The Cambridge University Catholic Chaplaincy, known as Fisher House after its patron,
English martyr and
Cambridge chancellor St John Fisher, is the
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
chaplaincy for members of the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. Founded in 1896, since 1924 it has been located on the site of a former inn on
Guildhall Street in
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
's city centre. The present Chaplain is Fr Paul Keane.
Operation
![Fisher House - Cambridge - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Fisher_House_-_Cambridge_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1259175.jpg)
The chaplaincy is open to all Catholic members of the University, from undergraduates to
fellows. In 2007, approximately 500 people attended its three Sunday Masses, with 20–30 people attending each weekday.
The finances of the chaplaincy, including building upkeep, are handled by the Cambridge University Catholic Association (CUCA), while the chaplains are appointed by the
Oxford and Cambridge Catholic Education Board
The Oxford and Cambridge Catholic Education Board (OCCEB) is the charitable body responsible for appointing the Catholic chaplains to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
OCCEB was established by the Vatican in 1895 as the Universities Cathol ...
(OCCEB). The day-to-day running of the chaplaincy is handled by the chaplain and the student-run Fisher Society.
Regular events include the annual Fisher Mass (in recent years celebrated at
Great St Mary's
St Mary the Great is a Church of England parish and university church at the north end of King's Parade in central Cambridge, England. It is known locally as Great St Mary's or simply GSM to distinguish it from "Church of St Mary the Less, Cambri ...
) and the
Gilbey Requiem Mass
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...
, as well as the Fisher Society dinner, barbecue, and garden party at the nearby
Dominican priory.
History
Foundation and Early Years (1871-1924)
Oxford and Cambridge universities opened their doors to Catholics in 1871 after the repeal of the
Test Act
The Test Acts were a series of English penal laws that served as a religious test for public office and imposed various civil disabilities on Roman Catholics and nonconformists. The underlying principle was that only people taking communion in ...
s. However, the
Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith
A congregation is a large gathering of people, often for the purpose of worship.
Congregation may also refer to:
* Church (congregation), a Christian organization meeting in a particular place for worship
*Congregation (Roman Curia), an administr ...
had decreed that it would be next to impossible for the ancient English universities to be frequented without mortal sin, stressing the dangers of an increasing atmosphere of liberalism and scepticism.
This decision was met with public outcry from the wealthy laity, who wished for their sons to attend Oxbridge colleges.
After a petition led by the Catholic Cambridge fellow Baron
Anatole von Hügel
Anatole von Hügel (29 September 1854, in Florence – 15 August 1928, in Cambridge) was the second son of the Austrian nobleman Charles von Hügel and his Scottish wife Elizabeth Farquharson. His elder brother was Friedrich von Hügel and hi ...
, this ban was lifted in 1895 with the condition that a chaplaincy be established to provide teaching on philosophy, history and religion.
As a result of this, the Universities Catholic Education Board (later OCCEB) was founded and Fr. Edmund Nolan was appointed chaplain. At the same time, the Fisher Society was founded by Cambridge students as a literary and debating society.
Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk
Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, (27 December 184711 February 1917), styled Lord Maltravers until 1856 and Earl of Arundel and Surrey between 1856 and 1860, was a British Unionist politician and philanthropist. He served as Postmas ...
purchased property in Cambridge and the chaplaincy was established there at
St Edmund's House
ST, St, or St. may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Stanza, in poetry
* Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band
* Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise
* Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...
in November 1886.
The very first lectures were given by
Cuthbert Butler,
OSB, entitled "Questions of the Day".
In 1899, CUCA was founded in order to purchase rooms for the chaplaincy at 2 Green Street. From here, the chaplaincy would then move to Llandaff House, near
Downing College
Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge and currently has around 650 students. Founded in 1800, it was the only college to be added to Cambridge University between 1596 and 1869, and is often described as the olde ...
, under
Monsignor
Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ca ...
Arthur Barnes. After a brief closure during the
war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
, Fr. Bernard Marshall became chaplain at 50 Bridge Street, and then 2 Round Church Street, next to the
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
.
Fisher House (1924-present)
![Cimabue Fisher House](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Cimabue_Fisher_House.jpg)
In 1924, a Grade II
listed
Listed may refer to:
* Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm
* Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic
* Endangered species in biology
* Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...
pub called the Black Swan was purchased by CUCA for £10,000. The chaplaincy was moved there and named Fisher House. An interesting cluster of buildings, two old houses, joined at right angles to each other. One (housing library incl. student bar and kitchen, studies) overhangs the street and is 16th century. The other (housing dining room, kitchens, great chamber, living quarters) is reached via alleyways and is early 17th century with medieval cellars. The Great Chamber on the first floor, well lit with oak beams and antique furniture, paintings and tapestry, is one of the most pleasant rooms in Cambridge.
