become a Companion of Oremus, see page 2
Michaelmas 1850
Lorcán Keller
In October 1584, almost 1,000 years after St Augustine had founded the See of Canterbury (597), the Catholic Hierarchy of England and Wales came to an end with the death of Thomas Watson, former Bishop of Lincoln. Governance of the clandestine Church became a real issue, particularly after Pope Pius V’s excommunication of Queen Elizabeth I in 1570. In 1597, a succession of archpriests, George Blackwell, George Birkhead, and William Harrison, were quietly appointed. These men acted as first among the secular ‘seminary’ clergy, but wielded no episcopal authority, nor did they have any control over the (often rogue) Jesuit Mission.
Fearing rumours of foreign Catholic interference, King James I agreed to look the other way, allowing for a bishop entirely intent on spiritual matters. As such, Dr William Bishop was consecrated as Bishop of Chalcedon and Vicar Apostolic of England and Wales in June 1623. In 1688, the country was then divided into four apostolic vicariates, the London, Midland, Northern and Western districts. It is interesting to note that the saintly Richard Challoner, Vicar Apostolic of the London District, now buried here in Westminster Cathedral, was also responsible for the 13 American Colonies.
Under the Vicars Apostolic, there was nothing but the 1753 Apostolic Constitution, Apostolicum ministerium, by means of canonical authority and, as the Church in England rapidly changed through mass immigration and urbanisation, the constitution proved inadequate. Local rules and adaptations did not have any canonical force and carried the same weight as synodal authority. As such, clergy were given their consultative voice, but ‘both the authority and the machinery of a synod
were wanting.’ Clergy were also inclined to appeal to Rome against the acts of their Vicars Apostolic. In July 1847, Bishop Nicholas Wiseman and Bishop James Sharples arrived in Rome on behalf of the Vicars Apostolic, to discuss a new constitution with Mgr Palma of the Propaganda Fide. However, according to Bishop Ullathorne, Wiseman reflected their feeling that:
‘Another Constitution for England would either perpetuate for many years to come the state of vicariate government, or would have to be only for a limited period, while the study and trouble for it would be as great as for one granting and at once erecting the Hierarchy.’
Their desire for a proper hierarchy was agreed, and a special congregation of cardinals were asked to meet and discuss the options for the English and Welsh Church. The congregation were certain that there would be a Londonbased metropolitan, with the elderly Bishop Thomas Walsh as Archbishop and Wiseman as his Coadjutor. In the meantime, Walsh was translated to the London District. The congregation negotiated for ten weeks, looking into ancient diocesan boundary lines. Additionally, they had asked Bishop William Bernard Ullathorne OSB to draw up a proposal, dividing the eight vicariates into 13 new dioceses. In a meeting with Ullathorne, shortly before he left Rome, Pope Pius IX expressed his hope that the bull declaring the Restoration of the Hierarchy would be published before he left for England. Pius was determined to avoid all conflict with the laws of the United Kingdom, but was aware that many English Catholics were keen that their ancient titles should not be ignored. At this stage, under the Emancipation
Act of 1829, it was not illegal to use the unoccupied titles of the Church of England, hence the title Westminster, which had briefly been a diocese from 1540 to 1550.
The same night that Ullathorne left Rome, following the negotiations, a revolution broke out in the city, breaking into churches and ringing bells, falsely proclaiming an Italian victory over the Austrians. The Pope’s Minister, Count Pellegrino Rossi was assassinated and the Pope fled to Gaeta, delaying the restoration by another two years. However, the plans were firmly in place and the assumption in England was that the hierarchy had been restored. Bishop Walsh had died in February 1849, making Wiseman the Vicar Apostolic for London. When Wiseman was later called to Rome to receive the red hat, he lamented that it would likely mean a role in the Holy See, as he was considered too young for Westminster.
The Papal Bull Universalis Ecclesiæ was finally promulgated on Michaelmas, 29 September 1850. In his pastoral letter, ‘Given out of the Flaminian Gate of Rome’, on 7 October 1850, Wiseman did not hold back his joy, causing many to accuse the Church of papal aggression:
‘The great work, then, is complete; what you have long desired and prayed for is granted. Your beloved country has received a place among the fair Churches which, normally constituted, form the splendid aggregate of Catholic Communion: Catholic England has been restored to its orbit in the ecclesiastical firmament, from which its light had long vanished. […] Then truly is this day to us a day of joy and exaltation of spirit, the crowning day of long hopes, and the opening day of bright prospects.’
As the newly appointed Archbishop of Westminster and Apostolic Administrator of Southwark, Wiseman ordered Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and a Te Deum in every church across the two dioceses. However, before he could land in the country, there was outcry, sparking anti-Catholic sentiment.
Many bishops of the Church of England remarked on the ‘aggression’ of the Pope establishing a Catholic hierarchy in England, with the Archbishop of York calling it an ‘unparalleled aggression’. It should be noted, however, that
hierarchies had been established in various British Colonies without any such backlash. Indeed, the Irish hierarchy continued throughout the Reformation and Penal Laws, albeit in clandestine and impoverished circumstances. All bar two of the Anglican bishops addressed Queen Victoria to make known their protest in what they described as an ‘unwarrantable insult’. Victoria was furious at the restoration, having remarked ‘Am I the Queen of England or am I not?’ She responded to the bishops’ address as follows:
‘I heartily concur with you […] in your attachment to the Protestant faith and to the great principles of civil and religious liberty. […] You may be assured of my earnest desire and firm determination under God’s blessing to maintain unimpaired the [principles of] religious liberty […] and to uphold, as its surest safeguard, the pure and Scriptural worship of the Protestant faith. […] You may rely on my determination to uphold alike the rights of my crown and the independence of my people against all aggressions and encroachments of any foreign power.’
Bishop Ullathorne tried to reign in some of the hysteria by arguing that, ‘As the only Catholic bishop now in England who has been immediately engaged in negotiating the re-establishment of our episcopal hierarchy’, a restored hierarchy was a much more English-friendly option. In his letter to The Times, dated 22 October 1850, Ullathorne argued that the restoration is ‘an act solely between the Pope and his own spiritual subjects, who are recognised as such by the Emancipation Act.’ He argued that, in temporal matters, Catholics in England are subject to the laws of the land, just as the Episcopalians in Scotland and the ‘Wesleyans’ in England, each of which divide the country into spiritual territories. By restoring the hierarchy, the Pope has removed himself as immediate bishop of the country and given that role to Englishmen, who are no longer the Pope’s vicars, but English bishops. The fallout from the Restoration of the Hierarchy led to the Ecclesiastical Titles Act being passed through Parliament in 1851. It was instantly a dead letter, and was abrogated in 1871 by a similarly named statute, although the use of such titles remained unauthorised.
