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Events Retreats

Why God became man [weekend retreat]

A pre-Advent weekend retreat

Why God became man:
Meaning & Consequences of the Incarnation

Friday 24th - Sunday 26th November 2023

“For God has not only made us out of nothing; but He gave us freely, by the Grace of the Word, a life in correspondence with God. ”

St Athanasius

The Christian mystery of Redemption starts with the great Feast of Christmas, when “the Word became Flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14).

Join us for a weekend retreat just before the beginning of Advent, to give this season of preparation a clear focus on the meaning of Christmas.

Preached by Fr de Malleray, FSSP, the Masses during this retreat will be celebrated in the Extraordinary Form.

The retreat is structured around six talks, with time for personal reflection and for socials.

The retreat is framed by morning and evening prayer, Mass, Adoration and opportunities for confession.

Fr Armand de Malleray began his ministry in the Southwark Archdiocese in 2001. He has been giving clergy retreats at various venues in England and abroad for over two decades. As rector of St Mary’s Shrine, he is based in the Liverpool Archdiocese. He is the author of the following books:

Theodore House offers a wonderful venue for any residential event. The tranquil and beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate offer a peaceful setting with endless opportunities for walks. Guests will enjoy the comfortable recreational spaces and a beautifully lanscaped garden.

For more information about Theodore House, please click here.

  • Arrivals from 5pm for a 6pm start on Friday
  • Departures from 3:30pm on Sunday
Cost

Single room:  £180 per person*

Twin room (sharing): £135 per person*

Non-residential: £90 per person (includes lunches and dinners)

*Cost includes full board from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch inclusive.

RETREAT IS NOW SOLD OUT
Venue & Getting to us:

If you are reliant on public transport, please consider traveling by train to Preston train station. From there, we aim to co-ordinate minicab shares or lifts amongst participants of any given event. If you require further advice or assistance, email us: [email protected]

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Events Retreats

A Great Mystery [marriage enrichment retreat]

A weekend marriage enrichment retreat

"A Great Mystery":
Man and Wife as an image of Christ and His Church

Friday 19th - Sunday 21st May 2023

Discover the beauty and significance
of the Catholic vision for marriage

“There is a strong need in the Church and in the world to rediscover the meaning and value of the conjugal union between a man and a woman, on which the family is founded”

Pope Francis, Address to the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, 27th January 2023

Take time out to discover the value that the Church places on human love in the marital covenant, and its significance as an icon of the love of Christ for His Church. In a society that continues to experience high failure rates in marriages, the Church’s Sacrament offers a foundation for the possibility of a lasting and loving covenant, built on an authentic understanding of masculinity and femininity.

The retreat will address the following themes:

  • What does our culture today say about the human person?
  • God’s plan or our plan? The meaning of human nature and love
  • The Rupture between the Sexes: Original Sin and its consequences for relationships
  • “A Great Mystery”: Man and Wife as an image of Christ and His Church
  • Masculinity misconstrued: A Christian model of manhood
  • Equality in difference: Building an authentic femininity

The retreat is structured around six talks, with opportunities for discussion in small groups, for personal reflection and for socials.

The retreat is framed by morning and evening prayer, Mass, Adoration and opportunities for confession.

Fr. David Marsden is a qualified clinical psychologist, spiritual director and experienced retreat leader.
He has worked as a psychologist and formation tutor in two national seminaries and expresses a passion
for accompanying and mentoring young men into living the fullness of their Christian vocation. He
completed an MA in Theology at the Maryvale Institute in 2016 with the title of his dissertation being
‘The Priest as Spiritual Father.’ He has written a Theology of the Body (TOB) healing retreat, served
as chaplain to the TOB Institute in the USA and co-founded the TOB Network UK along with Dr.
Christine Ward in 2020. He is currently the spiritual director of the Men & Women of St. Joseph
which is a national movement aimed at restoring a vibrant Catholic faith in England.

Christine Ward has been married to Tom for 32 years, they have four children and live in North Yorkshire, UK.  Christine completed an MA through the Maryvale Institute in Birmingham in 2011 and completed her PhD also through Maryvale in 2017.  She teaches the Christian Anthropology and Sexual Ethics modules for the Master’s programme at Maryvale and she also lectures on the Sacrament of Marriage at Oscott Seminary in Birmingham.  

