The Christian Heritage Centre

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Events Retreats

What We Have Seen and Heard in Heaven [weekend retreat]

Weekend Retreat

"What We Have Seen and Heard in Heaven"

13th - 15th September 2024

A retreat on faith, art, and Catholic culture

Led by Fr Dominic White OP, with Joey Belleza PhD (Cantab.)

Are you a practitioner of the arts, a teacher of artistic disciplines, or a student with a strong interest in the connection between faith and creativity? Join Fr Dominic White OP and Dr Joey Belleza at the Christian Heritage Centre for this special, intensive retreat on faith, art, and Catholic culture. Covering the areas of music, dance, poetry, and visual art, “What We Have Seen and Heard in Heaven” will explore key theological foundations for a proper understanding of art and its place in Christian life.

The retreat will culminate with Sunday Mass and the debut musical performance of “Synaxis,” a sonnet by Dr Belleza, set to a four-part choral setting composed Fr Dominic!

While primarily aimed at Christian artists, teachers, and students of the arts, the retreat remains open to all inclined toward deepening their appreciation for the relationship between faith and art, rooted in Incarnational and sacramental principles.

A LIMITED SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IS AVAILABLE:  see below for pricing information.

This retreat will offer several talks over the weekend, framed by opportunities for Mass, communal prayer in the morning and evening, and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. At least one Mass in the Dominican Rite will be offered.

Free time for walks and reflection is built into each retreat, and all meals during the retreat are provided in the Theodore House refectory.

Fr Dominic White is a priest of the Order of Preachers and Prior of Saint Dominic’s in North London. He is also Acting Director of Research at the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology in the Cambridge Theological Federation, and Research Fellow of the Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology. Additionally he is founder of the Cosmos Dance Project and patron of the Eliot Smith Dance Company. Fr Dominic’s research interests include theology and the arts, sophiology (Wisdom theology), and the relationship between faith and culture.

 

Dr Joey Belleza is a philosopher and theologian, and CHC Assistant for Marketing & Communications. His research interests span the areas of Thomism, Franciscan studies, medieval mysticism, Church history, and sacramental-liturgical theology in general. His recent doctoral dissertation contrasted the poetics of Saint Thomas Aquinas with the poetics of the Franciscan friars Saint Bonaventure and Iacopone da Todi, viewed in light of their competing receptions of Neoplatonic metaphysics as formulated by the mysterious sixth century writer known as Dionysius the Areopagite.

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 retreatant)

Single room: £210 per person*

Twin room (sharing): £150 per person.*

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

DISCOUNT FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (incl. postgrads!)
10 places in five twin rooms & 5 single rooms: 
Twin (shared): £ 100 per person*; Single room: £180 per person* 

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

“This was an amazing experience, great speaker, comfortable venue, with great staff and activities.”

Please register below (£50 deposit payment per person):
Venue:

Categories
Events Retreats

Praying with Saint Francis

Weekend Retreat

Praying with
Saint Francis of Assisi

19th - 21st July 2024

"Learn from me" (Mt 11:29):
Following Jesus in the footsteps of Francis of Assisi

Led by Fr Emmanuel Mansford, CFR

Francis of Assisi remains one of the most beloved saints of all time. His love for the natural world, for his fellow human beings, and for the poor and suffering Christ have gained for him a wide appeal among Christians and non-Christians alike. Moreover, his love and devotion for the Church and her sacraments (especially the Eucharist), stood at the heart of his radically-new-yet-faithfully-Catholic way of life.

We are delighted to welcome the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal to preach this weekend retreat on Saint Francis.

This 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.

Fr Emmanuel Mansford is originally from a small village in Bedfordshire. He joined the Franciscan of the Renewal in the Bronx, NY in 1998 and made his solemn vows in 2003.  Ordained a priest in 2007, he lived for several years in the friary in the East End of London where he served as the local superior. In 2014 he became the vocation director for the friars and lived in New York City where he was involved in the friars apostolates of preaching the Gospel and serving the needy.  He has a passion for preaching and people and loves to see God’s people encounter Him and come to life through the Gospel.  He also enjoys playing and watching football and is a boyhood fan of Luton Town FC. He recently moved back to the UK to serve with the friars in their mission in Bradford.

Br. Mariano Bonaventura CFR is from Brazil and has lived in Mexico, Honduras, and the USA. Currently residing in England, he holds a keen interest in the theology of Saint Bonaventure.

