Lord mayor of Westminster in London receives papal knighthood
Auxiliary Bishop Nicholas Hudson with the lord mayor of Westminster, Robert Rigby, at Westminster Cathedral on Thursday, March 20, 2025. / Credit: Westminster City Council London, England, Mar 22, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).
The Catholic lord mayor of Westminster, London, received a papal knighthood this week, with the leader expressing belief in a “return of pride” in the United Kingdom for Catholics.
Councilor Robert Rigby was formally awarded the knighthood — the highest honor a lay Catholic can be given by the Holy See — on March 20.
Rigby, 63, has spoken openly about his Catholic faith since being elected lord mayor in May 2024, referring frequently to his Benedictine education at Ampleforth College, Yorkshire, and framing his role as lord mayor as an opportunity to serve the poor and those in need in Westminster.
With the papal designation Rigby will now carry the title of knight of St. Gregory, an honor created in 1831 that recognizes service in public life and to the Church.
“I am a proud Catholic. The investiture at Westminster was a tremendous event and I was moved to see so many people there,” Rigby told CNA.
The papal honor came as more than 500 adults from his home diocese of Westminster were preparing to enter the Catholic Church at Easter. Rigby described it as an important sign.
“My sense is that we are seeing a return of that pride in our faith across the U.K.,” he said. “Just look at the fact that 500 people are joining the Church in Westminster alone this year. That upward trend is being seen elsewhere in the country.”
In the neighboring Archdiocese of Southwark, around 450 people are similarly preparing to be received into the Catholic Church at Easter.
During the 60-minute investiture and Mass at Westminster Cathedral, Rigby wore the traditional knight of St. Gregory uniform of dark green tailcoat and trousers trimmed with silver embroidery, a cocked hat, and dress sword with white gloves.
In attendance were a mixture of leaders from the worlds of politics, charity, and business. The celebrant was Bishop Nicholas Hudson, auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Westminster.
Rigby described the event as “an unexpected honor and one that took me entirely by surprise.”
The lord mayor has placed his Catholic faith at the center of his public role. “Talking about faith — especially if you are in public life — has sometimes been seen as a bit of a risky activity in the U.K.,” he told CNA. “But when I meet groups from different communities across Westminster, it’s clear to me many embrace the idea of faith informing their everyday life.”
Rigby has visited numerous Catholic projects in his time as lord mayor. He has helped serve meals at the Central London Catholic Churches Homeless lunch service run from Farm Street Church and the Companions Café, run by the Companions of the Order of Malta at St. James’ Catholic Church in Spanish Place.
“I made it clear at the start of my mayoral year that I wanted to talk about faith and what Catholicism means to me,” he told CNA. “I have also had the chance to see how it inspires Catholics in Westminster doing amazing things like running cafés for the homeless or the Cardinal Hume Center, which takes in teens who have drifted from home.”
Part of Rigby’s mission was to reinstate a civic service for Westminster City Council at the Catholic Westminster Cathedral. While an annual civic service for the lord mayor is held at the Anglican Church’s Westminster Abbey every year, the parallel Catholic event had not been held at Westminster Cathedral since 2004.
The newly reinstated service, which took place on March 16, drew more than 500 worshippers to Westminster Cathedral.
Westminster archbishop Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who attended the reinstated Catholic civic service, praised Rigby’s contributions.
“I am very pleased that the lord mayor of Westminster has asked for the tradition of a civic service at Westminster Cathedral to be restored,” he said. “May God bless his dedicated efforts and the population of the city of Westminster.”
Reflecting on his knighthood, Rigby again referred to speaking publicly about his Catholic faith.
“This award really is a crowning accolade for me as a public and private person,” he said. “When I became lord mayor, I wanted to talk publicly about my faith. It has been my privilege to meet some remarkable Catholics who demonstrate their faith in action in a range of ways.”
