Post-Covid Return

The Pandemic inevitably meant that we did not see faces otherwise wellknown to us over long periods of time, years indeed. Many have come back and others still are, although we find ourselves often wondering if someone we knew previously has actually fallen victim to Covid without our knowing of their death. On a lighter note, two previous piazza regulars have been spotted again; or are they a new generation of churchgoing ducks?

Choir Outreach 1 – Berkshire

For a century the Jesuits provided secondary education at Beaumont College in Old Windsor until its closure in 1967. However, whether by design or chance, its feeder Preparatory School, St John’s, Beaumont, survived and flourishes to this day. A week before the visit to the Cathedral of the Southwark choristers, the St John’s Chapel Choir came to the Tuesday evening Mass. They did not sing the whole Mass, but observed from the back row of the choir stalls and then joined the Choristers in singing the Communion motet. Their Director of Music emailed later to say: ‘Many thanks again for a lovely afternoon for our boys’.

Choir Outreach 2 – Lambeth

The (mixed) choristers of St George’s Cathedral, Southwark, with their clergy, made it across the river to come and sing the Tuesday evening Solemn Mass with our Westminster boys. As the image shows, the Master of Music pointed the way in more than one sense.

All praise goes to the one out marching in the light rain of Coronation Day as well as to the proud family who braved the wet and the crowds to make sure that everyone else knew. Cathedral Chaplains, alas, were more tempted by the TV coverage and buffet lunch of Clergy House Common Room.

The Walk of Faith

Representatives of local Faith Communities came together with the Lord Mayor of Westminster for a ‘Coronation Walk of Faith’, which started from the piazza. It is not clear whether the pigeon captured in the image was coming down to join the Walk or simply performing a fly-past.

Prayer Station

The practice of having a prayer and candle focus at the west end of the Cathedral at appropriate times of the year has proved successful and did so again, as many came in to express their prayer for the King and Queen Consort and for the good estate of Great Britain during the new reign.