Cardinal Vincent Nichols Ordains Mgr Nicholas Hudson as Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster

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Cardinal Vincent Nichols ordained Bishop Nicholas Hudson on 4 June 2014 in a Solemn Mass at Westminster Cathedral. Cardinal Vincent was the Principal Celebrant and and was assisted by principal co-consecrating bishops, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor and Archbishop Peter Smith, Archbishop of Southwark.  

After the presentation of the Bishop-elect, Monsignor Vincent Brady presented the Apostolic Letter on behalf of the Papal Nuncio, who was unable to attend. The letter was read by Fr Jeremy Trood, Chancellor of the Diocese, and it appointed Bishop Nicholas Auxiliary of the Metropolitan Church of Westminster and named him to the titular see of St Germans.

The ordination was also attended by the Most Reverend Michael Bowen, Emeritus Archbishop of Southwark; the Most Reverend Arthur Roche, Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments; 25 bishops from across England and Wales and Europe; two abbots and over 180 priests.

Ecumenical guests included the former Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Baron Williams of Oystermouth, bishops and deans from the Church of England, and representatives from the Orthodox Churches.

In his homily, Cardinal Vincent referred to “the anointing from which Jesus takes his title as ‘the Christ’, ‘the Anointed One’, a reality of grace in which we are invited to share.”

He spoke about the anointing with chrism at baptism, confirmation and the ordination of priests before continuing, “Today, Mgr Nicholas Hudson will be anointed with chrism on the crown of his head, a sign through which the grace and character of episcopal ordination is conferred upon him by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Addressing the new Bishop directly, Cardinal Vincent went on to say, “Through this anointing, the bishop, you, Nicholas, are now bound so closely to Christ, the Bridegroom, that you look on the Church, on us all, with the eyes and the love of Christ himself. With this anointing you change posts, as it were, now standing with the Bridegroom. That is why we see in the bishop a special presence of our beloved Lord.”

Recalling the Lord’s question to St Peter, “Peter, do you love me more than these?”, the Cardinal spoke about it as ‘a question addressed not in order to elicit precedence or privilege or any cause for boasting, but simply the measure of the service that Peter is going to give.

“It is an unmistakable sign that discipleship is costly. We may like to think that we have chosen to follow the Lord, to enthrone him as our Master. But in fact he has chosen us, and he will do with us just whatever he wants, for the sake of his kingdom.”

Cardinal Vincent finished with these words of welcome, “You are here for the sake of his kingdom and in receiving you as his gift we know that we need you, your goodness, your experience, your clarity of mind but most of all your love of the Lord.”
As is customary, at the end of Mass, Cardinal Vincent led Bishop Nicholas through the Cathedral so he could confer a blessing on all who had come to join him in the celebration.

For more photographs of the Ordination click here.

The Spiritual Formation of a Herald of the Gospel

To evangelize is to proclaim the Good News; to do this one must already know and live it. It is not enough just to know it, one must also how to convey it to others. The first way of sharing the Good News is in the very manner of living a Christian life.  But to ensure the growth of the planted seed, one must also know how to respond to questions individuals ask about the Church and Catholicism, the faith and how it gives meaning to life, the path indicated by Beauty, Truth and Good in a materialistic world where the number of souls is ever increasing who are indifferent towards religion.

That is why the formation of a Herald is such an important aspect of his or her life. It is also important for them that it be more than just a moment, a phase, or a stage, since formation is always ongoing and growth is continuous. Nonetheless, it takes on different forms along the life of a Herald:

• Boys and girls, young men and women gather for weekend activities in separate youth centers, where they can participate in catechesis, meetings, games, and other group activities, and share a meal in common. Here the first opportunity for a vocational experience occurs;

• In primary and secondary schools, students are offered a quality education in a solidly Catholic setting, deeply imbued with the charism of Heralds of the Gospel. Some of these educational institutions are day schools and others are boarding schools, where the daily schedule is divided between homework, prayer and community life, and which includes a more advanced course of training and formation.  During the holidays and regular seasonal vacations, summer courses and other cultural exchanges are organized with the youth centres;

• While in the seminaries, formation becomes more specific and focused, and is oriented to evangelization and to pastoral ministry with ample opportunities for practical experience in alternation with classroom study;

• Those who are called to teach will continue their studies at the post graduate level: whether it be to obtain a master’s degree or licentiate, or a doctorate, the specific subject matter will normally determine the choice of the university, even in a foreign country;

• Regardless of the academic degree obtained by a Herald, everyone will continue to participate in continuing education and formation through organized conferences, seminars and workshops, which are aimed to keep the member abreast of new developments and deepen their skills and understanding so that their work may be more productive and effective.

Holiness and wisdom are two inseparable elements of every true Christian and exemplified for us by the Divine Master.  An example which every Herald should strive to the utmost to put into practice.