Cardinal's Homilies

This evening it is a great pleasure to welcome our new Apostolic Nuncio, His Excellency Archbishop Edward Adams.  The fact that today is the celebration of American Independence adds an additional savour to this moment, and I thank you, Your E...Read more

Today we celebrate the birthday of a herald, John the Baptist, who came as a voice in the wilderness, crying 'Prepare the way of the Lord!' (Mk. 1.3)  Today we celebrate the ordination to the priesthood of these seven men, good and true, w...Read more

Dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,  The words of the Gospel we have just heard contain a remarkable promise: 'Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever' (John 6:58). This promise of everlasting life comes to its fulfilment in the...Read more

At the heart of our celebration today is thanksgiving to God for the Vincentian charism that has been lived out for four hundred years this year. This is, therefore, a wonderful moment and one that is truly to be celebrated. But, please note, that...Read more

Golden jubilees are a time for memories. And today is no exception as we celebrate this bold and magnificent Cathedral of Christ the King. This cathedral enjoys a one-hundred-and-fifty-year history. Its first design was presented in 1853 by Edw...Read more

'Thy Kingdom Come!' These three words stand at the heart of Christian prayer. Thankfully, they have stood at the heart of much prayer in these last eight days, a prayer shared openly and deliberately by many Christians of different churches and tr...Read more

Pope Francis has spoken memorably of married couples and their families as being 'makers of history'.  What a wonderful expression! Makers of history! This goes to the heart of all that we celebrate today. You are indeed makers of history for...Read more

We are here today, in the Chapel of the Apparitions, one hundred years after the three children of Fatima were given the great gift of seeing Our Blessed Lady, on this very spot.  We have to use our imagination to visualise the scene. This was a...Read more

Given at the Mass of the day on Easter Sunday, 16 Last night there was a fire in the Cathedral. It was strong and powerful and it spread very quickly. We did not call the fire brigade. It was the Easter fire, the fire of the Resurrection of Jesus...Read more

Given at the Easter Vigil of the Holy Night, 15 Today in these words of majesty and in this sumptuous music we celebrate and we sing of his new life. We read of echoes of his victory in the past, in the history of Israel. We hear that it is ours ...Read more

In these days of Holy Week we have said 'Hosanna', save us. We have heard the In the First Reading, we heard the words of Isaiah: 'He shall be lifted up; raised to great heights.' We shall be both appalled and amazed. We witness him being...Read more

This evening we celebrate the Last Supper with his disciples of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  On Sunday we took to heart his entry into Jerusalem: his deliberate and determined journey towards his death. We accepted palms as a sign of pe...Read more

With this ceremony of the Chrism Mass, we are entering the holiest days of the Church's year. Here we stand at the threshold, ready to step gratefully into the mystery of faith, the vast landscape of the great plan of God for our human family. In ...Read more

The first reading in our Mass this evening is one of the most beautiful and evocative passages in the Bible. These words of Ezekiel flow throughout the Biblical texts. They are echoed in the words of Jesus as he proclaims: 'If anyone is thirsty,...Read more