Despite boasting a newly established hierarchy, England and Wales, along with Ireland, Scotland (hierarchy restored in 1878), and a number of other countries with non-Catholic governments, would remain as mission territories under the Propaganda Fide until Pope Pius X’s reforms in his 1908 constitution, Sapienti consilio.
Nicholas Patrick Stephen Wiseman’ by Henry Edward Doyle
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Fundraising
Andrew Hollingsworth
Following a busy summer break, it has been a while since we last updated Oremus readers about the work of the Friends. Indeed, the money raised in the 2024 and Easter 2025 Big Give campaigns have been funding improvement works to the Cathedral throughout July, August, and September.
The restoration of the Cathedral parquet flooring has moved forward apace. Scheduling the work is difficult as it involves closing off the area of the Cathedral involved from Monday to Saturday morning, with the work being carried out at night. The majority of the work is now finished with the main and side aisles complete and the front third of the nave. Work will continue and be completed in November.
The Easter Big Give has funded the refurbishment of the windows in Cathedral Hall, facing Ambrosden Avenue, and the lower-level windows facing the car park. This work is now complete. We will be appealing again at Christmas to fund the next phase of work on the upper windows. In July, we successfully raised £35,000 (including Gift Aid) for the construction of a new external candle store, and work is expected to be carried out in 2026.
Thank you everyone who has supported our campaigns. Although our grants only contribute to a small proportion of the Cathedral’s costs, they do make a noticeable difference.
Events
On Saturday 22 November 2025 we will hold the Friends Jubilee Walk from Tower Hill to Westminster Cathedral. We will meet at English Martyrs Church, Tower Hill, and a full schedule will be published in the November copy of Oremus. Suggestions on a start time are welcome.
There will be no charge for joining this event, but we should be grateful if non-members joining the event would consider joining the Society of Friends of Westminster Cathedral. For more information or to book any event please contact friends@rcdow.org.uk.
On Tuesday 28 October, at 6.30pm, Fr Patrick van der Vorst will act as quizmaster for the Friends’ quiz in Cathedral Hall, with fish and chip supper. Tickets, £20, are available online at https://tinyurl.com/Quiz28102025.
Membership
We can only maintain the Friends through members subscriptions. Please help the Friends by considering joining. Details at https://tinyurl.com/ CathedralFriendsMembership.
If anyone has any suggestions for future events or to grow the Friends or would like to help then do get in touch.
Message to His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols for the 175th anniversary of the Restoration of the Hierarchy.
Please be assured of my spiritual closeness, dear brother, on this feast day of Saint Vincent De Paul, your patron in heaven. Praying that almighty God will sustain you in good health and fervent faith, I happily impart my Apostolic Blessing to you and the flock entrusted to your care, as a pledge of joy and peace in Christ our Lord.
Leo PP XIV
Paul Tobin
CATHEDRAL HISTORY A PICTORIAL RECORD
Requiem Mass for Queen Astrid, September 1935
In late August 1935, Leopold III, King of the Belgians, and Queen Astrid were returning from a summer holiday in Switzerland, after one last hike. The King, who was driving, momentarily took his eyes off the road when the car hurtled down a steep slope and collided with a tree. The Queen attempted to open the car door, but was thrown out and killed instantaneously. Leopold survived the accident, and Astrid, who was only 29-years-old at the time of her death, was much mourned throughout Europe.
Many churches and cathedrals in this country and across mainland Europe offered Requiem Masses to coincide with her funeral at Laeken. A Low Mass was celebrated at the same time in Westminster Cathedral, by the Very Rev Albert Van Zuyt CICM, Parish Priest of the Belgian Church in Camden Town.
Among the congregation, who filled the Cathedral to capacity, were the Belgian Ambassador, Baron de Cartier de Marchienne, seen on the left of the picture with the Earl of Granard (centre), representing His Majesty King George V, accompanied by the Cathedral Administrator Mgr Martin Howlett (right).
Also present were the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII/Duke of Windsor), King George II of Greece, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, the Earl of Athlone and Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone. Also present were other members of the Diplomatic Corps and representatives of Belgian organisations.
Sources:
The Tablet, 7/9/1935
From the Archives of The Universe Catholic Weekly, Vol. 13.
National Shrine of St Jude: A Saint of Hope
Amanda C. Dickie
Emerging from a world at war, the National Shrine of St Jude is celebrating its Platinum Jubilee this year. Attached to the Carmelite parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, in the Kentish market town of Faversham, it is a haven of hope and a treasure trove of modern religious art.
Devotion to St Jude, patron of desperate cases, grew during World War II when people requested pictures of the saint from the Carmelite Press, established in 1938 by Fr Elias Lynch, one of three brothers who re-established the Order of Carmelites in England. Fr Elias found a German picture of the saint and reproduced 250,000 picture prayer cards. People then sent petitions to a non-existent shrine. ‘The upshot of it was,’ wrote Fr Elias, ‘that we decided to create a shrine of St Jude, apostle and martyr, patron of difficult cases.’
Rationing after the war, and Fr Elias’ fundraising for Aylesford Priory, meant that work could only commence in 1953. Like Fr Malachy at Aylesford, Fr Elias enlisted inspirational artists to embellish the Shrine, which was dedicated in 1955. Fr Elias said that St Jude was:
‘A common meeting ground between Anglicans and Catholics. […] He was not in pre-Reformation days much identified with the old Catholic life in Europe. He was a forgotten saint.’
The short Epistle of Jude addressed to the Churches of the East, warns against Gnosticism. Jude, a cousin of the Apostle James and kinsman of Jesus, preached across the Middle East. He is thought to have been martyred alongside Simon the Zealot in Armenia, then part of Persia, now Iran.
Polish artist Adam Kossowski depicts both his preaching and martyrdom in striking ceramics. The Carmelites have sought to emphasise Jude, as the patron saint of hope in difficult cases and, as such, the Holy Year of Hope has drawn pilgrims and other faith traditions from as far as Sri Lanka, India, Canada, America and Mauritius.
