ABOUT ALLEN HALL

Allen Hall is the seminary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster, one of seven seminaries of the dioceses of England and Wales, where men are prepared for ministry as Catholic priests.

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Our famous mulberry tree

The mulberry tree in the grounds of Allen Hall.

The above photograph shows the famous mulberry tree which still grows in the grounds of Allen Hall and is believed to date back to the time of Saint Thomas.

The plaque reads as follows.

This famous old Mulberry Tree,
bound together by cross bands & chains,
dates back to the time of
Saint Thomas More
Lord Chancellor under King Henry the 8th.

He was beheaded in 1535
in defence of the Catholic Faith.

When surrounded by his family & friends
it is certain he often held those witty and
tender conversations which he loved
beneath its shelter.

Since 1975 this site in Beaufort Street has been the home of Allen Hall, the seminary for the Diocese of Westminster. Saint Thomas would surely have enjoyed the irony of the fact that almost five hundred years after he gave his life to defend the Catholic faith in England, his home has now become a place where future Catholic priests receive their training.

We, staff and students of Allen Hall, would like to gratefully express our debt to Saint Thomas and humbly ask for your prayers as we strive to be worthy witnesses to the faith which he gave his life to defend.

By Richard Nesbitt

At the time of writing Richard was a student for the Diocese of Westminster. He was ordained a priest in 2008.