Thursday 18th July marked the 100th anniversary of the Consecration of Leeds Cathedral, the occasion when the Cathedral Church of St Anne was ‘exclusively and perpetually dedicated to God’.
Several events have been held to celebrate the centenary, but the high point came on the anniversary itself when there was standing room only at Leeds Cathedral as Bishop Marcus Stock, the 10th Bishop of Leeds, celebrated a Solemn Mass in Thanksgiving for the Centenary of the Consecration, beginning at 11.30am.
Also present on the sanctuary of the Cathedral was his predecessor as Bishop of Leeds, His Eminence Cardinal Arthur Roche, Cardinal Deacon of San Saba and Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, who had travelled from Rome for the occasion. Cardinal Roche was Bishop of Leeds from 2004 until 2012 and in welcoming him to the Cathedral, Bishop Marcus expressed his gratitude to the Cardinal, that it was ‘under his leadership that in 2005-6 the Cathedral was extensively restored, and its beauty enhanced – the splendour that we enjoy this very day’.
Bishop Marcus also extended a particular welcome to Bishop Philip Moger, Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of Southwark, who was Dean of the Cathedral for eleven years from 2008 to 2019.
The Bishop also welcomed the Most Rev Malcolm MacMahon, Archbishop of Liverpool together with the Bishops of Salford and Hallam: the Rt Rev John Arnold and the Rt Rev Ralph Heskett. The other concelebrants were the Cathedral Chapter and priests of the Diocese.
The Ecumenical Guests were the Very Rev Canon Paul Maybury, Rector of Leeds City, representing the Church of England, and the Rev David Goodall and the Rev Kerry Tankard, representing the Methodist Church in Leeds and West Yorkshire.
The congregation included the Civic Guests: the Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, Mr Ed Anderson, the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Cllr. Abigail Marshall Katung, and the High Sheriff of West Yorkshire, Prof. Adeeba Malik.
The homily was preached by Canon Michael McCreadie, Dean of the Cathedral from 2003 to 2008. In a carefully crafted reflection Canon McCreadie looked back to the events of 1924 which forever made the Cathedral ‘a sacred place – the House of the Lord’. He referenced the sermon preached at the Consecration by the then Archbishop of Liverpool, the Most Rev Frederick Keating, who had emphasised the universal nature of the Catholic Church. He went on to highlight how this concept relates today to one of the themes of the teaching of Pope Francis, that the Church is for everyone, and there is room in the Church for all. Canon McCreadie said that this was also true, daily, for the Cathedral; it is a house for all people. Through the liturgy, through the sacraments and through the beauty of the Cathedral it is a place where people meet, or encounter, the Lord Jesus Christ. For Pope Benedict XVI it was this meeting or encounter that is the essence of Christianity itself. The homily concluded with a verse from St John Henry Newman’s great hymn ‘Firmly I believe and truly’: And I hold in veneration for the love of Him alone, Holy Church as His creation and her teachings as His own.
Following the end of the Mass of Thanksgiving invited guests made their way to Leeds Civic Hall for a Reception hosted by the Lord Mayor. In thanking the Lord Mayor for her hospitality Bishop Marcus remarked that the Cathedral Church of St Anne is a cathedral for all, at the service of the city and beyond, and which is there to play an active role in the civic life of Leeds.
As well as the Mass on 18th July other events have taken place to mark the Centenary. A Centenary Concert by the Cathedral Choirs was held on the evening of Wednesday 3rd July and on the morning of Sunday 14th July Bishop Marcus celebrated Mass at the Cathedral, which was the prelude to a Parish Lunch in Wheeler Hall. A Novena of Thanksgiving took place each evening in the Cathedral from 9th to 17th July.
Undoubtedly the main event was the Mass on 18th July. It will live long in the memory of all those who were present. The splendour of the building’s art and architecture formed a perfect setting for the liturgical high point of the Centenary celebrations, the beauty of which was in turn enhanced by the sublime singing of the Cathedral choirs, accompanied by the Cathedral Organist, and the outstanding floral displays specially created for the occasion.
The present Dean of Leeds Cathedral, Canon Matthew Habron, said: ‘This Centenary is not only a time to remember our history and give thanks for the lives of so many local Catholic families who worshipped here. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate the continuity of faith in today’s parish, where around forty languages are now spoken and where, each weekend, around a thousand people attend Holy Mass at Leeds Cathedral. Countless others bring their prayers, joys and sorrows here – or come to enjoy peace, beauty, and our fine tradition of music. A Cathedral building is a source of civic pride – but these are living stones, standing as a reminder of the presence and love of God in the heart of the city and across the Diocese of Leeds.’
Photographs from the Mass of Thanksgiving and the Centenary Concert can be viewed by following this link https://www.patricksicephotography.co.uk/blog/
Video recordings of the same events can be viewed by following this link
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-xVdN6rMCG0sSgxk8Rulow
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