The Two Westminsters

Yesterday we had the great opportunity to visit the two Westminsters, just 10 minutes apart by foot. The first one was Westminster Cathedral, the mother church for the Catholic world in England. The second was Westminster Abbey, the domestic church of the royal family. The abbey is the place where the royal coronations and the majority of the royal weddings take place. We are all still trying to digest the thoughts that ran through our minds after experiencing these two places.

The rector of the cathedral gave us a brief tour. During the tour, he said the main reason for this church's existence is to provide an opportunity for people to go to the sacrament of confession and to spend time before the Blessed Sacrament. The overall mission was focused on the spiritual welfare of its visitors.

The canon of the abbey gave us an extended tour of the abbey where we saw many historical artifacts and tombs of kings and queens. At one point, I happened to look down to see that I was standing on Sir Isaac Newton's tomb! We participated in Evensong before heading out.

It was not difficult to notice the contrast between these two churches. One seemed to be focused on prayer and the sacraments while the other one felt more like a museum at times. Nevertheless, the day reminded us that the true mission of the church is the glory of God and salvation of souls.