On 27 April 2025, Pope Francis will Canonise Blessed Carlo Acutis, making him the first millennial saint.
This is of particular interest here in Westminster Cathedral as Bl Carlo’s grandparents were married here in 1963.
To read more about this connection, read Bishop Nicholas Hudson’s statement here.
The combined Choirs of Westminster Cathedral, St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey sing for the upcoming feast of St Cecilia in aid of the Help Musicians charity at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Wednesday 20 November 2024, 11am – 12 noon.
Free entry with ticket, all welcome.
This evening, Cardinal Vincent Nichols will celebrate the 5.30pm Mass for the deceased clergy of the Diocese of Westminster, all most welcome to attend.
Please note that Vespers of the Dead will be sung at the earlier time of 4,45pm on the Main Sanctuary by the Chapter of Westminster Cathedral.
This is rather timely as, only yesterday we received the news that Fr James (Jim) Mallon died peacefully at Maryville Care Home, Brentford on Sunday 17 November 2024. Fr Jim was well known here in the Cathedral, living out most of his retirement next door. May he, and all of our deceased clergy, rest in eternal peace.
Westminster Cathedral presents ‘A Christmas Celebration’, festive music and readings pondering the Incarnation of Christ, with much-loved celebrity readers and the world-famous Westminster Cathedral Choir and Orchestra, under the direction of Simon Johnson.
Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 December, 7.30pm (doors open 6.45pm).
Tickets, in aid of the work of the Cathedral, are available in the Cathedral Gift Shop or via Ticketmaster.
Not to be missed!
In Communion with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, at their plenary meeting in Leeds, every church is invited to join them in praying for an hour before the Blessed Sacrament for the protection of human life, as the assisted suicide debate moves to the next stage in Parliament.
In Westminster Cathedral, there will be a holy hour immediately after the 5.30pm Mass, with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction.
Please continue to pray and contact your MP.
This walking-stick was given by Cardinal Edward Manning (1808-92) to London dock-worker Daniel O’Sullivan in recognition of services rendered during the Great Dockers’ strike which began on 14th August 1889 in support of a claim for 6d an hour (equivalent to around £4 an hour) and an overtime rate of 8d an hour.
Millwall Docks General Manager Colonel George Birt told a House of Lords Commission about the condition of dockers: “The poor fellows are miserably clad, scarcely with a boot on their foot, in a most miserable state … These are men who come to work in our docks who come on without having a bit of food in their stomachs, perhaps since the previous day; they have worked for an hour and have earned 5d.; their hunger will not allow them to continue: they take the 5d. in order that they may get food, perhaps the first food they have had for twenty-four hours.”
Within two weeks, more than 100,000 workers were on strike. On 5th September 1889, the Lord Mayor of London formed the Mansion House Committee to bring workers and employers together and reach a settlement. Cardinal Manning sympathised with the strikers, a large number of whom were Irish Catholics. He was appointed to the committee, which persuaded the employers to meet most of the dockers’ demands. It was agreed that they should go back to work on 16th September after much hardship for their families.
Cardinal Manning is considered to have been a key contributor to the papal encyclical Rerum Novarum issued by Pope Leo XIII on 15th May 1891 which marks the beginning of modern Catholic Social Teaching.
Daniel O’Sullivan was born in Limerick in 1818 and migrated to London during the Irish Potato famine. This walking-stick was presented to Archbishop’s House Westminster by his descendants on 7th November 2024. Photographs from the presentation can be viewed here.
In advance of the proposed Assisted Suicide Bill returning to the House of Commons on 29 November, there will be a panel discussion on Sunday 24 November from 3pm to 5pm in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street.
Each of the speakers is a distinguished expert in their field, with serious professional and personal concerns that such a change in the law would have. The event is free, but booking is essential – click here for more details.
We are delighted to share the news that, earlier today (5 November), Royal Mail launched five UK cathedrals by artist Judy Joel, as their special stamp collection for Christmas 2024. Included in these five edifices is Westminster Cathedral, representing London and the Roman Catholic Church in this country.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols commented in a video:
‘We’re so proud because it means that the image will be seen by many, many people. I hope that seeing the image, they’ll understand that a church is a place where God dwells and where that sense of God’s presence is intense, comforting and consoling.’
The other four cathedrals are:
Liverpool Cathedral (Church of England)
St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh (Church of Ireland)
St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh (Scottish Episcopal Church)
St Deiniol’s Cathedral, Bangor (Church in Wales)
The full collection can be viewed and purchased here.
A link to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference statement can be viewed here.
Tomorrow, 30 October 2024, the Bach Choir and Philharmonia Orchestra will perform Britten’s War Requiem.
This is a ticketed event and, to allow for staging and general setup, Mass, Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer will move to the Crypt and Cathedral Hall.
CRYPT CHAPEL (Accessed via Ambrosden Avenue):
7.35am – Morning Prayer
8am – Mass
10.30am – Mass (Latin)
CATHEDRAL HALL (Accessed via Ambrosden Avenue):
12.30pm – Mass (no livestream)
5pm – Vespers
5.30pm – Mass
CONFESSIONS:
Confessions will continue as normal in the Cathedral.
11.30am-12.30pm and 4.30pm-5.30pm
Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Earlier this afternoon, we welcomed many members of the Neocatechumenal Way, in full voice, for Mass with Cardinal Vincent Nichols, in thanksgiving for fifty years in Great Britain.
The icon, by artist and founder Kiko Argüello, contains the mysterious words addressed to him by the Virgin Mary in a vision in 1959:
“It is necessary to form Christian communities like the Holy Family of Nazareth, to live in humility, in simplicity, and praise. The other is Christ.”
In his introduction, Lorenzo Lees noted that this all began to make more sense to Kiko as the communities began to form in parishes; first in Madrid, then in Rome and then in London in 1974.
A livestreamed recording can be found on our YouTube account.
Laudate pueri Dominum!
Last Friday, on the feast of St Luke, our Choir were joined at the 5.30pm Mass by the Choir of Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom).
It was wonderful to host those who had made Westminster Cathedral Choir so welcome when they performed a concert in Cologne Cathedral earlier this year.
Danke schön!