A photograph of the sanctuary and high altar in Westminster Cathedral, the largest Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, and mother church of the diocese of Westminster, is depicted on a special Royal Mail postage stamp issued today.

The British Ambassador to the Holy See, Francis Campbell said: “It is wonderful that Royal Mail has chosen to issue these stamps. I am particularly pleased that they have included Westminster Cathedral, my local parish church.”

A special lecture will be held tonight, May 13, at Westminster Cathedral Hall to mark the occasion. Abbot Cuthbert Johnson OSB, the Benedictine liturgist, and a stamp collector is giving a lecture entitled: “The Relevance of Monasticism in a Secular Society: how the Benedictines can guide and comfort us in the 21st Century.” The event has been organised by the Friends of Westminster Cathedral, an organisation founded in 1977, to help promote the Cathedral and its mission.

Westminster Cathedral’s history

In 1829 Roman Catholics in England were given full rights as citizens for the first time since the Reformation; and in 1850 Pope Pius IX restored Catholic dioceses and bishops. Cardinal Herbert Vaughan (1832-1903) the third Archbishop of Westminster wanted to build a Gothic Cathedral, but was persuaded by his chosen architect, John Francis Bentley to adopt an exotic Byzantine style, inspired by St Mark’s in Venice and St Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey.

The foundation stone of the Cathedral, built on the site of the old Tothill Fields prison, was laid on June 29 1895. Eight years later the great striped campanile rose higher than the western towers of the nearby Westminster Abbey, the former Benedictine Abbey of St Peter’s. The first major Mass celebrated was the funeral of its founder, Cardinal Vaughan, on June 26 1903.

Since that day, Westminster Cathedral has hosted many memorable events including the first Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II in Great Britain, on May 28, 1982, the first day of his visit. In his homily the Pope said: “Today, for the first time in history, a Bishop of Rome sets foot on English soil. I am deeply moved at this thought..”

On April 3, Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor instituted the Cardinal’s Lectures 2008, a series of six Thursday evening lectures on the theme “Faith and Life in Britain”. The speaker include the former Labour Prime minister Tony Blair, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and the Director General of the BBC, Mark Thompson.

The Westminster Cathedral stamp is 72p, the postage rate of mail to Europe weighing up to 60 grams, and was designed by Howard Brown, with features photography by Peter Marlow / Magnum Photos. The stamp was printed by Jon Enschedé Stamps, based in the Netherlands, in sheets of 25 x two, using the lithography printing process

The other five Cathedrals, situated throughout the United Kingdom, shown on the special Royal stamps are: Lichfield in Staffordshire, 1st Class; Belfast Cathedral in Northern Ireland, 48p; Gloucester Cathedral, 50p; St David’s Cathedral in Pembrokeshire, West Wales West, 56p; and St Magus Cathedral in Orkney 81p.

St Paul’s Cathedral, in the City of London, is the subject of a special miniature sheet containing four stamps – 2 x 1st class and 2 x 81p – that placed together show the interior view, of Sir Christopher Wren’s great masterpiece, as photographed from under the dome.

Westminster Cathedral, the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood, is open every day of the year. Times of services can be found on the website: www.westminstercathedral.org.uk