20th May 2025 – Annual General Meeting

Posted on by Rosemary Godfrey

58 members and their guests attended the 101st Annual General Meeting of the Society in the Throne Room of Archbishop’s House on 20 May 2025, preceded by Holy Mass in Westminster Cathedral.

Alderman Vincent Keaveny CBE KCSG KStJ KGCHS opened his report by thanking the Council and the Society’s members for all their support in his first year as Chairman, and Mrs Mary Goodwin DCSG DGCHS for the full briefing she had provided upon handing over the role.

The Chairman reviewed the past year’s activities, which had seen two events:

  • A Summer Outing to Tyburn Convent, with Mass and a talk on the English Martyrs given by the Society’s Chaplain, Fr Peter Harris, and at which we had been joined by Councillor Robert Rigby in his role as Lord Mayor of Westminster.
  • The Autumn Reception with the Society’s President, The Duke of Norfolk, as guest speaker to a capacity audience, focusing on his ceremonial duties upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of King Charles III. It was at this Reception that the Society was delighted to appoint Mrs Goodwin as a Vice President of the Society.

Alderman Keaveny confirmed that this year’s contribution of £40,000 would help defray some of the costs of a lengthy upgrade required for the insurance cover of Archbishop’s House. Discussion was ongoing on further Centenary Fund allocations for suitable ‘greening’ projects.

The Treasurer’s report highlighted the Society’s financial performance. Income in the year to September 2024 had seen a decrease of around £15,000 to £39,000, following the end of the Centenary Appeal. Reserves stood at £701,000, an increase of £54,000 on 2023. Dr Veronica Fulton DSG FCA MA PhD confirmed that the accounts for 2024 had been approved by Council, signed by the Chairman and reviewed by the Independent Examiner. These will be submitted to the Charity Commission for England and Wales and copies are available for members from the Secretary.

Following the business of the AGM, Alderman Keaveny presented the Society’s gifts to Cardinal Vincent Nichols. Members and their guests were then treated to a fascinating talk given by His Eminence, who had spent much of the previous month in Rome to attend the funeral of the late Pope Francis and participate in the conclave to elect the new Holy Father.

The Cardinal spoke movingly of his and fellow Cardinal electors’ shared experience of prayer, peacefulness, discernment, and patience throughout the conclave. His Eminence shared his thoughts with us of Pope Leo XIV, his previous ministry and choice of papal name, before encouraging members of the Society to pray for him in his new office.