Westminster Cathedral Magazine
Angels we have [seen] on high.
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Oremus, the magazine of Westminster Cathedral, reflects the life of the Cathedral and the lives of those who make it a place of faith in central London. If you think that you would like to contribute an article or an item of news, please contact the Editor.
Patron
The Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster
Chairman
Fr Sławomir Witon´
Editor
Lorcán Keller
Oremus Team
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Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily represent the views of the Editor or the Oremus Team. Neither are they the official views of Westminster Cathedral. The Editor reserves the right to edit all contributions. Publication of advertisements does not imply any form of recommendation or endorsement. Unless otherwise stated, photographs are published under a creative commons or similar licence. Every effort is made to credit all images. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.
Inside Oremus
Cathedral Life
Cathedral History in Pictures: Mass to Celebrate the Centenary of Westminster Cathedral by Paul Tobin 12
In hoc signo vinces 14 & 15
The Westminster Way 22
Features
Homily for the Lourdes Mass of the Sick by Cardinal Vincent Nichols 6 & 7
The Genesis of the new translation of the Second Edition of the Lectionary by Archbishop George Stack 8 & 9
The Welsh Martyrs by Louise Sage 10 & 11
How does the Bible work? 13
Sign Language Week by Shell Roca 16
Beyond Autonomy: How Assisted Suicide breaks relationships by Professor Jacob Phillips 17
Book Review: Joanna Bogle’s THE CHURCH OF ST ELIZABETH OF PORTUGAL RICHMOND: A Bicentennial History by Edward Kendall 18 A Completed Pilgrimage of Curiosities by John Woodhouse 27
Regulars From the Editor 5 In Retrospect: 100 and 70 years ago 9 Monthly Album 20 & 21 The Friends 23 Diary and Notices 24 & 25 Poem and Crossword 26
With thanks to Emmett Glynn, videographer
Lorcán writes
To misquote Pope St John Paul II, who himself was paraphrasing St Augustine; ‘for we are a Lenten people and Miserere is our song.’
As I sat at my desk thinking of something suitably pious and Lenten to include in this editorial, I was presented with a dusty copy of the Westminster Cathedral Bulletin from 1985, a predecessor of Oremus magazine. This forgotten gem was discovered by Maintenance as they removed the furniture from the ‘well’ between the Blessed Sacrament Chapel and the Sanctuary, in order for the floor to be sanded and varnished.
What surprised me most was not how remarkably well-preserved it was, but its brevity. At four pages long, this publication was printed for the months of January AND February. Included in these pages were a full page of advertisements, a full page of music and service times, and a number of photographs to accompany a handful of short articles. Perhaps I have missed a trick! Or, perhaps some tenuous Lenten perspective is needed? From dust came the winter edition of 1985, and to dust it returned.
With Easter and, therefore, Lent a whole three weeks later than in 2024, March appears to be deceptively quiet. In addition to Ash Wednesday, the great feasts of the Annunciation, Ss David, Patrick, and Joseph, we look forward to hosting the Lord Mayor of Westminster’s Civic Service on 16 March, followed by his investiture as a Knight of St Gregory on the 20 March. On 24 March, the Choir depart on their tour of the United States, returning in early April.
As mentioned above, the restoration of the pitch pine flooring across the Cathedral is continuing apace, with thanks to the generosity of all who donated. There has also been quite a lot of work done behind the scenes, such as the lighting upgrade on ‘Long Corridor’, pollarding the trees around the Choir School, and the scaffolding coming down in the courtyard between Clergy House and Archbishop’s House after months of restoration work to the bricks and windows. As much of this is still underway, photographs will be included in the April edition.
Finally, at the time of writing, the Holy Father remains in a critical state in the Gemelli Hospital, suffering with bilateral pneumonia. We continue to keep him close in prayer.
Wishing you all a blessed and fruitful Lent.
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Homily for the Lourdes Mass of the Sick
Cardinal Vincent Nichols
On this, our Jubilee Year Lourdes Mass, in honour of our Blessed Lady of Lourdes, I welcome you all and thank especially those who have made great efforts to be here today.
As you know, the theme or motto of this Holy Year is that we are ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. Today we turn to Mary, knowing she is with us on this pilgrimage, guiding us to her beloved Son. She is a mother to us all, a mother who comforts us in distress and restores hope when we are despondent. If we open our hearts to her then she will surely guide us on this journey of life.
It was pointed out to me recently that a more accurate translation of this Jubilee motto is that we are ‘Pilgrims into Hope’. In the framework of our faith, the deeper
meaning of hope is that its fulfilment actually lies ahead. True hope lies in a firm and unshakeable hope for heaven. In this regard, hope is the daughter of faith and, ultimately, we set our course through life by this faith and hope.
Mary, then, is the mother of such hope, and Lourdes is a place of great hope; a hope which sustains us afresh. In Lourdes we see such goodness. There, we are touched by so much generosity. There, the reality of sickness and suffering takes on new dimensions and can, indeed, be transformed by this same hope.
Our journey, our pilgrimage through life, can be tough. Often the burdens we carry, be they physical illness, or a suffering of the heart, are not broadcast. We carry them quietly. One of the great
gifts of Lourdes, under the patronage of Our Blessed Lady, is that it gives an opportunity to learn to bring those burdens into a community of practical care, of shared prayer, and of joyful love. That puts a new light on things. Here we learn a little more about what it means to ‘offer up’ our distress, sorrow, or pain.
As a youngster, I was taught to begin each day with a morning offering. At that time, I did not have in mind aching joints, weariness and sorrow. I was thinking more of a joyful offering, of the events and excitement of each day. But now that same lesson teaches me to offer up all the other things that life throws at me, but now understanding them too as gifts of God, gifts by which God fashions my heart and soul. And this we can learn in Lourdes.
Photograph courtesy of Archdiocese of Liverpool - Jack Traynor, centre front (right of child), at the Archdiocese of Liverpool’s Pilgrimage to Lourdes, 1925.
Today we do well to remember Jack Traynor, a man from Liverpool, severely injured and left paralysed, who travelled to Lourdes in 1923. He returned home cured, able to walk and work again. I say this because, in recent weeks, his cure has been officially recognised as a miracle, the work of God at the intercession of our Blessed Lady. His is the first official miracle in Lourdes of someone from this country!
Also, today we keep the feast of St Josephine Bakhita. It will be marked around the world, for she has become the patron saint of all those caught in slavery today, and there are many. We remember them too in our prayers.
