Elgin Cathedral was founded by King Alexander II 800 years ago, in the year 1224.
Historic Scotland, who own and maintain the site, have done their best to mark this significant anniversary. But among all the events and promotions, there seems to have been no Christian religious service included anywhere.
An idea was mooted that Pluscarden monks might at least sing Vespers there.
An energetic Elgin parishioner offered to see to all necessary organisation, if the monks would just manage the liturgy.
The idea rapidly grew ecumenical wings, with all local Christians being invited. Clergy and members of local Episcopalian and Church of Scotland parishes responded enthusiastically to that. So although the event began life in a very low key, only quite a short time before it actually took place, it turned into a most happy occasion, surely blessed by God, with perhaps up to 150 people present.
That can scarcely compare with what took place 50 years ago, to mark the 750th anniversary. Then our Aberdeen Diocese decided to hold its annual summer Pilgrimage in the ruins of Elgin Cathedral. Cardinal Gordon Gray was invited to preside. So he offered Mass in the Cathedral ruins, with around 1,000 people joining him for that.
For our much more modest celebration, the sun shone, even if the wind also blew. Staff from Historic Scotland were most welcoming and entirely cooperative; and more than ready to let everyone participating come in free of charge! Our Elgin parish provided no fewer than 8 servers, all efficiently rehearsed and competent; also Elgin's own youthful Deacon. Leaflets were provided so that all could easily participate.
Pluscarden monks led the singing of processional hymns down the nave, en route to the Lady Chapel, whose vaulted ceiling still survives intact. There English Vespers from the Roman Divine Office were sung in full. The Magnificat though, accompanied by its proper Gregorian Antiphon and incense, was sung in Latin.
The homily given for the occasion is set out below.
Homily given at Vespers in Elgin Cathedral, in the 800th anniversary year of its Foundation
31 August 2024: Colossians 1:3-6
May God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace (Col 1:3)
St. Paul invoked this blessing on his readers at Colossae in the very early Church. As we read these words, inspired by the Holy Spirit, in spite of every distance of time and place, we take them as invoked also upon ourselves.
No less than those early Colossians, we need this blessing that comes from God and from the Lord Jesus Christ! We need the grace of God which Paul invokes: that we might walk in God’s friendship; that we might live as true disciples of Jesus, amid all the challenges and difficulties of our life; that we might ever live, and continually grow, in faith and hope and love. We need God’s gift of peace also: both interior and exterior peace; peace with God and peace with one another; the peace that is the gift of Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit. St. Paul elsewhere speaks of this peace as “surpassing all understanding” (Phil 4:7). We believe that this heavenly peace is ours, at God’s gift: both our birthright and our eternal possession.
St. Paul goes on in the reading we just heard: We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you. So now, here in Elgin Cathedral, we too give thanks, and we pray. We give God thanks simply for his goodness, mercy and love. We thank God for having come to us in Christ Jesus our Lord; for our vocation as Christians; for the gift of all our fellow Christians; for the promise of heaven; for all the blessings of our life. Giving thanks we also pray: for our afflicted world; for Elgin; for one another. In particular we have come to this holy place, in order to give thanks to God for Elgin Cathedral, 800 years after its founding. Our doing so is surely itself a little sign, or testimony, of the presence of God’s grace and peace at work among us. The Cathedral was built to be a place of worship, and so there is a special joy in renewing that worship once again now. We Catholics of course proudly affirm the continuity of our faith with that of those who originally built this Cathedral. But also we rejoice to share now in ecumenical friendship with Christians of other Churches and ecclesial communities. Today is an opportunity to express the fellowship of all those baptised in Christ; to encourage one another; to help build up one another’s faith; all the more so against the background of a society that seems to be distancing itself ever more aggressively from its Christian past.
On 19th July 1224 a great ceremony took place here, by Papal mandate, as the foundation stones of Elgin Cathedral were officially laid. Probably after that the walls rose quite rapidly. King Alexander II must have employed a veritable army of masons, carpenters and workmen of every skill and speciality. After a period of bloody civil war, the realm was now happily at peace. Surely though the builders would have welcomed the security afforded by the garrison occupying the royal Castle at the other end of town, on Lady Hill. I say the town: but the Elgin of those days was quite tiny by any modern standard. All the more astonishing is the achievement of this Cathedral, known as the Lantern of the North: the ornament of the Nation, the pride and glory of its King, and of his people here in Moray.