Provincial Fr Brendan Grady is often struck by the international and multi-cultural appeal of the Shrine. Indeed, pilgrims and members of The Guild of St Jude are integral to the worldwide Carmelite mission, becoming ambassadors, enabling international projects, Carmelite studies, and repairs to collapsing roofs as happened this year, necessitating over £45,000 in repairs at Faversham!
A fundraising memorial path called ‘Footprints of Hope’, leading to the recently constructed ‘Garden of Hope’, was built by the late Prior, Fr Wilfrid McGreal. There are still a few dedication spaces available. He was inspired by the initiative of his uncle, Br Anthony McGreal, who provided commemorative bricks for the building of the Shrine.
Access to the Shrine is from the contemplative gardens or from the church above, which features Italian style murals by Edward Ardizzone, war artist, illustrator and former parishioner. They depict the Presentation of Our Lady in the Temple and the Visitation. The wood panelling was recycled material from Church House, Westminster Abbey. A corridor linking church and shrine has window lights depicting Malachy and Killian Lynch as the Prophet Elijah and his successor Elisha, key
Faversham icons 2008, Titus & Edith
Faversham post-feast 2006
figures in Carmelite spirituality. Three windows illuminate the outer shrine. In the centre, Mary presents the Christ Child enfolded by the wings of the dove of the Holy Spirit. On the left, the Resurrected Christ triumphantly holds his cross. God the Father with a triangular halo on the right is rich in theological symbolism. Influenced by Cubism, Irish artist Richard Joseph King designed all the stained glass.
Twelve Easternstyle votive lamps hang from the ceiling in the Shrine Chapel, representing the Apostles. A wrought iron gate protects a reliquary, containing a relic of St Jude, in front of a 15th century Spanish gilt and polychrome statue of the Apostle, donated by a couple whose sons were killed in action.
Michael Leigh, who designed mosaics in St George’s Chapel at Westminster Cathedral, created the mosaic apse of glittering flames surrounding a large dove, indicating the Holy Spirit. Anthony Foster, principal assistant to Eric Gill, ‘England’s finest Catholic artist in sculpture,’ carved the Apostle frieze behind the statue, with St Paul replacing Judas. The Apostles’ names and the Apostles Creed feature on Kossowski’s two sgraffito panels embellished with early Christian symbols. Stylised angels on either side of the crucifixion decorate his ceramic altar panel. An open book contains the votive prayer to St Jude in 27 languages.
Above is King’s stained glass of a cross behind the hands of a priest elevating the host. Panels on either side depict Christ’s outstretched hands showing the marks of his crucifixion and the faces of souls in Purgatory. At the back of the chapel is a triple glass window of Our Lady of Mount Carmel holding the scapular. A Trinitarian dove hovers with an olive leaf in its beak, above the Christ Child’s hands, also holding a scapular. Angels sit on rainbows on either side, recalling Noah and the Flood.
Icons of ten Carmelite saints, written by Sr Petra Clare, contain extracts from the Carmelite Rule commemorating its 800th anniversary. St Albert, Latin Patriarch, giving the Rule to the first Carmelite hermits on Mount Carmel is a potent focus as today’s Patriarch speaks for Palestinians devastated by war.
Indian saint Elias Kuriakos, and St Isidore Bakanja from the Belgian Congo, martyred for refusing to remove his scapular, saints of the Holocaust, martyrs Titus Brandsma and Edith Stein, alongside historic Carmelites are prophetic witnesses for today.
St Jude’s shrine provides a focus of unity and reconciliation in these uncertain times when places associated with the Apostle are torn apart by conflict. His feast on 28 October is celebrated over three days.
© Carmelite Charitable Trust
Jude preaching by Kossowski at Faversham
Faversham post-feast 2006, outer shrine windows
© Carmelite Charitable Trust
Westminster Cathedral
Cardinal Herbert Vaughan had originally envisaged Westminster Cathedral being served by a monastic community, but decided to set up a College of Chaplains, drawn from the ranks of the diocesan priesthood, and this College was established in 1903. He wrote of the chaplains that their chief motivation should be a desire to serve God as apostles, through a life of prayer and public liturgy. Throughout its life, the centre of the College’s being has been the daily celebration of the Mass and the Prayer of the Church, and it remains so to this day. The Chaplains begin each day with Morning Prayer together and go on to celebrate one of the Cathedral Masses.
From left to right:
Fr Paul Zhao SVD, Chaplain Fr Paul serves as the Chaplain to the parish Legion of Mary, and he provides pastoral care to the Catholic Grandparents’ Association and the Oblates. Additionally, Fr Paul is responsible for the well-being of the Chaplains and offers domestic support to the College of Chaplains.
Fr Michael Guthrie, Chaplain Fr Mike’s specific pastoral duties encompass chaplaincy at St Vincent de Paul Primary School and the Cathedral’s Chapel of Ease, the Sacred Heart Church situated on Horseferry Road. Additionally, he coordinates the Parish Marriage Preparation Course and provides pastoral care to the Guild of St Anthony. Furthermore, he serves as the liaison for Westminster School.
Originally the chaplains lived together with the Archbishop in one house, but as the vision for the Cathedral developed, Clergy House and Archbishop’s House were created. In the early days there were twenty or more chaplains at the Cathedral; our ranks have now been thinned, but we maintain a degree of common life by sharing meals and recreation as well as the liturgical duties. The Dean oversees the whole life of the Cathedral on behalf of the Archbishop and his duties run from liturgy to maintenance, from staffing to finance, and from catechesis to parish visiting.
Fr Patrick van der Vorst, Precentor Fr Patrick, the Cathedral Precentor and Prefect of the Sacristy, coordinates the liturgical calendar of the Cathedral, orchestrates special services, and maintains communication with the Music Department. Additionally, Fr Patrick provides pastoral guidance to the Guild of St John Southworth and the Cathedral Stewards, and offers daily reflections through Christian Art.
Fr Sławomir Witoń, Cathedral Dean Fr Witoń was appointed to the Cathedral in 2020. In his capacity as the Cathedral Dean and the Rector of the College of Chaplains, he oversees the entirety of the Cathedral’s life on behalf of the Archbishop. His responsibilities cover a wide rage matters, including liturgy, maintenance, staffing, finance, catechesis, and parish visiting. Additionally, the Dean is the Chair of Oremus magazine, a Governor of Westminster Cathedral Choir School, Chair of the Safeguarding Committee, and Editor of the Parish Newsletter.
