Inscription for Cardinal Vaughan
I was sent yesterday these images from Nimbus Conservation, who are preparing the plaque that will be placed in the Vaughan chantry to commemorate the moving there of Cardinal's Vaughan's body in March 2005. The picture below shows that event, with Bishop George Stack (auxiliary in Westminster) flanked by Thomas Vaughan (a relative of the Cardinal) and his wife, and Fr Anthony Chantry of the Mill Hill Missionaries.
The plaque is also a record of the Mill Hill Missionaries, who have sold the College of St Joseph in Mill Hill, founded by Cardinal Vaughan.
The plaque is intended to echo in form and wording the plaques that commemorate the similar translation of the bodies of Cardinals Wiseman and Manning.
6 comments:
Fr Mark
In the photograph of translation of Cardinal Vaughan's remains, the coffin is aligned, correctly for one in Holy Orders, with the head at the liturgical east (i.e. facing the people). Yet the effigy has him facing liturgical east (as is Cardinal Wiseman's monument seen in the photos of the crypt on the Cathedral website). Why is this?
In passing, the leger stone over Cardinal Hume's tomb is aligned to face liturgical west (which seems correct). I think Cardinal Heenan's ledger stone also faces west. Bishop Challoner's fudges the issue and runs lengthwise.
Cardinal Vaughan's effigy was erected facing east to denote (I presume) that it was a cenotaph, without a body inside. When his remains were moved there, we naturally wanted to turn the effigy around to face west. However, the carving of the tassels on the Cardinal's hat continues on to the side panels, and it was not possible to do so.
So,unfortunately, the Cardinal's head lies under his feet.
Bishop Challoner's tomb was made to be read easily from the nave - althuogh you are of course correct about its orientation.
What a beautiful event. I've never been to anything like it. What wonderful history!
And the six-sided coffin! Oh, how I wish these were available in the USA!
Who were the Mill Hill missionaries out of interest?
Dear Joee
The Mill Hill Missionaries are still going strong.
Herbert Vaughan was ordained priest as an Oblate of St Charles(at my former parish, in Bayswater)- a body of secular priests living in community, somewhat like the Oratorians.
He, however, wanted to extend their charism to missionary activity, and so received permission to set up a house for missionary priests. He did so at Mill Hill, north of London - hence their name. St Joseph's College thrived, and the Missionaries drew great numbers of priests from England and Holland, and did great work especially in Africa. In recent decades, their numbers have been drawn more from Africa and Asia than from Europe, and so the the difficult decision was taken to close the original mother house at Mill Hill, to concentrate on work in newer territories.
St Joseph's College is an imposing building, and still dominates the skyline driving north from London just after junction 2 of the M1.
ooooo many thanks for the info Father :)
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