Why pilgrims come
A sacred place worth the journey.
The mother church of Catholics in England and Wales, preserving the bodily remains of St. John Southworth and two relics of the True Cross within its chapels.
The pilgrim’s guide
What makes this visit meaningful
Westminster Cathedral is not only London’s Roman Catholic cathedral: it is a pilgrimage church of the English martyrs. Pray at St. John Southworth’s shrine, visit the Chapel of St. George and the English Martyrs, and notice how the cathedral’s chapels preserve the memory of Catholic witness through the Reformation and penal centuries.
Shrine of St. John Southworth
Venerate the remains of the London priest-martyr who served the sick during plague outbreaks and was executed at Tyburn.
Chapel of St. George and the English Martyrs
The chapel gathers the cathedral’s memory of the Reformation martyrs around Southworth’s shrine.
Relics of the True Cross
The cathedral preserves two traditionally venerated Passion relics, associated especially with the September feast of the Holy Cross.
Mass and confession
Build the visit around the cathedral’s unusually full daily sacramental schedule.
Feasts & celebrations