Josephine Bakhita is a powerful example of a pilgrim making her way into hope. In her youth, in Sudan, she was taken into slavery. She suffered being bought and sold for twelve years until, having been brought to Italy, she gained freedom. She suffered so much in mind and body. She could no longer remember her name. She had over a hundred scars which had been branded into her flesh, scars that had been rubbed with salt so that they did not heal properly. When her slavery was ended, she was drawn to our faith, joined a community of nuns and
Companions of Oremus
lived her life with such grace and faithful service. Towards the end of her life, when asked what she would say to those who had injured and scarred her, she replied:
‘I would go down on my knees and kiss their hands because through them I have come to know and love Jesus, my Lord!’
A pilgrimage into hope indeed!
One of the loveliest things said about Lourdes is that, at the Grotto, the veil between this world and the next, between earth and heaven, is thinner, more translucent, than it usually is. There we can receive a sense that the journey to heaven is not so long; that its promise is almost within our reach. With that gift we measure our days differently. They are a time of preparation, a journey into a new and better future, a journey into the fullness of hope.
In that sense we lay down our burdens before Mary, who takes them to her Son, who, with the Father, enables us to see them as steps on our way to heaven. Here then is the source of true hope, the Christian virtue of hope. It is so much more that the belief that we can do better in confronting the problems of the world – which we must do. The virtue of hope means living this life of
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such uncertainty in the sure and certain hope of a destiny to come in which every hope will be fulfilled. This is the promise of Jesus, the one who freely accepted the road of suffering and who alone has defied death and restored the promise of eternal life, the life for which we have been created.
Today we come in prayer to strengthen this hope, to be together, to learn again, through the wonder of the Mass, how deeply we belong to one another. Here and in Lourdes, we affirm again our profound trust in our Heavenly Father who has called us into life, who gives us the strength to carry the crosses he places on our shoulders, not alone, but rather shoulder-to-shoulder. That is our way of pilgrimage, our journey into hope. And on this pilgrim way we rejoice in the company of Mary, with her unfailing love and encouragement.
As we move to our celebration of the Sacrament of the Sick, calling on God’s grace and mercy, we ask for the prayers of St Josephine Bakhita and of our Blessed Mother, to whom we sing, over and over again: Ave, ave, ave Maria, Mother of God and our mother also, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Euphrasie Mundele Kilolo
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The Genesis of the new translation of the
The Most Rev George Stack, Archbishop Emeritus of Cardiff.
As I mentioned at the end of the previous article, every effort was made to use inclusive language, such as ‘brothers and sisters’ or ‘sons and daughters’, when possible. However, this approach could only take us so far before we were met with the filial claims made by St Paul in his letter to the Galatians (3:26-28):
‘[…] for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptised into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’
His use of the term ‘sons of God’ may seem like an easy fix, but to say ‘sons in the Son’ is to say that whatever relationship Jesus has with the Father is now bequeathed to all believers. This relationship dynamic transcends human sex, or gender, and is something that theologians continue to grapple with. An excellent reflection on this crucial issue is given in the paper Neither Male nor Female. The Miracle of ‘Sonship’ in Christ Jesus given by Cardinal Arthur Roche to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2014. It is well worth reading. Each decision also had to comply with the brief given by Crossway who, as mentioned previously, own the copyright of the English Standard Version, Catholic Edition (ESV-CE). Their criteria were threefold, allowing us to ‘adapt’ the text for Catholic worship in terms of anglicisation, punctuation, and spelling. This is not as simple as it sounds, not least with the realisation that a misplaced comma or colon might change the whole meaning of a sentence. The words of Jesus in Matthew 5:17 come to mind:
‘Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. Truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not a dot, not an iota will pass from the Law until it is accomplished.’
In total, the Editorial Committee submitted over 200 adaptations to Crossway. For example, in John 11:39; ‘Martha, the sister of the dead man said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odo[u]r” […].’ The Lectionary says ‘there will be a smell’. The ‘rooster’ surely did not crow at Peter’s denial of Jesus in Matthew 26:74, it must have been a ‘cockerel’ and, at the resurrection appearance of Jesus in Luke 24:42, we requested that Jesus was not given a piece of ‘broiled’ fish to eat, but rather ‘grilled’.
Much of this work, carried out by the Editorial Committee, was undertaken during the COVID lockdown. It was a far more complex task than I had envisaged, and I would like to pay tribute to my colleagues for their countless hours of work, their commitment and their dedication. We carried out this task using the editorial method practiced by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL). As such, each month a different fascicle, or section of text was sent to every bishop, consultant, and correspondent for their comments, suggestions, corrections, or criticisms.
These sections broadly corresponded with the Lectionary structure and liturgical year, such as the season of Advent, Christmas, Easter, weeks 1-12 in Ordinary Time Year A, etc. There were plenty of replies each month, enough to keep the editorial team busy for the entirety of our three-hour meetings. If we came to a deadlock in our understanding of the meaning, or the best translation of a word, or phrase, we would stop and have the text read aloud, slowly and deliberately. We found that when the text was proclaimed, rather than merely read, it yielded up its meaning. There is a lesson here for lectors and preachers alike.
Finally, once the text was completed, it was sent to Crossway so that our adaptations could be scrutinised for acceptance or rejection by their biblical scholars, working in accordance with
theological and biblical norms, and under very strict criteria. Eventually, permission was granted for this modified ESV-CE translation to be used in the Lectionary, and presented to the Bishops of England and Wales and to the Bishops of Scotland for their canonical votes. Once accepted, it was submitted to the Dicastery for Divine Worship and received the ‘Confirmatio’ on 25 March 2023.
It was then the task of the Catholic Truth Society (CTS) to engage in the major work of producing and publishing the new Lectionary, in time for its introduction in Catholic churches across Britain on the First Sunday of Advent 2024. Other publishing houses, such as St Paul Publications, Hodder & Stoughton, and Redemptorist Publications, were also granted contracts to produce Sunday missals, daily missals, and other worship aids. Additionally, a number of biblical resources have also been produced to assist congregations in their reception of the new Lectionary texts, including those on the Bishops’ Conference website and for ‘The God Who Speaks’ project – www. godwhospeaks.uk.
CTS also published an excellent series of booklets, including Hearing Christ’s Voice – A New Lectionary for the Church by Bishop Hugh Gilbert, which is particularly recommended. In addition to being former President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Scotland, Bishop Gilbert is also the current Chair of ICEL. Bishop Gilbert and I were blessed to be able to discuss many of the issues relating to the forthcoming publication of the Lectionary, when not involved in the task of producing translations of other texts for the liturgy during our meetings in Washington!