An extract from her doctoral thesis: “An empirical study of the nature of the disconnect between faith and praxis:  An examination of the sexual moral teaching of the Catholic Church in light of those electing to marry in the Catholic Tradition” has been published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing.  She is the co-founder of the ‘Theology Of the Body Network UK’, an initiative that was launched in launched September 2020.  The aim of the TOB Network UK is to connect all those interested in studying Theology of the Body/Magisterial teaching on marriage and sexuality.  The Network has run several retreats and talks since its inception and has a data base of over 240 members from across the UK.  Christine has given talks in many parishes, at Youth 2000, New Dawn and at Fisher House at Cambridge University.

Theodore House offers a wonderful venue for any residential course. The tranquil and beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate offer a peaceful setting with endless opportunities for walks. Guests will enjoy the comfortable recreational spaces and a beautifully lanscaped garden.

For more information about Theodore House, please click here.

  • Arrivals from 5pm (Friday)
  • Retreat commences with evening prayer at 6:45pm and dinner at 7pm
  • Departures from 3:30pm on Sunday
Cost

Residential: £330 per couple (includes en-suite twin room and full board*)

Non-residential: £190 per couple (includes lunch and dinner*)

*from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch inclusive.

If you would like to attend as a single person or as a non-married couple, please contact us for availability and pricing.

A limited number of bursaries are available for. Please contact us for further information.

Contact: [email protected]

“I feel like I have learnt so much and opened my heart and mind to the Church.”

Please register below (includes £50 p.p. deposit payment):

Venue:

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Building Catholic Culture in Education [residential course]

CPD for leaders of Catholic schools & MATs

Building Catholic Culture in Education

Friday 12th - Sunday 14th May 2023

A weekend exploring essential themes
for a Catholic ethos in today’s schools

“[The Catholic school’s] proper function is to create for the school community a special atmosphere animated by the Gospel spirit of freedom and charity … and to order the whole of human culture to the news of salvation so that the knowledge the students gradually acquire of the world, life and man is illumined by faith”

Second Vatican Council, Declaration on Christian Education “Gravissimum Educationis”

Our weekend course is aimed at governors, trustees, chief executives, heads and senior leaders who wish to engage in a serious discussion around the fundamentals of Catholic identity in a secular, multi-cultural and post-modern society, and the challenges of creating and sustaining a Catholic culture in educational settings in today’s Britain.

Bringing together an array of experienced and insightful practitioners with a variety of backgrounds, the course will enable a deeper understanding of the theological building blocks of a Catholic culture. The course will examine the opportunities and challenges presented by the increasingly secular culture in Britain today, in order to reflect on the commonalities and differences that go towards defining Catholic educational institutions.

Keynote speech:

Cultural Challenges to Catholic Education

by Mgr Michael Nazir-Ali

Nazir-Ali, Mgr Michael2

        Sessions:

  • Why Catholic? The Uniqueness and Universality of Christ’s Church in a Pluralist World
  • Shifting Sands: Secular and Catholic Concepts of Person and Society
  • A Question of Nature: Created Male and Female or Genderless Creation?
  • Educating to be Catholic in Contemporary Society
  • Culture Wars in Catholic Schools: Feminism, LGBT and Critical Race Theory
  • Managing Culture Wars from a Legal Standpoint

This course is intended for those in positions of leadership or governance in Catholic multi-academy trusts and schools, whether as executives, senior leaders, governors or trustees.

The weekend is built around six sessions and a keynote speech, allowing for questions and discussion time with each speaker, as well as dedicated discussion and plenary sessions.

A framework of prayer will be offered with daily morning and evening prayer and Mass.

Evening socials and free time provide a great opportunity for networking in a relaxed environment.

Mgr Michael Nazir-Ali was the 106th Bishop of Rochester, for 15 years, until 1 September 2009. He is originally from Southwest Asia and was the first Diocesan Bishop in the Church of England born abroad. He was appointed in 1994. Before that he was the General Secretary of CMS from 1989-1994 and prior to holding this position was Bishop of Raiwind in Pakistan. He holds both British and Pakistani citizenship and from 1999 was a member of the House of Lords where he was active in a number of areas of national and international concern. He has both a Christian and a Muslim family background and is now President of the Oxford Centre for Training, Research, Advocacy and Dialogue (OXTRAD).

Rev. Stephen Morgan has been Rector of the University of Saint Joseph since 2020. Originally from Wales in the UK, he is an Associate Professor of Theology and Ecclesiastical History.

After a career in finance in the City of London and Hong Kong, he spent fifteen years as the CFO/COO of a large not-for-profit in the UK. Returning to academic work in 2009, he read for a DPhil in Theology at the University of Oxford, where he was a post-doctoral Research Associate of St Benet’s Hall between 2013 and 2015. He has been a member of the academic staff of the Maryvale Institute of Higher Religious Sciences since 2011.

