Dedication of the Abbey Church

16 Sep 2016

Every year on 12th September we celebrate the Dedication of the Abbey Church, when Cardinal Seredy, delegated by Pope Pius XI, came to Downside to consecrate the church, in a ceremony that lasted around 5 hours and involved the anointing of the altars and the walls with chrism.

Candles mark the 12 places where the walls were anointed and these are lit each year for the feast. We also celebrated the feast with a festal meal at supper time – liturgy and food go hand in hand!