top of page

ABOUT FISHER HOUSE

The Cambridge University Catholic Chaplaincy, popularly known as Fisher House, was founded by papal indult in 1895, when Catholics were allowed once more to read for degrees at Oxford and Cambridge. Since 1924, Fisher House, a cluster of two sixteenth-century houses, has been its home. Fisher House exists to support, encourage, challenge and guide the members of the University in living out their Catholic faith in Cambridge.

​

Fisher House is the collective spiritual home for all Catholic members of the University, from undergraduates to fellows. It is open each day for private prayer and celebrates Masses and the sacraments throughout the year.

​

Fisher House is also home to the Fisher Society, the student-run club for Catholics at the University. All Catholic members of the University of Cambridge, past and present, are automatically members of the Fisher Society, and anybody else is welcome to join the events it organises. During term-time, the Fisher Society organises weekly talks, known as the Apologia series, and regular social events. Its significant annual events include the Langham Lecture, the Christmas Party, the Fisher Lecture, the Summer Garden Party, and the Fisher Dinner.

 

A number of groups affiliated with Fisher House also organise talks, discussion groups and social events in term-time, ranging from the Dolphins football team to the Benson Club literary group.

​

The Cambridge University Catholic Association (CUCA) handles the finances of Fisher House, including building upkeep, while the Oxford and Cambridge Catholic Education Board (OCCEB), founded by the Vatican in 1895, appoints the chaplains. The day-to-day running of the Chaplaincy is handled by the Chaplaincy team and the Fisher Society.

DISCOVER OUR FACILITIES

Discover our facilities
The Chapel at Fisher House during a packed service

The Chapel of St John Fisher

At the heart of Fisher House is our Chapel, constructed in 1976 and substantially redesigned in the 2010s. The Chapel is open for private prayer throughout the year, and is the centre of our community. It is accessed at the end of the corridor to your right as you enter from the glass doors.

​

The Chapel features a reconstruction of a 13th-century Cimabue crucifix, commissioned by the Hamilton Kerr Institute and consecrated by Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor in 2008. The stone altar, completed in May 2015, was consecrated by Archbishop Malcolm McMahon and contains relics of the Cambridge Martyrs.

bottom of page