ST CHARLES BORROMEO CHAPEL

St. Charles Borromeo was born in Italy in 1538. He later became Archbishop of Milan but continued to live a simple life. He foretold the Plague of Milan, and when the governor and nobility fled, he stayed to help to cure and comfort the sick. He is said to be the founder of Sunday Schools.
This great saint of the Counter-Reformation gave material and spiritual help to English students for the priesthood who were preparing to return from Rome to their own country where they faced almost certain imprisonment and death.
The figure represents St. Charles. The panel on the left shows him administering to the sick during the plague while the one on the right depicts him praying for an end to the plague.

Looking back down the nave towards the organ loft, the best view can be gained of the….

TE DEUM (WEST) WINDOW

This magnificent window illustrates the great hymn of praise, the Te Deum (We praise you, O God; we acknowledge you to be the Lord). This is an outstanding example of the art of stained glass. In the centre, within a large circle which represents eternity, Our Blessed Lord is seated on a throne, surrounded by seven archangels. Also depicted are the prophets, apostles, martyrs and other saints who, according to the hymn, raise their voices in praise of God.


THE ROSE WINDOW.

This window in the south transept is inspired by Dante’s Il Paradiso. The roses symbolise the graces and virtues of the saints, as seen by the poet in his vision.
The Rose Window was given to the church by priests who had either lived or worked in Lancaster.
A Walk Around the Cathedral cont.
THE SACRED HEART ALTAR

Both the altar and statue of the Sacred Heart are made of marble. The central statue is flanked by representations of St. Helen, St. Frances of Rome, St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Margaret of Scotland.

On the wall of the south transept near the door to the sacristy, the memorial to John Rigby can be seen.


THE WHITESIDE CHANTRY
ST THOMAS MORE CHAPEL

This chantry was founded by James Whiteside and the memorial tablet contains the names of the deceased members of the Whiteside family.
Its roof is vaulted in stone. The altar is mostly Caen Stone and the reredos is the Agony in the Garden carved in stone by Lane of Birmingham.
One window represents St. Anne teaching her daughter, Our Blessed Lady. It also shows the martyr St. Catherine with her executioners. She was ordered to die by being tied to a spiked torture wheel because she had criticised the way the Roman Emperor Maxentius treated the Christians.
The second window depicts St. John beholding a vision of a woman clothed with the sun, as related in the Apocalypse; and the martyrdom of St.John’s brother St. James the Greater, patron saint of the Whiteside family.

In the niche is a Reliquary containing a piece of the hair shirt worn by St. Thomas More, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The Duchy of Lancaster presented his portrait to the Cathedral at the time of the Cathedral restoration in 1995.
The book contains the names of deceased members of this parish.

THE COULSTON CHANTRY

This chantry is in memory of Thomas Coulston.
The roof is vaulted in stone and the reredos is a pieta, representing Our Lady holding the dead body of her Son, after He had been taken down from the cross. This was carved by Ginflowski.

The windows depict St Thomas the Apostle following Jesus to His Passion, and touching His wounds after the Resurrection; the other shows the martyrdom of St. Thomas of Canterbury. He is seen being approached by a group of knights who kill him.
Both Thomases are the patron saints of the Coulston family.
The plaque on the wall shows the names of the Coulston family.  
The book contains the names of parishioners who died during the World Wars of the last century.

THE ASSUMPTION WINDOW

This window is situated at the west end of the Cathedral, near the church door. It represents the Assumption of Our Blessed Lady into Heaven and is by Shrigley and Hunt of Lancaster.


The Holy Water stoup beside the entrance door was the original baptismal font which developed a flaw.

The Grand Organ was presented by Richard Leeming of Greaves House, Lancaster, in 1888, having been built by Henry Ainscough of Preston.