Light a Candle
On this page, you can ask for candles to be lit at the location of your choice in Westminster Cathedral. Candle requests received before 4pm will be actioned the following morning when the Cathedral opens for the day
Lighting a candle is an act of faith. As Catholics, we say to someone who needs our prayers that we have lit a candle for them. The act of lighting a votive candle before an icon, a statue or a relic is an act of communion with Our Lord. We walk away, going about our daily business, but the candle continues to shine: a symbol of love and devotion and a physical, tangible reminder of our faith in the mercy, compassion, and love of God.
Fire and light have been a feature of worship in the Christian and Jewish traditions for thousands of years. The early Christians placed candles on the tombs of the martyrs in the catacombs as an act of intercession with the faithful in heaven. We light a candle in devotion to Christ who is the Light of the World.
‘I am the Light of the world; the one who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have light and life.’
John 8:12
We welcome you to light a candle in Westminster Cathedral, in this very special House of Prayer. There are candle stands in most chapels and also at the shrines to Our Lady of Westminster, St John Southworth and St Anthony of Padua. You may choose where your candle is lit. Please, take a moment, pause quietly, and think about why you are lighting a candle and for whom.
