National Pilgrimage to Westminster Cathedral

What a day that was! And what a sight to behold as over 1000 Catholic women responded to the invitation of Mrs Doreen Pooley, National President to gather in prayer and thanksgiving at Westminster Cathedral on June 6th.

Mrs Doreen Pooley with members

The strong links between the Cathedral and the Catholic Women’s League make impressive reading as Bishop John Crowley reminded everyone during his homily. He spoke of the League’s 1st Annual General Meeting in Westminster Hall and the loving support of those early pioneering members who collected their hard earned pennies in 1909 to pay for the beautiful mosaic of St Joan of Arc. And then the presentation of the splendid Processional Cross to Cardinal Bourne.

Themosaic of Blessed Joan of Arc, framed in marble, on the wall to the left of the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament

The members made their way to Westminster after travelling from all corners of England and Wales. Each one of the 20 Diocesan Branches was represented by members who must have known that this indeed was going to be a special occasion. Bearers and Escorts of the Banners gathered in Westminster Hall ready to parade with pride along Ambrosden Avenue and in through the Great West Door of the Cathedral.

Ready for parade with Westminster Branch taking pride of place as
the host Branch

 Joan Welsh of Cardiff Branch and Sally Hall, Portsmouth Branch, escort the National Banner carried by Mary Derry of Devon

And so into the Cathedral for the celebration of Holy Mass. The 1000 strong choir of League members sang as all the Banners were led into position by Brenda Hilliam from Arundel and Brighton Branch.

       The congregation welcome their Branch Banners

Bishop Peter Doyle, Ecclesiastical Adviser to the CWL, was the principal celebrant of the National Pilgrimage Mass. Concelebrating were Bishop John Arnold and Bishop John Crowley, Mgr John Walsh (Administrator of the Bishopric of the Forces) and Branch Chaplains.

The Clergy approaching the High Altar

Bishop Peter Doyle, Principal Celebrant

The Mass was a wonderful celebration and one of thanksgiving for the Catholic Women’s League. Members of the National Executive did the Readings, led the members in the Prayers of the Faithful and brought the Gifts to the altar.  

Gifts were brought to the altar by the National President and her grand daughter and by Margaret Valentine, National Treasurer.

Bishop John Crowley reminded everyone that it was indeed a special day for the Armed Forces, too, as many would be remembering their fallen comrades on this day, 6th June, the 65th Anniversary of the D Day Landings. He went on to remind the congregation of the League’s proud history of supporting the Armed Forces and spoke eloquently about the CWL Forces Canteen opened in 1916 in what is now St Paul’s Bookshop.

Bishop John Crowley

from L to R Fr Pat O’Connell (Hexham & Newcastle Branch Chaplain), Bishop John Crowley, Bishop Peter Doyle, Thomas Wilson (Precentor at the Cathedral), Bishop John Arnold

The  Congregation

The National President addresses the members, thanking them for their generous donation to the Cathedral Restoration Fund. In 1909 each member was asked to give one penny to a fund that paid for the Joan of Arc mosaic. One hundred years later the National President asked each member to give 100 pennies - £1 – for the Cathedral Restoration Fund. The members raised £4000 in this collection.

The National President

The cheque was presented to Canon Tuckwell, Administrator of the Cathedral who graciously thanked the Catholic Women’s League for once again showing marvellous support for our Mother Church.

At the end of Mass, a crucifix which had hung in the CWL Canteen on the site of the present St Paul’s Bookshop, was re-dedicated by Monsignor John Walsh – a fitting ceremony on the anniversary of D Day.

Members of the Service Committee with the crucifix

A time to enjoy friendships – old and new. What a wonderful day it had been!

Archbishop Vincent and Bishop Peter meeting members at the end of a
wonderful day!

Inside Cathedral Hall with the display for the 'Pound Mile'

A member’s thoughts on the day…

For those who lived nearby the day began in the Cathedral hall.  It had originally been anticipated that we could all have tea in the hall after the Mass, but as the numbers who wanted to attend mounted, it became clear that alternative arrangements would need to be made. As a result, those who lived nearest to the Cathedral, and many others as they arrived, spent a busy couple of hours transferring refreshments from the vans into the hall and then filling bags with the food and drink so that members could collect them later. It was all quite frantic for a while, but well organized of course!

After lunch all the banners were processed down Ambrosden Avenue and into the Cathedral. Holy Mass was celebrated by the Rt Rev Peter Doyle of Northampton, the Ecclesiastical Adviser to the League, and by Bishop John Crowley, retired Bishop of Middlesbrough and former Ecclesiastical Adviser to the League, by Bishop John Arnold, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster and by Mgr John Walsh, Administrator of the Bishopric of the Forces, who were joined by Section Chaplains and also by Father Tim Dean, chaplain at Westminster Cathedral, whose mother, Norah Iversen, served twice as National President of the League.

The liturgy was beautifully arranged and the Mass was very prayerful.  All members of the League, past and present were remembered and the League prayers were included.  Bishop Crowley gave a most interesting and well researched homily on the work of the CWL and its connections with the Cathedral. Many years ago the CWL donated the beautiful processional cross, used only for the Archbishop’s processions, but which was displayed on the sanctuary during the Mass. The League held its first AGM in the Cathedral hall in 1907, under its founder, Margaret Fletcher.  In 1909 the second report of the CWL referred to a Penny Collection from the Catholic Women and Girls of England to erect a Shrine to Blessed Joan of Arc at Westminster Cathedral.   The collection was successful, raising over £300 for the project which was to place a mosaic of Blessed Joan of Arc, framed in marble on a blank wall near the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

Now, a hundred years later, every CWL member was asked again to contribute 1p for every year since then as a donation towards the recent urgent repair work which had to be carried out to the domes. At the end of the Mass a cheque for £4000 was given to the Administrator, Canon Christopher Tuckwell, who expressed his thanks for our generosity on behalf of all at the Cathedral. The site of the first CWL hut, providing assistance to the Armed Forces during the 1939-45 war is next to the Cathedral and a commemorative plaque will eventually be placed on St Paul’s bookshop, which now stands on the site.  At the end of the Mass, at the west door of the Cathedral, Bishop Arnold led prayers for the Armed Forces and their chaplains and, in commemoration of the D Day landings, there was a short silence for remembrance before the final hymn. 

It was truly a memorable day!
Valerie Hamblen, President Southwark Branch

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