Fullness of faith at Churchill’s old school: the Herald calls on the chaplaincy at Harrow

Winston Churchill went to Harrow. For the 150th anniversary of his birth, the school invited me to speak on Churchill and God. The audience was told that my talk concerned the second greatest Old Harrovian. The greatest, it was announced unequivocally, was Henry Edward Manning: Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, a great social reformer and Ultramontane prelate. His bust in the Lady Chapel (by Basil Gotto, another Old Harrovian) constitutes the only piece of statuary in the school chapel. In fact, Harrow succeeded in producing two of the most famous English converts to Catholicism of the 19th century: FW Faber, hymn writer, theologian and provost of the London Oratory, was also educated there.

Churchill died a doubtful Deist; he made no claims to orthodox Christianity. His schooldays at Harrow provide almost the only evidence of religious engagement. He later recorded his appreciation of the sermons of his headmaster, James Welldon, who went on to become Bishop of Calcutta. Churchill’s request for confirmation provoked a cynical response from his mother, Lady Randolph Churchill, who presumed that the preparation classes were excusing him from more onerous duties elsewhere. Parental discouragement notwithstanding, Churchill was duly confirmed in the school chapel, where he received Communion for the first and only time in his life.

During his brief bout of religious enthusiasm in 1891, Churchill caused his parents further consternation by suggesting that he might have a vocation as an Anglican clergyman. He did not persist, but years later his son, Randolph, speculated on what might have been: in a marvellous piece of counterfactual history, he had Churchill crossing the Tiber, being created a cardinal, reconciling Rome and Canterbury and uniting the best traditions of the Roman Church and the British Empire. Pure fantasy, but enormous fun.       

Founded by Royal Charter of Elizabeth I in 1572, Harrow is a post-Reformation school and, therefore, very much an Anglican foundation. Yet Harrow on the Hill is steeped in Catholic tradition, stretching back over the centuries. The ancient parish church, St Mary’s, was founded by St Anselm. St Thomas Becket preached there just days before his martyrdom in 1170, and the local Catholic parish is dedicated to him. Blessed Francis Page was raised in Harrow; a convert, he was a missionary priest martyred at Tyburn in 1602.

The recent renaissance in Catholic life on the Hill is largely due to two people. Dr James Holland (whose obituary appeared in these pages in January 2023) was a Canadian linguist who went on to become Under Master of Harrow. With responsibility for the growing numbers of Catholic boys, Holland, with the school’s support, persuaded Cardinal Hume to make permanent provision for a Catholic chaplaincy in the 1990s.

The appointment of Mgr Andrew Wadsworth (now Provost of the Washington Oratory) was a stroke of inspiration. His physical and spiritual stature infected the whole school with Catholic joy – whether in the chapel, teaching Italian, playing the piano, or treading the boards in pantomime productions. The Catholic life of the school has also borne fruit in the mission of the Church. Fr Alexander Master and Fr Christian de Lisle are two Old Harrovians who are now priests of the Archdiocese of Westminster.

Today those traditions are ably continued by Fr Stuart Seaton, the current Catholic chaplain, and John McAleer, the Head of Theology and Philosophy, a fine young Catholic of Northern Irish heritage. Mr McAleer has a particular gift for school governance, employed for the benefit a number of Catholic schools in the state sector. Fr Stuart is a Westminster priest; a former Anglican clergyman received into the Catholic Church in 2007, he is married with three sons and has been chaplain at Harrow since 2010.

Walking around the school with him, it is immediately apparent that he enjoys a familiar and friendly rapport with all the boys, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. His willingness to challenge them and to take seriously their spiritual and intellectual questions is obviously hugely appreciated. It helps that the boys also know him from the classroom, where he teaches Theology and Philosophy. 

The heart of the Catholic chaplaincy, of course, is the school chapel, where Mass is celebrated each Sunday with the permission of the Archbishop of Westminster. All 160 Catholic boys attend, together with Catholic staff members and a number of parents. The liturgy is exceptional; fine Roman vestments are worn, and the air is heavy with incense.

Mass is a mixture of English and Latin, and the boys are taught to sing the ordinary of the Mass to plainsong. At other times the choir may sing a Mozart or Haydn setting; Fr Seaton trained as an organist and has a fine voice himself. A number of visiting priests will preach at Mass during the academic year, and there is also a strong tradition of boys serving. It speaks volumes to the reverence of the Mass, and the quality of the music and the preaching, that several non-Catholic boys (with parental permission) and staff opt to attend Mass on Sundays. There is also voluntary Mass in the crypt during the week.

I returned to Harrow to help hear Confessions at one of the regular penitential services organised for all the Catholic boys. These are preceded by Adoration and Benediction, and the atmosphere was ethereal. The school’s Byron Consort, directed by Philip Evans – just back from singing at Chequers, the prime minister’s country residence – rendered Pierre Villette’s setting of the O salutaris and Déodat de Séverac’s Tantum ergo before the candle-laden altar.

Confession, of course, was voluntary. However, having encountered the Eucharistic Lord, very little needed to be said to encourage the boys to avail themselves of His mercy in the sacrament. It was hugely encouraging to see the numbers who chose to remain late on a weekday evening and to experience the seriousness with which they engaged with the sacrament. I was conscious that grace was powerfully at work.

Fr Stuart has a real passion for communicating the Catholic faith and demonstrating the intellectual credibility of Catholicism. This is given full expression in the catechism classes attended by each Catholic boy every week – in addition to joining the rest of the school in Theology classes. In the catechism class I attended, the fifth form were vigorously engaging with St Thomas Aquinas’s proofs of the existence of God. Again, it was instructive to find non-Catholic boys voluntarily choosing to come to these sessions because they enjoyed the intellectual stimulation that they offered.

This catechesis forms the basis of the preparation for confirmation, which is celebrated in the school chapel each May. Last year the celebrant was Bishop John Sherrington, auxiliary bishop of Westminster. Up to 30 boys are confirmed every year, with some first being baptised.

There is a good working relationship with the Anglican chaplain, the Revd Nic Tivey, a former prison chaplain who previously worked at Norwich Cathedral Choir School. Together, the two chaplains, as members of the school’s Pastoral Support Committee, have responsibility for the care of all the boys, especially those who may require particular help. They also oversee the faith societies of the other world religions represented at the school.

Churchill, of course, was half-American, and the school is popular today with American families, a number of them Catholic. Robert Agostinelli featured in the Herald’s list of US Catholic business leaders (February 2024); having worked for Goldman Sachs and Lazard Frères, he founded the New York-based private equity Rhône Group in 1995. Seeking the same Christian values which had formed his own moral compass, he chose to send his son, Carlo, to Harrow; he was head of school in his final year.   

Robert Agostinelli says: “Harrow is to be commended for dignifying the boys’ education with the presence of Our Lord, and for giving them the opportunity to experience the grace of His sacraments. As a parent, I admired Fr Stuart’s dedication and devotion. I saw my son and his friends not only growing in the faith but loving their faith.” As a priest, I can only echo those sentiments.

Fr Mark Vickers is parish priest of The Holy Ghost & St Stephen, London W12                            

The post Fullness of faith at Churchill’s old school: the Herald calls on the chaplaincy at Harrow first appeared on Catholic Herald.

The post Fullness of faith at Churchill’s old school: the Herald calls on the chaplaincy at Harrow appeared first on Catholic Herald.