January 2026 Letter from the Provost

As this first issue of the 2026 Oratory Parish Magazine was just about to go to press, the Archdiocese of Westminster announced the retirement of His Eminence Vincent Cardinal Nichols, and the appointment as his successor to the See of Westminster of the Rt Revd Richard Moth, currently the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton.

Cardinal Nichols has a long association with the Oratories in England, with our holy Father St Philip, and especially with St John Henry Newman. During his nine years as Archbishop of Birmingham, he was a good friend to the Oratories in Birmingham and Oxford, and throughout his sixteen years in Westminster we in Brompton have enjoyed numerous memorable occasions of great celebration with His Eminence, including on our “house” feast days of the Immaculate Conception and St Philip, and for the priestly ordinations of Fathers Edward van den Bergh and Joseph Rodrigues.

For St John Henry’s Beatification in 2010, Archbishop Nichols welcomed His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to England, and presided at our Mass of Thanksgiving at the London Oratory soon afterwards. In 2019 we were delighted to welcome him back to celebrate a similar Mass for the Canonisation, and it is surely a mark of Divine Providence that the declaration that St John Henry would henceforth be honoured as a Doctor of the Church took place during the last months of the tenure of a prelate who has shown such a constant devotion to the cause of a saint who, along with Father Faber, founded the London Oratory. We can be grateful to God for the interest the Cardinal has taken in the spiritual flourishing and needs of our parish and the encouragement he has given to our pastoral outreach, as well as his personal friendship with the fathers. His warmth, good humour, generosity and valued counsel have been a continuous blessing which has greatly heartened us in our efforts to be true to the mission and spirit of St Philip in this city.

As we enter a new year, our prayer is that God will bless His Eminence with many years of health and happiness to come as he continues to serve Our Lord relieved of the burdens of high office. The Cardinal has kindly accepted our invitation to celebrate Holy Mass at the Oratory on the Feast of St Philip in 2026.

We also pray for our new Archbishop-Elect, Bishop Richard Moth, as His Lordship prepares for his installation at Westminster Cathedral. We greatly look forward to an opportunity of welcoming him to the Oratory and to our parish.

May the intercession of Our Lady, St Philip and St John Henry gain countless graces for these two successors of the Apostles.

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