Westcott House

The House dressed and looking lovely as we made preparations earlier for tonight’s Leavers Service & BBQ to say goodbye to our 2026 Leavers!

It was wonderful to have the company of Westcott alumnus, the Revd Canon Professor Ben Quash, for this term’s Quiet Day on Wednesday. Ben is Professor of Christianity and the Arts, King's College, London and incoming Regius Professor of Divinity, Cambridge. In a series of talks titled ‘The Fabric of Epiphany’, Ben gave us insights into how physical fabrics may be eloquent in the plan of God, and how cloths & clothing are vibrant in the great world of signs whose author is God. Through his words, and in our worship together, Ben drew us into contemplation of “the self-disclosure of God, who chooses to be wrapped up in our reality so that we may be wrapped up in turn in the divine life”.

At tonight’s Community Eucharist, it was good to hear from our Lecturer in Old Testament, Revd Dr Naomi Wormell. As we anticipated the 2nd Sunday after Trinity, Naomi reminded us how much we are in each other’s story – here and in the places God sends us, to proclaim and share in God’s good news.

Students and staff from across the Cambridge Theological Federation gathered at St Mary’s Church earlier this week for the annual Commendation service and last Federation worship of term, to say farewell to those who have left over the past year, or who will be moving on this summer. The service was led by Dr Anna Abram, Principal of the Margaret Beaufort Institute and after readings from Ecclesiastes 3, Psalm 46 and Acts 1, the sermon was preached by Revd Dr Andrew Todd, Senior Lecturer and Director of the Professional Doctorate in Practical Theology for the CTF. The service ended with a closing prayer and blessing offered by our Vice Principal, Revd Rachel Rosborough.

We were delighted to be joined at tonight’s Sung Eucharist by alumnus and guest preacher, the Ven. James Ridge, Chaplain General and Head of Faith Services, HM Prisons & Probation Service. As we celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi, James’ sermon encouraged us to reflect on encountering Christ in the Eucharist: God made tangible, feeding, forming and sending us.

Our second Mission group spent the week with Revds. Stephen Dove and Ed Green in the 5folds Benefice, West Cambridge. First year ordinands, Daniel, George, Nathan and Rowan, reflect on their experience as they engaged with rural ministry and their communities: https://www.westcott.cam.ac.uk/news/reflection-holy-week-mission-placements

A huge thank you to the C**K and 5folds ministry teams for their generosity, time and support in enabling these placements for our students.

During vacation times, many of our ordinands are on placement in local parishes or assisting at their sending churches. Others have an opportunity to participate in our Mission Week, which takes place during Holy Week and this year saw two small groups on placement in multi-parish rural benefices.

Our first group spent the week in the Cheveley group of parishes in Newmarket. Led by Revd Dr Naomi Wormell, the C**K Ministry Team reflects on their experience of receiving a group of ordinands to their four parishes and the blessing they brought as they participated in their worshipping life for the week: https://www.westcott.cam.ac.uk/news/reflection-holy-week-mission-placements

Joining us last week for worship & fellowship, it was a joy to have the company of Westcott trustee and LLM at St Mary’s Church, Primrose Hill, Canon Clement Hutton-Mills. Preaching at our Community Eucharist, Clem invited us to reflect on the Spirit & spirituality in the context of a liberal catholic Anglican tradition as we looked to the season of Pentecost.

At tonight’s Community Eucharist, as we anticipated Trinity Sunday, we were encouraged by our Academic Dean, Dr Karen O’Donnell, to give up any expectation that the purpose of the doctrine of the Trinity is to function as a description of what God is like, or to bear particular insights into the inner life of God. Instead, we should embrace it as a kind of grammar that tells us how to read biblical narratives, how to think about the experience of prayer, and how we talk about the Christian faith. It is a structuring principle, rather than a descriptive endeavour.

Hort is in the House! With the arrival of warmer weather, our beloved tortoise is back to take up his annual stay in College much to the delight of our community — and is already enjoying the delights Old Court Garden has to offer!