European Adventure Recap - Westminster Cathedral

Friday October 23, 2009

London, England

Westminster Cathedral "is the mother-church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster. "

The Architect was John Francis Bentley The inscription on the front of the building roughly means - "Master Jesus the King and Redeemer, by your blood you saved us"

The inside was peaceful and somber - a mass was just finishing when we came in You can see the use of several colors of marble on the walls, columns and railings

It was colorful, but contrasted nicely with the dark ceiling

I'm not sure if this confessional is still used or not....seemed too public of a place to confess all your sins.....with sightseers roaming about.

This was a room along the side corridor - it is the "Chapel of St. Paul"

Here's an excerpt from the Cathedral's Website..."In this Chapel we pray for those who seek Christian belief, as well as those who spread the gospel, and all those persecuted for their faith." Since Paul was a tent-maker, the ceiling was made to look like the inside of a tent and the walls depicted Paul's conversion story.

This richly ornamented ceiling is located in the "Holy Souls Chapel". This chapel is dedicated to those that the Catholic Church believes are "awaiting final purification which will enable them to enter Heaven." (source) People come here to pray for the souls of people who have passed on, so that they might get into Heaven.

Of course, we know the Truth - that if you have asked Jesus into your heart and confessed your sins and accepted His grace and mercy, knowing that He is Lord and the one way to Heaven, we don't have to worry about praying for your poor soul that is stuck in the in-between.

But still, it makes for a beautiful Chapel.

The Baptismal Font

This is the corridor between the main Altar & Seating and the smaller Chapels