‘For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.’ (Hebrews 4:12).
Second Edition of the Lectionary
Ss Richard Gwyn & St John Jones OFM
On 25 October 1970, Pope St Paul VI canonised the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, as named on the ceiling of St George’s Chapel. Although only six of these saints were Welsh, it is actually quite a high proportion, considering the population of Wales was never more than half a million before the 1800s. How better to celebrate the feast of St David than by sharing their stories here, in chronological order.
St Richard Gwyn, aka Richard White c.1537-84
Richard Gwyn, the only layman of the group, was born circa 1537 to a Protestant family in Llanidloes, Montgomeryshire. He studied at Cambridge University where he came under the patronage of Dr Bullock, Master of St John’s College, who was a staunch Catholic and, as a result, Richard himself became a Catholic. On the accession of Queen Elizabeth to the
throne, Dr Bullock was ousted from his post and this resulted in Richard being unable to continue his studies.
Richard returned to North Wales and became a schoolmaster firstly in Wrexham and then in Flintshire, and married Catherine who bore him six children. Richard was known as a 'Church Papist', i.e. he outwardly conformed to the Protestant religion while secretly holding onto the Catholic faith. However, his infrequent
Louise Sage
The Forty Martyrs, as displayed on the ceiling of St George’s Chapel
attendances at Protestant services was noted by the Bishop of Chester who urged him to conform. The pressure grew and Richard eventually gave in.
One day on leaving a Protestant service, he was attacked by a flock of crows who threatened his very life. He was so shaken by this event that he returned to Catholicism and ceased all attendance at the Established Church. This meant that he was often moving house and school to areas where he was unknown.
Richard was first arrested in Wrexham, in 1578, when recognised by an apostate priest. He managed to escape and was on the run for 18 months. Finally, in July 1580, he was recaptured and committed to Ruthin Gaol where, for three months, he was held there in chains. At the next assizes he was brought to court and offered the chance to have his crime forgiven if he would attend just one Protestant service. Richard refused and was returned to prison. He spent his remaining years in one prison or another coming before the court at least eight times and consistently refusing to accept any bribes or offers of freedom on condition he worshipped in an Anglican church. Imprisonment did not deter him from writing religious tracts in verse, encouraging his countrymen to stick to, or return to, the Old Faith.
In addition to his deep spirituality, and use of prayer, he had a great sense of humour, a source of great strength. On one
occasion, soon after his re-arrest, he was carried into a church on the shoulders of six court officials, and placed near the pulpit shackled in heavy chains. As soon as the preacher began to speak, Richard shook his chains so vigorously that not a word could be heard by the congregation. For this he was put into the stocks and fined £280 for not attending church and causing a disturbance.
In Wrexham, on 9 October 1584, Richard was arrested together with two of his friends, John Hughes and Robert Morris, and accused of high treason. They were all found guilty by a jury who had been instructed to do so by the judge. However, only Richard was sentenced to death.
On the way to the gallows at the Beast Market in Wrexham, on 15 October 1584, Richard said the Rosary aloud on the piece of knotted string holding up the chains behind his back. He urged the crowds to go back to the old, true Church. Just before execution he said,
‘I have been a jesting fellow, and if I have offended any that way, or by my songs, I beseech them for God’s sake to forgive me.’
He was then hanged, drawn and quartered. Just before his head was severed from his body, Richard uttered his last words in Welsh, ‘Iesu, cymer trigaredd drosof fi’ (‘Jesus, have mercy on me’). His head and one of his quarters were displayed atop Denbigh Castle whilst the other quarters were displayed in Wrexham, Howlet and Ruthin.
St John Jones OFM, aka John Buckley, John Griffith or Godfrey Maurice c.1530-98
John Jones, a Franciscan, was born to a recusant Welsh family in Clynnog Fawr in Caernarfon circa 1530. In 1555 John joined the Franciscan Friary at Greenwich and took the name Godfrey Maurice, becoming known for his piety. In 1558 Elizabeth I ascended the throne and, once more, Catholics were persecuted. John Jones, although still a novice, was forced to flee to France with the English Observant Franciscans. They went to a friary in Pontoise, Ile de France, where John was trained, professed, and ordained (likely) at Rheims.
After many years in Pontoise, John was sent in 1590 to the friary of Ara Cœli in Rome, the General headquarters of the Order. Whilst there he decided to return to
England to take part in the mission to care for faithful Catholics, such as St Margaret Clitherow, who risked their livelihoods and often their lives to sustain their missionary priests. Before leaving, he begged an audience with Pope Clement VIII who embraced him, gave him a solemn blessing and told him:
‘Go, because I believe you to be a true son of St Francis. Pray to God for me and for his holy Church.’
Fr Jones exercised a heroic, hidden ministry in England, helping Catholics as much as he could and seeking to reconcile those who had submitted to Elizabeth’s Church. It was a very fraught existence, requiring constant vigilance, various aliases, and continued flight from Elizabeth’s secret service, supervised by William Cecil and Francis Walsingham. During this time his brother Franciscans in England elected him their Minister Provincial.
Fr Jones was caught in late 1595 or early 1596 by Richard Topcliffe, a ‘priest catcher’ who had permission from the Queen to maintain a private torture chamber in his house for the priests he apprehended. Having been severely tortured and scourged, he was sent to the Clink prison in London where he stayed for almost two years awaiting trial. In prison he continued his ministry, converting many, including St John Rigby, who was himself martyred in 1600.
On 3 July 1598, Fr Jones was finally brought to trial for having exercised his ministry as a Catholic priest in England. He was sentenced to hanging, drawing and quartering at St Thomas Watering near the Old Kent Road. We have an account of his execution in a letter from the Jesuit Henry Garnet. He stated that, on 12 July, Fr Jones was taken from the Marshalsea prison, tied to a trellis, dragged to the place of execution and held there for one hour during which time Topcliffe harangued the crowd with his supposed crimes. Garnet recounts that the crowd was touched more by John’s prayers than by the accusations of his torturer and executioner. His remains were then displayed on roads leading to Newington and Lambeth. These were later reputedly removed by at least two Catholic Englishmen and one of the relics eventually reached Pontoise, where Jones had taken his religious vows. His shrine is in Pontoise and his feast is 12 July.
