Cardinal's Homilies
Among the most persecuted people in the world today are the followers of Jesus Christ, Christians. This persecution happens in many places and takes many different forms: personal mockery, social exclusion, violence. But it is true. Maybe this...Read more
Today we celebrate this centenary of Loreto College, St Albans. In doing so we rejoice in the great Loreto tradition of education, which is now world-wide and has such a strong vision of personal formation through education. On your College…Read more
Our celebration of Mass this evening is rich in texture and vibrant, full of colour and energy. Thank you! Yes, this International Mass is my opportunity to thank you all for your presence and participation in the life of the Church in this...Read more
It is our privilege to be here, on our diocesan pilgrimage, on the very day of the Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham. Welcome! Welcome also to those who are coming for the Feast Day, especially to the musicians who will enrich our celebration and...Read more
It is an honour for me to address you on this day of prayer for peace in Ukraine. It is particularly fitting that I do so in your beautiful Cathedral. Here, the eye is drawn, inevitably, to the iconostasis, emphasising the holiness of the Divine...Read more
'May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.' With these words from Hamlet, echoing the Requiem Mass, King Charles concluded his first address to the nation, praying for his departed Mother, with a love for all to see. 'May the angels lead...Read more
Today we are a community and a nation in mourning. And that will endure for these next ten days or so, as we reflect on the life and blessings of Queen Elizabeth II, and as we come to terms with our sense of loss, and as we commend her soul to...Read more
On 3rd March 1858, at the 13th meeting or apparition, Our Lady instructed St Bernadette that the people should come to her in pilgrimage. Millions have done so by going to Lourdes. This weekend Our Lady's message reached us, brought to us by St...Read more
This is a great family gathering. Today, this family of the Church welcomes a daughter, a little sister, of whom we are so proud, whom we truly love, because our loving Father chose her for great things. Bernadette of Lourdes is among us. Truly,...Read more
Every time we come to Mass, we pray together 'Our Father'. It is the prayer that Jesus taught us. Day by day, it is the first prayer on our lips. It is indeed the daily bread of our prayer. In the Gospel this morning, we have heard how St Luke...Read more
Today is a day of memories, a Memorial Day. In our crowded lives, such days are important. They give us the opportunity to recall earlier inspiration, to refresh a sense of purpose, to remember lost friends and colleagues, to feel again both deep...Read more
Today, as we celebrate this great feast, we rejoice in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It was this gift, given to the first apostles in the upper room, which transformed Peter from fear into great fortitude and directness, as did his release...Read more
The feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a wonderful day on which to be ordained a priest! Today we celebrate the purity and clarity of the heart of Mary which enabled her to say 'Yes', unequivocally, to the invitation brought by the...Read more
On this Feast of St Barnabas, we have listened to the passage from the Acts of the Apostles telling us about his part in the birth of the early Church, along with Saul, shortly to become Paul. They are among the many figures that appear in this...Read more
Today we celebrate the start of the adventure of the Church. It is our birthday, the day we remember how frightened apostles became bold, how the message of our healing and wholeness began to be offered to a needy world. Today, as St Paul tells...Read more
On the inside of the cover of our Mass booklet today is the list of 19 names. These are the names of the priests of this diocese who died during the Covid-19 pandemic, in the years 2020 and 2021. Today we remember them afresh and together commend...Read more