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: £210 p.p.*

Twin room (sharing): £150 p.p.*

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

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

“The content of the talks and delivery by the retreat guide was exceptional.”

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

Categories
Events Retreats

Be still and know that I am God

Weekend Retreat

'Be still and know
that I am God'

21st - 24th November 2024

Exploring Mindfulness, Psychology and the Christian life

Led by Fr Roger Dawson, SJ, Liz Lord and Steve Noone

This weekend explores the human condition through your own life story, in the context of the Gospel and the Christian spiritual life, using mindfulness skills and contemplative Christian prayer.

In its methodology, this retreat seeks to reclaim practices that are common to mindfulness for the Christian tradition of contemplative prayer. In particular, mindfuless practices share common ground with the tradition of apophatic prayer and theology that is deeply rooted in the monastic and the Eastern Orthodox traditions.

The retreat will make use of such practices to help participants gain a greater awareness of their own experiences, to exercise a discipline of the mind, and to place them on the threshold of prayer, with an attentiveness and disposition to God’s presence.

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

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

‍Fr Roger Dawson SJ is a Jesuit priest, previously Director of St Beuno’s Jesuit Spirituality Centre. He is trained as a clinical psychologist and has a long experience as retreat and spiritual director. He is currently the Superior of the Jesuits in Scotland.

 

 

 

Liz Lord is a tutor on the MSt in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) at the University of Oxford. Formerly she was an assistant head teacher and has worked in education at all levels.

 

 

 

Steve Noone is a recently retired clinical psychologist who has used mindfulness skills extensively in his practice and teaching.

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.

Thursday

  • Arrivals from 3pm
  • Retreat commences with Welcome & Orientation at 6:30pm followed by dinner

Sunday

  • Departures from 2pm
Cost (per retreat)

Single room: £380 p.p.*

Twin room (sharing): £290 p.p.*

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

I am deeply grateful for this experience

“The ability of the course leaders to recognise the direction that God was taking us and the insight to go with it made this retreat stand out”

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

Categories
Events Retreats

Praying with Saint Dominic

Weekend Retreat

Praying with
Saint Dominic

1st - 3rd November 2024

A weekend with St Dominic, Our Lady and the Rosary

Preached by Fr Lawrence Lew, OP

We are delighted to offer one of our “Praying with the Saints” retreats to coincide with the great Solemnity of All Saints.

This retreat explores the life and faith of St Dominic de Guzman. Dominic was noted for combating the Albigensian heresy, which saw the material order, including the human body, as evil. Dominic is well-known as the founder of the Order of Preachers (the Dominicans), whose objective was to continue safeguarding the Catholic faith, and also for having received the rosary from Our Lady.

The retreat will thus also offer a focus on Dominic’s Marian spirituality and the role of the Rosary in Christian prayer.

Retreatants will also have the opportunity to experience Mass in the Dominican Rite on the Saturday, when the Souls of the Faithful Departed will be commemorated (All Souls).

Mass for the Solemnity of All Saints (a Holy Day of Obligation) will be offered on the Friday at 5:30pm as an option.

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

Mass will be offered in the Dominican Rite on the Saturday (All Souls) and in the Novus Ordo (Ordinary form) on the Sunday.

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

Fr Lawrence Lew is the General Promoter of the Rosary and the Rosary Confraternity for the Dominican Order throughout the world. He is author of ‘Mysteries Made Visible: Praying the Rosary with Sacred Art’ (Catholic Truth Society, 2021), and has lectured in Mariology and Apologetics at Blackfriars Hall in Oxford. He is a well-known photographer of sacred art, and he is currently working on his third book, commissioned by OSV on the symbolism of church architecture and the saints in art.

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.

Friday

  • Arrivals from 3pm
  • (Optional) Mass for the Solemnity of All Saints at 5:30pm
  • Retreat commences with Welcome & Orientation at 6:30pm followed by dinner

Sunday

  • Departures from 3pm
Cost (per retreat)

Single room: £210 p.p.*

Twin room (sharing): £150 p.p.*

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

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

“Very well organised. A very spiritual experience.”

“The content of the talks and delivery was exceptional!”

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

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Courses Events

Divine, Human & Artificial Intelligence [residential course]

Short summer courses

'What is Knowing?'
Divine, Human and
Artificial Intelligence

23rd - 26th August 2024

“Until maybe a couple of years ago had I been asked what is the most pressing and important conversation we should be having about our future, I might have said climate change or one of the other big challenges facing humanity, such as terrorism, antimicrobial resistance, the threat of pandemics or world poverty. But today I am convinced the most important conversation we should be having is about the future of AI. It will dominate what happens with all of these other issues for better or for worse.”