Icon of St Richard Gwyn at Wrexham Cathedral
CATHEDRAL HISTORY A PICTORIAL RECORD
Mass to Celebrate the Centenary of Westminster Cathedral: 25 March 1995
On a sunny, spring afternoon, the feast of the Annunciation of the Lord, a ‘Mass of Thanksgiving for the Diocese and the Cathedral’ was celebrated to inaugurate the Centenary Year of the Cathedral’s foundation by Cardinal Herbert Vaughan (Archbishop 1892-1903).
As Mass began, a book commemorating the foundation was brought to the sanctuary by members of the Vaughan family. Five young people from the five areas of the Diocese were also chosen to present the Centenary Book and Centenary Banner to Cardinal Hume. As he signed the book, the banner was unfurled to the sound of fanfare. The Cardinal then announced:
‘I now declare the opening of this centenary year of the Metropolitan
Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood. May it be for us a time of strengthening in faith, thankfulness for the achievements of others and vision for the future.’
A Mass setting for choir, cantor, and congregation was composed for the occasion by Colin Mawby (1936-2019), former Cathedral Master of Music, and led by a choir drawn from across the Diocese. Following the Credo, Cardinal Hume then rededicated himself to the Diocese, as did the Area Bishops and Episcopal Vicars, who also pledged their allegiance to the Cardinal.
Many other events were also held throughout the year, including a flower festival, celebrity organ recitals, concerts, and lectures by several European cardinals. This culminated in the first visit of the late
Queen Elizabeth II to the Cathedral, when she attended Vespers on the Feast of St Andrew, 30 November 1995.
Pictured, from left to right are; Bishop (now Cardinal) Vincent Nichols, Canon Peter Bourne, Bishop Victor Guazzelli, Cardinal Basil Hume, Bishop Patrick O’Donoghue, and Fr Philip Miller. In the background, to the left of Bishop Nichols kneels Fr (now Bishop) Jim Curry, the Cardinal’s Private Secretary. To the right of the Cardinal is the MC, Fr (now Canon) Daniel Cronin.
Sources:
Westminster Cathedral Bulletin May 1995 ‘Mass of Thanksgiving for the Diocese and The Cathedral’ Order of Service 25.3.1995 Canon Daniel Cronin
Paul Tobin
Following the launch of the new translation of the Lectionary, the Agency for Evangelisation in the Diocese of Westminster is hosting a short series of in-person lectures entitled ‘How does the Bible work?’, by Fr Nick King SJ and Fr Javier Ruiz-Ortiz.
The next talk, ‘Making available what was written’, will take place on Thursday 13 March in Vaughan House, 46 Francis Street, London, SW1P 1QN, at 6.30pm. Entry is free of charge. For bookings, contact Warren at catadmin@rcdow.org.uk , or call 020 7798 9152 .
In hoc signo vinces
In preparation for a new Christian Art video on the Cathedral Rood, Fr Patrick commissioned videographer Emmett Glynn to produce a high-resolution closeup, with multiple photographs stitched together into one cohesive whole. Emmett can also be seen here filming Fr Patrick for said video.
This image is a rare opportunity to see a closeup of architect John Francis Bentley and artist William Christian Symons’ names scrawled in relatively large letters beneath the winged-lion
(St Mark). The term ‘PINX’ after Symons’ name is an abbreviation of the Latin pinxit; ‘he painted it’.
Although invisible from the Nave floor, the text can be seen in the standard image of the Rood, on the back cover of this magazine, if you know where to squint.
Fr Patrick’s video will be available online at christian.art and on YouTube (@christianart), later this month.
© Emmett Glynn, Christian Art
Sign Language Week:
17 to 23 March 2025
Shell Roca
To quote Helen Keller, an early disability rights advocate who herself was Deaf and blind, following an illness when she was 19 months old:
‘Blindness separates people from things; Deafness separates people from people.’
One way of reversing that separation which Deaf people experience, is by learning and using sign language. If you have ever been to a Diocesan liturgy at the Cathedral, you will likely have seen the Caritas Deaf Service team interpreting for members of the Deaf Community. For Deaf people to be fully included in parish life, having interpreters for the Mass is just a small part of the bigger picture. As one member of our community put it: ‘It is so important to have access to my faith in sign language so I can truly understand what it means.’
And another:
‘When the priest reads his homily, I feel so lonely and isolated when there is no BSL interpreter there. He could give me a copy of his homily afterwards but never does.’
It is also important for Deaf people to feel part of the social side of the Church; that they can share their gifts and talents, take part in parish pilgrimages or trips, to fully participate in of all parish life. This is made possible by having people in the parish who can sign. By chatting to Deaf people over tea or coffee after Mass, on a trip, or at those difficult times when someone is in hospital or has been bereaved, allows Deaf people to feel like full members of the parish community.
‘Seeing someone sign as I arrive at church makes me feel welcome.’
This month, 17 to 23 March is Sign Language Week. During this time there will be lots of opportunities to find out more, and to consider if this is a ministry that God is calling you to. For more information, and for opportunities to learn British Sign Language (BSL), visit signlanguageweek.org.uk.
As one of the younger members of the Deaf Community (pictured) put it:
‘Being eight years old and profoundly Deaf, it’s important for me to have an interpreter signing BSL as it helps me understand my faith. I altar serve now and would not have been able to learn this effectively without BSL, as well as completing the Sacrament of Holy Communion. I feel included and closer to God because I can follow along just like everyone else.’
Without wishing to ignore the other half of Helen Keller’s quote, Blind Awareness Month is in October and the International Day of the Blind is on 13 November 2025; something for people to note for later in the year so we can also make sure we are fully including and celebrating the skills and talents of those in our community who are visually impaired.
We are all created in God’s image, but we are made differently. We all want to hear the Word of the Lord. To quote the famous Deaf poet, Dorothy Miles, ‘Deaf people hear with their eyes and hearts.’ We need to make sure we are able to communicate in a way that makes this possible.
Find out more
Scan the QR code to learn more about Caritas Deaf Service, or visit caritaswestminster.org.uk/deafservice.
If you would like to support our work, donations can be made at caritaswestminster.org.uk/deafservice/donate.
Beyond Autonomy: How Assisted Suicide breaks relationships
Professor Jacob Phillips
Jacob Phillips is Professor of Systematic Theology at St Mary's University, Twickenham and author of the book, Obedience is Freedom.
