Each year, the Anglican Cathedral of Peterborough holds various events in January to commemorate Queen Katherine of Aragon, the wife of King Henry VIII, who is buried in the Cathedral. This coming Friday 29 January, there are a number of events; of particular interest is that Mass will be celebrated by Fr David Jennings, of the Catholic parish of St Luke's in Peterborough, at the High Altar at 8.30am.
The Peterborough Cathedral website has details of various other events throughout the day. At 5pm there will be a candlelight procession at which people will be invited to leave a pomegranate (Queen Katherine's personal symbol) or a prayer, card or flower at her tomb. It is good to see that the events also actively involve local school children.
I am rather sorry that I cannot go to Peterborough on Friday. The saintly and heroic Queen Katherine deserves to be better honoured in the country to which she gave her life only to be humiliated by her lecherous husband; and Peterborough Cathedral is itself one of our most important buildings in its own right. I must make a visit some time soon.
21 comments:
The servant of God Fr Ignatius Spencer C.P. was ordained as an Anglican deacon and (if my memory serves me right) also as an Anglican priest at Peterborough Cathedral. Saturday 30 January will be the 180th anniversary of his reception into the Catholic Church.
I cannot make it either Father. Rather a pity. I would like to be able to do so.
JARay
Ummmm... I hate to point out that the picture is that of Mary Tudor, Catherine's daughter...
I hate to be pedantic, Father, but that portrait is not of Katherine of Aragon, but her much maligned daughter Mary, first queen of England.
How good it is that this great queen is being honored in this way! Thank you for posting this, Father.
I think the picture is of her equally badly treated and under-appreciated daughter - Queen Mary.
I think the portrait is of Mary Tudor, daughter of Katherine of Aragon.
Many thanks to all readers who pointed out that I had posted a picture of Mary Tudor. Oops! corrected now.
And talking about her daughter Mary Tudor where is she buried? She is actually in Westminster Abbey but you will do well to find her. She is in the tomb of Queen Ellzabeth, Elizabeth lying above her. Queen Katherine should be buried there with the other Kings and Queens of England but Queen Elizabeth forbade it. It was only becaue of the insistence of her son,King James, a Protestant, that Mary Queen of Scots was moved from Peterborough to Westminster. In a spirit of Ecumenism I will not voice my opinions.
I think she would be much more honoured if they were to abandon the very religion that allowed her to be treat so cruelly.
Last year I was in Peterborough and was astonished to find that the Cathedral held an annual service for "Catherin Queen of England" as her tomb proudly proclaims.
Unfortunately we arrived the day after the service but I was fascinated to see that her tomb had wreaths from the Spanish Embassy amongst others.
Besides being a good wife to Henry Katherine was a popular Queen with the people and she defended England from foreign invasion.
In 1513 when Henry was in France a Scottish Army invaded England. Katherine travelled to York even though she was pregnant and while wearing armour made an inspirational speech to her troops. Subsequently at the Battle of Flodden the outnumbered English Army inflicted a total defeat on the Scottish Army.
She was truly a woman worthy to be remembered
Excellent Post, Fr. It would be wonderful to attend Mass, there (may she rest in peace). One wonders how many years since a Catholic Mass was said at the High Altar in Peterborough Cathedral. Maybe, one day, a Blackfen Parish outing to Peterborough to take in the beautiful sights and appraise the splendid architectural delights of said Cathedral ? Gothic, I think!
Now I have got the neeky picture comment out of my system - I would like to add the following:
Catherine had a much better claim to the English Throne than her husband (through a legitimate line of descent from John of Gaunt - rather than the dubious cadet one claimed by the Beauforts)
She actually commanded and won the Battle of Flodden, while Henry was away in France.
She championed Women's Education, and the rights of the Church.
She never wavered in her faith, despite losing five children, and being cruelly separated from her only living daughter.
She stood up to the biggest bully in Christendom at risk of her life-and won a moral victory - as well as overwhelming support from her subjects.
Arguably she displayed the same qualities that prompted the canonisation of St John Fisher and St Thomas More. That she escaped the scaffold for her steadfastness was only a matter of politics.
A real heroine! Good Queen Katherine!
That can't be Mary unless she was deliberately painted in a style that was 20 years in the past.
I remember seeing Katherine of Aragon's vestments in the sacristy of St Patrick's, Soho, years ago, and now they've been restored - see pic on Fr Z's blog:
http://wdtprs.com/blog/2009/07/st-patricks-soho/
Just to clarify: when I said "corrected now", I meant that I had changed the picture. I have taken down the one of Mary Tudor and replaced it with one of Queen Katherine. I hope that this helps to stem the confusion :-)
Father, I hope you are able to visit Peterborough soon. There is a lot of Catholic history in this area which is often overlooked. St John Payne one of the English martyrs was born here, and St Wilfrid died in Oundle which is just 10 miles away from Peterborough. Fr Faber was the vicar of Elton a village on the outskirts of the City. Fotheringhay, the site of the execution of Mary Queen of Scotts, is well worth a visit. Holy Mass was offered in the beautiful pre reformation church at Fotheringhay in 1987 to mark the 400th anniversary of her death. It was organised by the late Fr David Woodard, and two catholic bishops also attended. The former benedictine abbeys of Crowland and Thorney on the outskirts of the City are also worthy of a visit. You could also visit the parish of St Mary at Tydd, a small forgotten village where Nicholas Breakspear, who was raised to the papal dignity as Adrian IV, was rector.
mmmmm...English Gothic...
Sooooo pointy!
I think the remains (Heart) should be transfered to Westminster Cathedral.Queen Katherine would be in Westminster, in consecrated ground.
It is wonderful that Queen Katherine of Aragon is commemorated in such a grand way. I just find it ironic that the commemoration is taking place in an Anglican church. How come Catholic England does not do anything? Also, if anyone should have had their case presented for canonization, it should have been Queen Katherine. She was a true defender of the Faith and suffered what I consider to be white martyrdom for her steadfast devotion to the Church.
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