Noble Army of Martyrs: Westminster Abbey
Above Westminster Abbey’s Great West Door stand ten statues to 20th-century Christian martyrs. Included among them is St Oscar Romero.
This autumn, to mark the 25th anniversary of their installation, a sermon series, ‘The Noble Army of Martyrs’, will focus on the lives of those depicted, their ongoing resonance, and legacy for the Church.
These sermons will be preached during Choral Evensong in Westminster Abbey at 3:00pm on Sundays throughout the autumn. No booking is required.
See the full details below:
September
- St Oscar Romero by Canon Tricia Hillas - 10 September
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer by Canon Tricia Hillas - 17 September
- Wang Zhiming by The Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle - 24 September
October
- Elizabeth of Russia by Canon Dr James Hawkey - 1 October
- St Maximilian Kolbe by Canon Dr James Hawkey - 22 October
- Manche Masemola by The Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle - 29 October
November
- Janani Luwum by Canon Anthony Ball - 19 November
- Esther John by Canon Anthony Ball - 26 November
December
- Dr Martin Luther King by Canon David Stanton - 10 December
- Lucian Tapiedi by Canon David Stanton - 17 December
All Saints’ Day
Archbishop Bashar Warda, Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Erbil, Iraq, will address the contemporary reality of Christian persecution in the world today at a sermon preached in Westminster Abbey on All Saints’ Day. Archbishop Warda’s community includes so many of those killed, wounded, displaced and marginalised in and around Mosul and the Ninevah Plains by ISIS/Da’esh.
When: Sung Eucharist, Wednesday 1 November, 5.00pm
About the Modern Martyrs
The ten martyrs whose statues stand above the Abbey’s Great West Door are drawn from every continent and many Christian denominations and represent all who have been oppressed or persecuted for their faith.
Among them are victims of Nazism, communism, and religious and racial prejudice in the 20th century. Their statues were unveiled on 9th July 1998 in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.
