A group of St Paul’s parishioners were in for a real treat on Friday 24th October at the Vicarage, where we received the customary warm welcome and hospitality. We were privileged to meet the Ven Roger Preece, Master of the Royal Foundation of St Katherine, and learn from him the history and work of this ancient charitable organisation.
Fr Preece himself has an interesting back story; graduating in Elec. Eng. from Imperial College, he worked for many years in the City in management consultancy, investment banking and as an entrepreneur. Leaving this at 38 to start on a new vocation as a priest in the Church of England, and going on to serve in the North West as a parish priest and latterly as Archdeacon of St Helens & Warrington.
In 2019 he was appointed by Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as the 68th Master of the Royal Foundation of St Katherine, the oldest religious charitable body in the UK. Founded in 1147 by Queen Matilda as a place of prayer and care for the poor, it has remained under the patronage of Queen’s Regnant and Consort for nearly 900 years. It was located next to the Tower of London on the east side of the City beside the River Thames, and remained there until 1825 when its lands were used for the building of St Katherine’s Docks. It relocated to Regents Park until 1948 when, under the Patronage of HM Queen Mary, it moved back to a blitzed site in the East End, close to its original location where it remains today in a spiritual oasis nestled in a deprived area of Limehouse between the City and Canary Wharf.
The Foundation has acted as a centre for worship, prayer, hospitality and service to the poor and needy throughout its long history and that important work continues to the present day as a vital part of the wider local community. St Katherine’s also offers Christian Retreats within its cloisters as well as being a thriving Conference venue (hosting over 1500 meetings a years) and offers rooms (with over 18,000 stays per year), all within an oasis of peace and prayer in the heart of bustling East London.
All in all, a fascinating glimpse into the history and the life & work of one of the world’s oldest Christian foundations.