Prof. Jim Al-Khalili, Head of the British Science Association, 2018

In partnership with

'What is Knowing?' Divine, Human and Aritificial Intelligence

CEPHAS 2024 will be an opportunity to engage in ‘the most important conversation we should be having’ about ‘the future of AI’.

The course will reflect in a profound way on the nature of knowing, and the implications of Artificial Intelligence for the present and the future.

To provide context to the particularity of artificial intelligence, the course will first explore Aquinas’s account of divine, angelic, and human knowing, as well as the nature and uses (both actual and potential) of different forms of artificial knowing and intelligence.

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 gc63@st-andrews.ac.uk

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.

Fr Jean Gové’s research—in philosophy of mind and language—focuses on the relationship between thought, reference, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence.

A diocesan priest from the Archdiocese of Malta, he is currently completing his PhD in philosophy at the University of St Andrews, where he also studied for his masters (MLitt in Philosophy). He received his Bachelor of Sacred Theology from the University of Malta, and he has also studied, as a visiting researcher, at the Pontifical Gregorian University (Rome) and at the Institut Jean Nicod (ENS, Paris).

He lectures at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, and he has also regularly guest-lectured at the Department of AI, University of Malta.

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 events@christianheritagecentre.com for further information.

“My first Cephas event has been excellent and I would recommend to everyone to attend. Hope to book for next year’s. Great learning environment, relaxed and no pressure, which I really appreciated.

It’s a real tribute to everyone who has been involved in pulling off such a huge topic brilliantly. Well done!

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

Venue:

Categories
Events Retreats

Praying with Saint Teresa

Weekend Retreat

Praying with
Saint Teresa of Avila

8th - 10th March 2024

A weekend with St Teresa of Avila

Led by Fr Matthew Blake, OCD

This retreat explores the life and faith of Teresa of Avila (also called Teresa of Jesus), one of the great Spanish mystics who, with Saint John of the Cross, established the Discalced Carmelites. Her works The Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection, in addition to her autobiography The Life of St Teresa of Jesus, have become beloved classics of Christian spirituality. St Teresa’s spirituality was dominated by themes such as:

  •  The nature of mystical union

  •  The role of contemplative meditation

  •  Asceticism and detachment from vice

  •  The relationship between prayer and action

This 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.

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.

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: £210 p.p.*

Twin room (sharing): £150 p.p.*

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

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

“This was an amazing experience, great speaker, comfortable venue, with great staff and activities.”

RETREAT NEARLY SOLD OUT
For inquiries or to be placed on the waiting list, please email us directly at: events@christianheritagecentre.com

Venue:

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Courses Events

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 events@christianheritagecentre.com 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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Articles

A Theology of the Family

22nd December 2022

A Theology of the Family: The Strange Case of the Bare Feet

Stefan Kaminski
Perugino - Adoration of he Magi
Perugino's Adoration of the Magi, in Citta' delle Pieve, Italy

Perugino’s Adoration of the Magi in Citta’ delle Pieve, Italy (as opposed to the one in Perugia) contains a curious detail which is easily overlooked at first glance. In the dim light of the small Oratory that houses this painting, the vibrant colours of the principal figures in the foreground pop out and create an almost 3D effect. The observer’s gaze is drawn across the breadth of the painting by the various garments of the ten or so persons that flank the child Jesus in the centre. One is conscious of the depth and activity that stretches away behind this first row of figures, but the colours readily draw the eye back to the primary scene. It is not easy for the eye to then drop down to the protagonists’ feet, which are very much where you expect them to be. By virtue of their sensibly-coloured footwear, they do not demand any particular attention: that is, until one notices that the feet of some of these important people are bare.

The feet that have most obviously exposed themselves to the elements are those of Mary and Joseph. Perhaps a nod to their humble state, in view of the bare-footed shepherds that hover in the background, and in contrast to the calced extremities of their noble visitors? The homogeneity of the garments across this front row of figures would suggest not. Closer examination reveals that one more of these principal figures is also bare-footed: the bearded gentlemen at the far right. Why should he not have worn some sandals on this visit?

If, by some astute observation (or perhaps at the prompt of a helpful guide), one compares this man with the discalced Holy Family, and then particularly with the figure of Joseph, one starts to notice some strange similarities: a perfect parallel in bodily posture, from the angle of the head down to the distribution of weight and position of the feet; an identical facial profile and features; a reflection of each other’s expression. The only distinguishing feature, other than the colour of the garments, is that the man’s beard is much fuller and longer, and is distinctly double-stranded.

