On Monday 15th June, to mark the reopening of churches for individual prayer, Cardinal Vincent Nichols and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby prayed together in Westminster Cathedral and Abbey to mark this 'moment of grace,' as the Cardinal said in his homily for Corpus Christi.
As the West Doors opened for the first time in nearly three months, they were greeted by Acting Administrator Fr Daniel Humphreys and Precentor Fr Andrew Gallagher.
Proceeding into the sacred space, they knelt in socially-distant prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
Leaving the Cathedral, they walked across Victoria Street to Westminster Abbey.
Arriving at the Abbey, they were greeted by the Dean of Westminster Dr David Hoyle, who took them to the Shrine of St Edward the Confessor where they prayed in silence.
Praying together was a visual reminder of the importance of prayer in churches and to emphasise the significance of this day.
A steady stream of visitors came throughout the day to the Cathedral, which had been transformed by a number measures to maintain hygiene and social distancing. There was a prayerful atmosphere and a feeling of joy and relief to be praying once again before the Blessed Sacrament in the Cathedral.
Prior to the reopening of our churches, the Cardinal spoke to Matt Frei about the importance to Catholics of open churches on LBC Radio.
More photos from the day are available here and here.
Photos: Mazur/CBCEW.org.uk
