Seventy-five years ago on 28th April 1949, St James Church in Spanish Place was consecrated in a ceremony lasting five-and-a-half hours and celebrated by no less than six bishops.
On Sunday, Cardinal Vincent Nichols presided at a Mass commemorating the anniversary of this remarkable occasion. He gave thanks for the generations of Catholics who have received the sacraments and the clergy who have ministered there.
In his homily, the Cardinal noted the 'circumstances of strain and suspicion' of the early history of the parish, and the contribution of the Spanish Embassy, formerly situated in Manchester Square, to nurturing the faith of Catholics during those times.
In 1890, the current church was opened for worship, but it was not until 1949 that it was consecrated.
Today, the Cardinal added, 'we worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, a beauty reflected in this church and a beauty that the years have not dimmed'.
This beauty, he said, was reflected not only in the liturgy, music and surroundings, but also in the parish's 'outward-looking apostolate, through its care for the homeless in soup kitchens, friendship and practical support, through ministry to patients in the several hospitals within its boundaries'.
More on the consecration and the history of St James, Spanish Place can be found on the parish's website
Photo: Mazur/CBCEW.org.uk (Additional photos from the Mass are available here)
