I was recently invited to the opening of the St Thomas Centre in the grounds of Northampton’s Catholic Cathedral on Barrack Road.
The centre opened in September 2021, however Covid-19 restrictions unfortunately prevented a formal opening then.
The St Thomas Centre is being used to host many Church events, including social outreach projects such as a foodbank and a bereavement group.
During my visit I met His Excellency Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United Kingdom, and the Roman Catholic Bishop of Northampton David Oakley who I have met previously on a number of occasions.
The Apostolic Nuncio, who is the Vatican’s Ambassador in the UK, blessed and formally opened the new centre, and this was followed by a reception with local Christian religious leaders and members of the Church community.
The opening of the centre was a part of the celebrations of the Becket Festival from Friday 7th – Sunday 9th July. This Catholic festival commemorates the life of Saint Thomas, the patron of the Catholic Diocese of Northampton.
(Photo: Sir Michael Ellis MP with the Apostolic Nuncio to the UK, His Excellency Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía in Northampton)