THE P RTAL
April 2014
do you know the story of Christianity in
our country, and in particular, in London? Catholic History
Walks were started in London some five years ago. They are in a
great tradition - for decades the Guild of Our Lady of Ransom used
to hold popular “Catholic Rambles” in London, taking people and
around the City and its old churches, and to Chelsea to visit the
places associated with St Thomas More. Mgr Anthony Stark, the
Master of the Guild, taught many people so much about history
this way, and the Guild’s lectures and booklets and pilgrimages
became a strong part of Catholic life and culture.
emphasise the continuity of
the story of the Faith in our country
The current Catholic History Walks were begun by
a group associated with Miles Jesu, one of the New
Movements in the Church. The group launched an
initiative called Continuity, of which the patron was
Mgr Graham Leonard, former Anglican Bishop of
London. The idea was - and is - to emphasise the
continuity of the story of the Faith in our country. The
Catholic History Walks are all part of this, and have
in a sense taken on the tradition established by the
Ransom Guild.
Auntie Jo a n
Catholic
History Walks
How well
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prayers for our Sovereign
and our country
All the Walks conclude with prayers for our Sovereign
and our country. (At Buckingham Palace, we precede
this with three hearty cheers for Her Majesty - not sure if
she hears us, but it’s fun and we often get other passersby joining in too!)
A highlight of the year is the Martyrs Walk through
London, which starts at St Sepulchre-withoutNewgate and finishes at Tyburn Convent.
We say the Rosary on the way, and make stops at St
Giles-in-the-Fields (where we pray for all who died,
Recently the Church of the Precious Blood at both Catholic and Protestant, in the grim years of the
London Bridge - in the care of the Ordinariate of Reformation), and at St Patrick’s, Soho Square.
Our Lady of Walsingham - has become involved,
as it stands in the heart of a most historic corner of Tyburn heroes
London. From the church, we walk to the old Palace
At Tyburn, site of the gallows where St Edmund
of the Bishops of Winchester - the stone walls and the Campion and other heroes died, we have Benediction,
remains of the Rose Window can still be viewed - and opportunities for confession, and time for quiet
then along Winchester Walk, past the Clink prison, to devotion, and are also given a generous Tea by the
the river, and on to The Globe Theatre, via the house kindly nuns.
where Princess Catherine of Aragon - and a couple
of centuries later, in the same house, Sir Christopher Want to know more?
Some forthcoming Walks are:
Wren - once stayed.
Wednesday April 9th, meet 6.30pm on the steps of
Westminster Cathedral.
Walks are also organised around Westminster,
starting at Westminster Cathedral and taking a Tuesday May 13th, meet 6.30pm outside the Church
of the Most Precious Blood, O’Meara Street
route that goes down to Parliament Square and the
London SE1.
Abbey, noting streets like Abbey Orchard Street and
Sunday May 18th, meet 2.30pm outside Holy
Horseferry Road which tell their own story.
Redeemer Church, Cheyne Row, Chelsea - this
Walk includes a visit to Allen Hall seminary and
Another route takes us across St James Park to
concludes with Vespers there.
Buckingham Palace - and, pleasingly, we happened
to be doing this Walk the day the Royal Baby arrived, Sunday June 22nd - Martyrs’ Walk. Meet 1.30pm, St
Sepulchre’s Church, near the Old Bailey (nearest
and so ended up joining the crowds outside the Palace
tube: St Paul’s).
honouring the arrival of the child duly named HRH
Joanna Bogle DSG
Prince George of Cambridge.
Bishops of Winchester palace