The national celebration of the centenary of the A.P.F. will be fittingly crowned by the Solemn Tr iduum of Thanksgiving and Intercession which is to be held at Westminster Cathedral on the 24th, 25th and 26th of this month. This will be marked by a large gathering of Bishops as well as other clerical and lay dignitaries. The Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster is to offer the first Mass on Saturday, the 24th, at 10.30: the Apostolic Delegate and the Bishop of Nottingham will do so on the next two days, at the same time and place.
In every parish in the land Catholics will be asked to join in the Triduum, to hear Mass for the missions, and sermons will be preached during England's special
" Help the Missions Week " in accordance with a decision taken by the Hierarchy in Low Week and summed up in the following message from Cardinal Hinsley to Mgr. Telford, the National Director of the A.P.F.
" The Association for the Propagation of the Faith which is celebrating the completion of one hundred years of work in aid of the missions abroad, has grown from small beginnings into a nation-wide society; but, if we are to keep pace with the increasing demand for help which comes from every part of the missions, there must be a much wider support for this apostolic work."
Biggest Since 1922
In conjunction with the Westminster Triduum there has been arranged an extensive missionary exhibition, a display of native art and a series of meetings, conferences and plays which will occupy the rest of the week.
The Mission World exhibition will be the biggest of its kind since the first missionary exhibition of 1922. Like it, it will occupy the grounds around the Cathedral and it will be opened by the Cardinal at 3.30 p.m. on Saturday. June 24.
Priests and nuns of most of the important missionary societies will be in attendance throughout the week to explain the various aspects of their work while the Grail have a display of Christian art gathered from all over the missions, and the students of St. Joseph's College, Mill Hill, are presenting a play based on the life of their society's founder, Cardinal Vaughan, in the evenings.
A rally of children from the schools within reach of Westminster is to take place at 4.30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon in the Cathedral. The Archbishop of Liverpol is to preside, later on the same day, at a conference on " Catholic Action and Missionary Action," and on the Monday the Apostolic Delegate is to preside at a gathering of priests interested in the Missionary Union of the Clergy.