Devotional Prayers

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary…

The Angelus Prayer is a devotion traditionally associated with St Dominic, honouring the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, and recited in the morning, at noon and in the evening. It recounts the message from the Angel Gabriel to Our Lady; her yes, or fiat, bringing God’s salvation into the world. In the Cathedral the Angelus is marked by the ringing of Big Edward, the main bell, at 9am, 12 noon and 6pm, and the prayer is recited publicly at midday.

The Rosary

‘To pray the Rosary is to take a spiritual journey, along with Mary, in contemplation of the face of Christ.’ St John Paul II

Many who come to pray in the Cathedral can be found using the Rosary, one of the Church’s most loved and ancient forms of prayer. Tradition says that the Rosary was given to St Dominic in an apparition of Our Lady in the 13^th Century, but we know that the Rosary was in use as early as the ninth century, and probably earlier. The Rosary is a recitation of prayers focused on a Mystery of Faith; you keep track of the prayers with rosary beads.

From the 16^th to the 20^th century the Rosary was largely unchanged with 15 mysteries. In 2002 St John Paul II added a further five Luminous Mysteries. He regarded the Rosary as amongst the ‘finest and most praiseworthy traditions of Christian contemplation’. The Rosary is a source of great comfort.

On weekday evenings, the Rosary is prayed in community in the Lady Chapel after the 5.30pm Solemn Mass and also on Saturday mornings after the 10.30am Solemn Mass.

Daily Prayer

There is a wealth of information and guidance for Catholics who have access to the internet.  We recommend:

Universalis Publishing – an invaluable resource for sharing in the Church’s prayer. It provides all the texts for the Divine Office and Mass, as well as other background information for each day. These are accessible through the Universalis website and available as an App for smartphones.

Magnificat Publishing – produces a monthly magazine designed for daily use to encourage both liturgical and personal prayer. It can be used both to follow daily Mass and to be read at home or wherever you find yourself for personal or family prayer. Magnificat is also available as an App.

Stations of the Cross

Also known as The Way of the Cross, this is a devotion to the Sacred Passion in which we accompany, in spirit, our Blessed Lord in his sorrowful journey from the house of Pilate to Calvary, and recall, with sorrow and love, all that took place from the time when he was condemned to death to his being laid in the tomb. We meditate devoutly on the Passion and Death of our Lord as we move around the Stations in the Church.

The Cathedral’s stations are mounted on the great columns surrounding the nave. The first station is at the front of the nave to the left of the Sanctuary.