Cathedral College of Chaplains
The Precentor has responsibility for the Cathedral’s liturgy, co-ordinating special services, liaison with the Music Department, and the management of the Cathedral diary. The Registrar maintains all the Cathedral records and documents, and one of the chaplains is responsible for the domestic arrangements of Clergy House, the duty rotas by which the daily life of the chaplains is governed, and the day-to-day running of the Cathedral.
Each of the chaplains has a specific pastoral responsibility, either in the Cathedral parish or in a wider context, and these include the normal sacramental
Fr Vincent Mbu’i SVD, Chaplain Fr Vincent is responsible for the Cathedral First Holy Communion Programme, the Confirmation Programme, and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. He oversees the domestic arrangements at Clergy House and the duty rota, which governs the daily life and sacramental duties of Cathedral Chaplains.
Rev Paul Christian, Cathedral Deacon Deacon Paul is a married permanent deacon with a family of two children. He was ordained in 2025. He works full time as a Family Link Worker at Caritas St Joseph’s and supports the Cathedral by overseeing Baptismal Preparation. He is also involved in coordinating housebound parishioners and local nursing homes.
programmes, the visiting of the sick, the chaplaincies at the Choir School and St Vincent de Paul Primary School and much else. A significant ministry of the Cathedral is the provision of confessors for the daily celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, a very privileged and worthwhile responsibility.
The life of a Cathedral Chaplain is a very rich and diverse one, often quite exhausting, but never dull, and we are all very conscious of the great privilege entrusted to us of serving God and his people in this great Cathedral.
Fr Hugh Mackenzie, Chaplain Fr Hugh shares his ministry as the Chaplain at Westminster Cathedral with his roles as the Chaplain to St John’s Hospice, St John’s Wood, and chaplaincy to Westminster Cathedral Choir School. He provides pastoral care to the Guild of the Blessed Sacrament, looks after our housebound parishioners, and coordinates visits to local nursing homes.
Not pictured:
Fr Javier Ruiz-Ortiz, Registrar (Priest in Residence) Fr Javier, the Cathedral Registrar, is responsible for maintaining our parish Sacramental records and documents. Additionally, he provides pastoral care to the Westminster Cathedral Filipino Club. Furthermore, Fr Javier also teaches Old Testament modules at Allen Hall Seminary and is the Dean of the Faculty of Theology of Mater Ecclesiæ College.
From Sub-Dean to Dean of Studies
Fr Brian O’Mahony
It is not the first time that I have written a note of fond farewell in this publication. Departing in 2017 en route to Rome for further studies, little did I imagine that I would find myself posted back here again within five years! Four years later and the time has come for me to depart once more and to take up a new challenge; this time at Allen Hall our diocesan seminary.
The Cathedral I returned to in 2021 was so much the same, and yet so very different. Who can forget the bitter effects of COVID that was the reality for much of the first year back? The stately and fatherly figure of the late Canon Christopher, so much an influence on my first years of priesthood, was now no longer a presence in the corridors of Clergy House; an absence I felt keenly, at first.
Institutions such as our beloved Cathedral do not stand still, however. Neither do those asked to minister here. Change brings opportunities and with the particular charisma of the new Administrator (the now retitled ‘Dean’), and a re-formed clergy team, much has been achieved in our time together; even if it has been only relatively short.
In just four years, major works on the fabric of the building have been finished and others initiated. The lighting, flooring, windows and brickwork have all been attended to; still more is in the planning. The glory of our musical tradition, too, has been resurrected from near-silencing over COVID and is lovingly restored to beautify our liturgy in such a unique and precious way.
None of these things come without an enormous team effort. As I depart fondly (again), therefore, a tribute must be made to all the people who make our Cathedral what it is. Strangers and familiars alike are often ignorant of all it takes to maintain this iconic London and Catholic
A new Organ Scholar
Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Like many organists, I started out on the piano, but I was introduced to sacred music when I joined my local choir at St Paul’s Church, Rusthall aged 10. I was offered free organ lessons when I started secondary school, and I quickly fell in love with the instrument. The scale and power of the full organ is thrilling, but the variety of softer colours was what really captivated me.
After school, I took a gap year as Organ Scholar at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. It was fascinating to see the return to daily music and worship after the pandemic, as women and girls were admitted to the choir for the first time. In addition to playing for regular services, I was also privileged to play at the Royal Maundy service and other special events.
During my studies at St John’s College, Cambridge, I was appointed Organ Scolar, playing the daily services and teaching the choristers. I also accompanied the choir for broadcasts, recordings, and international tours. An unforgettable highlight was a Christmas concert at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. It was also eye-opening to perform a lot of newly composed music
landmark. There are so many, often ignored or forgotten, who contribute vast amounts of time, energy and talent here. It is precious beyond measure. They will be my abiding memory, and will remain in my heart long into the future.
Of course, it mustn’t be forgotten that this is all (and only) for the glory of God and the service of his people. More than 15,000 people cross our threshold every week, of whom not one is forgotten by God, nor unloved by him. Ultimately, this is why we are here in the heart of London. I feel blessed indeed to have had a small part in this period of our Cathedral’s history.
With a special gratitude to the College of Chaplains, therefore, and to God above all, I say a fond farewell, and offer you an assurance of my continued prayers. Please pray, in your turn, for vocations and for those in preparation for priestly service in our Diocese and elsewhere. May God continue to bless the special ministry Westminster Cathedral has, long into the future.
with the choir, including a solo organ piece by Martin Baker.
In my free time I enjoy learning languages, and volunteer with the United Kingdom Linguistics Olympiad, helping schools to host the competition and providing training to some of the students that take part.
As I settle into my new role , I am excited to work with the Music Department at Westminster Cathedral. Simon and Peter are exceptional musicians, and the Cathedral Choir holds a truly unique place in both our cultural heritage and religious life. I am also eager to become a part of the Clergy House community and look forward to supporting the worship at the Cathedral in the year ahead.
Alexander Robson
Papal message to the King
Read by His Excellency Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, Apostolic Nuncio to the Court of St James’
His Majesty King Charles III
Buckingham Palace London
I was saddened to learn of the death of Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, and I send heartfelt condolences, together with the assurance of my prayerful closeness, to your majesty, the members of the Royal Family, and especially to her husband, the Duke of Kent, and their children and grandchildren at this time of sorrow.
Entrusting her noble soul to the mercy of our Heavenly Father, I readily associate myself with all those offering thanksgiving to Almighty God for the Duchess’ legacy of Christian goodness, seen in her many years of dedication to official duties, patronage of charities, and devoted care for vulnerable people in society.
