Day 18

This morning, most of the girls decided to attend the 11:15 am mass in Westminster Abbey. Since the most direct Tube line was out of service for routine maintenance, we had to take a longer route. The Abbey was closed for sightseeing to allow privacy for the services that are held at various times throughout the day. Dressed in our best Sunday clothes, we walked into the Abbey, remembering the magnificent interior that we had seen a earlier in our trip. We each took a program and took our seats together about 20 rows back from the alter. We sang a hymn to open the service followed by the President's introduction of The Prayers of Penitence, The Absolution, The Collect, and a reading from The Acts of the Apostles. Then the world-renowned Abbey Choir sang The Psalm in effortless harmony with an organ accompaniment, and the angelic sound echoed and rang throughout the walls of the church. After The Reverend Professor Vernon White delivered his sermon, we sang some prayers, observed The Distribution of Holy Communion, sang an after communion hymn and prayer, and the President closed the service by pronouncing The Blessing.

Attending mass at Westminster Abbey was a magical, unforgettable experience that we will never forget. We came back to Regents College to change and get some lunch and then Nicole and Kay headed back out to browse the bookstores while Cheryl and Emily caught up on some postcards. Owen spent the day walking through Regents Park and relaxing before the big travel day tomorrow. Kate and Julien spent the afternoon doubling back to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre to see a full-length performance. Everyone is relaxing and enjoying one of our last free days on our trip.