The Martyrs of the London Charterhouse
Last evening, I celebrated one of the most moving liturgies of my priesthood, as the clergy and choristers of Westminster Cathedral celebrated Vespers at the London Charterhouse - the first public Catholic ceremony to be held there since the Reformation.
Following Vespers, we processed to the Garden of the Charterhouse, to the site of the monastic Church. There, before the plaque commemorating the martyrs, stands a model of the Tyburn scaffold. As the name of each martyr was read aloud, a member of the current Charterhouse came forward and placed a rose in the model.
As we concluded, the bells from the nearby Church of St Bartholomew the Great started ringing. They are the oldest peal in the country, having been installed in 1510 - therefore, they would have been familiar to the Carthusian martyrs.
Following the martyrdom of 18 members of the Charterhouse - the largest and most impressive resistance to Henry VIII's reformation - the Charterhouse was suppressed in 1540, and became a town-house and school. Then in the early 17 century, it became a house for elderly gentlemen, in which form it continues. The current Master, James Thomson, is keen to revive the memory of the martyrs, and organised today's event.
3 comments:
What wonderful event. I wish I could have been there. Is the hymn tune "Charterhouse" named after this holy place. We used to sing it often at Our Lady of Walsingham in Houston, Texas. But I'm afraid my parish here is not familiar with it.
I look forward to seeing more photo's from this special celebration of Vespers at the London Charterhouse. Know that my prayers were in union with yours on May 4th for the Martyrs of the English Reformation.
Maranatha!
Yes, please put up more pictures.
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