Martyrs’ Day with a difference!

Te Deum Laudamus! Normally Martyrs’ Day in college is one of great celebration, where we come together as a community with our friends and benefactors to commemorate the lives and witness of our forty-four alumni who made the ultimate sacrifice for our Catholic Faith. This Martyrs’ day was certainly a day of celebration, if more muted than in previous years. Without guests, with the requirement to wear face-masks, and the omnipresent bottles of hand sanitiser, this Martyrs’ Day was certainly different from previous years, but was nonetheless a joyful and dignified celebration of our Martyrs’ heroic witness.

Our celebrations began on the eve of Martyrs Day with sung solemn Vigils, presided at by Rev. Anthony Fyk (Portsmouth) with music led by Theo Sharrock (Salford) at which Joachim Teigen (Oslo) read the Old Testament reading and Edward Hauschild (Portsmouth) read St Ralph Sherwin’s letter on the eve of his execution.

The day began in earnest on Tuesday with Mass celebrated by the Rector, Mgr Philip Whitmore. The music, as ever, was glorious; J.P. Lecot’s triumphant Jubilee Mass lifted the spirits, while Ronald Knox’s O English Hearts once again brought tears to the eyes of many in the community.

After Mass, Lunch, and a brief repose to catch our breath, the community gathered again in the evening for Solemn Vespers, presided by Rev. David Irwin (Shrewsbury). Another novelty this year was the livestream of the Veneration, now available to watch on the VEC YouTube Channel.