Foundations of the Faith for the New Evangelisation
A formation programme rooted in prayer for all those desiring to know the Catholic faith better, and be better equipped to tell others about Christ the Lord.
This is a distance-learning course of 18 months duration
with 4 weekends and 12 study units to complete.
Buckfast Abbey
Formation for the New Evangelisation
In forming adult Catholics for the third millennium, the last three Popes have made it clear that the context is now the New Evangelisation, a context markedly different from the previous century and needing new methods and new vigour to deliver the Good News of Jesus Christ, Son of God and Saviour, a message ‘forever ancient and forever new’.
This formation is for adult Catholics especially those who support parish life in its richness and sacredness, its fellowship, prayer and charity. It is for parents, Grandparents and catechists, for readers, and those involved in children’s liturgy and anyone keen to know and appreciate the faith of the Church more deeply and be better equipped to defend it and pass it on.
The School of the Annunciation, a centre for the New Evangelisation, is situated at Buckfast Abbey, Devon, with other centres being developed around the UK. The context of the Benedictine monastic community has prompted the development of the programme within the Benedictine Tradition as a spiritual home that is already nourishing the new evangelisation by its hospitality and daily rhythm of prayer in the liturgy of the hours.
This programme is developed and lead by a strong catechetical team, steeped in the Church’s catechetical documents especially the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and priests will also be involved in lecturing.
The twelve units of the course are grouped in two parts:
Part 1 of the Course
Six Units:
Christ, the Way the Truth and the Life –
- The Creed: Summary of the Faith: Our salvation in Christ and God’s free gift of grace
- The Mystery of the Holy Trinity: Who is God? What does it mean to say that He is Trinity? Who is Jesus Christ? Who is the Holy Spirit?
- The Mystery of Christ and His Church: What is the Church? What is the importance of Our Lady and the saints in the Church?
Sources of the Faith
- Introduction to Sacred Scripture: Reading Sacred Scripture with the mind of the Church, with a focus on how the Old Testament and the New Testament is tyh one word of God.
- Introduction to the Liturgy: what do we mean by “liturgy”? How can we engage in Mass more profitably? A look at some other aspects of the liturgy such as the liturgy of the hours (Divine Office).
- Introduction to the Sacraments: What do we mean by Sacrament? Exploring all seven sacraments with a particular focus on the sacraments of initiation.
Part 2 of the Course:
Six Units:
The Search for Happiness
- The dignity of the human person: as created in the image of God and God’s call that we share everlasting happiness with Him in heaven.
- The virtues of faith, hope and love: in the light of the recent teaching of Popes Benedict XVI and Francis.
- Life in Christ (Catholic moral teaching): In the light of our call to happiness and eternal life with God, and the grace of Christ.
Handing on the Faith: the New Evangelisation
- The New Evangelisation and Sacred Art: a beautiful exploration of the language of sacred art and how it can help us to explain the faith to others.
- The New Evangelisation and the Media: our world has been transformed by the new media and technology and how that affects others in the way they can engage with the faith.
- Handing on the faith in Parish Life: Lay collaboration and pastoral leadership – how we can work as a team to serve Christ in our parish
Each weekend includes lectures on the Catholic faith, workshops on practical skills as well as times of prayer and reflection. The weekend officially begins on Friday evening with Vespers (evening prayer of the Church) 6.00 pm followed by supper and an introduction welcome to the course, and finishes with Mass on Sunday.
Cost: 2016-18 £345 for 9 months. Cost of accommodation during residential periods is not included.
Each residential at Buckfast Abbey includes lectures on the Catholic faith, workshops on practical skills as well as times of prayer and reflection. The residential officially begins on Friday evening with the opening talk at 8.00 pm and finishes with Mass on Sunday. This session will be a general introduction and so students who are not able to make the Friday evening will not miss vital teaching. The School of the Annunciation usually has adoration at 4.45pm for anyone who would like to attend.
The cost of accommodation at Buckfast Abbey is not included in the price of the course. The residential costs at Buckfast for Friday and Saturday nights (Dinner bed and breakfast on Friday, bed and breakfast on Saturday) are an additional £230 per year. Accommodation is in the very well-appointed “Northgate House” (Buckfast Abbey’s new hotel) and is all en-suite. Local students may choose to come in for the sessions and so would only pay the course fee which includes refreshments, lunch and supper on the Saturdays. Residential costs need to be paid to the School of the Annunciation.
Assessment is through written exercises submitted for each unit. No exams are taken. Basic computer and internet, skills are essential.
On successful completion of all the assessment and attendance requirements the participant gains a Certificate from the School of the Annunciation. Previous studies in similar subject areas and from comparable courses may be considered for exemptions. For this, evidence of the assessment, subjects and grades will be required.
Click here to download an application form
Start Date for 2016 (Buckfast Abbey)
- Friday 28th October 2015 – Sunday 30th October 2016
Dates for 2015-2016 (Buckfast Abbey)
- Friday 30th October 2015– Sunday 1st November 2015
- Friday 4th March 2016 – Sunday 6th March 2016
- Friday 24th June – Sunday 26th June 2016
- Friday 28th October 2016 – Sunday 30th October 2016 (Start date for 2016 cohort)
All aspects of the course are important and attendance at each of these days is mandatory for gaining the award.
The cost of the course does not include residential fees, as students who live locally may wish to attend for the days only. For those who do stay, accommodation is in Buckfast Abbey’s beautiful new en-suite accommodation, Northgate House.
Cancellation rights
You have a 14 day cooling off period which starts from the date of application
All aspects of the course are important and attendance at each weekends is mandatory for gaining the award.
Study Method
As well as the mandatory study days, most of your study will take place in your own home at your own pace. Each unit will be available to download from the School of the Annunciation website and you may read these on your own computer or other electronic device or print as required.
The study is very practical. Each unit is divided into four chapters. As you read through each chapter, short activities help you consolidate what you have read. These are generally for your own notes, but may, if you are not sure, be sent to your Course Leader for support. At the end of each chapter there is a short assignment (a Task) which you complete and send to your Course Leader for comments. These are to be completed as you work your way through the Unit.
Assessment at the end of the Unit is by collating three of the four tasks into one document for marking and grading.
There are also four practical tasks which are introduced at each weekend to complete at home and send to the Course Coordinator for comments.
Assignments for marking are seen by a different person who reads and comments on your work, gives you a grade and sets you a target for the next assignment.
You will have as much support as you need from the School of the Annunciation staff, who will guide you through your study and answer your questions. Mostly this will be in the form of emails, as well as face to face contact at study days. Locally the Parish of St. John Southworth will also arrange regular meetings for students to discuss their progress and support one another.
Required texts for the whole course
- Bible – For study purposes, the New Jerusalem version (the Study Bible is best) or the RSV Catholic Edition are preferred.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church – if you have not got one already please make sure that the version you have includes the artwork and the list of citations at the back. See the separate sheet for illustrations to help you.
Other reading (mostly Church documents) will be recommended from time to time.
Registration is now open. Please apply as soon as possible as places are limited.
For the application form, please email [email protected] or ring 01364 645660 to speak to a member of staff at the school.
Catechisms – what to get and what not to get:
We strongly recommend this new edition published by CTS in April 2016. The New edition is updated with the new translation of the Missal and is a beautiful copy which is easy to work from. The red one is smaller and is a paper-back. We recommend that if you can, to get the hardback (blue) copy as you will be using this text a lot.
If you already have these copies you can use them for study. The red one is published by Burns & Oats; the green one is the American Version and has “Libreria Editrice Vaticana” on the front cover. It is cheaper but experience has shown that it falls apart before the course is finished.
These are all are much smaller (and cheaper) but inadequate. The black, white and green versions do not have any art which goes against the recommendation of the Church for the publication of the Catechism. The white and green versions lack the citations of Scripture which is vital for your study and a proper use of the Catechism. The green one may have a plastic cover.
The first edition: (1994)
This is a yellow covered edition (or the red and white “pocket” version.) We recommend that if you have a first (1994) that you buy the new CTS edition of the Catechism.