To all who mourn her loss, in the sure hope of the Resurrection, I willingly impart my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of consolation and peace in the Risen Lord.
Leo PP XIV
Prisons Week
Julia Corcoran
Each year in the Catholic Church, the second Sunday in October is set aside as Prisoners’ Sunday, the National Day of Prayer for those impacted by the criminal justice system. This includes those currently in prison, their families, those with convictions, those who work or volunteer in the criminal justice system, and the victims of crime. This is followed by Prisons Week, an ecumenical initiative to pray for those mentioned above.
This year, Bishop Paul McAleenan will celebrate Mass for Prisons Week in Westminster Cathedral on Tuesday 14 October at 5.30pm. Representatives of the Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT) will also be there to answer any questions. PACT is the national Catholic charity working to support prisoners and their families in England and Wales. It works for people of all faiths and none, with Catholic values influencing the way they work, respecting human dignity, walking with love and care alongside prisoners and their families; and believing that everyone can be redeemed and make a fresh start.
A key part of their work is to help men and women in prison to grow and maintain strong relationships with their families. They also provide emotional and practical support to children and families affected by imprisonment. For children, having mum or dad in prison is an experience which can negatively affect the child’s entire life. It is believed that there are about 200,000 children who experience a parent in prison each year. That is a more common occurrence than children who experience divorce. It is an experience that can damage a child’s life. That means tonight hundreds of thousands of children will go to bed without mum or dad at home.
PACT’s work gives prisoners and their families HOPE and a better chance of doing well in the future. Research shows: where family relationships are supported there is a 39% reduction in returning to crime making all our communities safer.
Please do come along to the Prison Week Mass on Tuesday 14 October. Also, please pray for those who are impacted by the criminal justice system, and consider how your faith can support our mission.
A Spiritual Home
M. Louise Taylor
The first time I was taken to Westminster Cathedral, I was perhaps seven or eight years old, and my father, who had only just been received into the Church, took us to Mass before taking us to the top of the tower to view London.
The decoration of the building had ceased post-war, the diocesan priority being to spend money on building new churches and Catholic schools. Consequently, much of the marble we see in the nave today was yet to be installed, save for the round marble pillars holding up the gallery. It was a work in progress with an interior showing a lot of brickwork. The revetment of the brick piers, those seemingly great blocks of marble which ascend to the gallery, took place from around 1958-64. Our visit was, therefore, during that time. On attending the Easter Vigil in 1972, I could hardly believe the Byzantine spectacle presented by candlelight with so much lovely marble arrayed in bright colours.
My brother, Gordon, became a server at the Cathedral that year and it was through him that I started attending Mass here. It was Mgr George Stack, later Administrator and now Emeritus Archbishop of Cardiff, who described the Cathedral as a great ship with people getting on and off at different ports. Happily, I am still aboard and have seen four Cardinals in my time: John Carmel Heenan, George Basil Hume, Cormac Murphy O’Connor, and Vincent Nichols.
There have been very many great occasions over the years, including, of course, in recent years, the visits of the relics of Ss Thérèse of Lisieux, Anthony of Padua, and Bernadette. But, having opened my programme archive recently, I want to share some memories of other Cathedral happenings over the past 50 years, drawing on the programmes to highlight some interesting events.
Of the first memory I have no record, just a vivid recollection. It took place in 1973/4 when Cardinal József Mindszenty, Primate of Hungary, came to say Mass with Cardinal Heenan. He had finally left the American Embassy in Budapest which had given him refuge from the Hungarian Communist State for 14 years. There were two separate processions for the Cardinals and, as that weary old man entered the Cathedral, the congregation rose to its feet with a burst of applause in recognition of a Catholic hero who had stood up to the Communists. His case for beatification continues to this day after he was pronounced Venerable by the late Pope Francis in 2019.
The next great occasions were the moving funeral of Cardinal Heenan on 14 November 1975, and the Episcopal Ordination and Installation of Cardinal Hume on 25 March 1976. It is memorable to me for being the last such ceremony to involve the old-fashioned pomp and ceremony we no longer see in the
Church, but also for what happened afterwards. We all, clergy and laity alike, walked from the Cathedral along Victoria Street to Westminster Abbey. The building was packed as the monks from Ampleforth Abbey, where Hume had been Abbot, processed slowly up the centre aisle, their cowls up, to sing Solemn Vespers. It was the first time Benedictine monks had entered the building for over 400 years.
I have a keen interest in the Cathedral Choir which is, of course, world famous, serving to sing the sacred liturgy. There have also been performances of sacred works by visiting orchestras, choirs and soloists. Many first performances have also taken place here. For example, in 1975 the then Master of the Queen’s Music, Malcolm Williamson, an Australian composer, had the first performance of his Mass for Christ the King sung here. The work was sung in the presence of HM the Queen Mother and, as the Cathedral was so full, many of us sat on benches in the gallery.
My archive also contains a programme for the Christmas concert of 1978, performed by the joint choirs of Westminster Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and St Paul’s Cathedral. The then Prince of Wales (King Charles III) attended, as it was in aid of The Prince’s Trust. The three choirs joined together for this event for succeeding years.
15 years later, the London premiere of Berlioz’s extraordinary Messe solennelle was performed here in the Cathedral. The programme tells me that it is the earliest large-scale work by Berlioz to have survived. It had been performed only twice by the composer, in 1825 and 1827, after which Berlioz burned the parts. He gave the autographed score to a friend, and it eventually ended up in an organ loft in Antwerp. It was only rediscovered in 1992 when a school teacher, Frans Moors, found the score in a chest there. The London performance and recordings at the Cathedral followed a short European tour with the same forces under Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
Another incredible event I was privileged to attend was a talk given by the composer John Tavener in 1993. Though a public event, there were no more than 25 to 30 people present in the audience. I had never even seen a photograph of him before and so was struck by his appearance. He was tall with long, flowing hair and wore a white suit. His manner was mystical, even eccentric. His religious search is well known, but he had by then joined the Greek Orthodox Church. Each piece of music that he discussed was also performed by the Cathedral Choir, from the sanctuary. We heard his thoughts on religious music and listened to some of his lesser known works, in addition to the more familiar pieces, such as Song for Athene and The Lamb. I think he became more widely known after the former work was sung at Diana, Princess of Wales’ funeral in 1997. In contrast to the attendance at that extraordinary evening, Southwark Cathedral was packed for a concert in his memory just 3 or 4 days after his death, 20 years later.