Actually Elgin Cathedral comes nearly at the end of the great period of Church building in mediaeval Scotland. King Alexander’s great grandfather King David had been the most prolific builder of them all. He was responsible for great Cathedrals like those at St. Andrews and Glasgow; also for many monasteries. Among them were the Benedictine Priory of Urquart, a few miles to the East of Elgin, and the Cistercian Abbey of Kinloss, a few miles to the West. King Alexander would add to these Valliscaulian monks from Burgundy, for whom, 6 years after Elgin Cathedral, in the year 1230, he would build Pluscarden Priory.
Many commentators observe that Elgin Cathedral is outstanding among all other Churches in the land for its magnificence and beauty. Not that what you see is what Alexander put up. We know that there was a significant fire in 1270, followed by quite radical re-modelling and expansion. The Chapel I stand in, almost certainly a Lady Chapel, would have been added after this date. Then we know that the Wolf of Badenoch caused as much damage as he could in 1390; and again considerable re-building works followed. In 1506 the central tower collapsed, and was re-built. And then in 1560 the Reformation Parliament happened. All Catholic worship in the country was immediately and strictly banned. So the liturgical life of the Cathedral came to an abrupt end. Shortly after that the lead was stripped from the roof, and so began the gradual process of neglect, and decay, and depredation, and collapse. If you see signs of wanton vandalism about: a lot of that would have been carried out by the soldiers of Oliver Cromwell, who were billeted here in the mid-17th century.
Now Historic Scotland take excellent care of the ruins that survive, and they are doing what they can to celebrate the 800 years. But Historic Scotland is committed to the care of ancient monuments, not to Christian worship. So I think our little gathering now might be the first specifically Christian celebration of the 800 years of this building. We might rightly feel like weeping over the lifeless ruins that we see around us. But also we are surely right to draw inspiration from them: both as a testament of faith, and also a witness of astonishing human achievement.
Simply from the practical and engineering point of view, these walls are extraordinary. 800 years ago of course there were no power tools at all. Each stone had to be laboriously quarried by hand, and conveyed, probably several miles by cart along bad roads, then cut to shape and size, and then at last assembled in its prearranged place. Then we have to imagine a good deal of what we no longer see. All the windows would have been filled with stone tracery, and with glass, much of it coloured and painted. Probably the walls themselves would have been brightly painted; adorned also with plentiful sculptures in wood and stone; also with various rich hangings, and pictures. There would have been at least one organ, and many bells. The clergy would have been clothed in fabrics of the best, with special vestments for Mass, and also clergy Choir dress of various uniform patterns. The many Altars would have been equipped in addition with fine metalwork. For the sacred vessels themselves: gold and silver, with at least some precious stones also; then various other metals used for candlesticks, reliquaries and shrines.
Why are the walls so high? Noble pillars bear majestic arches: then above these rise the clerestories, through which the light can pour in; then above them soar the lofty vaults of the roof; then above even them at least one and probably later three spires stood atop the magnificent towers; all pointing upwards; drawing the eye, and with it the mind and heart up, up, up: towards God, towards heaven. As Paul wrote to the Colossians: let your minds be on things that are above, where Christ is … not on things that are on earth (Col 3:1-2).
Let me just note too that the whole plan of the building is in the shape of a cross. For at the heart of our faith is Christ’s saving death. Through that alone are our sins washed away; through that alone are we given salvation from the curse of Adam. Then also: everything here is orientated towards the East, symbol of Christ our Light, our new dawn, our new hope. Just as each day the sun rises to dispel the darkness of night, so we are certain that Christ will come again in glory, at the time he chooses, to complete his work, and inaugurate the new heaven and the new earth.
Putting up this building was actually only one part of Alexander’s work. He also had to ensure that the Cathedral would function properly, and in a worthy manner. So he provided endowment for some 18 canons, who would live in the Cathedral close, and ensure the proper performance not only of daily Mass, but also of the 7-fold daily sung Office. The number of resident canons would later be raised to 25. We don’t know when the Cathedral school was founded, but certainly in the later 15thcentury a choir of boy choristers was attached here.
Both noble, lofty walls and also sad ruins remind us of our own littleness, and of our frail mortality. All things must eventually pass away; our life will come to an end, and humanly speaking we shall be forgotten. But God is very great, and his mercy endures forever. And in Christ, who is our life, we have the hope of eternal glory. To him then be honour, praise and blessing, now and forever. Amen.
