Bishop Rifan celebrates Mass at Southwark cathedral

On Saturday I went up to London to attend the Pontifical Mass celebrated by Bishop Rifan in St George's Cathedral Southwark for the Latin Mass Society's AGM.

This was my first visit inside the cathedral, which is more impressive inside than it is outside - very unfortunately the upper stages of the tower and the spire designed by Pugin were never built - a project for the future perhaps? In recent years we have witnessed the construction of the central tower of St Edmundsbury cathedral and, in Australia, the completion of the spires on the western towers of the Catholic cathedral in Sydney, not to mention Sagrada familia in Barcelona.

Inside the design of the cathedral appears strongly influenced by the choir of York Minster - designed in the late fourteenth century - and the interior of the cathedral has a grandeur worthy of its status.

I managed to meet up by chance with an old friend who once lived in Oxford and sat with him and another aquaintance for the Mass.


 

Bishop Rifan enters the cathedral in procession

Image: LMS Chairman's Blog

There are more photographs taken by Dr Shaw, the Chairman of the LMS, on his post LMS AGM 2012.

After Mass I went off to meet another friend and we had an enjoyable time exploring parts of the South Bank, having lunch and then walking across the Millenium Bridge to the area round St Pauls, before making our way westwards, and, in my case, back to Oxford. Given a summer Saturday in London one thing struck me - I am glad I shall not be there when the Olympics are on, as the city is already crowded to near bursting.