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The Beauty & Mystery of the Mass [residential course]

The Beauty & Mystery of the Mass
[residential course]

3rd-5th December 2021

The Mass through the eyes of Christ

“The Church draws her life from the Eucharist. This truth does not simply express a daily experience of faith, but recapitulates the heart of the mystery of the Church. In a variety of ways she joyfully experiences the constant fulfilment of the promise: “Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt 28:20), but in the Holy Eucharist, through the changing of bread and wine into the body and blood of the Lord, she rejoices in this presence with unique intensity.”  (Pope John Paul II, De Eucharistia)

Join us for a weekend dedicated to exploring the enduring Sacrament of Christ’s Death and Resurrection: the Holy Eucharist.

The Mass is God’s greatest gift to us. It is His practical means of making available to each one of us the fruits of His saving Love and His friendship. This weekend will be devoted to thinking about and meditating on this wonderful gift, with the aid of the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas.
 
Plenty of opportunity for discussion and debate, within a framework of Mass and communal prayer.
Format of the weekend

The weekend will be structured around three talks given by Fr Gregory Pearson, O.P.

Each talk will be followed by a discussion session in smaller groups. The sessions will each be based on a relevant article from Aquina’s Summa theologiae, and will be led by Fr Pearson and Sr Valery.

Morning, Evening and Night Prayer and Mass will provide a framework of prayer for the weekend, with free time on Saturday afternoon and socials in the evenings.

Is this course for me?

The course requires no prior qualification or knowledge.

The course is offered to anyone wishing to deepen their understanding of the theology of the Mass. It will therefore be of special interest to catechists and those teaching the Sacraments at any level.

Course tutors
Fr Gregory Pearson, O.P.

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). 

Sr Valery, O.P.

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.

About the venue

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.

Timings
  • Arrivals from 3pm (Friday)
  • Course commences with Mass and Evening Prayer at 5:30pm (Friday)
  • Departures after lunch (Sunday)
Cost

Single room: £160 p.p.*

Twin room (sharing): £110 p.p.*

Non-residential, (includes lunch and dinner): £90 p.p.

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

In case of cancellation or postponment resulting from Covid-19, deposits and payments will be refunded or carried over.

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

Venue:

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Events Talks

The Logos & Literature [online evening talks]

The Logos & Literature:
Elaborating the Divine
[online evening talks]

29th April-8th July 2021 @7:30pm

Explore some of the great themes of Catholic Christianity,
in writing old and new

Online at 7:30pm every second Thursday, beginning 29th April. Talks last 45-60 minutes, followed by 30 minutes Q&A.

Please register at the bottom of this page for a link.

29th April
Rev. Dr Michael Halsall
Tolkien's Cosmology: Understanding Our World

JRR Tolkien’s mythical world captured the hearts and minds of millions. His world is one that speaks to us because it is anchored in a profound truth: that of a cosmos brought into being and continually guided, whilst simultaneously respecting the free choices of its creatures. Rev. Dr Halsall will explore the beauty of Tolkien’s vision as a reflection of the Catholic understanding of the cosmos, as defined in its relationship to the Creator.

Fr Halsall is a priest of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, and teaches Philosophy at Allen Hall Seminary in London. Fr Halsall’s recent book – Creation and Beauty in Tolkien’s Catholic Vision – explores the philosophical themes in Tolkien’s crafted creation narratives, alongside those of the Christian tradition, influenced as they are by varieties of Christian Neoplatonism.

13th May
Fiorella Nash
Searching for Truth: Fact and Fiction Today

Fiction plays a powerful role in the search for and perception of truth. Historical fiction offers a means of accessing the past, and contemporary fiction often helps to shape the way a society is perceived. Fiorella Nash will explore the importance of both genres in seeking and reclaiming truths both religious and about ourselves, and in a particular way, the role of the murder mystery genre in the search for truth and justice.

Fiorella De Maria is an Anglo-Maltese writer who grew up in Wiltshire, England and studied English literature at Cambridge University. A winner of the National Book Prize of Malta, she has published ten books including: Poor Banished Children, Do No Harm, We’ll Never Tell Them, A Most Dangerous Innocence and the Father Gabriel mysteries which have been described as “Miss Marple for the twenty-first century”. She lives in Surrey with her husband, four children and a dog called Monty.  

