“You brought a vine out of Egypt; to plant it you drove out the nations…it took root and spread through the land. The mountains were covered with its shadow…to the Great River it stretched out its shoots”.
–Psalm 79(80)
The Allen Hall community went on pilgrimage to the historic site of St Edmund’s College in Ware, Hertfordshire. Although a pilgrimage in every sense, this journey also marks a historic return of the seminary to its roots, prior to the 1975 move to Chelsea.
With this year marking the 50th anniversary of the move from St Edmund’s to Allen Hall, this trip serves not only as a reminder of the past but also as a continuation of the martyrs’ legacy and Catholic evangelisation. Upon arrival, the group gathered in the chapel for Mass, celebrated by the Rector, Canon John, who remarked in his homily that we are witnesses to the hope of Christ on the Cross as he lifted up a relic of the True Cross for veneration after the final blessing. All this aligns with Christ’s words to Nicodemus that ‘the Son of Man must be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.’
Following Mass, the community was given a tour of St Edmund’s College, including the historical significance of this seminary, which has its roots in Douai when Cardinal William Allen founded the English College in 1568. Due to the French Revolution and wider anti-Catholic sentiment, the seminary was relocated, and on the feast of St Edmund of Canterbury, 16th November 1793, the formation of priests continued in Ware. Throughout the years, the building served as a school whilst the seminary function switched to Hammersmith in 1869 under Archbishop Manning and then restored in the Allen Hall wing (in honour of Cardinal Allen) back in 1904.
This pilgrimage to Ware also marks the beginning of Allen Hall’s latest formation year. We ask for your continued prayers, support, and for the Lord’s Blessing as this year’s cohort of seminarians and formators prepare for their respective and various undertakings.
Allen Hall also extends our warmest gratitude to the students and staff at St Edmund’s College for joining us for Holy Mass, for the tour of St Edmund’s, and their fraternity & hospitality.
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