Churches and Oratories in London

On Friday we had a whirlwind touring day.  First we toured St. George's, one of the Catholic cathedrals in London (beautiful, but for some reason I don't have any pictures of it).  Then we went to St Paul's Anglican Cathedral.  We were allowed to take a few photos from the balcony in the rear.

Christopher Wren, the architect, may have been inspired by St. Peter's in Rome.

 Most of us climbed the 500 or so steps to the top of the dome.

Then we were tired!

Next we went to the Brompton Oratory, a parish run by the Oratorian priests.  The Oratorians are secular priests living in community.  Their movement was founded by Saint Philip Neri, and Blessed John Henry Newman brought the Oratorians to England.  We could not take pictures in the church, but we enjoyed our tour given by one of the Oratorians, Father Charles.
After supper we went to a parish church of the Anglican Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.  The Anglican Ordinariate is a body of former Anglicans who have entered the Catholic Church and retain some of their Anglican liturgical traditions.  The Ordinariate was established after Pope Benedict XVI promulgated the document Anglicanorum Coetibus in 2009.  The head of the Ordinariate, Monsignor Keith Newton, told us all about the Ordinariate and answered our questions at his parish located just off Piccadilly Circus, in the theater district.

His talk was so eye-opening and I wish I could repeat it all, but I'm afraid I have to sign off now.  As they say here, Cheers!