Cardinal Vincent ordained Bishop Nicholas Hudson on 4 June 2014 in a Solemn Mass at Westminster Cathedral. Cardinal Vincent was the Principal Celebrant and and was assisted by principal co-consecrating bishops, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor and Archbishop Peter Smith, Archbishop of Southwark.
After the presentation of the Bishop-elect, Monsignor Vincent Brady presented the Apostolic Letter on behalf of the Papal Nuncio, who was unable to attend. The letter was read by Fr Jeremy Trood, Chancellor of the Diocese, and it appointed Bishop Nicholas Auxiliary of the Metropolitan Church of Westminster and named him to the titular see of St Germans.
The ordination was also attended by the Most Reverend Michael Bowen, Emeritus Archbishop of Southwark; the Most Reverend Arthur Roche, Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments; 25 bishops from across England and Wales and Europe; two abbots and over 180 priests.
Ecumenical guests included the former Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Baron Williams of Oystermouth, bishops and deans from the Church of England, and representatives from the Orthodox Churches.
In his homily, Cardinal Vincent referred to “the anointing from which Jesus takes his title as ‘the Christ’, ‘the Anointed One’, a reality of grace in which we are invited to share.”
He spoke about the anointing with chrism at baptism, confirmation and the ordination of priests before continuing, “Today, Mgr Nicholas Hudson will be anointed with chrism on the crown of his head, a sign through which the grace and character of episcopal ordination is conferred upon him by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Addressing the new Bishop directly, Cardinal Vincent went on to say, “Through this anointing, the bishop, you, Nicholas, are now bound so closely to Christ, the Bridegroom, that you look on the Church, on us all, with the eyes and the love of Christ himself. With this anointing you change posts, as it were, now standing with the Bridegroom. That is why we see in the bishop a special presence of our beloved Lord.”
Recalling the Lord’s question to St Peter, “Peter, do you love me more than these?”, the Cardinal spoke about it as ‘a question addressed not in order to elicit precedence or privilege or any cause for boasting, but simply the measure of the service that Peter is going to give.
“It is an unmistakable sign that discipleship is costly. We may like to think that we have chosen to follow the Lord, to enthrone him as our Master. But in fact he has chosen us, and he will do with us just whatever he wants, for the sake of his kingdom.”
Cardinal Vincent finished with these words of welcome, “You are here for the sake of his kingdom and in receiving you as his gift we know that we need you, your goodness, your experience, your clarity of mind but most of all your love of the Lord.”
As is customary, at the end of Mass, Cardinal Vincent led Bishop Nicholas through the Cathedral so he could confer a blessing on all who had come to join him in the celebration.
For more photographs of the Ordination click here.