The last and greatest piece of music I need to mention was the 2003 Centenary performance of Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius. The work had received its London premiere in order to test the acoustics of the building a century before, 6 months before the Cathedral officially opened. I had attended every Central London performance from the age of 17. The difference on this night, however, was the short speech Cardinal Murphy O’Connor made before the work started. He told us to pray the work. The actual programme was one of the most beautiful the Cathedral has ever produced; the glossy cover used Turner’s ‘Angel of the Agony’.
Chorister Induction
As the new academic year began, five new choristers were inducted into the Choir, receiving their cotta (white vestment) and Graduale Romanum, the tool of their trade.
National Jubilee Pilgrimage of Hope
On Monday 1 September, a group of pilgrims began the St John’s Way leg of the National Jubilee Pilgrimage of Hope, leaving St George’s Cathedral, Southwark, for St Barnabas’ Cathedral, Nottingham, where they arrived for the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Four pilgrim ways were created, linking the cathedrals of England and Wales in the shape of a cross.
More farewells
In early September, we bid farewell to two members of staff, Edward Kendall and Andrew Grange. Edward was Fundraising Officer and is now newly married in Lincolnshire, having taken up a support position with the Diocese of Nottingham. Andrew, our Head of Security, is now a senior member of the security team in the Natural History Museum. We wish them both every blessing in their new roles.
Caption in here
A Saint in the Sacristy
This year, the John Bradburne Memorial Society celebrated their 30th anniversary with a Mass celebrated by Fr Daniel Humphreys, followed by a reception in Cathedral Hall, with a display of relics, Zimbabwean music and a number of talks. Servant of God John Bradburne was a one-time Sacristan in Westminster Cathedral who was martyred in Rhodesia, having refused to leave those in his care at the Mutemwa Leprosy Centre.
A Royal funeral
On Monday 15 September, the mortal remains of HRH The Duchess of Kent were carried into the Lady Chapel by the Royal Dragoons, surrounded by the flowers of royalty and diplomats from across Europe, and her intimate family, for Vespers of the Dead. The following day, the family were joined by King Charles III and senior members of the Royal Family for the first Royal Catholic funeral in this country for centuries. May she rest in eternal peace.
St Carlo Acutis
After a false start on Low Sunday, St Carlo Acutis was finally canonised alongside St Pier Giorgio Frassati at the Jubilee of Youth on 7 September. The London-born saint is reportedly the first to have his father present at the ceremony, and second to have his mother (the first being St Maria Goretti). Indeed, his grandparents, Mr Carlo Acutis and Miss Maria Perlowska, were parishioners of Westminster Cathedral and were married here in 1963. Ora pro nobis!
A Celebration of Compassion
On Saturday 4 October, Westminster Cathedral will open its doors for a moving tradition, the Annual Mass and Assembly of St Francis Leprosy Guild (SFLG), celebrated by Bishop James Curry. This event brings together clergy, supporters, and friends to honour SFLG’s mission, to serve those affected by leprosy with dignity and hope. We will give thanks for all, past and present, who have devoted their time to our cause. Bishop Curry will also bless the Book of Remembrance, honouring those whose legacy continues to inspire our work.
For 130 years, St Francis Leprosy Guild has worked tirelessly to help people living with leprosy by funding treatment, care and community reintegration. We are honoured that His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Patron of SFLG, continues to lend his support to our mission. His prayers continue to guide and inspire us.
‘Lord we remember the many people around the world affected by leprosy. May we follow the example of your Son Jesus and Saint Francis of Assisi and show them love and compassion.’
Whether you have been with us for many years or are new to our cause, we warmly invite you to join us. The Mass will be followed by our Annual Assembly at The Windsor Castle pub, 23 Francis Street, London SW1P 1DN.
‘Start by doing what is necessary; then do what is possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.’
St Francis of Assisi
Unfortunately, leprosy is not a disease of the past, it still occurs in more than half of all countries worldwide, with over 200,000 people diagnosed each year. It is imperative that SFLG remains committed to its founding values: compassion, dignity, and practical action. Every donation, prayer, and act of kindness helps transform lives, enabling us to reach
as many in need as possible. Leprosy is curable. A combination of antibiotics can stop it in its tracks. But, when left undiagnosed, it can lead to visible, life-changing disabilities and continued transmission within communities. That’s why early detection and treatment are critical.
SFLG partners with over 30 leprosy centres and projects across the world. In 2024 alone, more than 22,000 people affected by leprosy received our support. Each year, hundreds begin treatment thanks to SFLG’s persistent efforts. This is our mission in action: bringing care to those who might otherwise be forgotten.
Among our trusted partners is Dr Antonia Lopez Gonzalez, who travels with her team by hospital boat along the Purus River in Brazil, reaching remote communities where leprosy often goes undiagnosed. It’s in these quiet corners of the Amazon that stories like Adriana’s begin.
At just 16, Adriana was newly married and expecting her first child when her health began to deteriorate. Living in the remote Purus River region of the Amazon, she noticed lumpy patches forming on her legs, accompanied by fever and persistent fatigue. A home medical visit changed everything; a skin examination revealed she had leprosy. She was frightened, not only for herself, but for the life growing inside her. She began treatment at the
hospital, but early reactions to the medication left her fearing the worst. The relief was indescribable when she gave birth safely, and her daughter arrived healthy and unaffected.
For the next two years, the young mother received weekly home visits and food baskets from the leprosy programme team. Their support was more than medical; it was emotional, practical, and lifesaving. ‘Without them,’ Adriana says simply, ‘I would have lost my daughter.’ Today she is 25 and still living at home in the Purus River area. She continues to receive food and self-care assistance, but her role is shifting. She’s determined to give back, to comfort others facing the same fears she once did. Her dream is to support the leprosy programme that helped her survive, so that more families can find hope where she once found it.
Visit www.stfrancisleprosy.org to find out more and discover how you can help.
In future editions of Oremus, we will share more stories from the field, reflections from those we serve, and updates on SFLG’s global mission, told through the voices of those whose lives have been touched by the work we do and those who walk alongside us in this worthiest of causes.
Find out more
This October, let us come together in compassion, in purpose, and in solidarity with those we serve. Saturday 4 October Westminster Cathedral at 12.30pm. Scan the QR code to RSVP or learn more.