27th May
Roy Peachey
Catechetical Poetry: Presenting Christianity in China

The beauty and structure of poetry presents a particular form of literature that is at once attractive and easily memorised. Roy Peachey will examine how Wu Li, one of the masters of early Qing Dynasty painting, used traditional Chinese verse to evangelise the people of China. Even after he became a Jesuit priest in 1688, Wu Li continued to paint and write poetry, using his elegant art to present the essentials of Christianity to the Chinese people at a time of great political and religious uncertainty. Despite the very different conditions in which it was produced, his work therefore offers an intriguing example for our own times too.

Roy Peachey was educated at Oxford, London and Lancaster universities, studying Modern History, English and Chinese Studies. He is has held several senior educational roles whilst teaching, and pubilshed a number of books, including 50 Books for Life: A Concise Guide to Catholic Literature.

10th June
Dr Rebekah Lamb
Fiction as Formation: CS Lewis and the Chronicles of Narnia

The Chronicles of Narnia draw much of their depth from CS Lewis’ appreciation of the Christian vision of education and the liberal arts. Dr Rebekah Lamb will focus on the formative elements of Lewis’ fiction, with special emphasis on The Silver Chair.

Dr. Rebekah Lamb lectures at the School of Divinity, University of St. Andrew’s. She specialises in Religion and Literature from the long-nineteenth century to the present, with  emphasis on the Pre-Raphaelites and their affiliate circles. Prior to St. Andrews Rebekah was an inaugural Étienne Gilson Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of St. Michael’s College (USMC) in the University of Toronto and also taught Literature and Humanities Studies at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College (SWC) in the Ottawa Valley.

24th June
Corinna Turner
Educating in Virtue: Appealing to the Young Mind

Stories are a fundamental and important means of communicating principals and actions by which to live life: namely morality and virtue. They have played a central role in education in every civilised society, adapting to the specifics of each era and place. Acclaimed author, Corinna Turner, will explore the challenges of presenting and exemplifying virtues in literature to the modern, young mind.

Corinna Turner is the Carnegie medal nominated author of the I Am Margaret series, The Boy Who Knew (Carlo Acutis), and other works for young adults and adults. She is a Lay Dominican, and lives in the UK.

8th July
Prof. Alison Shell
Inspiring Heroism: Counter-Reformation Catholicism and English Drama

The Catholic Church’s response to the challenges posed by the Reformation was often embodied in drama and performance. Even among England’s persecuted Catholics, cultural activity of this kind occurred: secretly or discreetly on the mainland, and more openly in plays put on by the colleges set up on the Continent to educate English youths. Both at home and abroad, such plays encouraged Catholics to hold onto tradition, and celebrated saints and martyrs in a way intended to inspire both actors and audience.

Prof. Alison Shell is Professor of English at University College London, and runs the MA in English: Shakespeare in History. She is an editor and critic, reviewing for the Times Literary Supplement, the Church Times and a number of academic journals. Principal works include: Catholicism, Controversy, and the English Literary Imagination, 1558-1660 (1999), Oral Culture and Catholicism in Early Modern England (2007), and Shakespeare And Religion (2011)

***Admission is free. We kindly request a donation to support the costs of our activities.***


Please register below:

Categories
Events Talks

Margaret Clitheroe [book launch]

"Margaret Clitheroe"
by John & Wendy Rayne-Davis
[book launch]

30 August, 7:30pm [2019]

Book launch of "Margaret Clitheroe"

A presentation of “Margaret Clitheroe” by the authors, followed by questions, drinks & nibbles

“Margaret Clitheroe” is a fresh look at one of England’s best-loved saints. It includes an overview of England’s transition to Protestantism and Elizabeth’s role in the anti-Catholic movement of the time, as well as a consideration of the various claims to St Margaret’s final resting place.

Join us for a presentation by the authors, an opportunity to ask them questions and complimentary drinks and nibbles!