The only clue that can be claimed with certainty is that this particular beard is clearly used by Perugino in other of his paintings on the figure of God the Father. If we are to suppose, then, that Perugino did indeed intend this figure as the Heavenly Father, one can also note the gold girdle around his waist – typically depicting sovereignty or royalty – and the celestial blue of his undergarment – a classical indicator of a spiritual being.

This striking relation between the figures of Joseph and God the Father immediately calls to mind St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named” (3:14-15). The painting appears to express precisely this: Jesus’ foster-faster, Joseph, is shadowed by the real Father, who manifests His presence discreetly in the background and at the same time somehow lends authority to the figure of Joseph. Joseph’s persona thus takes on a fuller sense when one realises that his fatherhood, though temporal, is exercised in the name of the Father.

Joseph, who plays such a strong, yet silent role before and through the infancy of Jesus, quietly disappears from the Gospels as the Christ emerges into the maturity of His humanity and the fullness of His divine mission. Yet his presence is a reminder that God the Son was not born into some extraordinary situation, even if His Incarnation was an extraordinary event. The Divine Saviour was inserted into the ordinary and regular pattern of the nuclear family – father and mother – surrounded by their extended family and relations.

Given the non-biological nature of Joseph’s fatherhood, one might ask whether there is any deeper meaning to his role than simply that of fostering the child and providing stability and support to the mother. Perugino, if we have interpreted his painting correctly, seems to very much think there is. And indeed, more authoritative support comes from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Their long genealogies trace Jesus’ ancestry through each generation from Adam through to Joseph, passing through the lineage of Abraham and his Israelite descendants, encompassing kings and prostitutes alike.

Fans of Tolkien will be all-too-familiar with those long pages in The Lord of the Rings that are preoccupied with tracing the lineage of Frodo Baggins, Aragorn or one of the Dwarves. Indeed, ancestry is an absolutely critical part of all Tolkien’s writings that tell the story of his fantasy world, beginning with its creation, as told in the Silmarillion, through several epochs until the ‘redemption’ of Middle-Earth with the defeat of Sauron and the destruction of the Ring of Power.

In his mythical vision of reality, Tolkien merely reflects what is divinely and humanly true; namely, that the human person is not an isolated ego, a self-defined construct, or a morally-autonomous being. The human person has an origin and a destiny, is given their existence and context, and is called to act for the concrete good of his neighbours.

Thus, at a legal and social level, Joseph’s importance is in providing Jesus with a crucial part of His human ‘identity’, through which He is inserted into a chain of parents and progeny. This is deliberately traced right back to its very origins, pointing us back to the Father, after whom every family is named. It similarly evokes future progeny, the generation of which is the primary purpose of the family. In the case of Christ, that progeny is potentially every person throughout human history, who through faith in Him, are all called as adopted children of the same Father.

The Church’s vision of the human family is thus grounded in the nuclear family for a good reason: the family is the context and means intended by God for the flourishing of humanity. God Himself assumed humanity in this context, and whilst He ‘only’ adopted an earthly father, the figure of Joseph speaks powerfully of the more important and fundamental reality that is true of every family. This is the same truth that St Paul is at pains to point out in his letter to the Ephesians, and has been recognised since the early Church Fathers: Fatherhood, properly speaking, is a reality that only belongs to God. God is Father of all because He is creator of all. In the same way that the very existence of every being depends on the supreme Existence, the fatherhood (as expressed in the complementary, generative power of both sexes) of the human person only and ever has any meaning as a reflection of and cooperation with the Divine Fatherhood.

Inserted into the specific strand of Joseph’s ancestry, the Holy Family raises the stakes for all human families. No longer is the family simply the font of earthly life, but it is now joined to the Divine project of Redemption. The human family not only remains a co-operator in the mystery of creation (to paraphrase St John Paul II), participating with God in the creation of human persons: it is now an embodiment of the mystical marriage between Christ and His Church, and its primary task is now to generate children for the Kingdom of God. As Perugino depicts so beautifully, human fatherhood is a task that is given by God, and answerable for to Him alone.

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Courses Events

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:

Categories
Courses Events

Human Nature, Gender & Identity [residential course]

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 gc63@st-andrews.ac.uk

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 events@christianheritagecentre.com 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: