English and Welsh priests and seminarians in Rome hold Requiem for Catholic Royal

A solemn Requiem Mass for the repose of the soul of Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent was offered yesterday at the Venerable English College in Rome.

The Requiem Mass coincided with the funeral liturgy taking place at Westminster Cathedral in London. The Mass, held in the baroque chapel of the College on the Via di Monserrato, was presided over by Cardinal Arthur Roche, Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

The liturgy was co-organised by the Venerable English College and the British Embassy to the Holy See. Ambassador Chris Trott took part in arranging the service alongside the rector and community of the seminary.

The event was announced last week through the College’s official Facebook page, which invited the faithful to join in prayer, stating: “Please join us as we celebrate a Requiem Mass for the Repose of the Soul of Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, on Tuesday 16 September 2025 at 17.00, at the Venerable English College (Via di Monserrato 45, Roma 00186), presided by Cardinal Arthur Roche. The Mass is organised by the Venerable English College and the British Embassy to the Holy See.”

Cardinal Roche was appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship in 2021 by Pope Francis, having previously served as Secretary of the same Dicastery under Pope Benedict XVI and before that as Bishop of Leeds. He is one of the most senior English prelates in the Roman Curia.

The Venerable English College, where the Mass was celebrated, is the oldest English institution in Rome. Founded in 1579 as a seminary, it has for centuries trained priests for service in England and Wales. Its history is marked by the witness of many of its students who, returning home during the penal times, were martyred for their faith. Portraits of those martyrs still hang in the College, and their memory is honoured each year.

The Requiem for the Duchess brought together members of the Roman clergy, professors of theology attached to the College, and representatives of the English Catholic community in Italy. The liturgy was offered in union with the Mass being celebrated simultaneously at Westminster Cathedral, the mother church of Catholics in England and Wales.

The Duchess of Kent, who died earlier this month, was remembered in prayers for her soul and in thanksgiving for her Christian witness. Her life of quiet service, alongside her husband the Duke of Kent, has long been admired by both Catholics and Anglicans.

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Photo credit: Christopher Trott