Katherine Bennett has a BA in Theology and an MA in Philosophy, and has taught Religious Education for over 20 years in London schools. She is now a writer and broadcaster, running weekly conversations about the Catholic Faith on YouTube, writing for the Catholic Herald and working with Catholic Voices. She was commissioned by Archbishop John Wilson to be deanery mentor responsible for evangelisaton in Southwark. 

 

 

Ryan Christopher read history at the University of Cambridge before studying Philosophy at the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas and Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University.
His passion for Christian anthropology is the result of years of experience in the field of teaching and evangelisation. Ryan held senior posts at Ampleforth College, York, and St Aloysius’ College, Glasgow as well as teaching in the state sector and providing private tuition. Ryan serves as director of ADF UK in London. He is the advisor to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Religious Education and regularly engages with the Department for Education regarding Christian Education. 
 

Dr Gavin Ashenden studied theology at Oak Hill Theological College in London, and was ordained as an Anglican priest by + Mervyn Stockwood in Southwark Cathedral in 1980. He lectured at the University of Sussex for 23 years on the Psychology of Religion and Literature. He was a member of the General Synod of the Church of England for 20 years, and served as Chaplain to the Queen from 2008 to 2017.

Gavin resigned from the Church of England in 2017, then being ordained as a Missionary bishop to the UK and Europe for the Christian Episcopal Church. He has since been received into the Roman Catholic Church by + Mark Davies at Shrewsbury Cathedral. Dr Ashenden now writes as a lay Catholic, contributing articles to both secular and religious press, and continuing his well-established online ministry.

Stefan Kaminski studied philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, and gained a Licentiate from the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family Life. He has worked in parishes delivering catechesis, and in a wide range of schools in various roles from chaplain to governor and Head of Theology. He has served as Director of The Christian Heritage Centre charity for four years, creating and delivering Catholic formation to a range of audiences.

Theodore House offers a wonderful venue for any residential course. The tranquil and beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate offer a peaceful setting with endless opportunities for walks. Guests will enjoy the comfortable recreational spaces and a beautifully lanscaped garden.

For more information about Theodore House, please click here.

  • Arrivals from 5pm (Friday)
  • Course commences with evening prayer at 6:45pm and dinner at 7pm (Friday), followed by introductions and the first session
  • Departures from 3:15pm on Sunday
Cost

Single room: £220 p.p.*

Twin room (sharing): £180 p.p.*

Non-residential, (includes lunches and dinners): £130 p.p.

*Includes full board from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch inclusive.

Bursaries of up to £70 p.p. are available to support with the cost of the course where required.

Please contact [email protected] for further information.

“The lecture content was well organised and focused on practical situations – intellectually challenging, but stimulating and easy to follow. Presentation was great and brought emphasis on the important points.”

“Thank you so much for this conference and all the effort and hard work that has been put into it. The ability to gather and discuss with a framework of reflection and prayer/sacraments is truly precious.“

Please register below (includes £50 p.p. deposit payment):

Venue:

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Marriage Preparation

Marriage preparation

Marriage Preparation

2024​​ Courses

Preparing you for marriage in the Catholic Church

“It is necessary to make preparatory programmes for the Sacrament of Marriage ever more effective, not only for human growth, but above all for the faith of the engaged couples. The fundamental objective of this encounter is to help engaged couples realise a progressive integration into the mystery of Christ, in the Church and with the Church.” (Pope Francis, Address to the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, 21 January 2017)

About CHC Marriage Preparation courses

Our courses meet the requirements for preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage in the Catholic Church.

They have been specifically designed to offer couples a presentation of fundamental, underlying themes as well as of the Sacrament of Marriage itself, according to the theological vision of the Catholic Church. Intrinsic to this presentation is an emphasis on personal integrity and honest communication as a couple, founded on the primary relationship with God.

Our Director, Stefan Kaminski, gained a licentiate at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies in Marriage and Family Life, the Church’s only institute dedicated to this area. He is supported by his wife, Eleonora, who is similarly qualified, and a team of couples who are experienced in delivering marriage preparation as well as in marriage itself!

Our events take place at Theodore House, set on the stunning Stonyhurst estate in the Ribble Valley.

2024 Marriage preparation course

Saturday 27th January & 3rd February (10am - 5pm)

Our marriage preparation course runs over two consecutive Saturdays.
 
The course explores all the fundamental themes necessary to providing couples with a clear overview of the vision for marriage offered by the Catholic Church, examining the Sacrament of Marriage through the promises that couples will make during the wedding ceremony.
 
