Our Lady of the Windrush icon on display at the Abbey

The icon was received by the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, earlier today and visitors and worshippers will be able to see it in the Chapel of Our Lady of Pew until Friday 22nd July.

It was commissioned by Fr David Ackerman, vicar at St John the Evangelist in Kensal Green, and commemorates both St Augustine and the arrival of the MV Empire Windrush - the ship which brought the first men and women from the Caribbean to the United Kingdom to help rebuild the country after the devastation of the Second World War.

The sharing of the faith

The icon is written on three panels. In the centre is the Virgin Mary, seated and cradling her son. On either side of the figures are two ships. The first is that which carried St Augustine and his monks to England in the sixth century, bringing with them the Christian faith; and the second is the Windrush, which brought many who renewed the faith in the areas where they settled.

The side panels depict St Michael the Archangel, St George the Martyr, St John, St Martin de Porres (patron saint of racial justice) and St Josephine Bakhita (the patron saint of victims of modern slavery and human trafficking).

Our Lady of Pew Summer Eucharist

The figures of the Virgin and Child in the icon are based on Sister Concordia Scott’s carving of Our Lady of Pew. The Society of Our Lady of Pew regularly holds services and retreats in the Abbey, and its Summer Eucharist will be held at 6:30pm on Friday 22nd July. Everyone is welcome and there is no need to book.