Westminster Cathedral – mass times, opening hours

Dedication of the Westminster Cathedral

Consecration sconce, one of twelve installed around the interior and lit on the Feast of the Dedication of the Westminster Cathedral, 1 July, each year.

With the laying of the foundation stone in June 1895, the Westminster Cathedral was dedicated to The Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, to his Blessed Mother, his Foster Father St Joseph and St Peter, his Vicar. There are secondary patrons, also: St Augustine and all British saints, St Patrick and all saints of Ireland.

These dedications provide a meditation in themselves and are reflected in features of the Westminster Cathedral such as the pelican feeding her young with the blood of her own body (an ancient symbol of Christ selflessly nourishing redeemed humanity), the great crucifix that hangs between the nave and the sanctuary, and the side chapels, many of which honour patron saints.

Treasures of Westminster Cathedral

Enjoy a new exhibition full of the Cathedral’s most precious possessions. See a display of rare ecclesiastical objects, vestments, chalices and sacred relics acquired by the Cathedral since its opening in 1903.

Learn the story of how the Cathedral was created and see one of the greatest architectural models in Britain.

Westminster Cathedral opening hours

• Every day from 7.00 to 20.00

Westminster Cathedral mass times

Weekdays

• 07:00 Mass
• 07:40 Morning Prayer
• 08:00 Mass
• 10:30 Mass (Latin)
• 12:30 Mass
• 13:05 Mass
• 17:00 Vespers (Choir)
• 17:30 Solemn Mass (Choir)

Sundays

• 08:00 Mass
• 09:00 Mass
• 10:00 Morning Prayer
• 10:30 Solemn Mass (Choir)
• 12:00 Mass (sung)
• 15:30 Solemn Vespers & Benediction (Choir)
• 17:30 Mass (sung)
• 19:00 Mass

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Guides and tours in London:

The Tower Viewing Gallery

Spectacular views over London from Viewing Gallery 64 metres (210 feet) above street level. Take as much time as you like to experience the vibrant atmosphere, sounds sights and ever-changing light of our city, in a safe, unhurried environment.

View an exhibition of beautiful drawings illustrating the design and heritage of the Cathedral in the Viewing Gallery and Ground Floor Lobby. See more Catholic shrines and Basilicas in UK

See more European Catholic Shrines and pilgrimages

See top 15 Catholic shrines around the world

Dedication of the Westminster Cathedral
The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Precious Blood
To the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord
Jesus Christ
To his Blessed Mother,
His Foster Father Saint Joseph
and St Peter his Vicar
Secondary Patrons
St Augustine and all British saints
St Patrick and all saints of Ireland

DOMINE JESU REX ET REDEMPTOR PER SANGUINEM TUUM SALVA NOS

(Lord Jesus, King and Redeemer, save us by your blood)

Significant Dates

• 1651 – After the defeat of Charles I, Scottish prisoners were interred here by Oliver Cromwell.
• 1834 – A prison was opened on the site.
• 1850 – The Diocese of Westminster created, at the Restoration of the Catholic Hierarchy by Pope Pius IX, with Nicholas Wiseman as first Archbishop.
• 1867 – Initial purchase of site adjacent to present Cathedral.
• 1884 – Cardinal Manning bought the site on which the Cathedral now stands.
• 1894 – Herbert Vaughan, the third Archbishop of Westminster, chose John Francis Bentley as the architect for the Cathedral.
• 1895 – The foundation stone was laid on 29 June.
• 1896 – The foundations were completed and by 1903 the fabric of the building was in position.
• 1903 – First regular celebration of daily Mass and Divine Office in the Cathedral. Edward Elgar conducted first London performance of John Henry Newman’s ‘The Dream of Gerontius’.
• 1906 Unveiling and blessing of baldacchino.

• 1908 – Decoration of Holy Souls Chapel completed. Eucharistic Congress – 7 cardinals, 130 bishops and 4,000 priests.
• 1910 – Consecration of the Cathedral.
• 1918 – Eric Gill’s Stations of the Cross unveiled.
• 1930 – Body of St John Southworth enshrined in Chapel of St George.
• 1935 – Lady Chapel mosaics completed.
• 1955 – Statue of Our Lady of Westminster placed in Cathedral.
• 1958 – Sculpture of St Thérèse of Lisieux, by Giacomo Manzù put in place.
• 1962 – Mosaics in Blessed Sacrament Chapel, by Boris Anrep completed.
• 1975 – Construction of Piazza, opening view of Cathedral onto Victoria St.
• 1982 – Visit of Pope John Paul II.
• 1995 – Visit of HM the Queen during centenary celebrations. First visit of a sovereign to a Roman Catholic liturgy.
• 1999 – Millennium Cross unveiled. Opening of the Jubilee Holy Door.
• 2005 – Body of Cardinal Vaughan re-interred in Chapel of St Thomas. Redevelopment of Victoria opens up new views of the Cathedral.
• 2008 – Westminster Cathedral featured on the 72p stamp of a new Royal Mail set called “British Cathedrals”.
• 2010 – In the year in which the centenary of the consecration of the Cathedral took place, Pope Benedict XVI visited Westminster Cathedral during his papal visit to the United Kingdom.

Cathedral Mosaics

The Cathedral architect, John Bentley, died in early March 1902, he left no finished mosaics in the Cathedral and very little in the way of Mosaic drawings and designs. It was thus left to future architects, donors and designers supervised, from 1936, by the Cathedral Art Committee, to decide on the mosaics.

Cathedral Marbles

Over a hundred different varieties of marble decorate Westminster Cathedral (126 at the last count), almost certainly more than in any other building in England. They come from twenty-four countries on five continents and many of them were used in ancient Greece and Rome.

Stations of the Cross

Quite a number of visitors to the Cathedral know that the Stations of the Cross here were produced by Eric Gill. Some also know that he carved the altarpiece in St George’s Chapel. But very few indeed know of the other work he did for the Cathedral.

Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0

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