Holy Week & Easter at Newman House

Holy Thursday

Mass of the Lord’s Supper
7.30pm
zz
Good Friday

Celebration of the Lord’s Passion
3pm
zz
Holy Saturday

The Easter Vigil
8pm
zz
Easter Sunday
Mass

10.30am ONLY.
zz

If you would like to join the choir for any of these celebrations please contact chris@universitycatholic.net

Archbshop Nichols looks forward to the Visit of Pope Benedict XVI

Archbishop Nichols looks forward to Pope Benedict's visit to the UK from Catholic Church (England/Wales) on Vimeo.

Confirmed: Pope Benedict XVI to beatify Cardinal Newman personally

It was confirmed by the Holy See today that Pope Benedict XVI will beatify the Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman during his visit to the UK in September. Press release from the Birmingham Oratory follows:

The Fathers and many friends of the English Oratories are delighted by the official announcement that our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI will beatify our founder, the Venerable John Henry Newman, in the Archdiocese of Birmingham during his visit to Britain in September. Newman made his home in the Archdiocese for all his adult life, first in Oxford, where he lived as an Anglican and was received into the Catholic Church, and later in Birmingham itself where he founded and worked in the Birmingham Oratory for over forty years.

The Holy Father’s life-long devotion to Newman has made a profound contribution to understanding the depth and significance of our founder’s legacy. His decision to beatify Newman in person confers a unique blessing upon the English Oratories and all who have drawn inspiration from Newman’s life and work.

zz

We joyfully look forward to welcoming the Holy Father, as well as the many pilgrims and visitors who will come to the Beatification ceremony and visit Newman’s shrine at the Birmingham Oratory.

zz

We also look forward to the challenging work of preparing for the Beatification in conjunction with Church and civil authorities. We pray that the Beatification will fittingly reflect both Newman’s significance for the Universal Church and the honour paid to our Archdiocese and our country by the Holy Father’s presence among us.

zz

Very Rev. Richard Duffield

Provost of the Birmingham Oratory
and Actor of the Cause of John Henry Newman

For more information about the Cause for Canonization, see the link on the sidebar.

This week

MONDAY

Praise and Worship in the Chapel

8.30pm

zz

--ooOOoo—

TUESDAY

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

6-9pm

zz

NewLaw: A life in law

Stephen Bellamy-James QC

7.30pm

zz

Benediction

9pm

zz

--ooOOoo—

WEDNESDAY

Tea with the Chaplains

3.30pm

zz

Oasis: The Liturgy of the Hours

7.30pm

ZZ

--ooOOoo—

THURSDAY

Open House Soup Kitchen

St Anne’s Church, Dean St, Soho

from 5.45pm

zz

Spreaders of the Gospel

Lenten Meditations for Women Students

6.15pm

zz

--ooOOoo—

FRIDAY

Stations of the Cross

6pm

zz

Choir Practice

6.45pm

zz

St Patrick’s Day Party

8pm onwards

Faith in the Academy

zz (photo: Marcin Mazur)

The Most Rev Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, will deliver this year’s University Catholic Lecture, to be held at University College London. The title of the lecture will be Faith in the Academy, and will consider some aspects of Newman’s Idea of a University.

zz

The Archbishop has been invited by UCLU Catholic Society.

zz

Lyndon James, President of the Catholic Society: ‘We are really excited that Archbishop Vincent has accepted our invitation to come and speak to us. It’s a great opportunity for the Catholic community here and indeed for the whole of UCL; I hope that there will be many people who will come to hear what he has to say.’

zz

Fr Peter Wilson, Senior Chaplain: ‘The Archbishop is known for his clarity of thought and his ability to engage with all levels of society. I look forward eagerly to hear what he has to say to the Academy.’

zz

Date: Tuesday 23^rd March

Time: 6.30pm

Venue: Jeremy Bentham Room, University College London, Gower Street WC1E 6BT Map

zz

The event is open to all, but it would be helpful if those interested in attending would register their interest by email to Chris Castell (chris@universitycatholic.net)

zz

Facebook Event Page

Background: The University Catholic Lecture is an annual event hosted by the Catholic Chaplaincy to the London Universities in the Archdiocese of Westminster. It has been running since 2003 and previous speakers include The Lord Alton of Liverpool, The Baroness Cox of Queensbury, Journalist David Quinn, and Oscar-winning film producer Peter Fudakowski.

What Lent Means to me

During Lent, we ask some of the residents of Newman House to give their reflections on the season, and to share it with readers of the blog. Nicole Peake offers her thoughts:

zz

For me, Lent is a time of drawing closer to God, a time of deepening my relationship with him and of reminding myself that he belongs at the very centre of my life. It is a time of renewing my complete surrender to his love, relinquishing my egotistical desires afresh and expanding my openness to his voice.

zz

Lent is a time for reminding myself that I am dust. And to dust I shall return. My life is transitory and the meaning of my existence much deeper than the myriad of preoccupations that pepper my day. Lent prompts me to reassess the fabric of my life. Stripping myself gradually of unnecessary considerations and concerns, I find myself walking more closely beside the one who implores me not to worry but simply to trust. Just as Jesus fasted for forty days in the desert, so I attempt to fast from all that serves to take me further away from him. It is a time for consciously remembering all that I already know, yet have been failing to put into practice. Prayer should be at the very centre of my life, not dancing around on the periphery and drawn upon only in times of crisis. Love should be the underlying force behind my every action, not an occasional actor flitting across the stage when emotions are aroused. Every moment should be seeped in openness to his guidance, not seeped in agendas that have nothing to do with him or his will.

zz

I suppose any time is a good time to reassess and readdress the balance of our lives. Yet Lent seems to be a very good time as we lead up to the moment when the fragments of Jesus’ life are beautifully woven together, culminating in our very salvation. I choose this time to reflect upon the fragments of my own life and see the disjointedness and disparities for what they really are. I choose to draw them together, to put him at the very centre of it all and to surrender myself once more to his love.

zz

Moments awash with agenda.

Noise tumbling, thoughts tossed.

Perspective viewed from a precipice.

Worry mumbling,

Peace lost.

zz

Ego leading with audacity.

Truth crumbling, knowledge defaced.

Desires springing from fallacies.

Need imploring,

Love misplaced.

zz

Ashes given with reminder.

Memory shaken, awareness restored.

Understanding floods the confusion.

View altered,

Behaviour deplored.

zz

Moments awash with veracity.

Silence encompassing, thoughts drowned.

Perspective viewed from the centre.

Worry abdicating,

Peace found.

Second Week of Lent

UCL CathSoc: John Vaughan-Neil

Can’t Evangelise? So, what’s holding us back?

6.30pm

zz

--ooOOoo—

TUESDAY

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament 6-9pm

zz

Here I am, Lord: Introduction to Monastic Life

Fr Luke Jolly OSB,

7.30pm

zz

NewLaw: Legal Pluralism in Papua New Guinea

Shaun Larcom

7.30pm

zz

Benediction

9pm

zz

--ooOOoo—

WEDNESDAY

Tea with the Chaplains

3.30pm

zz

OASIS: The Mother of All Vigils

Fr Peter

7.30pm

zz

--ooOOoo—

THURSDAY

Open House Soup Kitchen

St Anne’s Church, Dean St, Soho

Sign up at Reception

5.45pm

zz

Life Bearers - Lenten Meditations for Women Students

Fr Joe

6.15pm

zz

Shema: The role of the Holy Spirit in Acts

8pm

zz

--ooOOoo—

FRIDAY

Stations of the Cross

6pm