fisherhouse.org.uk

Fisher House is the Catholic Chaplaincy of the University of Cambridge, and its Chapel, Common Room, and Library are open each day. It serves Catholic members of the university — from undergraduates to Fellows — and anyone else at the university who wishes to join. If you are planning a visit, the practical answer is that you can come for daily Mass or simply to use the common spaces, with the schedule below as your guide.

What Fisher House is

Fisher House describes itself as the collective spiritual home for all Catholic members of the University of Cambridge. It is not a college chapel but a chaplaincy open to the whole university community, and its welcome explicitly extends to those beyond the Catholic membership who wish to take part.

Facilities open each day

The site does not publish separate opening hours for the Common Room or Library beyond "open each day," so if you need a specific time window, check ahead before travelling.

Mass times

Sunday Mass

• 9.30 am — Sung Latin
• 11 am — Sung English
• 5.30 pm

Weekday Mass

Confessions and Holy Hour

• Confessions: Friday 6.45–7.15 pm; Saturday 12–1 pm; on request
• Holy Hour: Monday–Friday, 8–9 am; Saturday 12–1 pm

The Saturday confession window overlaps with the Saturday Holy Hour, so a single Saturday midday visit can cover both.

Events and staying in touch

Fisher House runs weekly events and publishes a term card. Visitors and members can sign up for the weekly programme newsletter using a full name and an email address — the form notes that a cam.ac.uk address is preferred if possible. The site also carries news and stories, such as the arrival of a new chaplain and the Lanternfish Science and Theology Group.

Before you go

• Confirm the day's Mass time against the list above, since weekday and Sunday schedules differ.
• If you want confession outside the published windows, the site states it is available on request — arrange this in advance rather than arriving and hoping.
• The site gives no street address or pricing information in the material available here, so use the contact or newsletter route on the site to confirm location details and any access arrangements before a first visit.

Fisher House, the Catholic Chaplaincy of the University of Cambridge, schedules Confessions on Friday 6.45–7.15 pm and Saturday 12–1 pm, with confessions also available on request. Holy Hour runs Monday–Friday 8–9 am and Saturday 12–1 pm. These times suit anyone who wants a fixed weekly slot; if neither window works, the "on request" option is the route to use.

Confession and Holy Hour times at a glance

Two practical overlaps are worth noting. On Saturday, Confessions (12–1 pm) and Holy Hour (12–1 pm) share the same hour, so expect the chapel to be busier than on a weekday morning. On Friday, Confessions at 6.45 pm sit just before the 7.15 pm sung Mass, which makes it possible to combine both in one visit.

Planning around the daily Mass schedule

If you want to attend Mass as well, the weekday pattern is:

• Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday: 1.10 pm
• Tuesday: 1.10 pm and 6.15 pm (polyphony)
• Friday: 1.10 pm and 7.15 pm (sung)

Sunday Masses are at 9.30 am (sung Latin), 11 am (sung English), and 5.30 pm.

A Saturday visit can be built around the 12–1 pm Confession and Holy Hour slot followed by the 1.10 pm Mass. A Friday visit works well as Confession at 6.45 pm, then sung Mass at 7.15 pm.

How to arrange Confession on request

The site lists Confessions as available "on request" but does not publish a booking form, email address, or phone number for this purpose. To arrange one:

1. Check the site's events and newsletter pages for current contact details or notices about the chaplaincy team.
2. Speak to a priest after any Mass — the daily and Sunday schedules above give you several chances each week.
3. Ask about a time outside the Friday and Saturday windows, and confirm the location within Fisher House.

The expected result is a confirmed appointment rather than an open drop-in slot, so treat "on request" as something to organise in advance rather than something to turn up for.

Common points to check before you go

• The site's sample date: the Sunday Mass listing on the page references "Sunday 4 October," which appears to be an example rather than a live calendar. Verify the current week's times on the events page or term card before travelling.
• Term vs. vacation: the page does not state whether Confession and Holy Hour times change outside term. If you are visiting in a vacation period, confirm first.
• Who can attend: Fisher House describes itself as being for Catholic members of the University of Cambridge, from undergraduates to Fellows, "and anyone else of the university who wishes to join us" — so the services are not limited to one college or department.
• Building access: the Chapel, Common Room, and Library are described as open each day, which supports attending the weekday 8–9 am Holy Hour, but the page does not detail door codes or entry arrangements.

If your question is broader — what Fisher House is and what it offers — the chaplaincy is the collective spiritual home for Catholic members of the University, with daily Mass, a chapel, common room, and library, plus events and a newsletter you can sign up for with a full name and, if possible, a cam.ac.uk email address.

Fisher House is the Catholic Chaplaincy of the University of Cambridge. It serves Catholic members of the university — from undergraduates to Fellows — and anyone else at the university who wishes to join. Its Chapel, Common Room, and Library are open each day, and Holy Mass is celebrated daily.

Who it is for

The chaplaincy describes itself as the collective spiritual home for all Catholic members of the University of Cambridge. That includes students and academic staff across the range from undergraduates to Fellows. It also welcomes others connected to the university who want to take part.

If you are Catholic and at Cambridge — or simply want to join the community — Fisher House is the entry point for daily worship and chaplaincy life.

What happens there

Mass times

Confessions and Holy Hour

• Confessions: Friday 6.45–7.15 pm; Saturday 12–1 pm; on request.
• Holy Hour: Monday–Friday, 8–9 am; Saturday 12–1 pm.

