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Table of Contents
Westminster Cathedral is the largest Catholic Church in England and Wales and the Archbishop of Westminster’s headquarters. It is also known as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lord Jesus Christ’s Precious Blood.
See the fact file below for more information on Westminster Cathedral, or you can download our 26-page Westminster Cathedral worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
HISTORY
- After the Roman Catholic Church was restored in England and Wales in the 19th century, a large sum of money was raised to build a new cathedral in memory of Cardinal Wiseman, who died in 1865, the first Archbishop of Westminster since 1850.
- The land for the site was purchased by Wiseman’s successor, Cardinal Manning, in 1884. Construction began in 1895 under Manning’s successor, Cardinal Vaughan, with John Francis Bentley as the architect, with the design heavily influenced by Byzantine architecture.
- The Latin dedication above the portal arch reads: Domine Jesus Rex et Redemptor per Sanguinem tuum salva nos which means “Lord Jesus, King, and Redeemer, heal us through your blood.”
- In 1903, the cathedralβs architect died, which halted its construction until 1903.
- By 1910, the interior of the cathedral was complete. The late Queen Elizabeth II paid a visit to the cathedral in 1977 as part of her Silver Jubilee celebrations.
- Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass in the cathedral on the first day of his six-day pastoral visit to the United Kingdom on May 28, 1982. Queen Elizabeth II returned to the cathedral on St Andrew’s Day, November 30, 1995, to attend Choral Vespers, the first time she had participated in a Roman Catholic church liturgy in Great Britain.
- Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Mass in the cathedral on September 18, 2010, the third day of his four-day state visit to the United Kingdom. Three former Anglican bishops were received and later ordained into the newly formed Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham at the cathedral in January 2011.
ARCHITECTURE
- With an interior area of 5,017m2, Westminster Cathedral is considered the world’s 50th largest church. The dominant feature of the layout is a spacious and uninterrupted nave, 18 meters wide and 70 meters long, from the narthex to the sanctuary steps.
- High Altar. The baldacchino (canopy) above the high altar is one of the largest in the world. Chapel. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel on the north side of the sanctuary and the Lady Chapel on the south are both entered through the transepts.
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
- The Stations of the Cross at Westminster was one of many sets created by sculptor, Eric Gill during his lifetime, commissioned by the young Cathedral in 1913, the same year he converted to Catholicism. They depict Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion.
- Station 1: Jesus is Condemned to Death. Pontius Pilate wrongfully sentenced Jesus to die on the Cross after He had been scourged and crowned with thorns.
- Station 2: Jesus receives his Cross. While carrying the cross, Jesus gave thought to us and offered his impending death to his Father.
- Station 3: Jesus falls for the first time. Jesus’ initial lowering from the Cross. He had lost a lot of blood, and the scourges had torn his flesh. His head was also covered in thorns. He was so weak that he could hardly move.
- Station 4: Jesus meets his mother. The first encounter between Jesus and his mother, Mary, happened while traveling.
- Station 5: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the cross. Jesusβ cruel tormentors forced Simon of Cyrene to take the cross behind the Lord because they saw that he was close to passing away. They wanted him to die the shameful death of the Cross
- Station 6: Jesus and Veronica. Jesus was so filthy and covered in sweat and blood when the holy woman Veronica saw him. She wiped his face with a towel.
- Station 7: Jesus falls the second time. Jesus’ second fall from the Cross caused his head and body wounds to bleed.
- Station 8: Jesus comforts the women of Jerusalem. Women wept with compassion as they watched Jesus walk by, streaming with blood in such a pitiful state. βWeep not for me, Daughters of Jerusalem, but yourself and your offspring,β he commanded.
- Station 9: Jesus falls the third time. Jesus Christ’s third fall. He was incredibly weak, and his executioners were cruel.
- Station 10: Jesus is stripped of his clothes. Executioners violently stripped Jesus. His undergarments stuck to his ripped flesh, dragging them off so violently that the skin was torn.
- Station 11: Jesus is nailed to the Cross. Jesus extended his hands to his Eternal Father after being nailed to the Cross and offered to give his life as a sacrifice for our salvation. After nailing his executioners left him to suffer an agonizing death.
- Station 12: Jesus dies upon the Cross. Jesus, overcome with agony after three hours of suffering on the Cross, gave himself over to the weight of his own body, bowed his head, and died.
- Station 13: The body of Jesus is taken from the cross and laid in Maryβs bosom. Jesusβ disciples, Joseph and Nicodemus, removed him from the Cross after he had passed away and placed him in the arms of his suffering Mother.
- Station 14: The body of Jesus is Laid in the Tomb. The disciples carried Jesus’ body to the grave while accompanied by his holy Mother. All of them left soberly after sealing the tomb.
WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL vs. WESTMINSTER ABBEY
- There were no finished mosaics in the cathedral when architect John Bentley passed away, and Bentley only left behind a few sketches and designs.
- As a result, a cathedral committee, under the supervision of donors and designers, oversaw the mosaics’ themes and styles. In reality, the chapel for the Holy Souls is the only place where Bentley’s influence is noticeable.
- Westminster Cathedral is often mistaken for Westminster Abbey, an Anglican church. Westminster Abbey was built in 1269, way earlier than Westminster Cathedral in 1895. Westminster Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church, while Westminster Abbey is an Anglican one.
- Westminster Abbey is a sizable, primarily Gothic abbey church. The traditional place of coronation and final resting place for British kings it is one of the most famous religious structures in the United Kingdom. As a result, Westminster Abbey has occasionally been referred to as “Britain’s Valhalla.”
Westminster Cathedral Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Westminster Cathedral across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about Westminster Cathedral, which is the largest Catholic Church in England and Wales and the Archbishop of Westminster’s headquarters.
Complete List of Included Worksheets
Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.
- Westminster Cathedral Facts
- Westminster Cathedral: A History
- Cathedral Scrabble
- Modern Bentley
- Sketch that Plan!
- Wisemanβs Legacy
- Draw the Stations
- Cathedral Tour
- A Tale of My Religion
- Write Out your Prayer
- The Cathedral, Abbey, & Royalty
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Westminster used in Harry Potter?
Many tourists are amazed by how much the abbey’s cloisters look like the ones from the Harry Potter movies, even though the abbey wasn’t used for any of the filmings.
What is Westminster famous for?
Westminster Abbey is famous for more than just being a place where royals have their coronations and are buried. It is also known because it has been the location of 17 royal weddings, like Prince William’s wedding to Catherine Middleton in 2011.
Why is it called Westminster?
The Collegiate Church of St. Peter was named “Westminster” one thousand years ago. This was to differentiate it from St Paul’s Cathedral, located east of Westminster. Westminster Abbey soon became associated with this area, and the surrounding land took on the same name.
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Link will appear as Westminster Cathedral Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, November 10, 2022
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.