The debates surrounding assisted suicide will continue throughout 2025, with the parliamentary committee charged with scrutinising the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill sitting later this month. Many of these debates will already be familiar to readers of this feature. They include the very real practical concerns about, for example, the huge ambiguity of establishing if an unwell person is within the six months of death legally required to undergo assisted suicide. There is also the equally real challenge of trying to establish if someone is opting for assisted suicide because they feel they are a burden, not because they live in unbearable pain, which is the official rationale of Kim Leadbeater’s Bill.
Added to all these serious practical issues, however, we Catholics are concerned also with elements of our faith. Such elements include, of course, the first commandment, the doctrine that human beings are created in the image of God (Gen 1:27), and the corollary of this doctrine that life is a gift from God and is therefore at God’s disposal and not ours. The Catholic argument against assisted suicide is that, even were all the challenging practicalities somehow surmounted, it would always be gravely wrong in all circumstances.
Living in a religiously plural and yet relatively secularized country like Britain, there are obvious reasons as to why it is necessary for Catholics to form strategic alliances with campaigners against assisted suicide working from a purely practical standpoint. Someone who is opposed to the Bill on the basis of insufficient safeguards can and should find common cause with Catholics who believe our own lives are not for the taking in any circumstances whatsoever. Indeed, it is often prudent when discussing this issue in the workplace, the media, or indeed the parliamentary chamber, to focus on the practical side of the argument – the side which is immediately understandable to all fellow citizens.
That said, I wonder if we can perhaps open up a space between theological arguments and practical arguments. This space is the realm of culture. This is a dimension shared by all citizens, but it is one which is never entirely absent of religious commitments. As Benedict XVI wrote, ‘religion is the essential element of culture, indeed it is its determining core’. This entails that even the most thoroughgoingly secular culture will have core commitments with a religious character, meaning commitments toward ultimate things –like the purpose of human life.
The Dominican Herbert McCabe held the core commitment of secularism to be that a purposeful life consists in ‘each one of us developing his/her individual personality as far as possible’.
At first glance there seems little to disagree with here. On closer inspection, however, McCabe highlights an overemphasis on personal autonomy. It is down to each of us alone to self-develop ourselves, with little assistance from others, let alone God. What if a perceived opportunity for self-development conflicts with, say, familial responsibility, the marital covenant, or a religious vow? Most pertinently of all, are people who may be prohibited from developing their personalities in this way, like the very elderly, the infirm, and the disabled, living meaningless lives?
The reality is of course that there is much more to life than personal autonomy. Being genuinely human means to be loved by friends and family, regardless of our achievements. Being genuinely human means we love others simply by merit of their being who they are, not as a means to our own self-advantage. Being genuinely human means, as McCabe puts it – ‘I find myself, my unique personality’ precisely ‘in my relations with others’. Forsaking some autonomy for the sake of our bonds to other people, for marriage, family, or community – is not, he says, ‘a denial of self’ but rather ‘a discovery of self’.
© Mazur/CBCEW.org.uk
The important point here is that the above paragraph doesn’t make recourse to the first Commandment, Genesis 1:27, or the beautiful passages in the Catechism about our calling to holiness and sharing in the divine life (356-361). My experience is that a great many people of goodwill entirely understand that a life centred on personal autonomy is not only gravely insufficient, but can be detrimental to oneself and others. This makes sense in cultural terms. One might go so far as to suggest such convictions are central to a culture of life.
Thinking very concretely, we can imagine a focus on life’s deep connectedness to others, meaning people being more aware of how a premature, self-chosen death would impact our loved ones. It would mean loved ones themselves cherishing how a person remains who they are, the object of our love, even in the midst of inexplicable suffering. Ultimately, as put by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, it would mean that the ‘suffering of a human being is not meaningless’ but ‘an intrinsic part of our human journey’ which finds its fulfilment in Jesus Christ.
Royal Richmond
Edward Kendall
THE CHURCH OF ST ELIZABETH OF PORTUGAL RICHMOND: A Bicentennial History, Joanna Bogle; Gracewing, Leominster, 2024; ISBN 978 085244 417 7 (144 pages).
Joanna Bogle’s The Church of St Elizabeth of Portugal Richmond: A Bicentennial History offers a deep dive into the rich history and significance of the church, marking its 200th anniversary. The book is an impressive and thoughtful exploration of both the church’s heritage and its community. Bogle masterfully weaves together historical context, religious devotion, and the architectural development of the church, presenting it as not just a religious institution, but a vital part of the local community.
One of the strengths of Bogle’s work is her ability to balance detailed historical facts with engaging narratives about the people who shaped and were shaped by the church. Through meticulous
research, she provides a comprehensive account of its founding, the challenges it faced, and the milestones it has achieved, particularly through service to the Catholic community in Richmond. Notably, she highlights the church’s connection to French history, as King Louis-Philippe of France briefly resided in the parish during his exile in the nineteenth century. The book further reveals that his grandson the Compte de Paris was also a parishioner and that the exiled Portuguese Queen Amélie frequented the parish in the early years of the twentieth century. This royal link adds an extra dimension to the church’s historical significance, situating it within the broader context of European history.
The book’s strength lies in its accessibility; while deeply informative, it remains approachable for readers with varying levels of prior knowledge about the church or its context. Bogle’s writing is clear and evocative, capturing both the physical beauty of the church and its spiritual significance.
While the book is undoubtedly a celebration of the church’s bicentennial, it also serves as a reminder of the broader themes of faith, community, and tradition. It’s a valuable resource for those interested in religious history, architecture, or the history of Richmond itself, and it provides an insightful look at the way places of worship continue to influence and support communities.
In conclusion, The Church of St Elizabeth of Portugal Richmond: A Bicentennial History is an excellent read for anyone with an interest in local history, religious culture, and the history of this remarkable church. Bogle has crafted a work that not only honours the church’s heritage, but also brings it to life for future generations.
In retrospect: from the Cathedral Chronicle
Westminster Cathedral Chronicle, March 1925
General Calendar: Notes Ecclesiastical and General (excerpts)
N.B. Since the reform of the General Roman Calendar in 1969, Pope St Gregory the Great’s feast day has been celebrated on 3 September, the date his Papacy began. It remains 12 March in the Eastern Churches and in the traditional Roman calendar
2. John F. Bentley, architect of Westminster Cathedral, died, 1902.
6. Ss Perpetua and Felicitas were young married women of good family. The account of their sufferings, generally regarded as authentic, tells us that they, with their Christian slaves, were thrown to the beasts in the Amphitheatre at Carthage. St Augustine comments on their names and suggests that if we take our sufferings as light-heartedly as they took theirs, we may attain to ‘perpetual felicity’ of disposition.