The site also lists a sample Sunday — 4 October — with the same 9.30 am, 11 am, and 5.30 pm Mass schedule, so the pattern above reflects the published timetable rather than a one-off.

Beyond the chapel

The Chapel, Common Room, and Library being open daily means the house functions as a place to study, meet other Catholics, and spend time between services — not only a venue for Mass.

Fisher House also publishes a weekly programme and term card, and runs a newsletter you can sign up for (the form asks for your name and, if possible, a cam.ac.uk email). Weekly events are listed on the site, and there is a stories section featuring items such as the arrival of a new chaplain and the Lanternfish Science and Theology Group.

Practical next steps

• To attend Mass or Confessions: use the timetable above; no booking is mentioned on the site.
• To keep up with events: sign up for the weekly programme newsletter or check the term card.
• To get involved more broadly: the site's "join us" section is aimed at Catholic members of the university, from undergraduates to Fellows.

One caveat: the published Mass and Confession times are the ones shown on the site, and the sample Sunday suggests they can vary by date. Check the current week's listing before travelling for a specific service.

Fisher House, the Catholic Chaplaincy of the University of Cambridge, offers a weekly events programme, a term card, a newsletter you can sign up for, and a "Fisher House Stories" news section. These are the main ways to stay connected beyond the daily Mass and confession schedule. The information below comes from the chaplaincy's own site; for exact dates and any changes, check the site directly.

Weekly Events and the Term Card

The site's "This week's events" section points to three things:

• Weekly events programme — what is on during the current week.
• Weekly programme newsletter — a sign-up option to receive the programme by email.
• Term card — a term-level overview of what is scheduled.

The page does not list individual event names, times, or venues beyond the Mass, confession, and Holy Hour schedule. If you want specifics, the weekly programme and term card are the places the site directs you to.

Recurring services you can plan around

These are the fixed weekly items published on the site:

The Chapel, Common Room, and Library are open each day, so there is space to spend time at Fisher House outside scheduled services.

Signing Up for the Newsletter

The sign-up form on the site asks for:

• Full name
• Email — the site notes "if possible, the cam.ac.uk one," so a University email is preferred but the wording suggests it is not strictly required.

By signing up, you agree to receive marketing communications and updates. The form also includes a spam-check field ("Don't fill this out if you're human"), which you should leave blank. After submitting, the button reads "Next," indicating a further step in the sign-up flow.

The site does not state how often the newsletter is sent, whether past issues are archived, or how to unsubscribe. If those details matter to you, ask at Fisher House directly.

Fisher House Stories and News

The "Fisher House Stories" section carries longer posts about the community. Recent examples shown on the site include:

• "A New Chaplain – Revd Ryan Hawkes" (October 2026) — a first-person piece opening with reflections from the months before seminary formation.
• "The Lanternfish Science and Theology Group" (September 2026) — a piece that begins with the near-total darkness 1,000 metres below the sea's surface.
• "Three Bounds" (September 2026).

Each entry has a "read more" link. This section is the best place to learn about community life, groups, and staff changes rather than logistics.

Who This Is For

The chaplaincy describes itself as the collective spiritual home for all Catholic members of the University of Cambridge, from undergraduates to Fellows, and says anyone else at the university who wishes to join is welcome. If you are new and want to get oriented, the practical order is: check the weekly events page, sign up for the newsletter, and pick up the term card.

Fisher House, the Catholic Chaplaincy of the University of Cambridge, celebrates Mass daily, with three Sunday Masses and a weekday schedule that varies by day. Sunday Masses are at 9.30 am (sung Latin), 11 am (sung English), and 5.30 pm. On weekdays, Mass is normally at 1.10 pm, with additional evening Masses on Tuesday (6.15 pm, polyphony) and Friday (7.15 pm, sung). The chapel, common room, and library are open each day.

Sunday Mass times

The 9.30 am and 11 am Sunday Masses are both sung, one in Latin and one in English, so you can choose the language and musical style that suits you. The 5.30 pm Mass closes the Sunday schedule.

Weekday Mass times

The pattern to remember: 1.10 pm is the standard weekday slot, and the two exceptions are Tuesday's 6.15 pm polyphony Mass and Friday's 7.15 pm sung Mass.

Confessions and Holy Hour

If you are planning around the sacraments rather than Mass alone:

• Confessions: Friday 6.45–7.15 pm, Saturday 12–1 pm, or on request.
• Holy Hour: Monday–Friday 8–9 am, and Saturday 12–1 pm.

Friday evening is the densest slot: Holy Hour at 8 am, Mass at 1.10 pm, confessions from 6.45 pm, then sung Mass at 7.15 pm. Saturday also pairs confessions and Holy Hour (both 12–1 pm) with the 1.10 pm Mass.

Who can attend

Fisher House describes itself as the collective spiritual home for all Catholic members of the University of Cambridge, from undergraduates to Fellows, and welcomes anyone else at the university who wishes to join. You do not need to be a student to check the schedule before visiting; the times above are the ones published on the site.

Before you go

The site lists these as the regular schedule, but term-time patterns at a university chaplaincy can shift around holidays and special events. The homepage points to a weekly events section and term card, so checking those before a first visit—especially for the sung and polyphony Masses—is a sensible step.