Westminster Cathedral is the informal name for the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood, and it's the mother church of the Roman Catholic faith in England and Wales. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster and is very much a working cathedral. Holy Mass is held throughout every day; sometimes in Latin, sometimes in the form of a Solemn Mass and sometimes a sung Vigil Mass.
The nearest Tube stations are Victoria and St James's Park. The cathedral dates from 1903, with its foundation stone being laid in 1895.
I love the way you have the sun striating over the Tower in this photo.
This is another view of the Campanile (Tower), which shoots 210 ft (64 m) into the air. It has a viewing gallery (with a lift- it's seven floors up, but you don't have to climb stairs!)
The style of architecture is early Christian Byzantine, and is inspired by sixth century buildings in Ravenna, Italy, and also by St Mark's Basilica, in Venice...
...These in turn were inspired by the great domed church called Santa Sophia, in Constantinople (now Istanbul), which is considered to be an architectural masterpiece.
The cathedral is the largest Catholic church in England and Wales, and can seat up to 2,000 people.
It's not the first time I've visited here- the first was in 1997, after my first graduation, which was in nearby Central Hall Westminster. Unfortunately, I no longer have photographs of that.
A cathedral takes its name from "Cathedra" or chair of the bishop; being a symbol of his authority and responsibility to teach the Christian faith.
In we go, and the first thing I feasted my eyes upon was this confessional. The cathedral has 11 in total, as you'd probably expect from a building with a floor space that covers an area of about 5017m² (54,000 square feet).
There are several little chapels off to the side of the nave, and this one's the Chapel of St Gregory and St Augustine. St Gregory the Great became Pope in 590 AD, and St Augustine was a Benedictine monk from the same monastery in Rome.The ninth Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal George Basil Hume (1923-1999) is buried here.
It's always important to look up as well as down, and these figures include St Augustine with a picture of Christ which he brought to England.
The mosaics in here were installed between 1902-04.
Behind that is the Baptistry, with a Byzantine-style baptismal font.
Next is the Chapel of St Patrick and the Saints of Ireland. St Patrick (387-461 AD) is the Patron Saint of Ireland, and the bronze statue of him dates from 1961.
Next along is the Chapel of St Andrew and the Saints of Scotland. The decoration was completed in 1916, and carried out by the Arts and Crafts Movement.
The Chapel of St Paul. He travelled widely and converted many non-Jews to Christianity. He was executed in about 64 AD.The mosaics date from 1964-5, and I really love the stars on the inset dome. They symbolise the Dome of Heaven, and connect earthly worshippers with the divine.
The Lady Chapel is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is much venerated in the Catholic faith. Above the altar is Christ represented as the Tree of Life.
Over 100 animals, birds and insects are depicted here, in mosaic form.
Standing at the back of the cathedral, looking down the aisle towards the sanctuary. The crucifix hanging down over the high altar is 30 ft high, and I do like the Gothic chandeliers.
Standing in the nave, looking back towards the door. Photography is allowed in the cathedral, just not whilst Mass- or Eucharist- is taking place.
Behind the high altar stands a crucifix and seven candlesticks, first used during the consecration of the cathedral in 1910. Behind that is where the choir sit, and to the side are stalls for the priests, readers and altar servers. This was as close as I could get- as you can see, the area's cordoned off.
The Church of the Blessed Sacrament sits next to the sanctuary (those being the two most sacred parts of the cathedral). The Blessed Sacrament refers to the body and blood of Christ, represented by the bread and wine of the Eucharist.This is an area for silent prayer, and the votive candles at the front of the chapel symbolise prayer. The mosaics were installed between 1960-62.
This is the Chapel of St Thomas of Canterbury. It is also known as the Vaughan Chantry, as here lies the tomb of the cathedral's founder, Cardinal Herbert Vaughan (1832-1903).
The mosaics above the altar here date from 2003-06, but it's quite hard to make then out from this photo, taken through the bars.
This is the Chapel of St Joseph. Cardinal Hinsley, the fifth Archbishop of Westminster is buried in this chapel. He died in 1943, and is known for encouraging people with his radio broadcasts during the Second World War. The apse features the Holy Family- Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and is in the Byzantine style.
The ceiling mosaic was supplied by the Mosaic Workshop of London between 2003-06.
The Chapel of St George and the English Martyrs. The altarpiece depicts the Crucifixion; with Christ as priest and king surrounded by St Thomas More and St John Fisher, who were two famous martyrs.
On the ceiling the mosaic design depicts the burning names of 40 Catholic martyrs of the 16th and 17th centuries. The design was completed in 2016. This cathedral definitely has a "modern" feel about it, compared to some of the other religious buildings I've been in, but that's maybe because it is comparatively modern!
The Chapel of the Holy Souls illustrates the notion of Purgatory- the period after death where Christian souls are cleansed and made ready to be with God in Paradise. This was my favourite chapel- it has been described as "shimmering" and it certainly is.
Back in the nave, and here's the cathedral pulpit, which is decorated with inlaid marble and mosaic.
By the shop, and this gild board commemorates the Archbishops of Westminster. The Campanile is reached by walking through the shop.
Up in the lift we went, and the Campanile consists of four areas protected by bars. I made sure to push my camera between the bars, or edit them out.
The BT Communication Tower (formerly know as the Post Office Tower) is practically in the centre of this photo. It dates from 1964 and, for a while it was London's tallest building.
The piercing spike to the centre of the photo is The Shard, and the building with the flag in front of that is the Victoria Tower, which is part of the Houses of Parliament, and which houses parliamentary documents.
I was trying to locate the dome of St Paul's Cathedral, but it's hidden behind skyscrapers...
You can see the chimneys of Battersea Power Station here...
...It's a decommissioned coal-fired power station, which now contains restaurants, bars and shops.
The green domes are part of this cathedral...
I believe that's Victoria Station down there. I think the one thing the Tower was lacking was little boards beside each nook describing what it is exactly that we're overlooking.
The view is breathtaking from up here...
The Campanile is simply brilliant, and was the highlight of my day- don't leave the cathedral without doing it.
I did walk round and take in the city from all four viewing stations more than once...
Look closely, and you can see people chillin' out on the rooftop gardens and balconies...
We did comment that the older buildings look nicer than the modern chrome edifices...
...But I personally think there's room for both, and like the juxtaposition of the old with the new.
It was a warm day when we visited, with beautiful blue skies.
One final look down the nave, and the cathedral was relatively easy to traverse; being a simple cross shape with not too many offbeat nooks and crannies.
Holy water is either water from a sacred source, or ordinary water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy. You can fill your own vial and take it home, for personal blessing.
I'll leave you with a final view of the Campanile...
Westminster Cathedral, I will return, and this time I won't leave it quite so long!
Until then,
TTFN
The Miss Elaineous
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