St Francis Leprosy Guild (SFLG)
The Passage
Anna Church, Community and Events Fundraising Manager
Founded in 1980 by Cardinal Basil Hume and the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul, The Passage is a 45-year-old charity located on Carlisle Place, just steps from Westminster Cathedral. Our mission is threefold: to prevent homelessness by intervening quickly before people reach crisis point; to end homelessness by providing innovative and tailor-made services that act with compassion and urgency; and to advocate for, and with, those who feel they are not heard by amplifying their voice, to bring about real systemic change.
Clothing Drive
At our Resource Centre, we have a clothing store which provides clients with items of clean, warm clothing. Unfortunately, over the past few months we have faced a shortage of clothing to stock the store. Therefore, we are urgently looking for clothing donations from members of the local community.
If your wardrobe is due to be cleared out, then please consider donating any no longer wanted clothing to The Passage.
We are particularly short of:
• Trousers, jeans, joggers, and cargo pants
• Trainers and boots
• Jumpers, sweatshirts, and fleeces
• Weatherproof jackets and coats
• T-shirts
• Hats, gloves, and scarves
• Socks and underpants (new and unused)
Donations can be made at our main reception, located at The Passage, St Vincent’s Centre, Carlisle Place, SW1P 1NL.
Station Collections
Each month, we host a collection at Victoria Mainline Station, and various other Underground stations across London, and we are always looking for new volunteers to join the team. Station collections are a rewarding and impactful way to support The Passage, helping us raise vital funds and increase awareness of our work to prevent and end homelessness.
We typically ask volunteers to give around two hours of their time, but we’re flexible and happy to work around your availability.
If you are interested in getting involved, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact our Community Fundraising Manager, Anna, at anna.church@passage.org.uk.
Fundraising
Donations from members of our local community help keep our vital services running. These are some of the ways your support makes a big difference to our work:
£5 could fund a hot and nutritious meal for a client visiting our Resource Centre.
£25 a week to fund bespoke resettlement support for a person using our Housing Solutions Service, to prevent them from experiencing homelessness.
£75 could pay for emergency accommodation to prevent someone from rough sleeping.
Find out more/Donate
If you would like to donate please either scan the QR code or call us on 020 7592 1856.
Benefactors’ Masses
2025
The Month of October
The Holy Father’s Prayer Intention
For collaboration between different religious traditions
Let us pray that believers in different religious traditions might work together to defend and promote peace, justice and human fraternity.
Wednesday 1 October
St Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin & Doctor
9.30am Red Mass to start the legal year (Cardinal Nichols & Full Choir)
Palestrina – Missa brevis
Parsons – Ave Maria
Organ: Allegro maestoso (Sonata in G) –Elgar
7.30pm Grand Organ Festival
Thursday 2 October
Holy Guardian Angels
Friday 3 October Friday abstinence
Harvest Fast Day Feria
Saturday 4 October
St Francis of Assisi
12.30pm Mass for the 130th anniversary of St Francis Leprosy Guild (Bishop Curry)
2.30pm Mass attended by the Westminster Diocesan Altar Servers (Bishop Curry)
6pm WDMR Mass (Bishop McAleenan)
Sunday 5 October Ps Week 3
27th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Annual Mass Count – week 3
12 noon Solemn Mass (Full Choir)
Tye – Missa Euge bone
Tye – Omnes gentes plaudite manibus Organ: Præludium in F sharp minor (BuxWV 146) – Buxtehude
4pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction
Tallis – Magnificat octavi toni
Tallis – O nata lux
On the first Sunday of each month, a Mass is celebrated for the benefactors of Westminster Cathedral, living and dead. Sunday 5 October 2025, 5.30pm, Sunday 2 November 2025, 7pm, Sunday 7 December 2025, 8am, Sunday 4 January 2026, 8am, Sunday 1 February 2026, 7pm, Sunday 1 March 2026, 5.30pm, Sunday 5 April 2026, 12 noon (Easter Day) For more information, contact Laura Dudhee, at 020 7798 9058 or email cathedralgiving@rcdow.org.uk
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
Organ: Fantasie Choral No 1 in D flat –Whitlock 4.30pm Mass for the Deaf Community (Cathedral Hall)
Monday 6 October Feria
(St Bruno, Priest)
Tuesday 7 October
Our Lady of the Rosary 5.30pm Chapter Mass
Wednesday 8 October Feria
7.30pm Grand Organ Festival
Thursday 9 October
ST JOHN HENRY NEWMAN, Priest
Friday 10 October Friday abstinence Feria
(St Paulinus of York, Bishop; St Denis, Bishop, and Companions, Martyrs; St John Leonardi, Priest)
5.30pm Mass attended by the 105th General Assembly of the European Committee for Catholic Education (Cardinal Nichols)
Saturday 11 October
Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday (St John XXIII, Pope) 12.30pm Carlo Acutis Eucharistic Festival
(Cardinal Nichols)
2pm Rosary Crusade of Reparation (Ambrosden Avenue)
6pm Westminster Cathedral Junior Voices sings at Mass
Sunday 12 October Ps Week 4
28th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Annual Mass Count – week 4
Week of Prayer for Prisoners and their Families
12 noon Solemn Mass (Full Choir)
Palestrina – Missa Papæ Marcelli Croce – In spiritu humilitatis
Organ: Moderato (Symphonie VII) – Widor
4pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction
Palestrina – Magnificat primi toni Bruckner – Os justi
Organ: Allegro maestoso (Sonata in G) –Elgar
5.30pm & 7pm Vigil Mass of St Edward the Confessor
Monday 13 October
In the Cathedral:
St EDWARD THE CONFESSOR, Patron of the Diocese and of the City of Westminster
5pm Solemn Second Vespers
5.30pm Solemn Mass (Full Choir)
M. Williamson – Missa tertia
Stanford – Beati quorum via Organ: Paen (Six Pieces for Organ) –Howells
Tuesday 14 October Feria
(St Callistus I, Pope & Martyr)
5.30pm The Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT) attend Mass (Bishop McAleenan)
Wednesday 15 October
St Teresa of Jesus, Virgin & Doctor 1.15pm Lunchtime Concert
Thursday 16 October Feria
(St Hedwig, Religious; St Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin)
5pm Joint Evensong at Westminster Abbey (Cathedral: Said Vespers and Mass)
Friday 17 October Friday abstinence St Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop & Martyr
Saturday 18 October
St LUKE, Evangelist
6pm Adult Deanery Confirmation Mass (Bishop Curry)
Sunday 19 October Ps Week 1
29th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
World Mission Day
12 noon Solemn Mass (Men’s voices)
Palestrina – Missa Nasce la gioia mia
Clemens non Papa – Ego flos campi
Organ: Fugue in G – Parry
4pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction de Monte – Magnificat octavi toni