Relational content is explored as part of the course through helpful questionnaires, which  couples will have time to share and discuss.
 
Time for discussion and questions is built into each day, with material for couples to take away and reflect on as they approach their wedding.
 
The cost of the course includes a buffet lunch and refreshments on both days.
Marriage preparation
Cost

£90 per person / £180 per couple

Location:
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Events

Shroud of Turin Exhibition

Shroud of Turin

Shroud of Turin Exhibition

Monday 6th - Wednesday 22nd March 2023

Featuring a full-sized replica of the Shroud of Turin

The original Shroud of Turin is rarely shown to the public. This exhibition offers visitors an important chance to engage with what is arguably the most enigmatic artefact known to man.

Accompanying the replica will be a historical and scientific commentary, looking at both its authenticity and its importance for Christians. 

Shroud of Turin

Originally called “The Shroud of Christ”, it was owned by the House of Savoy, who moved it from Chambéry to Turin in the late 15th century. Devotion to the shroud spread across the world after the first photograph was taken of it 1898, with the negative returning a clear image of the face of Jesus.

Numerous scientific investigations into the Shroud have been unable to suggest a viable explanation for the production of the image, and evidence of its origins at the start of the first millenium remains otherwise unexplained. Today, the actual Shroud is only on public view on rare occasions, the last being in 2012.

Carbon-dating tests conducted in 2014, which seemed to date the Shroud to the 14th century, have been acknowledged to be invalid due to the failure to follow standard protocols.

It is for this reason that exhibition is so important, as it offers ordinary people that chance to catch a glimpse of the Shroud. This replica was constructed from the original photography undertaken by Barrie Schwortz. It unveils some of the mysteries and the research done on the Shroud, besides providing an in-depth historical and Scriptural engagement with the Passion undertaken by Our Lord. 

Details about the exhibition can be found here.

Opening Lecture

- now also on Wednesday 22nd March

Thursday 9th March 2023 @ 7:30pm
Wednesday 22nd March 2023 @ 7:30pm

Curator of the exhibition and Shroud expert, Pam Moon, will open the exhibition with a talk.

Hear about the history of the Shroud, its hidden features revealed by scientific investigation, and the information it contains that correspond to ancient Roman forms of torture and execution.

Cost

£10 per head, £7 with discount. Includes exclusive viewing of the exhibition from 5:30pm onwards, talk, Q&A and refreshments

Pam Moon

 

Exhibition Open Days

The exhibition will be open to the public for viewing on the following days with no booking required:

Friday 10th March 2023, 9am - 5:30pm

Saturday 11th March 2023, 10am - 5pm

Sunday 12th March 2023, 10am - 5pm

Come and discover the secrets of the Shroud and its profound significance for the Christian faith.

Cost

Free. Donations welcome

Shroud of Turin

Overnight Package

Travelling from further afield? Make the most of a visit with exclusive access to the exhibition all evening, a delicious dinner, comfortable accommodation and breakfast, available on the following nights:

Friday 10th March 2023

Saturday 11th March 2023

Cost

£85 per person, single en-suite room

£135 per two people, twin en-suite room

Includes refreshments on arrival, 2-course hot dinner, a glass of prosecco or similar, bed and breakfast

See more information about Theodore House here.

Group Bookings

Schools, parishes and other groups may request to view the exhibition on the following days, subject to availability:

Monday 13th March 2023 through to

Wednesday 22nd March 2023

Catering, from refreshments to hot lunches, is available upon request.

Please complete the form below to request a group visit.

Cost

A recommended donation of £3 per person is requested.

Shroud of Turin

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Praying with the Saints [retreats]

Retreats

Praying with the Saints

Running in April, June & October 2023

Weekend retreats themed around the lives & spirituality
of three great spiritual masters of the West

This series of retreats offers participants an opportunity to immerse themselves in the lives of some of the great saints of the Western Church, as a way of developing and nurturing their own lives of faith.

The retreats are preached by well-established speakers and authorities on the respective saints, so that participants will be accompanied closely by these much-loved saintly figures.

Each retreat is entirely standalone.

Each retreat will offer several talks over the weekend, framed by opportunities for Mass, communal prayer in the morning and evening, and Adoration.

Free time for walks and reflection is built into each retreat.

Retreat Master: St John of the Cross & St Teresa of Avila

Fr Matthew Blake is a Carmelite priest. Originally from Ireland, he has lived and worked  in the UK for more than thirty years. His ministry has mainly involved retreat direction, for which he is well-known in the UK, and he has also worked in many different parishes.

 

 

Retreat Master: St Ignatius of Loyola

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.

 

Retreat Master: St Therese of Lisieux

Canon John Urdis 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.’

 

 

Theodore House offers a wonderful venue for any residential course. The tranquil and beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate offer a peaceful setting with endless opportunities for walks. Guests will enjoy the comfortable recreational spaces and a beautifully lanscaped garden.

For more information about Theodore House, please click here.

  • Arrivals from 3pm for a 6pm start on Friday
  • Departures from 3pm on Sunday
Cost (per retreat)

Single room: £180 p.p.*

Twin room (sharing): £135 p.p.*

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

Please register below (includes £50 p.p. deposit payment):

Venue:

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Human Nature, Gender & Identity [residential course]

CEPHAS

Short summer courses

'Who do you say that I am?'
Human Nature, Gender, and Identity

25th - 28th August 2023

Exploring the human person in the Thomistic theological tradition

“The disorientation regarding anthropology, which is a widespread feature of our cultural landscape, has undoubtedly helped to destabilise the family as an institution, bringing with it a tendency to cancel out the differences between men and women, presenting them instead as merely the product of historical and cultural conditioning”

Congregation for Catholic Education, “‘Male and Female He Created Them’: Towards a Path of Dialogue on the Question of Gender Theory in Education” (2019)

In partnership with

The course requires no prior qualification or knowledge, but is intended to serve as an introduction or primer to Catholic, Thomistic philosophy and theology.

The course is offered to anyone wishing to engage in this area. It may be of special interest to future, current or former students of philosophy and theology, and secondary-level teachers of the same.

For queries about the course content or requirements, please contact Dr George Corbett at [email protected]

CEPHAS courses are built around a combination of philosophical and theological lectures and workshops, with plenty of discussion.

A guest talk, accompanied by good wine, is offered on one of the evenings.

The course is framed by opportunities for Mass during the day and communal prayer in the morning and evening.

Prof. George Corbett (Director of CEPHAS) is Professor of Theology at the School of Divinity, University of St Andrews. Previously, he held positions as Junior Research Fellow in Philosophy, Trinity College, and affiliated lecturer, University of Cambridge. He received his BA (double first), MPhil (distinction), and PhD (AHRC-funded) from the University of Cambridge. He has also studied in Pisa (as an Erasmus-Socrates exchange scholar at La Scuola Normale Superiore), Rome (Institutum Pontificium Alterioris Latinitatis), and Montella (Vivarium Novum). 

He teaches and researches in historical and systematic theology (with specialisms in medieval theology, Aquinas’s theology and its influence, and Catholic theology) and theology and the arts (with specialisms in Dante studies, sacred music, and theological aesthetics).

Prof. Corbett is the author of Dante’s Christian Ethics: Purgatory and Its Moral Contexts (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2020) and Dante and Epicurus: A Dualistic Vision of Secular and Spiritual Fulfilment (Oxford: Legenda, 2013),  and is co-editor of Vertical Readings in Dante’s Comedy, 3 vols (Cambridge: Open Book Publishers, 2015-17), an international collaboration by thirty-four scholars on a reappraisal of the whole poem. He has also published on Aquinas, sacred music, medieval theology, and the arts.

 

Sr Valery Walker, O.P. is a Dominican Sister of the Stone Congregation. In the early 1970s, she was introduced by Fr Romuald Horn O.P. to a particular method of studying the Summa Theologica of St Thomas Aquinas. Since then, she has run numerous S Thomas study days and weekends.

 

 

 

Sr. Magdalene Eitenmiller, O.P. is a Dominican sister of the Stone Congregation.

She received a Master’s degree in Theology (Ave Maria University, Florida), and the Licentiate in Sacred Theology in Thomistic Studies (Dominican House of Studies, Washington, D.C.), and she is currently pursuing doctoral studies with the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome. She is the author of “On the Separated Soul according to St. Thomas Aquinas,” Nova et Vetera 17.1 (2019):57-91 and “Grace as Participation according to St. Thomas Aquinas” New Blackfriars (2017): 689-708, among other publications

Sr. Magdalene teaches courses on the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas online, and has developed a website called Thomisticstudies.org, as well as a Youtube channel, Facebook, and Instagram pages.

She believes that theological studies can help one develop a deeper union with God and strengthen one’s faith, especially when learning from the teachings of Aquinas, one of the greatest theologians of all time.

Theodore House offers a wonderful venue for any residential course. The tranquil and beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate offer a peaceful setting with endless opportunities for walks. Guests will enjoy the comfortable recreational spaces and a beautifully lanscaped garden.