In 1998, Mgr
Alfred Gilbey
Alfred Newman Gilbey (1901–1998) was a British Catholic Church, Roman Catholic priest and monsignor. He was the longest-serving Fisher House, Cambridge, chaplain to the University of Cambridge, England. He has been described as the best-known R ...
, a previous chaplain who had worked to prevent Fisher House being demolished for development, was interred in the courtyard.
Fisher House was officially opened on 4 May 1925, the then feast of Blessed
John Fisher
John Fisher (c. 19 October 1469 – 22 June 1535) was an English Catholic bishop, cardinal, and theologian. Fisher was also an academic and Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI.
Fisher was executed by o ...
. In 1937 the women's chaplaincy was founded at
Lady Margaret House, but was not merged into Fisher House until 1966. Originally Mass was held in a chapel in an upper room, but in 1967 work was started on a new hall and side chapel.
The hall was originally rented out to market traders to provide income,
but in 2008, after a successful appeal to raise £2 million, it became a permanent place of worship. This endowment fund included a personal donation of €3000 from
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
, who had previously visited Fisher House to give a lecture in 1988 as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.
In 2005, a reconstruction of a
Cimabue
Cimabue (; ; – 1302), Translated with an introduction and notes by J.C. and P Bondanella. Oxford: Oxford University Press (Oxford World’s Classics), 1991, pp. 7–14. . also known as Cenni di Pepo or Cenni di Pepi, was an Italian painter ...
crucifix was commissioned from the
Hamilton Kerr Institute
The Hamilton Kerr Institute is a branch of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridgeshire, England, dedicated to the study and conservation of easel paintings. It is also part of the University of Cambridge.
Facilities and logistics
The institute wa ...
by the then-chaplain, Fr Alban McCoy. This 2m artwork was constructed according to contemporary medieval Italian methods, in particular those documented in
Cennino Cennini
Cennino d'Andrea Cennini (c. 1360 – before 1427) was an Italian painter influenced by Giotto. He was a student of Agnolo Gaddi in Florence. Gaddi trained under his father, called Taddeo Gaddi, who trained with Giotto.
Cennini was born in ...
’s work ''Libro dell’Arte''. The crucifix was completed in March 2008, installed at Fisher House and consecrated by Cardinal
Cormac Murphy-O'Connor
Cormac Murphy-O'Connor (24 August 1932 – 1 September 2017) was a British cardinal, the Archbishop of Westminster and president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. He was made cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001. He s ...
.
List of Chaplains
* Fr Edmund Nolan (1896–05)
* Mgr Arthur Barnes (1905–16)
* Fr James Bernard Marshall (1918–22)
* Fr John Lopes (1922–28)
* Fr George MacGillivray (1928–32)
* Mgr
Alfred Gilbey
Alfred Newman Gilbey (1901–1998) was a British Catholic Church, Roman Catholic priest and monsignor. He was the longest-serving Fisher House, Cambridge, chaplain to the University of Cambridge, England. He has been described as the best-known R ...
(1932–65)
* Fr Richard Incledon (1965–77)
* Fr
Maurice Couve de Murville
Jacques-Maurice Couve de Murville (; 24 January 1907 – 24 December 1999) was a French diplomat and politician who was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1958 to 1968 and Prime Minister from 1968 to 1969 under the presidency of General de Gaull ...
(1977–82)
* Dom Christopher Jenkins
OSB (1982–88)
* Fr John Osman (1988–94)
* Fr Allan White
OP (1994–2000)
* Fr
Alban McCoy OFM Conv (2000–13)
* Mgr
Mark Langham (2013–20)
* Fr Robert Verrill OP, ''acting'' (2020–21)
*Fr Alban Hood OSB (2021–22)
*Sr Ann Swailes OP, ''acting'' (2022)
*Fr Paul Keane (2022-)
See also
*
Oxford University Catholic Chaplaincy
Oxford University Catholic Chaplaincy is based in the Old Palace, also known as Bishop King's Palace. The chaplaincy started in 1896 and moved into its current premises in 1920. The building was originally constructed in 1485 with another part ad ...
*
Oxford University Newman Society
*
Oxford and Cambridge Catholic Education Board
The Oxford and Cambridge Catholic Education Board (OCCEB) is the charitable body responsible for appointing the Catholic chaplains to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
OCCEB was established by the Vatican in 1895 as the Universities Cathol ...
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
Fisher House website
{{Diocese of East Anglia
Religious organizations established in 1896
Roman Catholic churches in Cambridge
Organisations associated with the University of Cambridge
Buildings and structures in Cambridge
University and college chapels in the United Kingdom
Roman Catholic chapels in England