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The Westminster Cathedral interfaith group meets every third Wednesday of the month in the Hinsley Room, Morpeth Terrace from 4 to 5 p.m.

We got off to a splendid start in June 2007 with a talk by Alfred Agius, then Westminster diocesan Interfaith advisor. His successor Jon Dal Din has regularly attended our meetings.  

We began by studying Catholic documents on relations with other faiths and spending time in silent meditation. 

We have regular outings to venues important for our intentions.  For instance, a group of 14 enjoyed a tour of the British Library exhibition “Sacred”, where we also had a conducted visit of the Jain exhibition, with an excellent Jain guide.

From January to March 2009 we studied Christianity and Islam.  This course had been designed to give an appreciation of the inner dimensions of Islam and the way that it shapes the lives of Muslims, so as to have a better understanding of Muslims in the West.  This is paramount if we want a meaningful dialogue with our Muslim fellow citizens; we need to understand something of their world view, beliefs, and history and theology of Christian-Muslim relations.

The course consisted of ten two-hour sessions, including a visit to a mosque.  It was given by Dr Chris Hewer, the St Ethelburga Fellow in Christian-Muslim Relations, who has been involved in the study of Islam and in Christian-Muslim relations since 1986.  Bishop John Arnold who was then responsible for interfaith relations for the diocese visited the group and met Dr Hewer.  We also spent 3 sessions looking at the document sent by Muslim scholars to the churches about Love of God and neighbour.

Brian Appleyard of the Buddhist society gave us an interesting overview of Buddhism.

I was involved  in the Catholic Bishops’ Conference session with Muslims and in the Westminster Faith Exchange which looked at 6 different faiths’ attitudes to body and health.



I have continued to attend interfaith forums especially and make useful contacts notably the enthusiastic Rachel Heilbron of the Three Faiths forum.



The group has had several visits to Initiatives for Change, 24 Greencoat Place, to enjoy Chinese New Year meals and see the film “The Imam and the Pastor”.



We have welcomed Muslim, Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist and humanist speakers.

Rabbi Mark Solomon and Sister Margaret Shepherd of the Sisters of Sion                   spoke about relations between Jews and Christians.



We take part in the annual Westminster interfaith peace walk and used the booklet “Conversations for the soul” for ongoing dialogue with Muslims and Buddhists.



We have visited the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir temple in Neasden and the Jain temple in Potters Bar. The Bishops’ conference document “Meeting God in friend and stranger” which we studied in detail is a most useful and essential guide in our troubled world.



We also studied “Sharing Eden” a booklet on Faiths and the environment produced by Christian, Jewish and Muslim writers.



In 2014 we had talks on the Commonwealth contribution to World War 1 by Hugo Clarke of the Curzon Institute, the first Imam to the armed forces, Raheed Salaam a Muslim who works with youth and William Rhind of the Gandhi Foundation on Gandhi and interfaith, as well as a well-attended talk by  a Zoroastrian.



Future meetings are  Dec 17 Alan Rainer on unity of faiths

Jan 21, 2015 Revd Jim Walters chaplain to London School of Economics on their pilgrimage to the Holy Land

Feb 18, 2015 Stefan Byron on yoga

March 18,2015 Jeremy Rodell humanist on the problem of evil

No meeting in April

May 20^th 2015 Sally Reith of Shared Interest on investing in a fairer world

June 17, 2015 Joan Salter on being saved from the Holocaust





John Woodhouse Organiser of the group which is open to all

woodhousesopten@btinternet.com  0790 8888 586 by text