UCL CathSoc Christmas Carol Service

UCL CathSoc marked Christmas this year with beautiful music and prayer at its recent Christmas Carol Service at the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and St Gregory Warwick Street, Soho.

A short highlight featuring "Infant Holy, Infant Lowly" was posted on Youtube.

Essay Competition on Catholic education

Conference of Catholic Chaplains in Higher Education

Essay Competition for the Year of Catholic Education

Are you a university student who attended a Catholic School in England or Wales or who attends a Catholic Higher Education College?

What do you think you gained/are gaining from your time at your Catholic school or Catholic university college?

Has it helped you to live life to the full, to live as a person of faith and to engage with others?

If it has, please join in celebrating the Year of Catholic Education by taking part in our competition.

Just write between 500 and 1000 words on the theme “What my Catholic Education means for me now” and send it by attached file to Roberta Canning, the National Co-ordinator of Catholic Chaplains in Higher Education at angliacatholic@aol.com.

The competition is open to individual students and to small groups if two or three students want to work together.

The prize is a book token for £100.

The closing date is 20th February 2011.

Archbishop's recommendation for Christmas viewing

Our Archbishop, Vincent Nichols, has given an enthusiastic endorsement to the forthcoming broadcast of a new BBC dramatisation of The Nativity. The Archbishop writes:

‘Please recommend this to your parishioners. The programmes are a dramatised re-telling of the accounts of Jesus’ birth, with some clear dramatic license yet retaining an overall fidelity not only to the Gospel accounts but also to traditional imagery. The programmes have been made with sensitivity and have moments of great beauty and emotional intensity. The final episode is particularly moving.’

The account is given in four thirty-minute programmes on Monday 20, Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 December at 7pm on BBC1 .

The BBC Press Release about The Nativity can be seen here, and there is a website dedicated to the programme here.

Catholic Women of the year 2011

Just received this - If you can think of someone that qualifies nominate them!

Nominations are invited for the 2011 Catholic Women of the Year. Any Catholic woman can be nominated: we are looking for the "unsung heroines" who care for the sick or marginalised, visit prisoners, run errands in the parish, teach children the Faith, help those seeking to enter the Church, support priests and seminarians, raise funds for charity, or do any of the 101 things that brings the presence of Christ into the community and build up the Church.

All that is needed is a letter outlining the reason for nomination, and giving details of the nominee's name and address or parish. Letters should be sent to: Mrs Jan Woodford, Catholic Women of the Year, 22 Milton Rd WARE Hert SG12 0PZ or email: mijamajoje@ntlworld.com and MUST arrive before March 31st 2011.

Christmas at Newman House

This weekend, Newman House celebrated Christmas early!

On Friday night, it was the Newman House Christmas Party.

We went round the corner to the Bar @ TCR in our finest clothes for some drinking, eating and lots of dancing!

Thank you to the senior students for organising such a great night!

On Sunday, Santa Claus made an early visit to Newman House!
Pictures to come soon!

A weekend in Walsingham

On the first weekend of Advent students from the Universities of London led by Fr Peter Wilson travelled on pilgrimage to Walsingham in North Norfolk. Walsingham is a special place for both Catholics and Anglicans as England's National shrine of Our Lady.













Students took the famous Pilgrims Way in procession carrying aloft the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham.










These pilgrims were rewarded with a snowy 15th century village on the pictureque Norfolk coast.


















Thanks to the organisers for a very special weekend!

Walsingham Video collage

Over the first weekend of Advent, a group of about 20 from Newman House went on pilgrimage to Walsingam. A fuller report should follow soon. Of course, we met other pilgrims while we were there, among them Jackie and Steve Hindle. From the photographs they took they have compiled a video collage, which they have posted on YouTube. Here's the video:

Academic Mass 2010

Fr Christopher Jamison OSB, Director of the National Office for Vocation, preached at the Academic Mass, for all students and staff at the London Universities. The Senior Chaplain for London Universities, Fr Peter Wilson, celebrated the Academic Mass which took place on the Feast of Christ the King at Westminster Cathedral on Sunday 21 November.

Exquisite music was performed by the choir of King’s College London, directed by David Trendell, included members of Newman House. The readings and intercessions were read by staff and students from the different London Universities and Catholic student residences in the city.

Prayers said by students in Italian, French, Spanish, Cantonese, Polish and Irish represented the diversity of the Catholic student community in London.

Powerful music, a strong attendance and a calling homily by Fr Christopher Jamison ensured a beautiful celebration.

Vigil for all Nascent Human Life

On Saturday 27 November, at St Peter's Basilica, Pope Benedict will celebrate a Vigil for all Nascent Human Life, coinciding with the First Vespers of the First Sunday of Advent. The Holy Father has invited all diocesan bishops to preside at similar celebrations.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols will be presiding at the Vigil on that evening at Westminster Cathedral.

A website which might be of interest ....

Michael Kelly is a retired teacher in Australia and has put together a collection of essays on the internet, on "Philosophico-religious" topics.

The website is called "Glimpses of God" and can he found here.