7. Ember Saturday, one of the days appointed for ordinations. In olden days ordinations began after sunset and finished on the Sunday morning. Notice that the Gospel of Saturday and of Sunday is the same—perhaps this explains the reason why, like the Apostle selected for the manifestation on Mount Tabor, priests are called to the Altar for special union with God. For many centuries the days appointed for ordinations have been the four Ember Saturdays, the Saturday before Passion Sunday, and Holy Saturday. For special reasons permission is sometimes given to ordain on a Sunday or day of obligation.
10. The story of the holy Forty Martyrs has its lesson. They were forty soldiers of the garrison of Sebaste, in Armenia, who refused (in the year 320) to offer sacrifice to idols. After much torturing they were exposed naked on a frozen lake, a tepid bath being placed on the bank as a temptation to them to apostatise. One succumbed to the tempting warmth, but, even so, died. His place was taken by their guard who there and then declared his faith in the Christian religion. Thus forty died together.
11. The first British daily paper published in 1702. It consisted of a single page of two columns and professed to give only foreign news. Comments were not made, the editor ‘supposing other people to have sense enough to make reflections for themselves.’
12. St Gregory the Great. Patron Saint of Westminster Cathedral Choir School. It is related of the Saint that he imposed rather severe punishment on a monk who had been convicted of avarice, and even denied the monk
consolation on his death-bed by way of example to the rest of the community. Thirty days after his death, Gregory repented his harshness and ordered that a Mass should be said daily for the repose of the soul of the monk. On the thirtieth day the monk appeared to one of his brethren and declared that on that very day he had been received into the communion of saints. The story led to the practice of offering thirty Masses for the deceased, still called the ‘Gregorian Masses’.
19. At the end of the fifteenth century a feast of St Joseph was already instituted on this day. In 1621 it was made a feast day for the Church throughout the world, and in 1870 Pius IX proclaimed St Joseph protector of the universal Church.
22. Fourth Sunday of Lent, or Mid Lent Sunday. The organ is played at Mass and Vespers, and rose-coloured vestments are worn instead of purple. On this day in the Archdiocese of Westminster the time for fulfilling the Easter Precept of Communion begins. It does not end till Trinity Sunday, 7 June. Nevertheless, do not put it off!
23. The Cardinal Archbishop [Bourne] is sixty-four to-day.
28. Crimean War began in 1854.
Westminster Cathedral Chronicle, March 1955
Family Affairs by ‘E.K.’
What do other families with young children do about family prayers? I suppose most people who either don’t have families or don’t have prayers picture it as a sweetly peaceful affair with a slightly Victorian touch. Ours begin all right, everyone kneels down and crosses themselves with varying degrees of skill and attention, we begin the first ‘Our Father’ of the Rosary, then Guy drops his rosary, Vicky sighs loudly and begins to scratch herself, Thomas notices a lost toy under the armchair and disappears after it, and Rose goes away altogether to find something noisier to do. By the time we have reassembled them and maybe reached the middle of the first decade, Guy has forgotten what he is doing and is staring at the fire while Angela glares at him severely, and Thomas is sulking. Rose then insists on being picked up by her father, and afterwards amuses herself by trying to get her fingers in his mouth, nose, ears, etc. I feel that even St John of the Cross would have found prayer difficult under the circumstances.
Cardinal confers Confirmation
Congratulations to the 13 adults who recently received the Sacrament of Confirmation at the hands of Cardinal Vincent Nichols.
Jubilee Jubilarians
On the eve of Candlemas, Cardinal Nichols celebrated Mass for the religious of the Diocese. Among them, 14 sisters were celebrating milestone anniversaries of their religious profession, including 2 Silver Jubilarians, 1 Gold, and 11 Diamond; a total of 760 years of religious life between them.
Filipino Chaplaincy Mass
In late January, Fr Francis Cruz CM celebrated the first parish Filipino Mass in the Cathedral’s chapel of ease, Sacred Heart, Horseferry Road, followed by a party in Cathedral Hall. Along with an army of musicians and usherettes, we were pleased to welcome Rhenita Rodriguez, Consul General of the Philippine Embassy here in London. A Filipino Mass will now be celebrated each month on the third Sunday at 3pm in Horseferry Road.
An Octogintennial Celebration
A happy (now belated) 80th birthday to the wonderful Sr Angelina. Despite being allergic to attention, we could not let such a joyful occasion pass by without celebrating the longest serving, and most devoted resident in Clergy House.
The Westminster Way
‘A pilgrimage on foot is a great aid for rediscovering the value of silence, effort and simplicity of life. In the coming year, pilgrims of hope will surely travel the ancient and more modern routes in order to experience the Jubilee to the full.’
To celebrate the Jubilee Year, the Diocese of Westminster has created a seven-mile pilgrim route in the steps of saints and martyrs, our ‘Beacons of Hope’, beginning at Tower Hill and ending at Westminster Cathedral.
To download a leader’s guide and a pilgrim passport, visit: rcdow.org.uk/jubilee-2025/westminster-way
(Spes non confundit 5)
Pursuing the Westminster Way
Joe Allen, Coordinator
Regular readers of Oremus will have spotted the new initiative of the Diocese for the Jubilee Year in the February edition [and opposite]. ‘The Westminster Way’ is a seven-mile pilgrim route, following in the steps of saints and martyrs from Tower Hill to Westminster Cathedral.
Some of the stops along the way will be very familiar to the Friends, such as St Mary Moorfields, which we visited last May, and Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane, which we visited last June. The route also takes in a variety of points with special resonance to the faith, including the birthplaces of St John Henry Newman, St Thomas Becket, and St Thomas More. There are also many ruins, sites and street names that point to our rich heritage. Along the ‘Way’ there are a variety of prayers and reflections to accompany each stop, and explore in the particular expressions of sainthood; martyr, missionary, servant, scholar, and prophet.
This initiative is too good an opportunity for the Friends to pass by. Why? Not only is it in keeping with our fondness for walking escapades, but it also allows us to engage in the particular spiritual opportunities of the Jubilee Year. Indeed, Spes non confundit notes that travelling ‘the ancient and more modern routes’ will allow people to ‘experience the Jubilee to the full’ (§5).