Victoria – Vadam et circuibo civitatem Organ: Variations sur Lucis Creator – Alain
Monday 20 October Feria
Tuesday 21 October Feria
Wednesday 22 October
St John Paul II, Pope 1.15pm Lunchtime Concert
Thursday 23 October Feria (St John Capistrano, Priest)
Friday 24 October Friday abstinence Feria (St Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop)
Saturday 25 October
Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday 2.30pm Peruvian Mass
6pm A Visiting Choir sings at Mass attended by Marriage Course participants
Sunday 26 October Ps Week 2
30th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
12 noon Solemn Mass (Men’s voices)
A. Gabrieli – Missa Pater peccavi
Byrd – Laudate Dominum
Guerrero – O sacrum convivium
Organ: Allegro maestoso (Symphonie III)
– Vierne
4pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction
Bellini – Magnificat octavi toni
Cavalli – Salve Regina
Organ: Final (Symphonie III) – Vierne
Monday 27 October Feria
Tuesday 28 October
Ss SIMON AND JUDE, Apostles
5.30pm The Society of St Augustine of Canterbury attend Mass
Wednesday 29 October
Blessed Martyrs of Douai College
Thursday 30 October Feria
Friday 31 October Friday abstinence Feria
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
Saturday 1 November
Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday
Sunday 2 November Ps Week 3
ALL SAINTS
12 noon Solemn Mass (Full Choir), attended by the Catenians
Victoria – Missa O quam gloriosum
Victoria – O quam gloriosum
4pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction
Bevan – Magnificat sexti toni
Byrd – Iustorum animæ
4.30pm Mass for the Deaf Community (Cathedral Hall)
Monday 3 November
THE COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED (ALL SOULS’ DAY)
Morning liturgies and Vespers in the Holy Souls Chapel
5pm Vespers of the Dead
5.30pm Requiem Mass
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
Clues Across
1 City in USA where present Pope (Leo XIV) born (7)
6 & 20 Down: First course appropriate out of the heavy fog? (3,4)
8 Angel whose name means ‘God is my Light’ (5)
9 Flexible circus performer (7)
10 African country now D.R. Congo (5)
11 Virgin saint with many followers murdered in Cologne and venerated in the city’s cathedral (6)
13 Unpaid debt (6)
15 Girl exploited by Svengali in Du Maurier’s novel (6)
17 Psychologist who gave us the ‘Conditioned Reflex’ through work with dogs [sic] (6)
20 St Catherine of, Italian Medieval mystic preserved in city cathedral (5)
21 Varnish (a surface not truth!) (7)
23 Symbolic link between sturdy tree and Pennine Way (5)
24 Mythical pipes player in the kitchen? (3)
25 Revealed old camera film ruined? (7)
Clues Down
1 Medieval weapon and schoolboy’s toy! (8)
2 Jean-Auguste-Dominique, French Neoclassical painter (6)
3 King of Israel who married Jezebel (4)
4 Overthrows from government (5)
5 Café specialising in baked slabs of dough with varied toppings (8)
6 Flat fish alternative to haddock and cod in chip shops! (6)
7 Third Crusade Battle where Crusaders victorious (4)
12 Golden or Black dog with Canadian link? (8)
14 Formal address for man of the cloth (8)
16 He cometh in O’Neill’s play and Frankenheimer’s film (6)
18 Large water expanses in Ireland (6)
19 Aircraft association with woodworker’s tool (5)
20 See 6 Across
22 Moan about the fish? (4)
O English Hearts
Ronald Arbuthnott Knox (1888-1957)
O English hearts, what heart can know how spent with labours long ago was England’s Church that bore you? The paths you tread in lane or street, long since were trodden by the feet of saints that went before you; when priests, like sudden angels, came to light in distant shires the flame that faith’s dull embers cherished, when Mass and shrift were sought for still in silent farm, on lonely hill, ere ancient memories perished.
Their kindred and their homes forgot, the traitor’s name, the wanderer’s lot for all their portion choosing; God’s hungry sheep they toiled to save, the peace that only exile gave for love of Christ refusing: Till, late or early, go they must (who not in princes put their trust) where earthly justice waited; from rack and dungeon, freed at last, the hurdle’s way, to death they passed, from death to life translated.
O saints of English speech and race, caught up to heaven, of heavenly grace a double portion send us; from faint resolves and mean desires and all this languid age inspires of worldly aims, defend us! And, if such influence love can earn, O bid the faith you loved return, the land you love awaking; an England sunk in long despair to holier thoughts, sublimer prayer, and larger hopes awaking.
Ronald Knox Society
Respect
In the first term of school, we focus on respect, something we should all use every day. We should show respect for our teachers, parents, other pupils, and the people who cook for us at school. We can show respect at school by using manners like ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ We can also stand to the side if an adult needs to pass. At home, we can show respect by listening to our parents when they ask for help. People think that respect is mostly about being polite and following the rules, but we also have to recognise the value and worth of every single person.
In our school, St Vincent de Paul, we already show that we accept anyone into our school no matter their skin colour or religion, and we will never refuse to accept someone for who they are. We are all made in the image of God and we are unique in our own way.
In St Vincent de Paul, respect means to treat others as we would like to be treated, just like in our school mission statement:
‘Love one another as I have loved you.’
We have many different saints that show us how to respect even when it was hard. For example, St Francis of Assisi showed profound respect for every aspect of God’s creation, viewing humans, animals, and nature as his brothers and sisters. We also have some older saints like St Catherine of Alexandria. She respected her Christian faith, the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge, and virtue. Another saint that showed respect is St Joseph. He is held up as a model for workers, representing the dignity and respect that good work deserves. All these saints are role models of respect.
We should also respect our planet. We can recycle, pick rubbish up off the floor, and try walking, scooting, or biking to school! As Year 6, we should be role models to younger years. We should show them how to respect each other at lunch and break time.
We show respect to God by following the Ten Commandments. By following these, we are thanking him for all he has done for us. In St Vincent de Paul, the children show respect to the adults and, in return, the adults show us respect –just like Jesus showed respect to his followers, and they showed respect back. Our goal is to be respectful and have respectful behaviour:
‘Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.’ (Exodus 20:12)
Remember, every person has worth because God created them.
Grace, Year 6
