Pope Francis prayed for the victims of the terrorist attack in London at the end of Mass on Pentecost Sunday.
“May the Holy Spirit grant peace to the whole world,” Pope Francis said, according to Vatican Radio. “May He heal the wounds of war and of terrorism, which even this [Saturday] night, in London, struck innocent civilians: let us pray for the victims and their families.”
On Saturday evening three attackers drove a white van into pedestrians on London Bridge before stabbing people in Borough Market. They killed seven people and injured 48 before they were shot dead by police. The three men reportedly shouted “this is for Allah” during the attack.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster offered his prayers for the victims of the attack. “All involved in disturbing and violent incidents in #LondonBridge #BoroughMarket and #Vauxhall are in my prayers this night,” he wrote on Twitter.
The attack occurred close to the Church of the Most Precious Blood. Joanna Bogle, writing for CatholicHerald.co.uk, noted that the parish priest Fr Christopher Pearson “had spent the morning dispensing mugs of tea to exhausted policemen”.
The church, which is in the care of the ordinariate, lay within the police cordon and so the 8.30am Mass was cancelled. But the cordon was lifted for the sung Pentecost Mass at 11am.
Fr Pearson praised the “courage and professionalism” of the emergency services.
He said: “They were swiftly at the scene and established a sense of order. After midnight, when I stood at my window before going to bed, there was a sense of security: the area felt safe.”
Ordinariate hits milestone as it sets up first ever parish
The personal ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham has established its first formal parish, based in the town of Torbay
in Devon.
Mgr Keith Newton, the Ordinary, signed a decree on May 28 establishing the parish in a former Methodist chapel that was purchased by the ordinariate in 2015. Fr David Lashbrook is the first parish priest.
The parish comprises members of the ordinariate who were formerly associated with the Torbay Ordinariate Mission, which has been based in Chelston for the last six years.
Until now, the ordinariate has operated as a single canonical entity across England, Wales and Scotland, acting as one large diocese without territorial parishes. Priests and congregations have met as “groups” or “missions”, primarily in churches belonging to local dioceses. The ordinariate said that other groups may now petition to become full parishes if they demonstrate stability and the potential to lead a full parochial life.
The Torbay church, which has been dedicated to Our Lady of Walsingham and St Cuthbert Mayne, was bought after a successful appeal two years ago.
Areas of Catholic Herald business are still recovering post-pandemic.
However, we are reaching out to the Catholic community and readership, that has been so loyal to the Catholic Herald. Please join us on our 135 year mission by supporting us.
We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching.
We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values. Please consider donating.