So, what’s the plan? We are intending to organise a Friends Pilgrimage Day, on a Saturday in May or June 2025 (date TBC soon), to walk the entire sevenmile route. If this distance is too much for you, we will also produce a timetable allowing people to join us for lunch, or particular stops along the way. The
aim is to reach Westminster Cathedral by mid-late afternoon, to allow for Mass and Confession, and to attain the plenary indulgence under the usual conditions.
The point of this announcement is, therefore, to gauge interest and to begin planning. You might want to:
• Register for further updates.
• Form part of the core walking group leading us in prayer at one of the churches.
• Welcome people at the halfway point who are joining for the afternoon.
• Do none of the walking, but bring biscuits to one of the stops.
• Offer to be our group medic if you are first-aid trained!
Perhaps you’re an expert in St Thomas More or Victorian London, and want to share some of your expertise with the group. There might be a particular group or community who you think we should invite along. There’s plenty to get involved in, and this day stands to be one of community, physical vigour(!), and exploration, as we journey along the Westminster Way in this Jubilee Year as pilgrims of hope.
Want to express your interest, suggestions, or offers? Email Joe at friends@rcdow.org.uk.
© Wikimedia Commons, Spudgun67
2025
The Apostle of Yorkshire, Blessed William Hart
At Douay he was a model to the future martyrs there by his fortitude under the most acute and almost continual pain from the [kidney] stone. In England, Yorkshire was the field of his priestly labours, and, though they were for little over a year, their success was such as to earn for him the title of Apostle of that county. His special devotion was to the Catholic prisoners in their fetid dungeons. Betrayed by an apostate, he was imprisoned underground in York Castle and doubly fettered, as he seemed so elated. He begged his spiritual children to remain indoors on the day of his execution unless they could assist at it with a joyful face and a tranquil mien. He was hanged at York, March 15, 1583. Clifford’s Tower, York Castle
The Month of March
The Holy Father’s Prayer Intentions For families in crisis
Let us pray that broken families might discover the cure for their wounds through forgiveness, rediscovering each other’s gifts, even in their differences.
Saturday 1 March
St DAVID, Bishop & Patron of Wales
9.30am – 4.30pm A Day with Mary
4pm Low Mass (Blessed Sacrament Chapel)
6pm Marriage Preparation Course Couples attend Mass
The Cathedral is open from 7.30am and closes in time for 7pm.
Monday to Friday: Morning Prayer 7.35am, Mass 8am, Mass (Latin, unless there is a Funeral) 10.30am, Confessions 11.30-12.30pm, Mass 12.30pm *, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 1.15-4.30pm, Benediction 4.30pm, Confessions 4.30-5.30pm, Sung Vespers 5pm (Latin, Choir, except Tuesday, English, Cantor), Solemn Mass 5.30pm (Choir, Tuesday: Boys’ voices, Wednesday: Men’s voices)
Saturday: Mass 8am, Morning Prayer 10am, Mass 10.30am (Latin, Choir,) Confessions 11.30-12.30pm, Mass 12.30pm *, Confessions 5-6pm, Sung Vespers 5.30pm (English, Cantor), Sung Mass 6pm.
Sunday: Mass 8am, Sung Morning Prayer 9.30am, Sung Mass 10am, Confessions 10.30-12.30pm; Solemn Mass (Choir) 12noon *, Solemn Vespers (Choir) and Benediction 4pm, Confessions 5-6.45pm, Sung Mass 5.30pm, Mass 7pm.
For full opening and closure times of the Cathedral and for confession and service times please consult the Cathedral diary on the website.
* Live streamed via the Cathedral website
Sunday 2 March Ps Week 4
8th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
12 noon
Solemn Mass (Full Choir)
Palestrina – Missa Papæ Marcelli
Byrd – Laudibus in Sanctis
Organ: Pott – Toccata
4pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction
Tallis – Magnificat octavi toni
Dupré – O salutaris hostia
Organ: Messiaen – Appartition de l’eglise éternelle
4.30pm Mass for the Deaf Community (Cathedral Hall)
5.30pm Enrolment Mass for Youth Confirmations
Monday 3 March Feria
Tuesday 4 March Feria
(St Casimir)
5.30pm Chapter Mass
Wednesday 5 March Ps Week 4
ASH WEDNESDAY Fast & Abstinence Ashes will be imposed at all Masses
5.30pm Solemn Mass (Full Choir) Plainsong – Mass XVIII
Byrd – In felix ego
Byrd – Emendemus in melius
Thursday 6 March Lent Feria
Friday 7 March Friday abstinence
Lent Feria
(Ss Perpetua & Felicity, Martyrs) Women’s World Day of Prayer 6.15pm Stations of the Cross
Saturday 8 March
Lent Feria
(St John of God, Religious) 2.30pm The Rite of Election 3pm Jubilee Volunteers Fair (Cathedral Hall) 6pm Westminster Cathedral Junior Voices sing at Mass
Sunday 9 March Ps Week 1
1st SUNDAY OF LENT
12 noon Solemn Mass (Full Choir) Byrd – Mass for five voices
Malcolm – Scapulis suis
Byrd – Ave verum corpus
4pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction
Palestrina – Magnificat quarti toni
Allegri – Miserere mei Deus
Monday 10 March
Lent Feria
Tuesday 11 March
Lent Feria
Wednesday 12 March
Lent Feria
Thursday 13 March
Lent Feria
St David
Friday 14 March Friday abstinence
Lent Feria
Family Fast Day
6.15pm Stations of the Cross
Saturday 15 March
Lent Feria
12.30pm Polish Airmen’s Association Memorial Mass
Sunday 16 March Ps Week 2
2nd SUNDAY OF LENT
12 noon Solemn Mass (Full Choir) Palestrina – Missa Aspice Domine
Pizzetti – De profundis
4pm Civic Service for the Lord Mayor of Westminster
Lassus – Magnificat primi toni
Poulenc – Timor et tremor
Monday 17 March
St PATRICK, Bishop & Patron of Ireland 8, 10.30am Mass in St Patrick’s Chapel
Tuesday 18 March
Lent Feria
(St Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop & Doctor)
7.35am Morning Prayer, 8, 10.30am Mass in the Crypt
12.30pm Mass, 5pm Evening Prayer, 5.30pm Mass in Cathedral Hall
7.30pm Bach, St John Passion (ticketed)
Wednesday 19 March
St JOSEPH, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Patron of the Diocese
8, 10.30am Mass in St Joseph’s Chapel
5.30pm Solemn Mass (Full Choir) Byrd – Mass for five voices
Malcolm – Veritas mea
Parsons – Ave Maria
Thursday 20 March
Lent Feria
5.30pm Mass with the Investiture of the Lord Mayor as a Knight of St Gregory (Bishop Hudson)
Friday 21 March Friday abstinence
Lent Feria
6.15pm Stations of the Cross
Saturday 22 March
Lent Feria
6pm Visiting Choir; RCIA First Scrutiny
Sunday 23 March Ps Week 3
3rd SUNDAY OF LENT
12 noon Solemn Mass (Full Choir)
Rheinberger – Cantus missæ
Tallis – In ieiunio et fletu
4pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction
Victoria – Magnificat primi toni
MacMillan – Ave Maris Stella
Monday 24 March
Lent Feria
Tuesday 25 March
THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD
5.30pm Solemn Mass
Plainsong – Mass IX
Schubert – Ave Maria
Wednesday 26 March
Lent Feria
Thursday 27 March
Lent Feria
Friday 28 March Friday abstinence
Lent Feria
6.15pm Stations of the Cross
Saturday 29 March
Lent Feria
Sunday 30 March Ps Week 4
4th SUNDAY OF LENT (Lætare)
12 noonSolemn Mass with RCIA Second Scrutiny
4pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction
Monday 31 March
Lent Feria
Key to the Diary: Saints’ days and holy days written in BOLD CAPITAL LETTERS denote Sundays and Solemnities, CAPITAL LETTERS denote Feasts, and those not in capitals denote Memorials, whether optional or otherwise. Memorials in brackets are not celebrated liturgically.
