Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Exam Time! Prayer before exams

The library of Newman House is the main hub of activity at the moment - all deathly silent but highly productive. Some residents are walking about with that fierce look of concentration that can only mean one thing: exams!


To help support our students in this time, we have three spiritual gifts to offer


1. A Votive Mass of our Lady Seat of Wisdom, on Monday 11th May at 5.30pm.




The intentions of all those writing exams will be offered, in union with the prayers of our special patron, our Lady Seat of Wisdom.


2. An exams intentions diary in the Chapel

anyone is free to write down their names and the exams for which they want prayer support on any particular day. These will be prayed for at each Mass during the week.


3. A prayer to help along the way. This is the wonderful prayer of St Thomas Aquinas.



Ante Studium.

Creator of all things,

True source of light and wisdom,
Origin of all beings,

Graciously let a ray of your light

Penetrate into the darkness

Of my understanding.

Take from me the double darkness

In which I have been born,

An obscurity of sin and ignorance.


Give me a keen understanding,

A retentive memory,

And the ability to grasp things

Correctly and fundamentally.

Grant me the talent

Of being exact in my explanations

And the ability to express myself

With thoroughness and charm.
Point out the beginning,

Direct the progress,

And help the completion.

I ask this through Christ, Our Lord.
Amen.





Best wishes to all who are studying for exams!

Friday, April 03, 2009

The 11th Archbishop of Westminster

The Holy Father has appointed the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Birmingham, to succeed H.E. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor as the eleventh Metropolitan Archbishop of Westminster.



Vincent Nichols was born in Crosby, Liverpool, on 8 November 1945. He studied for the priesthood at the Venerable English College in Rome from 1963 to 1970, gaining licences in philosophy and theology at the Gregorian University. He was ordained priest in Rome on 21 December 1969 for the Archdiocese of Liverpool.
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He then studied an MA degree in theology at Manchester University between 1970 and 1971. In 1971 he was appointed assistant priest in St Mary’s Parish, Wigan and chaplain to the Sixth Form College and St Peter’s High School. In 1974 he studied at Loyola University in Chicago and was awarded an M.Ed. In 1975 he was appointed to St Anne’s parish in Toxteth, Liverpool with particular responsibility for education.
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In January 1980 he was appointed director of the Upholland Northern Institute, where he was responsible for the in-service training of the clergy, pastoral and religious education courses. He was also a member of Archbishop’s Council with responsibility for pastoral formation and development in the diocese.
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In January 1984, he was appointed general secretary of the Bishops’ Conference in England & Wales. From 1989 to 1996 he was moderator of the Steering Committee of the Council of Churches for Britain and Ireland.
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Mgr Vincent Nichols was appointed auxiliary bishop to Westminster, with responsibility for North London, on 24 January 1992.
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In 1994 he became a member of the Finance Advisory Committee of the National Catholic Fund of the Bishops’ Conference. In 1995 he became a member of the Bishops’ Conference Committee for the Roman Colleges and in 1996 he was appointed Episcopal Liaison of the Bishops’ Conference for the National Conference of Diocesan Financial Secretaries. He has also been a member of the Joint Commission of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences and the Conference of European Churches (Protestant); vice president of the Bible Society and a member of the board of the Christian Academy for European Development at Louvain.
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In 1998 Bishop Nichols was appointed chair of the Bishops’ Conference department for Catholic Education and Formation and also chair of the Catholic Education Service. He represented the European bishops at the November 1998 Synod of Bishops from Oceania and appointed by the Holy See to the Synod of Bishops for Europe in September 1999 as a special secretary.
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In 2000, Bishop Nichols was appointed Archbishop of Birmingham.
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In 2001 Archbishop Nichols was appointed chair of the management board of the Catholic Office for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults.
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In 2005, he provided the commentary for the worldwide BBC coverage of the death of Pope John Paul II and the Installation of Pope Benedict XVI.
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In 2008 he was appointed President of the Commission for Schools, Universities and Catechesis of the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE)
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He has written two books to date: 'Promise of Future Glory', and ‘Missioners’ published in the United Kingdom.
Our prayers are with him as he prepares to take up his new mission.

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

The Sacred Triduum at Newman House





Holy Thursday
Mass of the Lord’s Supper
7.30pm
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Good Friday
Celebration of the Lord’s Passion
3pm

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Holy Saturday
The Easter Vigil
8pm
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Easter Sunday
Mass
10.30am ONLY.
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If you would like to join the choir for any of these celebrations please contact chris@universitycatholic.net