MONTHLY ALBUM
A Missal Desk Brought Out from Storage
A Promotion of Trees The image show the sanctuary of the Cathedral all prepared for the celebration of Christmas. This year the trees were moved up from their previous location on ground level by the sanctuary balustrade so that they now flank the baldacchino, whose front two columns are enhanced by the display of the reliquiaries of (left) St Thomas Becket and (right) St Edmund of Abingdon. Fresh candles in the big six candlesticks, interspersed with a second shorter set, enhance the vertical aspect, whilst the very length of the high altar does not permit its significance to be in any way diminished in the overall view. We hope that Mr Bentley would be pleased.
The Missal Desk that was used on the sanctuary during the Christmas season to display the Infant Jesus is recorded as having been given to the Cathedral in 1923 by Sydney Ernest Kennedy (1855-1933), who collected European works of art as well as Chinese porcelain. As can be imagined, it is of considerable weight, resting on four feet which are fashioned as symbols of the Evangelists. There is an accompanying metal missal cover, which we will show in a future edition of Oremus.
SVP’s Nativity Performance Here is an alternative view of the sanctuary, taken during the Grand Finale of the SVP School Nativity. The singing this year was particularly infectious, whence the swaying and arm-waving that can be seen, not to mention the quantity of congregational photography. At any rate, a good time was had by all.
Cardinal Manning, Protected We confess that at Christmas we do not treat the Clergy House Common Room’s bust of Cardinal Manning with the grave dignity which it deserves. He always wears a Christmas hat and, this year, a tinsel clerical collar to keep him warm against the draughts from the open windows. However, to preserve him from catching Covid from the Precentor, a face mask was added in token of our concern for his welfare. 18
Oremus
FEBRUARY 2022
