Cardinal Vincent Nichols opens Holy Door at Westminster Cathedral

At Vespers today, Sunday 13 December, Cardinal Vincent opened the Door of Mercy at Westminster Cathedral to mark the beginning of the Year of Mercy in the diocese. He was joined by the Cathedral Chapters and the Chaplains of the Cathedral. During Vespers the congregation were invited to follow through the Holy Door after Cardinal Vincent.

This will be the principal Holy Door for the diocese. Other churches throughout Westminster diocese which been granted permission for a Holy Door include: Holy Trinity in Brook Green; St Peter's Italian Church in Clerkenwell, St Dominic's in Haverstock Hill, Our Lady and St Joseph in Kingsland, St Anselm and St Cecilia in Lincoln Inn's Fields, Our Lady of the Rosary in Marylebone, St Patrick's in Soho Square, St William of York in Stanmore, English Martyrs in Tower Hill, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and St Joseph in Waltham Cross, Our Lady Queen of Apostles in Welwyn Garden City and the Shrine of Our Lady of Willesden.

These doors are scheduled to open on different dates. More information will be announced on the parish websites.

In his homily, Cardinal Nichols said: "I hope and pray that we will enter through this Door many times in the months to come, pondering deeply the immensity of God's desire that we never turn away from Him in fear or dread because of what we have done or failed to do."

He went on to invite people to bring someone with them through the Holy Door who "may have moved away from the practice of their faith and yet may well be ready, with our encouragement and gentleness, to make this simple journey home."

The Holy Door marks the beginning of a 'Merciful Way' that has been installed in the cathedral which features 'Stations of Mercy' produced by Rachel Sim and a team of artists. These stations reflect on different aspects of God's mercy, including the Corporal and Spiritual works of mercy, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and ends at the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Cardinal Nichols encouraged those present to take this short pilgrimage, saying: "Walk this way so that your life, in its turn, may become a merciful way of life. Here we learn to turn away from bitterness, resentment, anger or envy because the One who is offended by every sin does not bear such bitterness towards us sinners, but lets go of such thoughts and always has ready for us the merciful forgiveness of our failings, even before we come to acknowledge and confess them."