Friends re-launch chapel fund

MORE than 50 guests and Friends of Westminster Cathedral gathered at the National Army Museum on St George’s Day for a reception to mark the relaunch of the St George’s Chapel Mosaics Appeal.
Guest speakers included Lord Guthrie, Barry Lock, chairman of the Friends Mosaics Committee, and Canon Christopher Tuckwell, administrator of the Cathedral.
Against a backdrop of exhibits from the Waterloo campaign Lord Guthrie urged donors to be generous.
He said it was especially important that the mosaics were completed to honour the fallen of the First and Second World Wars whose names are listed in the chapel.
St George’s chapel is one of the finest artistic gems in the Cathedral. At the entrance of St George’s Chapel is a mosaic representing Christ the Divine Healer, erected in 1952 in memory of the Royal Army Medical Corps. A mosaic of St Alban, the first to shed his blood for the Christian faith in England can be seen outside the chapel. St Alban was arrested and martyred after he protected and then changed places with a priest.
The altarpiece depicting Christ as King on the cross, flanked by St Thomas More and St John Fisher, was the last work of sculptor Eric Gill. The chapel also houses the remains of St John Southworth, who cared for the poor and sick of Westminster.
St John Southworth was martyred at Tyburn in 1654.
St George was a Roman soldier who was put to death for his Christian faith around AD 320.
In the 14th century King Edward III made him a patron of England. To make a donation to the chapel appeal, please phone 020 7798 9059. The St George’s Mosaics Appeal is separate from and in addition to the main restoration appeal, which is on-going.
Cheques should be made payable to The Friends of Westminster Cathedral and sent to 42 Francis Street London SW1P 1QW, marked “St George”.