Lighting Candles at Lee House

Chapel at Lee House, Thornley, Lancashire

Lee House is an old, rambling dwelling a few miles outside of Longridge which is itself a ways outside of Preston in Lancashire. Technically Lee House is in Thornley, but essentially it sits alone, surrounded by fields and approached by a single track off a country road. You might think that an isolated farm used to hide priests and celebrate Masses during the Penal period might not be an ideal location for an ACN-NW Prayer Vigil for Religious Freedom, but you couldn’t be more wrong!



Candle Lighting at the Lee House Prayer Vigil

On Friday 5 December Theodora and I braved freezing weather, icy roads and pitch black country skies to head to Lee House for a vigil. At 7:30pm each First Friday, Mass is celebrated there by the Parish Priest from Longridge, Fr David Chinnery, and on this particular evening, Fr Chinnery and Joe Howson, the caretaker at Lee House, had pulled out all the stops to help support ACN and our work with persecuted Christians. The Mass incorporated the scriptural readings, the introductory talk and statement of personal witness that are generally included in the vigils and then, after a brief comfort break, a deeply moving talk by Lord Alton of Liverpool kept us all glued to our seats. This was followed by the Angelus and a silent period of prayer and reflection during which people were invited forward to light votive candles for those who are currently suffering the world over. After a closing prayer for Persecuted Christians in the Middle East, the evening finished off with much fellowship and good will.

Spending a couple of hours in that small, secluded chapel which has stood for so long as a safe haven for those persecuted for their beliefs brought home to me the strong connections between English Recusant Catholics and those people—of all faiths—who continue to suffer atrocities in order to remain true to their religious faith.


Martyrs of England Wales, pray for us and for those who still endure your suffering and pain. Amen.

Thanks for reading!  Caroline