For more information about Theodore House, please click here.

  • Arrivals from 3pm (Friday)
  • Course commences with dinner at 7pm (Friday) and introductions; lectures commence Saturday at 9:15am.
  • Departures after lunch (Monday)
Cost

Single room: £320 p.p.*

Twin room (sharing): £270 p.p.*

Non-residential, (includes lunch and dinner): £180 p.p.

*Costs include full board from Friday dinner to Monday lunch inclusive.

Bursaries are available for anyone (whether employed or not) who would like to come but would benefit from financial assistance. Please contact us at [email protected] for further information.

“The lecture content was well organised and focused on practical situations – intellectually challenging, but stimulating and easy to follow. Presentation was great and brought emphasis on the important points.”

“Thank you so much for this conference and all the effort and hard work that has been put into it. The ability to gather and discuss with a framework of reflection and prayer/sacraments is truly precious.“

Please register below (includes £50 p.p. deposit payment):

Venue:

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Living Catholicism Today [residential course]

Short summer courses

Living Catholicism Today

1st - 4th August 2024

BOOK NOW

How should we live? Catholicism and human morality for today

Part of the Faith & Reason course series, exploring the rationality of the Catholic Faith in todays world

Living Catholicism Today addresses the ever-present challenge of understanding how the moral precepts of an ancient faith are relevant to an ever-changing world.

The course begins by examining the nature and role of Divine Revelation for the moral life and the question of its interpretation. From there, it turns to the human person to reflect on the goal-driven nature of the physical and spiritual life, and on the emergent question of human morality. Particular attention will be paid to Catholic sexual morality. The course will then examine the role of grace and the virtues in the Christian life, and will offer a consideration of the moral education of children.

This course is part of our Faith & Reason course series, which provide a systematic overview of the fundamental themes of the Catholic faith. At the same time, these are approached in the context of contemporary culture and thinking, in order to engage in a dialogue that is relevant today.

Each course is entirely standalone and does not require attendance at the other courses. The courses nonetheless offer a progression through the three themes as below, whilst also providing some link-up material between each course.

Faith & Reason course series overview

BOOK NOW

The Faith & Reason courses require no prior qualification or background in philosophy or theology, and are suited to anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith, whether from within or without the Church.

The courses will be particularly helpful for:

  • secondary-level teachers of RE
  • catechists, especially those working with teenagers and adults
  • leaders in educational or Church institutions

Each course consists of 9 lectures and a workshop, and closes with a general Q&A session.

The course is framed by opportunities for Mass during the day and communal prayer in the morning and evening.

Some free time for walks and reflection is offered as part of each course, as well as evening socials with a well-stocked bar!

Dr Caroline Farey has taught catechesis, theology and philosophy for many years throughout the English-speaking world. In 2017 she was appointed by the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation to the working party for the General Directory for Catechesis, and in 2012 she was appointed by the Vatican as one of the lay experts at the Synod on the New Evangelisation. Dr Farey taught at St Mary’s Seminary Oscott and the Maryvale Institute, before working in Evangelisation and Catechesis for several UK dioceses.  She has licentiates in both philosophy and theology, besides a doctorate in philosophy, from pontifical institutes.

 

Dr Andrew Beards is a lecturer in philosophy at Allen Hall, London. For over thirty years he has lectured in Philosophy and Theology in Canada and the UK. Andrew has published work in academic journals and is the author of books, including Objectivity and Historical Understanding, (Brookfield. VA & Aldershot: Ashgate, 1997), Method in Metaphysics: (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008), Insight and Analysis, (New York and London: Continuum, 2010), Philosophy the Quest for Truth and Meaning, (Collegeville, Minn: Liturgical Press, 2010) and  Lonergan, Meaning and Method: Philosophical Essays, (New York and London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016)

 

Stefan Kaminski is the Director of The Christian Heritage Centre. Since 2019, he has overseen the charity’s development of in-person and online content, both theological and spiritual, to support adult Catholics, lay and ordained, in their mission in the UK. Stefan has organised a number of Catholic formation initiatives in the UK, including symposiums and online formation programmes on the Theology of the Body. Together with his wife, Eleonora, he provides marriage preparation courses and continuing theological formation for catechists, teachers and diocesan leaders. Stefan gained a licentiate in sacred theology (STL) from the John Paul II Institute for Studies in Marriage and Family Life, Rome, specialising in the theological anthropology of the sexual complementarity.

