Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family
The Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family
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Location	London, W1K 5BQ United Kingdom
Denomination	Ukrainian Greek Catholic
History
Consecrated	1968
Architecture
Architect(s)	Alfred Waterhouse
Style	Romanesque Revival
Years built	1889–1891
Specifications
Capacity	900
Administration
Province	Eparchy of the Holy Family

The Cathedral of the Holy Family is a very important church in London, England. It is the main church for the Ukrainian Greek Catholic community in Great Britain. This church is where the leader bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family of London has his seat.

The church is named after the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph) and their journey to Egypt. You can find it on Duke Street, near Oxford Street, in Mayfair, London. The cathedral is open every day for people to visit and worship.

History of the Cathedral Building

The building that is now the Cathedral of the Holy Family was first designed by a famous architect named Alfred Waterhouse. He finished building it in 1891. It was originally made for a different church group called the Congregational King's Weigh House congregation.

Design and Style of the Church

The church building is made of red bricks with special buff-colored terracotta decorations. It has a unique oval shape for its main worship area, called the nave. There is also a tower located in the south-west corner of the building. The style of the building is called Romanesque Revival, which means it looks like old Romanesque buildings.

Becoming a Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral

In 1967, the Congregational church sold the building to the Ukrainian Catholics. They wanted it to be the new main church for their community in the area. This community was first set up in 1957 by Pope Pius XII.

After the Ukrainian Catholics bought the building, they made some changes inside. These changes helped the church fit the Catholic way of worship. For example, it has a beautiful window on the east side made by Robert Anning Bell. It also has a special confessional booth designed by J. F. Bentley, who also worked on Westminster Cathedral. In 1970, Waterhouse's building was given a special heritage status, meaning it is an important historical building.

Repairs and Important Events

In 2007, the cathedral had to close for a short time because part of its ceiling fell down. But it was fixed and looks great now. Luckily, a special screen covered with religious pictures, called an iconostasis, was not damaged. This iconostasis was created by a Ukrainian monk named Juvenalij Mokrytsky.

On January 18, 2013, the church's status was upgraded by Pope Benedict XVI. It became a full "eparchy," which is like a diocese with its own bishop.

A Gathering Place for Ukrainians

The cathedral became a very important meeting point for the British Ukrainian community during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Many people gathered there to show support and pray. Important people, including politicians and religious leaders, gave speeches at the cathedral. The Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK and the All Party Parliamentary Group for Ukraine were invited by Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski to speak there.

See also

• Parishes of the Eparchy of Holy Family of London for Ukrainians
• Paul Patrick Chomnycky
• Roman Catholicism in Great Britain

In Spanish: Catedral de la Sagrada Familia (Londres) para niños