21

Now is the Time to say Goodbye

It has been three years already and it is time to say farewell. I go, carrying with me many memories and experiences. One of them is that I arrived just a few days before the Funeral Mass of His Eminence Cardinal Cormac; and I am now leaving just a few months after the sudden loss our well-beloved Canon Christopher Tuckwell, former Administrator of the Cathedral.

These years have been a humbling experience of growing into the mystery of celebrating the Mass for and with the People of God who live and make life in this memorable Cathedral, which is the Mother Church for England and Wales. I will also treasure the hours of countless confessions I heard in the confessional box! Among the many memories are those moments of joy and sorrows experienced in our parish primary school, St Vincent de Paul. It was through this school, and particularly last year, through the First Holy Communion programme that I had the opportunity to minister to many of the families. How can I forget also the young people who I have had the privilege to accompany in preparation for their Confirmation?

As I leave I am very grateful for having been given the opportunity of serving this parish and of working alongside a very supportive team in Clergy House, where I have experienced once more the graces of communion, care and patience, despite all our diverse backgrounds. I am also grateful for everyone who has made my experience here less burdensome, from all those who work on these premises as paid staff to our countless volunteers ... of course, with special mention of the Franciscan Sisters, who help us with the housekeeping!

Finally, I will take with me especially a community of prayer ... trusting that they will accompany me in my new role as Assistant Priest at Sudbury. Fr Julio Albornoz

‘You too must stand ready’, says Jesus to his disciples (Luke 12:40). This is certainly good advice for any diocesan priest, who must be ready to move on at any time. I am looking forward to taking on the duties of Parish Priest at Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St George, Enfield, but I am also a little sad to be leaving the Cathedral.

The two years I have spent here cannot be said to have been without incident. Chiefly I remember, and would like to pay special tribute to, Canon Christopher Tuckwell. He welcomed me here so warmly in September 2018, and trusted me to get on with the duties. Despite his ill health and terminal diagnosis, he remained a constant source of strength, wit and wisdom to the end. He has gone to be with the Lord, and as we pray for his soul we do well to recall the words of St Augustine of Hippo in The City of God:

‘There we shall rest and we shall see; we shall see and we shall love; we shall love and we shall praise. Behold, what shall be in the end and shall not end.’

I think of Canon Christopher and a smile is never far away. To me, this says something not only about him, but about Westminster Cathedral, which was his spiritual home. Now, don’t misunderstand me – it can be a difficult place in which to live and work, let alone to pray in. Truthfully, though, it is a blessed place – a real porta coeli, a place where God is always to be found, in the Sacraments and the Scriptures, of course, but also in the genuine relationships and encounters which typify and season each day spent here. You never know what is going to happen when you set foot out of the Sacristy doorway. This brings an immediacy and vibrancy to life which I have rather enjoyed. I am truly grateful for having had the opportunity to spend a little part of my life here. With my prayers, and grateful thanks. Fr Daniel Humphreys

Some four months into lockdown, I finally managed to escape Clergy House for a three-day break to Walsingham. I was staying with some friends, visiting my godchildren. The first morning of my break, perfectly timed, was an email from the Vicar General. ‘Surely, I’m not being moved?!’ I wouldn’t be able to find out what it was about for another five days. It was a good time (and place) to leave everything in Our Lady’s hands, as my friend reminded me. My immediate panic, though, is testimony to how much I’ve enjoyed being at Westminster Cathedral; what a privilege it has been to serve here.