Theodore House offers a wonderful venue for any residential course. The tranquil and beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate offer a peaceful setting with endless opportunities for walks. Guests will enjoy the comfortable recreational spaces and a beautifully lanscaped garden.

For more information about Theodore House, please click here.

  • Arrivals from 3pm (Thursday)
  • Course commences at 6pm (Thursday)
  • Departures after lunch (Sunday)
Cost (per course)

Single room: £320 p.p.*

Twin room (sharing): £270 p.p.*

Non-residential, (includes lunch and dinner): £180 p.p.

*Costs include full board from Thursday dinner to Sunday lunch inclusive.

“The presentations were of high quality, excellent delivery”

“Very relevant for today… excellent synergy between the lectures”

” thoroughly enjoyed the content… both tutors were inspiring”

Please register below (includes £50 p.p. deposit payment):
Venue & Getting to us:

If you are reliant on public transport, please consider traveling by train to Preston train station. From there, we aim to co-ordinate minicab shares or lifts amongst participants of any given event. If you require further advice or assistance, email us: [email protected]

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Faith & Reason 2 [residential course]

Faith & Reason 2:
Catholicism & Contemporary Culture
[residential course]

4th -7th August 2022

Approaches to truth, sacramentality and the symbolic in Catholicism and contemporary culture

The second in the Faith & Reason series of courses, exploring the rationality of the Catholic faith in today’s world

This short course examines some of the philosophical foundations of the Catholic faith, including the concept of truth and sacramentality, and explores how these shape the Church’s understanding of itself, of the Eucharist, of the Arts and of the Common Good.

The course offers a comparison with approaches to these themes that arise from modern and post-modern philosophical currents.

Participants benefit from 8 lectures and a workshop, a closing general Q&A session and time for reflection and discussion.

Opportunities for Mass and communal prayer will be offered, as well as plenty of social time with a well-stocked bar!

  • What is Truth? Contemporary Secularism vs Catholicism
  • Truth in the Public Square: Ideas & Ideologies
  • The New Atheists: Faith without Religion
  • Faith & the Arts: Reflecting the True, the Good & the Beautiful
  • Philosophical Foundations for Sacramentality
  • The Church and the Eucharist: One Faith, One Body
  • Societal Truth: Discerning the Common Good
  • Catechetical Pedagogy: Fundamentals of Communicating the Faith

The course requires no prior qualification or background in philosophy or theology, and is suited to anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith, whether from within or without the Church.

In delivering a very practical approach to philosophical and theological themes and dealing with contemporary challenges to Catholicism, the course will be particularly helpful for:

  • secondary-level teachers of RE
  • catechists, especially those working with teenagers and adults
  • leaders in educational or Church institutions

Our Faith & Reason series consists of a cycle of three summer courses, which together provide a systematic overview of the fundamental themes of the Catholic faith. At the same time, these are approached in the context of contemporary culture and thinking, in order to prepare

Each of the Faith & Reason courses is entirely standalone and does not require attendance at the other courses.

The courses nonetheless offer a progression through the below three themes, whilst also providing some link-up material between each course:

F&R 1: Preparing a rational ground for faith and responding to perceived challenges to faith from philosophical and scientific viewpoints

F&R 2: Identifying and responding to underlying philosophical differences between the Catholic and secular conceptions of reality

F&R 3: the lived-out dimension of the Catholic faith, with its moral and sacramental dynamic

Dr Caroline Farey has taught catechesis, theology and philosophy for many years throughout the English-speaking world. In 2017 she was appointed by the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation to the working party for the General Directory for Catechesis, and in 2012 she was appointed by the Vatican as one of the lay experts at the Synod on the New Evangelisation. Dr Farey taught at St Mary’s Seminary Oscott and the Maryvale Institute, before working in Evangelisation and Catechesis for several UK dioceses.  She has licentiates in both philosophy and theology, besides a doctorate in philosophy, from pontifical institutes.

 

Dr Andrew Beards is a lecturer in philosophy at Allen Hall, London. For over thirty years he has lectured in Philosophy and Theology in Canada and the UK. Andrew has published work in academic journals and is the author of books, including Objectivity and Historical Understanding, (Brookfield. VA & Aldershot: Ashgate, 1997), Method in Metaphysics: (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008), Insight and Analysis, (New York and London: Continuum, 2010), Philosophy the Quest for Truth and Meaning, (Collegeville, Minn: Liturgical Press, 2010) and  Lonergan, Meaning and Method: Philosophical Essays, (New York and London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016)

Theodore House offers a wonderful venue for any residential course. The tranquil and beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate offer a peaceful setting with endless opportunities for walks. Guests will enjoy the comfortable recreational spaces and a beautifully lanscaped garden.

