Tuesday 13 October 2009

St Thérèse in Westminster

Last night the relics of St Thérèse arrived at Westminster Cathedral, their final stop. Crowds gathered inside the Cathedral and outside on the Piazza to watch the arrival.

Bishop John Arnold incensed the relics at the main west doors of the Cathedral; the Cathedral Chapter were also present to receive the relics.

Here the relics are being put into place. Second from the left on this photo is Mark Prickett, a seminarian of the Lancaster Diocese who is studying at Allen Hall in Chelsea. It seems as though the Allen Hall students played a part in procedings here and at Notting Hill Carmel, which the relics had visited earlier in the day.

The Cathedral has been divided into two halves for the visit: one part contains the sanctuary and will be used for all the liturgies; the other contains the reliquary. This allows veneration to continue throughout the time that the relics are present. You can see more pictures of the relics in Westminster at www.catholicrelics.co.uk.