What Happens and When
Catholic Evidence Guild
Clergy House Room 2, Tuesdays 7pm
Catholic Grandparents’ Association Hinsley Room,
Second Sundays 12-3.30pm
Charismatic Prayer Group
Cathedral Hall, Fridays 6.30-9pm
Divine Mercy Prayer Group
St Patrick’s Chapel, Sundays 1.30-2.30pm
Filipino Club
Cathedral Hall, Second Sunday 1-5pm
Guild of the Blessed Sacrament Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Mondays 6.15pm
Guild of St Anthony Lady Chapel, Tuesdays 6.15pm
Interfaith Group Hinsley Room, Third Wednesdays 1.30 -3pm
Legion of Mary Hinsley Room, Monday 1.30-3.30pm
Nigerian Catholic Association Hinsley Room, Fourth Sundays 1.30-2.30pm
Oblates of Westminster Cathedral Hinsley Room, Fourth Sundays 2.30-4pm
Padre Pio Prayer Group
Sacred Heart Church, First Thursdays 1.30-3.30pm
Rosary Group
Lady Chapel, Saturdays 11.15-12.00noon
Walsingham Prayer Group
St George’s Chapel, First Tuesdays 2.30-4pm
Yoruba Association Hinsley Room, Third Sundays 1.30-3pm
The Annunciation
Fr Lawrence Lew OP
Clues Across
1 Had the same reservations as St Thomas? (7)
6 See 6 Down
8 Spanish wine (5)
9 See 24 Across
10 Saxe-Coburg-….., dynastic House of King Edward VII (5)
11 Number of times Peter told he would deny Jesus (6)
13 Patron Saint of Scotland (6)
15 Strip of cloth for decoration or a girl’s hair (6)
17 Reference to a mad person and Hitchcock classic (6)
20 Part of British Isles whose Saint’s Feast Day is 1 March (5)
21 Makes nominal change (7)
23 General reference to river plants wherein Moses found (5)
24 & 9: Thanks be to God (3,7)
25 Saint whose Feast Day is 17 March (7)
Clues Down
1 Relationship of Goneril to King Lear (8)
2 Not just (6)
3 Hansom ubiquitous London item (4)
4 Item of lady’s wardrobe (5)
5 Centurion who pierced the side of Christ on Calvary (8)
6 & 6 Across: Seasonal chocolate confection (6,3)
7 Francisco, Romantic Spanish artist (4)
12 Covered arcade in monastery (8)
14 On which the Speaker of the House of Lords sits (8)
16 Ravel dance made famous by Torvill and Dean (6)
18 Types of clouds (6)
19 Understanding to hold on to? (5)
20 St Margaret, martyr, the ‘Pearl of Tyburn’, statue in St Etheldreda’s (4)
22 Famous Oxford Street store for the one following? (4)
A Psalm of Life
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1838)
What the heart of the young man said to the psalmist.
Tell me not, in mournful numbers, Life is but an empty dream! For the soul is dead that slumbers, And things are not what they seem.
Life is real! Life is earnest! And the grave is not its goal; Dust thou art, to dust returnest, Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow, Is our destined end or way; But to act, that each to-morrow Find us farther than to-day.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting, And our hearts, though stout and brave, Still, like muffled drums, are beating Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world’s broad field of battle, In the bivouac of Life, Be not like dumb, driven cattle! Be a hero in the strife!
Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant! Let the dead Past bury its dead! Act, — act in the living Present! Heart within, and God o’erhead!
Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime, And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time;
Footprints, that perhaps another, Sailing o’er life’s solemn main, A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart for any fate; Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labo[u]r and to wait.
To submit a poem whether by yourself or another for consideration, please contact the Editor – details on page 3.
H. Winthrop Peirce, 1891
A Completed Pilgrimage of Curiosities
Last month, the Westminster Cathedral Interfaith Group paid a visit to the tent-shaped Mausoleum of explorer Sir Richard Burton (1821-90), and Lady Burton (1831-96), in the Roman Catholic churchyard of St Mary Magdalen, Mortlake. Built to resemble the tent used on their travels, such as the search for the source of the Nile, it is rich in Muslim and Christian imagery. This year, Habitats and Heritage plan to restore the door, so that visitors can enter the tomb. More information can be found at www.habitatsandheritage.org.uk.
We were also given a fascinating tour of the church by Fr Adrian McKenna-Whyte, for which we were most grateful. This included Sir Richard’s memorial stained-glass window, erected by his widow in the lady chapel.
In a change of plan, rather than visit the Egyptian-style Kilmorney Mausoleum in Twickenham, we then made our way to the Buddhapadipa Temple in Wimbledon, for a stimulating discussion with Ven Dr Laow Panyasiri (Arjahn).
The Interfaith Group also meets in the Hinsley Room from 1.30pm to 3pm on the third Wednesday each month and will begin studying Dilexit nos, Pope Francis’ encyclical letter on the Sacred Heart. Copies are available online and at St Paul’s bookshop. All are welcome to join – refreshments provided.
John Woodhouse