Books will be on sale at the event or can be purchased direct from the publishers.

Join us @10am on Saturday 31st August for Mass at Stydd Chapel

Stydd Chapel, according to various historians, is considered to be the most likely resting place of St Margaret Clitheroe.

By kind permission of the Revd Canon Brian McConkey, vicar of the Anglican parish in Ribchester, we will celebrate Holy Mass at Stydd Chapel on Saturday morning.

Mass will be followed by a short talk on the history of the chapel.

All are invited to join us on Saturday morning.

Cost:

Free

 

B&B Special Offer
Guests of the book launch are invited to stay overnight at Theodore House, at a reduced price:
 
*Single room, bed and breakfast: £40
*Twin room, bed and breakfast: £55
 

Please indicate your attendance and any accommodation requirements by contacting us at bookings@christianheritagecentre.com

Please register below:

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Categories
Events Talks

Gothic Architecture & the Metaphysics of Light [evening talk]

Gothic Architecture &
The Metaphysics of Light
[evening talk]

18 November, 7:30pm [2019]

The Gothic Architectural as an Expression of Faith

The Christian Philosophy and Science of the Medieval period produced the “Gothic” style, as an expression of the Catholic worldview

The medieval period in European history is sometimes described as an “age of Faith”. This era also saw the flowering of the Scholastic method in the universities that were established throughout the Christian world, and gave rise to philosophy, science, and arts founded on a Christian vision. This paper argues that this flowering of Christian thought also resulted in a distinctive architectural style, the so-called Gothic style, that continues to inspire and attract people. The recent tragic fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris called our attention once more to the ingenuity and beauty of medieval architecture. Even in a secular world, the power of Gothic architecture remains, doing as their designers intended, which is to lead us to contemplate Him who created the world with all its complexity and majesty, and who yet “dwells in inaccessible light” (1 Tim 6:16).

About the speaker:

Father Lawrence Lew, O.P. was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia into an evangelical Protestant family. Fr Lawrence’s conversion to Catholicism began an on-going love for theology, apologetics, Catholic culture, music and the sacred arts. Fr Lawrence has a degree in English civil law from Leeds University. Entering the English Province of the Order of Preachers in 2005, Fr Lawrence was trained in Cambridge, Blackfriars in Oxford, and the Dominican House of Studies in Washington DC where he gained a license in Sacred Theology. He has served as assistant Catholic Chaplain to Edinburgh University, and he is currently assistant parish priest in London. Fr Lawrence lectures in Apologetics, and Mariology at Blackfriars Hall, Oxford. Fr Lawrence enjoys photographing churches and sacred art, and his photos have been used online by major Catholic sites, and is seen in print internationally in newspapers, magazines, books, and CD covers. He has been called a “media missionary”, and he has given workshops and retreats in photography, evangelisation and digital media, and the theology of beauty.

For more information about Fr Lew, please click here.

Cost:

£5 (tickets at the door)

Please register below:

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Categories
Events Talks

Newman: A Heart to Heart [evening talk]

Newman:
A Heart To Heart
[evening talk]

24 October, 7:30pm [2019]

A Journey Through Neman's Life and Work

Bl. John Henry Newman will be canonised on 13th October. Explore his life and spirituality in this three-part talk.

John Henry Newman is the latest English person to be canonised. He is a figure of great importance for our time. Fr Laurence Gambella will explore Newman’s life and work, taking us on a three-part encounter with this great man:

  1. Newman’s Heart: the personal encounter with God – the affairs of the heart – are central to understanding this saint
  2. Newman’s Life: a sketch of Newman’s life and his spiritual journey
  3. Newman’s Relevance for Today: pointers for the hope that Newman can provide for the future
About the speaker:

Fr Laurence Gambella is a priest of Salford Diocese, hailing from Blackburn. He studied at Oxford University, the Pontifical Beda College in Rome and the Pontifical Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies. He serves as chaplain to the Catholic Medical Association and as Hospital Chaplain.

For more information about Michael Dopp, please click here.

Cost:

£5

 

Please register below:

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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

 

Please register below:

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