Archbishop of Westminster and Chancellor of St Mary’s University, HE Cardinal Vincent Nichols, celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving for St Mary’s University’s 175th anniversary on 26th June, during which the University was presented with an Apostolic Blessing from His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.
The University welcomed in its Grade II listed chapel a number of bishops, including Chair of the Board of Governors, Rt Rev Richard Moth, Bishop of Arundel and Brighton; and Rt Rev Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, Ukrainian Eparch, Bishop of Great Britain. St Mary’s University also welcomed a number of ecumenical guests, including HE Archbishop Nikitas Loulias, Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain, and Archdeacon George Tsourous, from the Greek Orthodox Church. Over 25 priests concelebrated Mass with the Cardinal.
Other honoured guests at Mass included Mayor of Richmond Cllr Penny Frost, Leader of Richmond Council, Cllr Gareth Roberts, and Munira Wilson, MP for Twickenham, alongside students, staff, alumni, members of the Catholic community, former staff members, partners, local politicians, and friends of the University. The attendees were invited to join a festal lunch afterwards to celebrate the Anniversary.
The Mass was also the setting for the debut performance of a new anthem composed by one of the world’s most eminent composers, Sir James MacMillan. The piece, Monstra te Esse Matrem (Show yourself to be a Mother), is a setting of St Mary’s motto, which in turn is an extract from the eighth century Marian Hymn Ave Maris Stella (Hail, Star of the Sea).
Speaking of the Mass, St Mary’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Anthony McClaran said, “The Mass was a very special celebration for the University as we give thanks for the impact St Mary’s has had through its 175 years of inspiring excellence.
“St Mary’s is amongst the oldest higher education providers in the country, having been founded in 1850, making our 175 years a particularly significant achievement. The Mass also honours the centenary of our move to Strawberry Hill from Hammersmith in 1925, with the campus being formally opened by HE Cardinal Bourne on 23rd June 1927.
“We would like to thank all who have supported the University’s mission throughout our history as we look ahead to the future and exciting initiatives such as the new St Mary’s University School of Medicine and the Centenary Building development.”
The music in the Mass was provided through the generous sponsorship of the Catholic Association of Performing Arts, and the choir was directed by Edward Tambling, with the fanfare directed by Jonathan Spencer. Mark Underwood played the newly restored Chapel organ.
Founded in 1850 to train teachers for Catholic schools, St Mary’s University achieved full university status in 2014. Today, St Mary’s is also one of the top-rated modern universities nationally and has ambitious plans to ensure it continues to make a positive impact locally, nationally and globally. The University is also home to Mater Ecclesiae College, a pontifical institute awarding ecclesiastical degrees under the authority of the Holy See.
But, most particularly, in the tradition of Catholic universities, and aligned to Saint John Henry Newman’s vision, we have always, and will continue, to put our students at the heart of everything we do. Our academic programmes seek to develop the whole person and empower our community to have a positive impact on the world.
Allied to this, the University is deeply conscious of its social responsibilities and is responding to the challenges and opportunities that the 21st Century presents. St Mary’s undertakes research and makes important contributions to public debate and policy in diverse fields spanning modern slavery and human trafficking, pedagogy, theology, Catholic social thought, and health sciences - even developing equipment for astronauts to use on the International Space Station.
A key development for the University is the launch of the School of Medicine, which will begin training doctors in 2026. Graduates from this new school will be equipped to be compassionate contributors to the global medical community.
At its heart, St Mary’s remains a university committed to delivering outstanding outcomes for its students and is rated in the top 10 nationally for teaching quality for the 2025 Sunday Times Good University Guide.