Westminster Cathedral

Westminster Cathedral, seat of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, is located just off Victoria Street - a ten minute walk from my flat. I pass by the cathedral with a view quite similar to that in the picture below when I occasion to take the bus (more to come on that later...) home. The church, completed in 1903, is young by any religious architectural standard, especially that relating to English cathedrals. It's worth noting, too, that this grand church should not be confused with its older and much more famous Anglican neighbor, Westminster Abbey, which is located another five minutes' walk down the road.

Westminster Cathedral, October 2009

I took this opportunity to look through some of my older pictures and found a few from Christmas Eve Mass back in 2004 when my family spent the holiday here in London. I remember that we ran from the Tube station to the service and, owing to our nominally late arrival, were relegated to a standing position in the back of the church. This all came on the heels of having arrived via an overnight glorified Air Canada cargo service from Montreal that same morning. Suffice it to say that we moved through that Mass thanks largely to muscle memory of a Catholic variety. I learned my lesson and have steered clear of Air Canada transatlantic flights since, instead choosing both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic on numerous occasions. Connecting in Montreal and Toronto might save you a few bucks, but the classic idiom rings true - you do get what you pay for.

Christmas Eve, 2004

The Cheap Seats, Christmas Eve Mass