St Etheldreda's Church is located in Ely Place, off Charterhouse Street, Holborn, London. It is dedicated to Æthelthryth, or Etheldreda, an Anglo-Saxon saint who founded the monastery at Ely in 673. The building was the chapel of the London residence of the Bishops of Ely.
The chapel was purchased in 1873 and opened as a Roman Catholic church in 1878. It is one of the oldest Roman Catholic church buildings in England, and one of only two surviving buildings in London dating from Edward I's reign. It consists of a chapel, or Upper Church, and a crypt, or undercroft.
St Etheldreda's is active to this day and often used for Masses, baptisms, weddings, and funerals. Six elected commissioners manage the church and area.
Because Etheldreda was often invoked for help with infections of the throat, the Blessing of the Throats is held annually at the chapel.
The Catholic chapel at the United States Military Academy, West Point, is modelled on St Etheldreda's.
Read more about St Etheldreda's Church: Further Reading
Famous quotes containing the word church:
“The hippopotamus’s day
Is passed in sleep; at night he hunts;
God works in a mysterious way—
The Church can sleep and feed at once.”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)