Rochester, England:
The Castle
The Anglican Cathedral
The Roman Catholic Church of Saint John Fisher

The photo below shows me with the portrait I donated in 1997.
The portrait shows Bishop Kearney and a photo of the window of Saint John Fisher
once located in the chapel of the Bishop's residence and now located in the Chapel at Saint John Fisher College.
The people of the Diocese of Rochester, New York contributed thirty thousand dollars,
a third of the cost of Saint John Fisher Church which was built in 1953.
This is the first Catholic Church in Rochester since the Reformation.
It honors Saint John Fisher, Cardinal-Bishop of Rochester, England
who was beheaded on June 22, 1535 for refusing to recognize King Henry VIII as head of the Church.

Vestibule:St. John Fisher Church,Rochester England

The following quote appears below Bishop Kearney's portrait:

"Rochester was very dear to the heart of Saint John Fisher.
I ask then of everyone in my Diocese a generous offering
to help build the Church of Saint John Fisher in his own beloved city of Rochester, England.
If everyone will contribute, we shall have an offering worthy of that majestic figure,
one of the noblest in church history, Saint John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester."

Most Rev. +James E. Kearney
Pastoral Letter 25 May 1952

This photo tour will begin with the Rochester Castle across the street from the present Anglican Cathedral.
The Cathedral, where Saint John Fisher served for 31 years, was begun in 1058 by the monk, Gundulf.
The current Anglican Bishop, is Right Reverend Michael Nazir-Ali, who is Pakistani by origin.
Bishop Michael, as he is known, signs his name " +Michael Roffen:,"
which is simply an abbreviation for "Michael of Rochester."
"Roffensis" was an ancient Latin name for Rochester.
Like British royalty, Anglican bishops do not use their surnames in their signature.
Bishop Michael is the 106th bishop of Rochester since the Diocese was founded in 604 A. D.
Since the time of Saint John Fisher, the Bishops of Rochester, England
have of course been, Anglican and not Roman Catholic.
Saint John Fisher signed his name "Jo. Roffs." abbreviated form for "John of Rochester."
JO ROFFS is the yearbook title at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York.

Rochester Castle: built by William the Conqueror

Rochester's Anglican Cathedral of Christ & the VM.

Nave, Choir Screen, Altar & High Altar at the back

Bishop's throne at upper end of Choir stalls

Notice the familiar X cross of Saint Andrew in the coat of arms for the ancient See of Rochester.
In the center of the X is a scallop shell, symbolizing Saint William of Perth, a Scottish baker who was found murdered near Rochester while enroute to Canterbury on pilgrimage.
When his body was brought into the Cathedral, it became an occasion for miracles.
Rochester's shrine of Saint William of Perth became a place of pilgrimage second only to Canterbury's shrine of Saint Thomas Becket.
The coat of arms of the Diocese of Rochester, New York,designed in 1933, also uses the X but instead uses a crescent moon in the center, a symbol of Mary under the title of Immaculate Conception, patroness of the United States of America.

Bishop's crosier,with "R" at the top for Rochester

The Church of St. John Fisher: Rochester, England

Sign at St. John Fisher Church: Rochester, England

The Church of St. John Fisher, built in 1953, has been served since 1983
by the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement ( "The Greymoor Friars.")

This community has 200 priests and brothers, six of whom serve in England. They were founded at Garrison, New York in 1898 as an Franciscan order in the Episcopalian tradition. In 1908, they were the first order to convert intact to Roman Catholicism. Their special charism is to work and pray for Christian Unity and they were the founders of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Presently, St. John Fisher Church is served by Father Peter Tarantino, SA and Brother Daniel Houde, SA.
It is part of the Diocese of Southwark which encompasses the territory of three Anglican dioceses,
namely Rochester, Portsmouth and Canterbury.

The parish has a Kindergarten and a Primary School which is named after St. William of Perth.
St. William, a Scottish baker, was murdered near Rochester while on a pilgrimage to Canterbury many centuries ago.

Church Interior as seen from choir loft.

Choir Loft

To the right on the choir loft is seen the coat of arms of Saint John Fisher.
To the left is the coat of arms of the Diocese of Southwark.
A statue of Saint Francis of Assisi is in the center, with the words:
"That they may all be one"
reflecting the ministry of the Greymoor Franciscan Friars.

Statue of St. John Fisher: shrine at right of nave

Reservation/Daily Mass chapel: St. Damiano cross

Altar of Sacrifice & former high altar frontpiece

Under the crucifix on the front of the former high altar, we can see the coat of arms of Saint John Fisher.
The chalice seen on the Altar of Sacrifice bears the Latin inscription:
"Donaverunt ab alumni S. Joannis Fisher Collegii apud oppidum Roffensis in America."
"Given by the alumni of St. John Fisher College in the city of Rochester in America."

Picture of St. John Fisher & various patron saints

Exterior statue of St. John Fisher over front door

Here, St. John Fisher is shown with an ax symbolic of his execution on June 22, 1535.
He holds a cardinal's hat which he never wore. When King Henry VIII heard of his being named a Cardinal, he said: "Let the Pope send him a hat when he will, but I shall provide that whensoever it commeth,
he shall wear it on his shoulders, for head he shall have none to set it on."
Saint John Fisher was the first martyr of the College of Cardinals.

Arch over the front door of St. John Fisher Church

Pilgrimage Page
by Rev. John F. Gagnier

Last modified on Tuesday, December 26, 2000