Latin Mass

Over the past month, Year 11 RE groups have visited Westminster Cathedral for a trip that combined history and prayer together. Westminster Cathedral is the largest Catholic church in the country and is located in the heart of London in Victoria.

At the Cathedral, students were able to experience a form of the liturgy that many had not heard before - the Latin Mass. This was an important experience for our students as they were able to experience a form of worship that many have not encountered since the 1960s. Apart from the prayerful nature of the Mass, it was a brilliant learning opportunity as the changes to the Mass are a key part of Year 11 GCSE studies and students were able to experience it in person and make their own judgements on it as a form of prayer. Students described their experience as:

Eniola said:

"Although the Mass was not in English, I still thoroughly enjoyed myself as it was interesting to see how the Mass used to be."

Jorge said:

"It was surprising and I found it quite easy to understand as some of the words were similar to Spanish." 

Students were then taken on a guided tour of the Cathedral that dates back to the late 19^th century. They were able to see the many beautiful spaces within the Cathedral - particularly focusing on the decoration and important items found within the Cathedral, which is also a part of their studies. Reflecting on the tour students said:

Faith said:

"The Cathedral was splendid. I loved the tour that we received of the whole church and learning about its role in the laity's spiritual life."

Jason said:

"The Cathedral was fascinating, with cool and unique features, which I enjoyed seeing."