Cardinal to celebrate Mass to mark closure of Osterley

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor will be the principal celebrant on Wednesday, 12 May, at a Mass to celebrate the work of Campion House, Osterley, and to mark its closure after almost 100 years.  Bishops and priests from all over England and Wales will be concelebrating - many of them former students of Osterley.

In 1912 Thornbury House in the quiet village of Osterley was taken by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and renamed Campion House.  It was to be a retreat-house and whilst it has remained such throughout its history, it is better known as a 'college for late vocations'.

Since then more than 1,500 men who otherwise would never have started at a seminary have studied at Osterley and gone on to be ordained.  In addition many thousands of laymen, the backbone of the Church in Britain, have also benefitted from studies at the college, while hundreds of others have been spiritually enriched by undergoing retreats there.  As Cardinal Hume once wrote, 'I really do believe, and have often said, that Campion House Osterley is one of the truly great institutions of the Church in this country.'

The Mass at Westminster Cathedral starts at 11 am on Wednesday, 12 May, and all will be very welcome.



 Westminster Archdiocese