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Our English History & Its Saints [conference]

St John Henry Newman

Our English History & Its Saints
[conference]

Saturday 7 March, 10am - 6pm

A day of learning about & celebrating our Christian story

Join us for a fun day of learning and activities, presented by Joanna Bogle, DSG.

We were once part of the Roman Empire, the same empire into which Christ was born. The Faith first came to Britain through the trade routes of that same Roman Empire. Then barbarians invaded and there were fresh reasons to evangelise, which led to the Saxon Christian era, the Vikings, the Normans – and then to Middle Ages, the Tudors, on to modern times… Come and hear the whole story!

The day will include:

  • Parallel activities for adults and children
  • For the adults: talks, workshops and a history walk
  • For the children: treasure hunts, stories, fact-finding and creative activities
  • Visit to the Stonyhurst College Historic Libraries and Old Chapel Museum
  • Morning coffee and buns
  • Afternoon tea and cakes
  • Drinks reception

Families, couples or individuals are all welcome to join us for a fascinating and informative day!

The day starts at 10am with a welcome over coffee and buns...

For the adults, the day will include the following:

  • Introductory talk on Britain’s Christian Story
  • Choice of workshops on the Saints of Saxon England
  • A Catholic History Walk contemplating Medieval England
  • A glimpse of Catholic Recusancy in Stonyhurst’s Old Chapel Museum
  • A closing talk on The Tudors and on to Newman
About the speaker:

Joanna Bogle, DSG is an author, broadcaster and historian. Currently Visiting Research Fellow at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, she has lectured in Britain, the USA, and Australia. She has written over 20 books, including on Newman’s London, A Book of Saints and Heroines and A Yearbook of Seasons and Celebrations. She is well-known for her Catholic History Walks around London. A former London Borough councillor, Joanna is chairman of LOGS – a ladies group in the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham – and works with the Association of Catholic Women, running events and conferences for families and schools. She is also chairman of Christian Projects, a charity running Bible-based RE projects for Britain’s secondary schools.

For more information about Joanna Bogle, please click here.

Cost:

Adults: £29

Children: £15

Family ticket (2 aduls + 2 children): £78

Buffet lunch supplement: £9.50 (adults), £6.50 (children)

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Categories
Events Talks

Saints, Scholars and Spiritual Masters [online evening talk] – #1 St Ignatius of Loyola

St John Henry Newman

Saints, Scholars & Spiritual Masters 1 - St Ignatius of Loyola
[online evening talk]

Thursday 3 September @7:30pm

Man of His Time and Saint for the Present

First of the online series: Saints, Scholars and Spiritual Masters

For the recording of this talk, please click here.

This is the first talk in our new online series of talks: Saints, Scholars and Spiritual Masters. It will explore the life and spirituality of St Ignatius of Loyola. Founder of the Society of Jesus, St Ignatius is perhaps one of the most attractive and enigmatic of the Western Saints. A mercenary and a romantic, he was wounded in battle and spent time recuperating in hospital. He famously converted when forced to read the Gospels and the Lives of the Saints out of boredom. The ensuing time he spent in solitude, seeking the real meaning to his life, provided the basis for his Spiritual Exercises. These remain hugely relevant, immensely popular and religiously followed centuries later.

About the speaker:

Fr Dominic Robinson, SJ is currently Parish Priest of Farm Street in central London.  Farm Street Church, and the adjoining London Jesuit Centre, is a vibrant city centre ministry of the Jesuits, aiming to extend welcome and hospitality to many different groups.  Fr Dominic is also UK director of Landings, the programme for returning Catholics, teaches Theology at St Mary’s University, is Chair of Justice & Peace in the Diocese of Westminster and Ecclesiastical Assistant to the charity Aid to the Church in Need.

For more information about Fr Robinson, please click here.

Next in the series:

24th September – St Therese of Lisieux with Canon John Udris.

8th October – St John Henry Newman with Dr Giuseppe Pezzini.

22nd October – St Thomas Aquinas with Fr Richard Conrad, O.P.

5th November – St Francis de Sales with Canon Scott Tanner, I.C.K.S.P.

