The Chaplaincy World Youth Day team is up and running, led by Roland Scarlett (Oriel), Christine Hobden (St Antony’s), Florian Ploeckl (Nuffield), if you are interested in participating, please get in touch with any one of the above.

Please note also the opportunity to go on the Ignatian network ‘Magis’ programme in the days before the WYD itself. See details below. Maryanne and Lotte are hoping to visit the Chaplaincy during the Open Week.

Dear Magis people,

Happy New Year to you all, and thank you for expressing an interest in Magis 2011,
My name is Lotte, and I am writing to you on behalf of the Magis UK planning team. It’s now less than 7 months until we are invited to be ‘with Christ at the Heart of the World’ at Magis 2011 (August 5-21), and registration has now opened.

This new year is an opportunity for each of us to reflect on how Christ can be at the centre of our lives. To help us on our journey, and towards Magis and World Youth Day, there are some inspiring resources on the Magis website www.magis2011.org

In particular, the 12 steps towards Magis invite us into reflection on different themes. Currently steps 1,2 and 3 are up on the web and ready to be viewed. There are videos with inspiring words, music and a chance for reflection, so why not take a few minutes now to listen to God and your own deepest self? http://www.magis2011.org/ppal/index.asp?op=8&lg=2

UK Events towards Magis

Here in the UK, some of you have already attended a Magis ‘Taster Day’ in London, and we have further days planned in London, Liverpool and Oxford over the next few months, so watch this space for more details, and do come along. The ‘experience’ element will be different each time, so even if you have been before, please do feel you can come again.

We hope that these days will not only give a flavour of the experience of Magis, but also help build community between us as the Magis UK group.

Some Helpful Facts about Magis

Who is it for? People aged 18-30

MaryAnne fcJ, Anouska fcJ, Una, John, John, Sergio SJ and Lotte

Thanks to all who handed over their hard-earned for a copy of this dubious work.  Collectively you have thereby  raised about £200 for our Tanzania partner school.  A thousand thanks!  I hope you also found it helped with the dodgy table.

For those who in spite of the Preface‘s health warning would still like a copy (though this will no longer be in support of the Tanzania project) the button below will give you a link to the Lulu website.

Christian Peace Activists Convicted for Nuclear Protest at AWE Aldermaston

Three Christian peace protesters were today convicted at Newbury Magistrates Court of Criminal Trespass under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act (SOCPA), and Criminal Damage.

The convictions follows a protest at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in September 2010 organised by the Catholic Worker.

The three, Susan Clarkson (64), Chris Cole (47) both from Oxford, and Fr Martin Newell (42) from London were Conditionally Discharged for 18 months and ordered to pay £553 each costs and compensation.

The three had created a gateway in the outer fence of AWE Aldermaston and attached a sign say ‘Open for Disarmament: All Welcome.”

In their evidence the protestors described the massive development currently being undertaken at AWE Aldermaston and argued that the developments were in contravention of both the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

Countering the prosecution argument that ‘crimes of aggression’ are not crimes within domestic law, the defendants argued that “It is of course morally, ethically and legally wrong to plan for mass murder by nuclear war by develop, testing, building, and deploying nuclear weapons. That is a crime as any sane and reasonable person could judge”.

Chris Cole said “The three of us went to AWE Aldermaston to say as clearly as we could that nuclear weapons – mass violence – will neither bring peace, nor security. Rather our security, our peace, and our salvation lies in loving our enemy and working for the common good.”

Ends

For further details contact: Chris Cole 07960 811437

Chris Cole’s full court statement is available at www.chrisco1e.wordpress.com

This is the latest unedited version (January 2011) of my revision of Beyond the Catechism that will eventually be superseded by a Way Books publication due out in January 2012, probably titled as above.  The contents will not be helpful for everyone, but if you do find it helpful and you know others who might do so as well, then please feel free to pass on the link.

The picture depicts Dante’s encounter with the pagan poets (and in the distance the philosophers) of antiquity – the virtuous heathen – in Canto 4 of the Inferno.

To read the text click on: The Resurrection of the Word June 2011

Vice-President: Markus Plewa (St. Hilda’s)

Secretary: Claire Mitchell (New College)

Treasurer: Marystella Ramirez-Guerra (St. Anne’s)

Charities’ Officer: Hana Tsuruhara (Lincoln)

Ecumenical Secretary: Thomas Reilly (Blackfriars)

Social Secretary: Matthew Robinson (Hertford)

Publicity Officer: Bryan Beom Sohn (St. Edmund Hall)

What is it?

It is an opportunity to explore different ways of praying in the middle of a busy life.  The prayer exercises offered are in many cases drawn from St. Ignatius’ of Loyola’s ‘Spiritual Exercises’, which present the essence of prayer as a dialogue between Creator and created.  A focused period of time, with the accompaniment of a prayer-guide, can help us to build moments of contemplation into our daily lives and to become more aware of how God speaks to us and leads us in our personal history.

How does it work?

Before the week begins you will be assigned a prayer guide and given a contact email address.  Your prayer guide will also be given your contact details, but we ask you to make first contact and to arrange with your guide times during the fortnight when you would be able to meet from 6 – 7 times for half an hour (or perhaps a little longer).

At 7:30 on Sunday 20th February, we all meet together at the Chaplaincy for the opening of the week.  There will be an introduction and some general advice on how to begin, and we will do a couple of prayer exercises together.  You will be asked to find some time during each day to pray perhaps twice for between 15 and 30 minutes and you are recommended to have a regular place for this.  During the period of the retreat you will meet your prayer guide to talk through matters arising from your prayer experience and discern where you might turn to next.  At the end of the fortnight, on Sunday, 6th March we will have a shared reflection and conclude the week.

What now?

If you would like to participate in this week, email Fr John as soon as you can (moffsj@yahoo.com) and I will send you the contact details of your Prayer Guide.  You arrange times with them and then just show up to the first meeting next Sunday.

The Programme

5th Week: If you are interested please make contact Fr. John on moffsj@yahoo.com as soon as possible and he will assign you to a prayer guide.   We ask you to make the initial contact with your prayer guide to arrange 6 or 7 meetings in the course of the fortnight.

Sunday 20th February, 7:30.  Introduction to the week, introductions and prayer exercises.

6th Week 3/4 individual meetings with your prayer guide

Sunday 27th February, 7:30.  Meeting to share experience and to reflect on Ignatian prayer (optional but strongly recommended)

7th Week 3/4 individual meetings with your prayer guide

Sunday 6th March, 7:30 Final meeting for reflection and evaluation

Support material available: http://sacredspace.ie/, http://www.pray-as-you-go.org.uk/

The Team

Sr. Silvana Dallanegra RSCJ

Silvana is a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart, and lives in their community in Norham Gardens, where the sisters run a hostel for 23 students. You’ve probably already seen her in the chaplaincy; she is ‘spiritual adviser’ to the SVP group, and comes to Mass, Pasta Plus and other events. She has accompanied students on previous retreats, and has also accompanied people in parish-based weeks of guided prayer.
Silvana studied theology at Heythrop, where her fellow-students included Frs Simon and Roger. She recently completed an MA in Coaching & Mentoring Practice.

Sr. Judith Lancaster SHCJ

Judith is a member of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus. She has a background in education and a lively interest in spirituality. She is a spiritual director with much experience of retreat giving, in daily life and in residential settings. She currently works at the Cherwell Spirituality Centre in Norham Gardens and has enjoyed contact with the chaplaincy for some years now.

Fr. Simon Bishop SJ

Fr. John Moffatt SJ

Fr. Brendan Callaghan SJ
Brendan works as a retreat director and spiritual director alongside his main missions of the care of Jesuit communities, university teaching and leadership, and the formation of young Jesuits. He also runs workshops for retreat-givers and others mostly around issues of affectivity and sexuality.  He has also been involved with guiding participants in the recent BBC programme The Big Silence.

Fr. Philip Endean SJ

Philip Endean teaches theology in the University from Campion Hall. He has been working in Ignatian spirituality for more than twenty-five years, publishing and teaching extensively in the field.

Sr. Carolyn Green SHCJ

Member of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, Irish, recently returned to Oxford from Rome where she spent 10 years in leadership and administration. For many years she has been involved in different areas of spirituality including spiritual direction, formation and retreat giving, including individually guided retreats, retreats in daily life and leading retreat days.

Fr. Nick King SJ

Fr. Nick King has taught New Testament in South Africa and most recently on the theology faculty at Oxford.  He has produced a ‘fresh translation’ of the Greek New Testament and the first volume of his translation of the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint) has recently been published.  He has been involved in retreat work and lecturing on several continents and until recently has been a leading light in the St. John’s squash and cricket teams.

Sr. Oona Mohan SHCJ

Oona is a Holy Child Sister.   She taught for many years in secondary schools.   She has undertaken biblical studies and spent a year in Rome studying Theology at the Regina Mundi Institute.  She has studied the the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius in the United States and is a trained counsellor.  She has worked both within the retreat house and more recently, in London, giving retreats in daily life and spiritual direction.

On Monday, Tuesday and Friday of 3rd week in a series of talks organised by the Oxford Chaplains at the University Church, two leading Christian intellectuals explore three key issues in the dialogue between religion and secular culture.

Video trailer

Press Release 19 Jan 2011

Christian Peace Activist Imprisoned for Arms Protest

For immediate release

Christian peace activist Chris Cole, 47, from Oxford was today imprisoned for 30 days at Westminster Central Magistrates Court for non-payment of a fine following a protest at the opening event of the DSEI arms fair in September 2009. Cole had sprayed ‘Build Peace Not War Machines’ and “Stop this Bloody Business” across the entrance to the QEII conference centre in central London .

According to a publicity brochure for the event, the UK Defence Conference would be attended by senior officials from the arms industry, the military and the UK government in order “to explore the business opportunities” to be found in responses “to global security threats such as climate change, major population movements, growing water scarcity, competition for energy sources and the continued rise of Islamism.”

Defending himself in court Cole said “The arms industry is pushing military solutions to human security threats that in reality need political and humanitarian responses not more weaponry. If we want to be a nation that is committed to building peace and defending the poor, we need to address underlying causes of injustice and not promote the ideology of ‘might is right’.

At the original trial in October 2009 Cole was found guilty and ordered to pay £1,545.00 in compensation and £350 in court costs.

This is the fifth time that Cole has been sentenced to imprisonment for nonviolent civil disobedience.

The Chaplaincy RCIA programme for all those seeking Baptism, Confirmation or Reception in the Roman Catholic Church begins the first of this term’s meetings on Thursday of 4th Week (2nd November). Beside the shared meetings candidates will be given a personal guide with whom to talk through more specific questions. The programme runs until May 15th, when Bishop Kenney will come to administer the sacraments at the 11:00 Mass. If you are interested in joining the programme, please get in touch with Fr. John on moffsj@yahoo.com and you will be most welcome to join. If you know anyone else who may be interested, please draw their attention to this programme.

The programme for Michaelmas 2010

Week 4 Thursday, 4th November The Call of God

Week 5 Thursday, 11th November The Call of Christ

Week 7 Thursday, 25th November The Death and Resurrection of the Messiah

Week 8 Sunday, 28th November 11:00 Mass, Rite of Acceptance

The Programme for Hilary 2011

Week 1

Sunday 17th January 5:45 Mass  The Rite of Anointing
Thursday 20th January  One Body in the Spirit
Faith in Action begins (work with SVP, CAFOD, Jellicoe Society or Tanzania Project etc.)

Week 2 Thursday 27th January  The New Temple

Week 3 Thursday 3rd February   The Church

Week 4 (Open Week at the Chaplaincy)

Week 5 Thursday 17th February   Tradition and the Living Gospel

Week 6 Sunday 20th February  7:30 pm Weeks of Guided Prayer begin

Week 8

Sunday 6th March (first Sunday of Lent) 11:00 Mass The Rite of Election
7:30 pm              Weeks of Guided Prayer end
Thursday 10th March  Discussion and Evaluation

The Programme for Trinity 2011

Week 1 Thursday 28th April  Preparing for the Sacraments and Discussion

Week 2 Thursday 5th May  Preparing for the Sacraments

Week 3 Thursday 12th May Practising for the Liturgy

Week 4 Sunday 15th May

11:00 Mass Baptism, Confirmation, Reception with Bishop William Kenney