The Surprising Trio

Lancaster's Catholic Cathedral has a trio of surprising characters.

First up is Henry VIII.  You'd hardly expect the King who broke the ties with Rome to be featured in a Catholic stained glass window, but there he is. The reason he's there is because of his connection with some of the Catholic martyrs who suffered under his leadership.

Second is a statue of Judas Iscariot - the traitor who betrayed the Saviour.  You can see him in the middle of this scene pointing to Jesus.

And finally, is King Herod - he who slaughtered the innocent children in the hopes that he would kill the baby Jesus.  He is the figure on the left with his foot on a baby.

This stained glass is quite fittingly placed at the entrance to the baptistry - a place for innocence and rebirth.

If you fancy a tour of the Cathedral or the religious heritage of Lancaster just let us know.  There is so much to see all around the city.

Lancaster Cathedral

Our religious heritage has so much depth that I continue to be amazed, enthralled, impressed, intrigued, etc. etc.  Our Tourist Guide group recently had the chance for an enlightening visit to Lancaster's Catholic Cathedral.

For centuries Catholics kept a reasonably low profile which is illustrated by this photo of a previous Catholic church in Lancaster.  The church is the one behind the tree.  It looks like a house!

But the new Lancaster Cathedral  (built 1857-59) made a very bold statement on Lancaster's landscape.  Catholicism was here and was here to stay. 

The interior of the church is full of beautiful stained glass, statues and masonry. 

I recommend a visit.  Guided tours available.  In fact, Lancaster is full of religious buildings and we'd be happy to take you around the streets of Lancaster for a Sacred Places tour.