19th November – Sts Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross with Fr Matthew Blake, O.C.D.

3rd December – St Benedict of Norcia with Fr Cassian Folsom, O.S.B.

10th December – St Francis of Assisi with Fr Gabriel Kyte, C.F.R.

For the flier, please click here

 

Please register below:

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Categories
Events Talks

Saints, Scholars and Spiritual Masters [online evening talk] – #2 St Therese of Lisieux

St John Henry Newman

Saints, Scholars & Spiritual Masters 2 - St Therese of Lisieux
[online evening talk]

Thursday 24 September @7:30pm

Forging a Little Way to Heaven

Second of the online series: Saints, Scholars and Spiritual Masters

For the recording of this talk, please click here

This is the second talk in our new online series: Saints, Scholars and Spiritual Masters. It will explore the life and spirituality of Therese of Lisieux. Perhaps one of the most beloved saints of Western Europe, Therese died at the age of only 24 after a long struggle with tuberculosis. She had spent 9 years as a Carmelite nun, fighting to be allowed to enter the convent at the age of 15. Her hidden and simple, yet whole-hearted life of prayer was repaid with a special grace of intimacy with God. Her vocation to love in her very ordinary struggles and simple life instantly made her an immensely popular and accessible saint. Canonised only 28 years after her death, her “Story of a Soul” has been read by and inspired countless people all over the world.

About the speaker:

Canon John Udris is Spiritual Director at St Mary’s College, Oscott, Birmingham.  He has a Licence in Spirituality from the Dominican University in Rome.  He is the author of two books on St Therese: ‘Holy Daring’ and ‘The Gift of St Therese of Lisieux.’

Next in the series:

8th October – St John Henry Newman with Dr Giuseppe Pezzini.

22nd October – St Thomas Aquinas with Fr Richard Conrad, O.P.

5th November – St Francis de Sales with Canon Scott Tanner, I.C.K.S.P.

19th November – Sts Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross with Fr Matthew Blake, O.C.D.

3rd December – St Benedict of Norcia with Fr Cassian Folsom, O.S.B.

10th December – St Francis of Assisi with Fr Gabriel Kyte, C.F.R.

For the flier, please click here

 

Please register below:

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Categories
Clergy Events

Praying from the Heart [clergy advent recollection]

Praying from the Heart:
A Journey into Greater Freedom
[clergy advent recollection]

5 December, 10:30am - 3:30pm
2019

A day's Advent recollection for clergy with Fr Gabriel Kyte, C.F.R.

The day will focus on offering one’s heart to the love of the Heart of Christ, in preparation for the coming of the Lord at Christmas.

The day will include: two talks, a Holy Hour with opportunity for confession, guided meditation and a buffet lunch.

Arrivals with coffee and tea from 10:30am.

Departures from 3:30pm.

Clergy are welcome to arrive earlier or depart later if they would like to spend more time at Theodore House.

For more information about the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, Bradford, please click here.

See more about Theodore House here.

Cost:

£17 (includes buffet lunch)

Add B&B for £35 per night.

 

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Categories
Events Retreats

A Holy Night [advent retreat]

A Holy Night
Amidst the Christmas Chaos
[advent retreat]

13 December, 8pm - 14 December, 8pm 2019

Join us for a quiet night away to prepare for the Christmas Mystery.

Give yourself a moment to reflect and meditate on the meaning of Christmas.

An overnight stay away, for an evening and morning of recollection, prayer and community.

Two talks by CHC Director, Stefan Kaminski:

  • Advent: Preparing a Way for the Lord
  • Christmas: The Limitless Limits Himself

Mass in the beautiful church of St Peter, communal prayer and Eucharistic Adoration.

Comfortable ensuite rooms and continental breakfast.

Experience the beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate.

About the speaker:

Stefan Kaminski studied for Philosophy and Theology degrees at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, and gained a Licentiate in Studies in Marriage and Family Life from the John Paul II Institute, (also in Rome). He has worked in a number of parishes and schools in various roles, providing catechesis, talks and teaching, lastly serving as Head of Theology at Blanchelande College in Guernsey.

Cost:

Single room:  £49 p.p.

Twin room (sharing): £35 p.p.

Costs include bed and breakfast.

 

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Categories
Events Retreats

Restoring Manhood [mens’ retreat]

Restoring Manhood:
Man as son of God, husband and father
[mens' retreat]

29 November, 6pm - 1 December, 3pm 2019

A retreat offering reflections on a Christian and authentic manhood in the light of God's revelation.

A weekend retreat for any man aged 18 years or older, single or married.

The retreat will consist of conferences preached by Fr Armand, within a framework of prayer.

Holy Mass will be celebrated each day in the Extraordinary Form.

The day’s structure will include Eucharistic adoration, rosary and Latin compline and Confession.

Make use of the Theodore House Oratory or St Peter’s church for private prayer.

Enjoy the beautiful surrounding countryside with its network of footpaths.

Comfortable en-suite accommodation make Theodore House a fantastic retreat setting!

About the speaker:

Fr Armand de Malleray, F.S.S.P., was born in France. After military service in Hungary and seminary studies in Germany, he was ordained a priest in 2001. As a priest, he has spent much of his time in England, working with youth and in parishes. He established the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter in England, and has become well known as a retreat director for priests and laity alike.

For more information about Fr de Malleray, please click here.

Cost:

Single room:  £160

Twin room (sharing): £110

Costs include full board from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch inclusive.

 

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Categories
Events Retreats

Kerygma Bible Retreat [retreat]

Kerygma Bible retreat
[retreat]

19 October, 9:30am - 20 October, 3pm 2019

A Bible-based retreat focusing on the core Gospel message of Salvation.

An opportunity for Catholics to renew the graces of Baptism and Confirmation.

Led by Barbara Mason, the Kerygma Bible retreat offers a profound reflection on the Good News of Jesus Christ through Scripture and the Church’s teaching. The weekend will offer a prayerful catechesis and Scritpure-based meditation, in order to stimulate a personal renewal.

The topics covered include:

  • The Goodness of Creation
  • Original Sin
  • The Necessity of Jesus Christ
  • Pentecost and Beyond
About the speaker:

Barbara Mason has been involved in faith formation for over twenty-five years in the UK where she currently resides, and internationally, giving retreats, talks, catechetical instruction and Bible Studies to young people and adults.

For more information about Barbara Mason, please click here.

Cost:

Residential option: single room, £90 (full board)

Non-residential: £50 (includes Saturday lunch & dinner, Sunday lunch)

 

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Categories
Events Talks

Saints, Scholars and Spiritual Masters [online evening talk] – #3 St John Henry Newman

St John Henry Newman

Saints, Scholars & Spiritual Masters 3 - St John Henry Newman
[online evening talk]

Thursday 8 October @7:30pm

Newman, Belief & Reality:
Finding God in the World

Third of the online series: Saints, Scholars and Spiritual Masters

For the recording of this talk, please click here.

The third talk of Saints, Scholars and Spiritual Masters will explore the spirituality of the latest English person to be canonised: John Henry Newman. Known for his great intellect and his conversion from Protestantism to the Catholic Faith, Newman’s journey was powered by his grasping of the realism and certainty of God’s presence.  At the heart of this journey was his conscience, drawing him “out of the shadows into truth”. This talk will focus on Newman’s ‘realism’ and his conversions.

Dr Giuseppe Pezzini
About the speaker:

Tutorial Fellow in Latin Language and Literature at Corpus Christi College Oxford. He came to St Andrews in 2016 after research fellowships at Magdalen College, Oxford and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. He worked as an assistant editor for the Oxford Dictionary of Medieval Latin, and has published especially on Latin language and literature, philosophy of language, and the theory of fiction, ancient and modern, including above all Tolkien’s views on the ‘mystery of literary creation’. He is an Associate of the Institute for Theology, Imagination and the Art in St Andrews and the Tolkien Editor of the Journal of the Inklings Studies. He is a member of the RSE Young Academy Scotland, the Young Academy of Europe, and a collaborator of the Meeting of Rimini, for which he has curated exhibitions on John Henry Newman (2011, 2014), Oscar Wilde (2015) and JRR Tolkien (2021).

For more information about Dr Pezzini, please click here.

Next in the series:

22nd October – St Thomas Aquinas with Fr Richard Conrad, O.P.

5th November – St Francis de Sales with Canon Scott Tanner, I.C.K.S.P.

19th November – Sts Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross with Fr Matthew Blake, O.C.D.

3rd December – St Benedict of Norcia with Fr Cassian Folsom, O.S.B.

10th December – St Francis of Assisi with Fr Gabriel Kyte, C.F.R.

For the flier, please click here

 

Please register below:

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Categories
Articles Media

Homage to the Martyrs at Deepdale

Friday 2nd October 2020

The CHC @ The Catholic Universe

Homage to the Martyrs at Deepdale

David Gorman

David Gorman looks back 50 years to when 20,000 flocked to Preston’s Deepdale Stadium for Mass to celebrate the Canonisation of the Forty Martyrs, a quarter of whom came from Lancashire.

The cause for the canonisation of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, which eventually took place on 25th October 1970, stretches its roots back to the mid-19th Century. 

Following the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in England and Wales in 1850, Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman and Cardinal Henry Manning led a campaign for the recognition of those who had been Martyred for the faith. 

Just a year previously, in 1849, Frederick William Faber had written the rousing hymn Faith of Our Fathers in memory of the Martyrs. Born and raised an Anglican, Faber converted and was ordained a priest, later becoming an Oratorian Father. 

By 1935 nearly 200 Reformation Martyrs had been beatified, earning the title ‘Blessed’, but only two, John Fisher and Thomas More, had been canonised; both on 19 May 1935 by Pope Pius XI.

Following the end of the Second World War, the cause, which had been largely dormant for some time, was gradually revived and, in December 1960, the names 

the Lancaster Evening Post, 3 July 1961

of 34 English and six Welsh Martyrs were submitted to the Sacred Congregation of Rites by Cardinal William Godfrey, Archbishop of Westminster. All had been Martyred between 1535 and 1679. The list of names was drawn up in consultation with the Bishops of England and Wales and an attempt was made to ensure the list reflected a spread of social status and religious rank, together with a geographical spread and the existence of a well-established devotion.

Of the 40, 33 were Priests (20 religious and 13 secular) and seven were lay people. It is worth noting that around a quarter of these Mar-tyrs came from within the historic boundaries of the County Palatine of Lancashire, a reminder, albeit a poignant one, that the region remained a true stronghold of the faith despite the persecutions and difficulties that brought.

On 24th May 1961, the re-opening of the cause was formally decreed by Pope John XXIII. It was no surprise, therefore, that once the list of 40 names had been submitted, and the decree issued, the Diocese of Lancaster was quick off the mark in organising a rally in support of the cause. The rally took place on Sunday 2nd July 1961 at Deepdale, home to Preston North End, and was attended by more than 20,000 people including over 200 clergy. 

Pontifical High Mass at the Forty Martyrs Rally, Deepdale, Preston

Parishioners, school children, scouts, guides, cubs and brownies all processed through the streets of Preston from their respective churches to the stadium while others, from parishes further afield, arrived by coach. The Lancashire Evening Post reported that: ‘It started back in the parishes where three huge processions based on St Joseph’s, St Ignatius’ and St Gregory’s formed and walked through the streets with banners and bands to converge at Deepdale’.

A ‘Pageant of the Martyrs’ took place with 40 individuals each dressed as a martyr in the colourful costumes associated with the Tudor and Stuart periods. Narrators announced brief details of each martyr’s life and death, and once all were assembled on the dais ‘they presented a huge tableau, strangely set in a modern football stand, of figures who suffered the strife and religious persecution in England and Wales 400 years ago’.

The pageant was followed by Pontifical High Mass celebrated by Monsignor Thomas Eaton, the Vicar General of the diocese, in the presence of Bishop Thomas Flynn of Lancaster. 

For the canonisation to proceed it was necessary for two miracles, granted through the intercession of the 40 as a group, to be recognised. A list of 24 miracles was collated and submitted by the English and Welsh bishops and, after careful examination, two of these were chosen for further scrutiny. The Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints granted a special dispensation whereby it was decided, subject to Papal approval, that one of the two miracles would be sufficient to allow the canonisation of all 40 Martyrs to proceed. This was the “cure of a young mother affected with a malignant tumour (fibrosarcoma) in the left scapula, a cure which the Medical Council had judged gradual, perfect, constant and unaccountable on the natural plane”.

On 4th May 1970 Pope Paul VI confirmed the “preternatural character of this cure brought about by God at the intercession of the 40 blessed Martyrs of England and Wales”. The path was now open for the canonisation to take place on a date to be set, and thirty-four English and six Welsh Martyrs were submitted to the Sacred Congregation of Rites by Cardinal William Godfrey, Archbishop of Westminster. All had been Martyred between 1535 and 1679. The list of names was drawn up in consultation with the Bishops of England and Wales and an attempt was made to ensure the list reflected a spread of social status and religious rank, together with a geographical spread and the existence of a well-established devotion.

Parishioners on Skeffington Road, Preston about to leave St Joseph's Church for Deepdale

However, there was concern in some quarters about the effect the canonisation might have on the ecumenical agenda. In November 1969, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Michael Ramsey, had “expressed his apprehension that this canonisation might rekindle animosity and polemics detriment to the ecumenical spirit that has characterised the efforts of the Churches recently”. 

It was clear, however, that the majority of people within both faiths supported the canonisation and, on 18th May 1970, Pope Paul VI declared, during a consistory, that the canonisation would take place on 25th October that year “pointing out, with serene frankness and great charity, the ecumenical value of this Cause, also laying particular stress on the fact that we need the example of these Martyrs particularly today not only because the Christian religion is still exposed to violent persecution in various parts of the world, but also because at a time when the theories of materialism and naturalism are constantly gaining ground and threatening to destroy the spiritual heritage of our civilization, the 40 Martyrs – men and women from all walks of life – who did not hesitate to sacrifice their lives in obedience to the dictates of conscience and the divine will, stand out as noble witnesses to human dignity and freedom”.

Some 10,000 English and Welsh pilgrims, together with the bishops of England and Wales and representative bishops from Scotland and Ireland, were among the large congregation which attended the canonisation Mass at St Peter’s. Special guests included descendants of many of the martyrs, including the Duke of Norfolk, England and Wales’s most senior Catholic layman and himself a collateral descendant of the soon to be St Philip Howard. In recognition of the unique significance of the event for English and Welsh Catholics, the Maestro Perpetuo of the Sistine Chapel Choir, which would normally sing at all canonisation Masses, agreed that the Westminster Cathedral Choir could sing in its place. The Catholic writer, Auberon Waugh, described the canonisation as “the biggest moment for English Catholicism since Catholic emancipation”.

This article is from a series published in the Catholic Voice of Lancaster this month, commemorating the 50th anniversary of canonisation of the Forty Martyrs.

Categories
Events Talks

Catholicism in Post-Modernity [evening talk]

Catholicism in Post-Modernity
[evening talk]

1 October, 7:30pm [2019]

Living Catholicism in a Post-Modern era

Post-modernity and Catholicism present two fundamentally different ways of viewing the world: what are the challenges and the opportunities?

Post-modern thinking has deeply impacted the way that citizens look at the world, at themselves, and at Catholicism. In many ways, this has posed a great challenge to Christians, and to Catholics in particular, as they have sought both to be faithful to the Great Commission and to live integrated lives. Simultaneously, post-modernity has opened new doors of opportunity for taking the Gospel into the world. Thus, Catholics finds themselves both challenged by this philosophical world view of the West whilst also being offered new avenues for the transmission of the faith.

About the speaker:

Michael Dopp graduated from St Augustine’s at the University of Toronto with a Master of Divinity (MDiv) and earned a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL), with a concentration on the new evangelization, at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Michigan. Michael has been involved in a variety of ministries dedicated to evangelization and mission projects in Europe, Africa, and North America. He is founder and president of Mission of the Redeemer Ministries, founder of The New Evangelization Summit, and co-director of The Summer Institute in the New Evangelization.

For more information about Michael Dopp, please click here.

Cost:

£5

 

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