Within the Cathedral Hall of the Discovery Centre, the weekend of the 10th – 12th of July, the sacristy team organised the “Old Vestment Exhibition”. Guests enjoyed a display with a vast array of vestments including custom made vests used by Bishop Crispian (7th Bishop of Portsmouth), Bishop Emery (6th Bishop of Portsmouth), Bishop Cotter (3rd Bishop of Portsmouth), and Bishop Vertue (1st Bishop of Portsmouth). Among these items, there were also special Mitres and vestments from our Sister Archdiocese of Bamenda, emphasising our half-a-century old link.
The highlights of the exhibition were two eye catching vestments (main photo).
The vestment on the left is a custom-made piece of clothing, ordered to celebrate the creation of the Diocese over one hundred years ago. On the back of the vestment are three saints, including St Edmund of Abingdon and our Lady Immaculate Conception, patron saints of our Diocese. St Edmund is holding a piece of paper showing a map with the original borders of the Diocese of Portsmouth, as well as another Saint holding the original plan for the Cathedral of St Jonh the Evangelist (this plan was altered before construction). Another noticeable feature is the two crests on the top of the vestment, belonging to Pope Leo XVIII and Bishop Vertue. This vestment was most likely handmade, which is rare nowadays, but due to the fragile nature of the piece, it is hardly ever seen, making this exhibition a unique opportunity to actually lay eyes on this piece.
The vestment on the right is the “Saints Vestment”. Some would say the most visually capturing item in the entire room. Featuring an incredible number of saints figures and covering the entire length of the vestment, its gold and red tones make for the perfect blend. Contrary to the older vestment, this one is used at least once a month by one of our priests, particularly on Fridays during Benediction or Adoration.
If you are curious on our Diocese or our Cathedral’s history, please follow these links to learn more: About – Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth and Cathedral – Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth
