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Back to Study

We recently said farewell to Lorcán Keller, who leaves the Cathedral to move down the road to Allen Hall in Chelsea as a diocesan seminarian. He has been visible in the Cathedral of late, helping with the stewarding, but his time here has been spent at the desk preparing the many booklets and sheets needed for both regular and special services, as well as carrying out a whole range of other design work. His farewell card, you may be able to see, features a group of gorillas and the text ‘Where are you going to find such a diverse bunch of likeable characters as us?’

Boxed In

With the return of the choir, it was time for a Maintenance Department Special! The Art and Architecture Committee has not, so far as we know, given a verdict yet on the perspex box which now either protects the conductor from the choir or vice versa. The hope is that it will not be needed permanently; and perhaps future generations will find the box at the back of the Crypt Store, as we now find many other disused artefacts, and wonder what its use could ever have been.

Seen, but not Venerated

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross is also the feast when we are normally able to venerate one of the Cathedral’s two relics of the True Cross. Should the feast fall on a Sunday, numbers make it impracticable to allow individual veneration, but otherwise this is a treasured act of Cathedral devotion. Coronavirus precautions made veneration impossible this year; here, however, is one of the relics in close-up.

A Mini-Pilgrimage

With so many events delayed this year – baptisms, confirmations, receptions and ordinations – one event took place early. Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on the pilgrimage season, but at least a permitted number of the faithful could come on pilgrimage to the Cathedral to honour Our Lady of Walsingham. Her feast falls on 24 September, formerly the feast of Our Lady of Ransom, and a Thursday this year, so Saturday 12th as the feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary proved to be a more than adequate substitute day. Mr John Sales R.I.P. We are sad to report the death on 13 September of John Sales, here pictured at his wedding, who was a Sacristan at the Cathedral from 1962 to 1972, although he appears to have been involved here earlier than that. May he rest in peace. John’s son, Joseph, asks if we have any photographs or other records of his father. Unfortunately we have no central catalogue of images and it seems that sacristans, often seen at their work, have not often been the focus of interest, with those of more recent times being notably camera-shy. The Cathedral News Sheet of the 60s and 70s never included images, so Oremus takes this opportunity of ensuring that the memory of Mr Sales is recorded.

Good to Go

The containers for the Holy Oils would have been brought out and polished up for the Chrism Mass on the Tuesday in Holy Week. That, of course, did not take place, but was able to be celebrated on 14 September, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Examination of the hallmarks reveals that the containers themselves date back to 1930; the bowl and spoon seen with them is used for preparation

of the balsam which is infused into the Oil of Chrism.