Friends of the Abbey

Who are the Friends?

Like many Cathedrals, St Albans has a thriving Friends organisation which is a registered charity (Number 253909). In medieval times the Abbot conferred membership of the Friends on those pilgrims whose gifts to the Abbey merited this high privilege.

Today membership is open to all who wish to associate themselves in the work and worship of the Cathedral, or who wish to help maintain the ancient and beautiful fabric.

What do we do?

We organise a variety of social and fund-raising events for our members. The profit from these, together with the subscription, legacy and other income, is used to support a variety of projects that maintain, enrich and beautify the Cathedral.

The Friends recently visited St Michael’s Benedictine Abbey, Farnborough, Hampshire, which included a tour and the Latin liturgy of Vespers. It is in this Abbey that the largest relic of Saint Alban in England (thigh bone) is preserved. It came from St Pantaleon's reliquary (Cologne, Germany) and was brought over in the 1950s.

The images below show the residence of the eight monks (left), and the relic of St Alban.

What projects have we supported?

We have given over £500,000 towards projects, much of this in recent years. Some of these projects are clearly visible in the building (the glass west doors and the flag that now flies from the Abbey Tower, for example) others less so (new boilers and lighting). Some gifts are towards the maintenance of the existing building (re-pointing the Tower, cleaning the Lady Chapel interior and repairing windows and drainpipes) while others are for new additions (the Treasury and the perspex angels that now adorn the niches in the Ramryge Chapel). Certain projects enhance and beautify the building and its worship (vestments and altar frontals) while others do so in less obvious ways (re-fitting the public address system and re-painting the railings!)

Our projects range from the large (such as the extension of the Nave platform and commissioning new furniture for the Nave Sanctuary) to the small (such as the publication of the new Welcome leaflets and the Education Centre’s teaching model of the Abbey).

In very recent times, we have sponsored a further choristership, provided funds for the splendid costumes that are worn at the Passio on Pilgrimage Day and, not least, are delighted to have given financial support to the creation of this website.

Why join us?

You will be joining a world-wide group of people who support the Cathedral and its work, both by prayer and financially. You receive a bi-annual magazine (the Alban Link), are invited to enjoy an exclusive evening tour and other "members only" events, as well as getting reduced admission to other events organised by the Friends. You can also apply for the preferential allocation of tickets for the popular Cathedral annual carol services.

The Friends publish a series of booklets and pamphlets about the Cathedral.

Over 100 churches all over the world are associated with The Friends and are remembered in the Cathedral's daily prayers in the course of each month.