For more information about Theodore House, please click here.

  • Arrivals from 3pm (Thursday)
  • Course commences at 6pm (Thursday)
  • Departures after lunch (Sunday)
Cost

Single room: £295 p.p.*

Twin room (sharing): £245 p.p.*

Non-residential, (includes lunch and dinner): £185 p.p.

*Costs include full board from Thursday dinner to Sunday lunch inclusive.

Deposit payments are ordinarily non-refundable.

Please register below (includes £50 p.p. deposit payment):

Venue:

Categories
Courses Events

The Search for Happiness [residential course]

The Search for Happiness:
The Cardinal Virtues & the Good Life
[residential course]

26th -29th August 2022

Philosophical & theological workshops
on foundational themes for happiness

When we speak of virtues—not only these cardinal ones, but all of them, every virtue—we must always have in mind the real man, the actual man. Virtue is not something abstract, detached from life, but, on the contrary, it has deep “roots” in life itself, it springs from the latter and forms it. Virtue has an impact on man’s life, on his actions and behaviour
(Pope John Paul II, Fides et Ratio)

In partnership with

Explore together four pillars of the good life – prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance – and how they orient and transform us in our search for happiness.

CEPHAS 2022 consists of philosophy and theology workshops on the cardinal virtues, giving participants the opportunity to reflect together on core human questions about our desires and affections, and about how we approach difficult decisions and respond justly to the challenges of the contemporary world.

Plenty of opportunity for discussion and debate, as well as for Mass, communal prayer and reflection. Evening guest talks and good wine!

  • An introductory session to the theme of Happiness and the Virtues
  • Four pairs of philosophy and theology workshops, addressing each of the four cardinal virtues
  • Two guest talks on complementary themes

The course requires no prior qualification or knowledge, but is intended to serve as an introduction or primer to Catholic, Thomistic philosophy and theology.

The course is offered to anyone wishing to engage in this area. It may be of special interest to future, current or former students of philosophy and theology, and secondary-level teachers of the same.

For queries about the course content or requirements, please contact Dr George Corbett at [email protected]

Dr George Corbett is Senior Lecturer in the School of Divinity, University of St Andrews. Previously, he held positions as Junior Research Fellow in Philosophy, Trinity College, and affiliated lecturer in Italian, University of Cambridge, where he also taught English literature and theology. He received his BA (double first), MPhil (distinction), and PhD (AHRC-funded) from the University of Cambridge. He has also studied in Pisa (as an Erasmus-Socrates exchange scholar at La Scuola Normale Superiore), Rome (Institutum Pontificium Alterioris Latinitatis), and Montella (Vivarium Novum). 

Dr Corbett directs CEPHAS (a Thomistic Centre for Philosophy and Scholastic Theology), TheoArtistry (a project linking up theologians and artists), and is leading on a new collaborative MLitt in Sacred Music. 

 

Sr Valery is a Dominican Sister of the Stone Congregation. In the early 1970s, she was introduced by Fr Romuald Horn O.P. to a particular method of studying the Summa Theologica of St Thomas Aquinas. Since then, she has run numerous S Thomas study days and weekends.

 

 

Sr. Magdalene is a Dominican sister of the Stone Congregation. She received a Master’s degree in Theology (Ave Maria University, Florida), a Licentiate in Sacred Theology in Thomistic Studies (Dominican House of Studies, Washington, D.C.), and she is currently pursuing doctoral studies with the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome. Sr. Magdalene teaches courses on the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas online, and has developed a website called Thomisticstudies.org, as well as a Youtube channel, Facebook, and Instagram pages.

Theodore House offers a wonderful venue for any residential course. The tranquil and beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate offer a peaceful setting with endless opportunities for walks. Guests will enjoy the comfortable recreational spaces and a beautifully lanscaped garden.

For more information about Theodore House, please click here.

  • Arrivals from 3pm (Friday)
  • Course commences with dinner at 7pm (Friday) and introductions; lectures commence Saturday at 9:15am.
  • Departures after lunch (Monday)
Timings

Single room: £240 p.p.*

Twin room (sharing): £190 p.p.*

Non-residential, (includes lunch and dinner): £120 p.p.

*Costs include full board from Friday dinner to Monday lunch inclusive.

Bursaries are available for anyone (whether employed or not) who would like to come but would benefit from financial assistance. Please contact Dr Corbett for further information.

 

Please register below (includes £50 p.p. deposit payment):

Venue: