News

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21st November 2016

School of the Annunciation celebrates its first Awards Ceremony

On 21 November, the feast of the Presentation of Our Lady, staff, students, friends and distinguished guests gathered to celebrate the School's first awards ceremony.

Forty students received awards for the various courses currently offered by the School. Present for this joyful occasion, which took place in the historically evocative medieval hall on the campus of Buckfast Abbey, were our patron Rt. Rev. Mark O’Toole, Bishop of Plymouth, Rt. Rev. John Wilson, Auxiliary Bishop in Westminster Archdiocese, Mr Francis Campbell, the Vice-Chancellor of St Mary’s University, and faculty from Santa Croce University, Rome. Francis Campbell delivered a challenging and thought-provoking address on the possibilities for Catholic education in the current context of secularised Britain.

Following the ceremony, Bishop O’Toole presided over a Sung Mass in the Abbey Church. In his sermon, the bishop reminded us of the significance of this feast for understanding Our Lady’s role in the mission of the new evangelisation, central to the work of the School, which he described as a ‘jewel’ in the Diocese of Plymouth.

The beauty of the Mass was further enhanced by the singing of the Abbey Choir, led by Mr Philip Arkwright. A sumptuous hot and cold buffet lunch followed in the Abbey’s conference centre, a fitting finale to a great celebration for the students, their families, the monastic community and the staff and friends of the School.

Please click here to visit the photo gallery of this event.

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27th October 2016

Catholic Women of the Year 2016

Congratulations to our Director of Studies, Dr Caroline Farey, voted one of the Catholic Women of the Year for 2016. The Catholic Women of the Year Luncheon takes place on Friday 28 October at the Amba Hotel, Marble Arch, London.

Please visit the following links for more information:

Article in The Portal (p. 7): http://www.portalmag.co.uk/portal/portal-2016-08.pdf

Catholic Herald: http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/08/12/religious-sister-nfp-tutor-catechist-and-mother-catholic-women-of-the-year-announced/

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29th September 2016

Fr Guy de Gaynesford to speak at Colloquium of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy

Fr Guy de Gaynesford, rector of the School of the Annunciation, will speak on the New Evangelisation at this year's colloquium of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy. The conference will take place at Aylesford Priory, Kent, on 3 - 4 November. Speakers include Fr Jerome Bertram of the Oxford Oratory and Dom Mark Kirby, Prior of Silverstream Monastery, County Meath.  

The Confraternity of Catholic Clergy was founded in 2010 in response to the State Visit to Britain of Pope Benedict XVI and his Beatification of Blessed John Henry Newman. Its mission is to foster fidelity to Scripture and the Magisterium, and to support the spiritual formation and fraternity of its members. 

For more information about the colloquium, please visit http://www.confraternityccb.org.uk/CCCB/News/Entries/2016/9/28_2016_Annual_Colloquium.html 

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13th September 2016

EWTN interviews Fr. Guy de Gaynesford and Dr. Caroline Farey on Celtic Connections

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Dr. Caroline Farey and Fr. Guy de Gaynesford appeared on EWTN radio to discuss the mission of the School of the Annunciation. Celtic Connections is a weekly radio show  hosted by Kathy Sinnott. Click on the link below to listen to the episode: "How to Teach the Teachers". 

"One of the most important mandates a Catholic institute of education can have is to form missionaries for the New Evangelisation. The School of the Annunciation, Buckfast Abbey Devon England, is doing just that. Taking a close look at how and what the School teaches, Stefano Mazzeo talks to school faculty members, Dr. Caroline Farey, Director of Studies - and Rector of the School, Fr. Guy de Gaynesford."

Please click here to listen to the interview (or to download, right click on this link and click save).

Alternative link

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10th August 2016

Dr. Petroc Willey, Reader in the New Evangelisation for the School of the Annunciation, appears on EWTN's Journey Home.

 

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2nd August 2016

School of the Annunciation launches annual national catechetical conference

The School of the Annunciation launched the first of its annual national catechetical conferences on the 25th July with an outstanding platform of speakers. Catechists came from across the UK to Buckfast Abbey, Devon, to attend the three-day conference on this year’s theme — The Holy Trinity and Catechesis.
Fr Guy de Gaynesford, Rector of the School, addressed “The Holy Trinity in the Teaching of the Faith” and guided participants in a reading of St Augustine’s De Trinitate. Dr. Dominic Doyle, School of Theology & Ministry, Boston College, USA, addressed “The Holy Trinity in the work of St Thomas Aquinas” and critiqued the place of the Holy Trinity in the catechetics of Thomas Groome. Dr. Caroline Farey, the School’s Director of Studies & catechetical expert, addressed “Art of the Trinity for Catechesis” and “The Holy Trinity in Catechetical Resources”.
The conference also included seminars and discussions that ranged around doctrine and theology, catechetical practice and resources, liturgical texts and sacred art. Speakers and participants joined the Benedictine community to celebrate the Office of the Church, sung to plain chant. Participants also enjoyed the beautiful grounds of the Abbey and the amenities of the brand new guesthouse, Northgate.

Fr Guy de Gaynesford, Rector of the School, said:

“I’m so pleased that the School of the Annunciation has launched the first of our annual national conferences with the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. If the dogma of the Trinity is a living reality in our lives, through faith and the sacraments, it will enlighten all the other mysteries of faith, transforming our catechesis.’
‘As a priest I know how difficult it is for catechists to speak with confidence and Catholic clarity on the subject of the Trinity.  We offered this conference to help catechists to present this most beautiful doctrine from the very heart of the Church’s faith, and I am delighted that the participants found it so uplifting.  We are confident that next year’s conference will build on what we have begun and help parish catechists and their clergy in our important work of transmitting Christ. 

For more press information:

http://www.schooloftheannunciation.com

Press officer: [email protected]
 01229 821866/07938 986186

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29th July 2016

Dr Farey voted one of the Catholic Women of 2016

Dr Caroline Farey, the School's Director of Studies, has been elected one of the Catholic Women of 2016 by The Catholic Women of the Year Luncheon.

The Catholic Women of the Year Luncheon has been running for over 40 years and brings together Catholic women from across Britain to give witness to the Faith and to honour women who serve Church and community in a wide range of ways. The Catholic Women of the Year are elected by secret ballot from nominations sent in from parishes and Catholic groups and organisations.

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15th July 2016

Unbelievable? The Conference 2016 - Discover Your Inner Evangelist

On Saturday 2nd July, over 800 evangelising Christians stormed into central London for Premier Radio’s annual ‘Unbelievable?’ Conference at The Brewery in central London. The theme this year was evangelisation and so the School of the Annunciation took its place in the exhibitor hall to represent the Catholic faith. 

Delegates had travelled from all over the United Kingdom and abroad.  We were thrilled to meet youth leaders from both the Liverpool diocese and Sion Community. More importantly, it was a great opportunity to encourage the many Catholics present to renew their faith on our upcoming summer courses.

Our courses are not just for Catholics and our stand attracted the attention of protestant ministers looking for enriched teaching. As they appreciated, attending a School of the Annunciation course broadens the mind and gives a complete perspective on the History of Christianity. We were fortunate to have one of our students who was keen to assist, Justyn who is finishing his Diploma in the New Evangelisation this summer, to help promote the work of the School of the Annunciation.

There were many interested enquirers on the day and we look forward to meeting our new students this summer! For further information on our courses please click here: http://www.schooloftheannunciation.com/site.php?menuaccess=125

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15th June 2016

Foundations in Faith for the New Evangelisation launched in Salford Diocese.

On the 10th June the latest course from the School of the Annunciation was launched in the parish of St. John Southworth in the Salford Diocese. The Foundations in Faith for the New Evangelisation leads Catholics through the core teaching of the Church so that they may become more confident in their faith in order to talk to others (family members, friends, colleagues, or in catechesis).

It was a wonderful weekend with 20 students beginning this 18 month distance learning course; 15 of whom are from the Parish of St John Southworth, Nelson, where the course is based. The students arrived on Friday evening for Evening Prayer and supper, and were welcomed to the course by Fr. Brian Murphy (Parish Priest), Miss Anne Bardell (Pastoral Assistant) and Fr Guy de Gaynesford, Rector of the School of the Annunciation and Mrs Carol Ann Harnett, the Course leader. On Saturday there was a mix of talks and workshops; liturgies (Mass as well as the liturgy of the hours) an opportunity for Adoration and personal prayer; social time as well as personal tutorial support. Everyone enjoyed the wonderful hospitality with excellent meals being provided by the team at the parish of St John Southworth. The Sunday session was more of a retreat, concluding with joining in the parish Mass at which Fr Guy was invited to give the homily, and one last meal together.

Carol Ann Harnett enjoyed meeting each of the students and looks forward to supporting them individually as they progress through the course units at their own pace in the coming months. The School of the Annunciation is very grateful to Fr Brian Murphy for hosting the course and to Anne Bardell, Pastoral Assistant at St John Southworth’s for all her hard work in organising everything locally and for the local support she is able to give the students. This course will also be run at Buckfast Abbey, beginning at the end of October 2016, and Ealing Abbey, West London, beginning in November 2016. We hope that further centres may be developed in the coming year.

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13th May 2016

New Guest Access available at the School of the Annunciation e-learning site.

The School of the Annunciation is delighted to give open access to a part of it's e-learning site. The material that is available comes from the Diploma in the New Evangelisation module - "Introduction to the New Evangelisation". With this guest access to the site, you will be able to watch a commentary by Dr. Caroline Farey on "Nativity in the Initial P" painted by Don Silvestro dei Gherarducci and a short lecture by Dr. Petroc Willey along with other excellent texts.

To access this page, please click here.

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9th May 2016

Catholic Truth Society publishes four new books by academic staff

The Catholic Truth Society has published four new books by members of the School's academic faculty:
Dr Petroc Willey's 'Reading the Catechism", 'Amette Ley's A Little Book of Litanies, and Deacon Nick Donnelly's 'Loving Mary' and 'Finding Forgiveness with Pope Francis'.

To purchase these books go to http://www.ctsbooks.org

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4th May 2016

Deacon Nick Donnelly's two new CTS books on Pope Francis

The Catholic Truth Society has published two new booklets on Pope Francis by Deacon Nick Donnelly, the School of the Annunciation's Director of Formation. "Loving Mary: What Pope Francis says" and "Finding Forgiveness with Pope Francis" are the latest additions to his popular CTS series on the Holy Father that also includes, "Who is the devil? What Pope Francis says" and "Meet Jesus with Pope Francis".

Loving Mary: What Pope Francis says draws on talks Deacon Nick gave on his parish retreat in 2015.

What can Pope Francis’ personal experience of Mary teach us? In down to earth, straight-talking language Pope Francis shares his approach to devotion to Mary, our loving Mother. He advises us to take a number of honest and practical steps to enrich our lives and our relationship with God by honouring Mary. The author discusses praying the rosary, opening our heart to Jesus, Our Lady Untier of Knots (Pope Francis’ favourite devotion), and Mary’s Three Lessons for a Happy Life.

http://www.ctsbooks.org/loving-mary

Finding Forgiveness with Pope Francis is based on a series of articles Deacon Nick has written for the Jubilee of Mercy published in the Catholic Voice Ireland and the National Catholic Register.  It includes a foreword by Bishop Patrick O’Donoghue.

What can Pope Francis’ personal experience of God’s forgiveness teach us? Through his characteristically straight-talking language, we discover Pope Francis’ approach to forgiveness: God’s infinite love for us and our love for others through our forgiveness of them. The author advises us to take a number of honest and practical steps to enrich our lives and our relationship with God by meditating on God’s mercy. He examines how the Church treats sin and sinners, and provides Pope Francis’ guide to making a good confession.

http://www.ctsbooks.org/finding-forgiveness-with-pope-francis

 

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20th April 2016

New CTS Edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church Launched

The CTS are delighted to be able to present a new edition of the Catechism bringing together the latest liturgical translations and the richness of the teaching of the Catechism with a clearer and more attractive layout.  In line with their mission, the aim of the CTS has been to produce an edition that is easier to navigate and more affordable so that the Catechism can be accessible to everyone. This new edition was recently launched at the School of the Annunciation, Buckfast Abbey, one of Britain’s newest and most exciting institutes of Catholic Education. At the heart of the missions of both the CTS and the School of the Annunciation is the desire to communicate the eternal truths of the faith in an authentic, accessible and attractive way using the best and latest techniques. This new edition of the Catechism is a product and expression of that determination which drives both organisations.

So what’s different?

Content: Updated & More Accurate
The CTS Catechism contains the updated and more accurate translations of the texts introduced in 2011, that we hear and pray at Mass, most especially to the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds. What we learn in the Catechism can now be easily recognised in the texts we pray in the Liturgy.
 
Look: More Attractive & Simpler to Use
The first Catechism was designed and typeset when colour printing was prohibitively expensive and many of the layout techniques usid in this volumewere simply unavailable. This new edition is clearer, more attractive and simpler to use. Paragraph numbers are coloured in red and can be easily looked up. In-Brief summaries are colour coded and prominent.
 
Referencing: Extended Index & Referencing
This edition contains a wealth of internal cross references and external citations. The side references point to other paragraphs that will shed further light on words and concepts that one encounters in the text. These have been checked and updated for accuracy and ease of use.

Origins: Back to the Essential Elements
Updates and new editions over the years have gathered accretions and supplementary material which can sometimes obscure the clarity of the original concept. Over the last year painstaking work was done by the editorial team at the CTS and a team of experts at the School of the Annunciation to bring the Catechism back to the essential elements intended by the first editorial team, which included Cardinal Ratzinger and Archbishop Schonborn, and to rediscover the logic that was used to construct the internal cross-referencing of the book.
 
Union: Scripture and Tradition Seamlessly Integrated
The principles of liturgical translation outlined in Liturgiam Authenticam and applied in the 2010 translation of the Roman Missal and in subsequent liturgical texts mean that the origins of these texts in Sacred Scripture and in the Latin texts of our liturgical tradition can be seen better than ever. In this edition of the Catechism that union of scripture and tradition is clearer than it has ever been and the seamless garment of the very words we use in our worship and our teaching which St John Paul II and his editorial team intended finally becomes a reality.
 
Praise for the New CTS Catechism:

“The appearance of the new restyled Catechism of the Catholic Church for the UK by the CTS is a cause of great joy. Every single Catholic should own and regularly read the catechism so that they can know and share the faith. I highly recommend this new publication - it will give a great energy to the transmission of the faith in our country.” Rev. Anthony Curran, Diocese of Westminster

"The Catechism is the Church's gift to each one of us - not a gift to put away unread on a shelf, but to provide a daily source of inspiration as we deepen our knowledge of God's loving plan for his creation. This new CTS edition of the Catechism is a real treasure: it is elegant, affordable and practical, and it beautifully highlights all of the features that the compilers of the Catechism placed there with such care in order that we might have an accessible and reliable guide for our lives". Petroc Willey, School of the Annunciation, UK & Steubenville University, USA
 
You can find out more, see a preview and order copies of the new CTS edition of the Catechism at www.ctsbooks.org/Catechism.

For more information, please contact Claire Dancaster on 0207 840 3671 or email [email protected].

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13th April 2016

School of the Annunciation celebrates second year with the launch of the CTS Catechism of the Catholic Church

The School of the Annunciation, the UK’s newest Catholic Institute of Higher Education, marked its second anniversary with the launch of the CTS’s edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Fergal Martin, the General Secretary of the Catholic Truth Society, delivered an address on the exacting and complex work of developing the CTS’s definitive and complete edition of the Catechism.

Dr Caroline Farey, Director of Studies, other academic staff of the School and a specialist team of people connected with the School, assisted in the development and production of CTS edition of the Catechism.

Fergal Martin presented a copy of the CTS Catechism of the Catholic Church to the Right Reverend Mark O’Toole, Chair of the Bishops' Conference Department for Evangelisation and Catechesis and Patron of the School of the Annunciation.
The Catholic Truth Society also launched its new booklet ‘Reading the Catechism’: How to Discover and Appreciate its Riches” written by Dr. Petroc Willey, Reader in the New Evangelisation at the School of the Annunciation. It is an essential pocket guide on how to read and understand the Catechism, its purpose, and use in teaching the faith.

The School of the Annunciation celebrated its second anniversary at Buckfast Abbey with a Conventual Mass on the Solemnity of The Annunciation of the Lord, celebrated by the Right Reverend Mark O’Toole, Bishop of Plymouth.

Fergal Martin, General Secretary of the Catholic Truth Society, said:
“I am really delighted to use the occasion of the anniversary of the School to present the new CTS Catechism of the Catholic Church. Our definitive and complete edition is entirely updated, fully referenced and includes a greatly expanded and improved index. And Dr Petroc Willey has produced a beautiful booklet on the Catechism, you’ll love it! For people who don’t quite know how to get their head into the Catechism, this little booklet guides you into it.”

Fr Guy de Gaynesford, Rector of the School, said:
“We are very privileged to have Fergal Martin come to speak about this new publication of the Catechism because it means so much to us. It lies at the very core of the School of Annunciation’s work and describes for us the Faith, handed to us from our bishops and the Holy Father. The CTS Catechism of the Catholic Church is so beautiful, so crucial for us, a sure reference point, if you wish to know what Holy Scripture means.”

Notes:
The School of the Annunciation: Centre for the New Evangelisation is the UK’s only Catholic Higher Education Institute dedicated to the New Evangelisation. As described by Vatican Radio’s recent report, “Founded by some of the United Kingdom’s leading scholars in theology and evangelization.”
The School of the Annunciation was founded by Dr Andrew Beards, Academic Director, Dr Caroline Farey, Director of Studies, Deacon Nick Donnelly, Director of Formation, together with the Abbot of Buckfast. Fr Guy de Gaynesford is the School’s first Rector. The patrons of the School of the Annunciation are His Eminence George Cardinal Pell, Prefect of the Secretariat of the Economy, and the Right Reverend Mark O’Toole, Bishop of Plymouth.

Press officer: [email protected]
01229 821866/07938 986186

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8th April 2016

Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, of the Holy Father Francis

Click here for the full text

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Buckfast Abbey Parish Syrian Appeal

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6th April 2016

Guild of Our Lady and Saint Joseph event at St Patrick's Soho Square. An evening of Apologetics.

Please click the image to view in full screen.

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14th March 2016

Guild News Letter for February 2016

Please click here for a PDF copy.

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9th March 2016

Holy See praises Cardinal Pell’s dignified testimony to Commission

Fr Lombardi SJ, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, has issued a declaration that includes a commendation of Cardinal Pell’s testimony before the Royal Commission:

“Cardinal Pell must be accorded the appropriate acknowledgement for his dignified and coherent personal testimony (twenty hours of dialogue with the Royal Commission), from which yet again there emerges an objective and lucid picture of the errors committed in many ecclesial environments (this time in Australia) during the past decades. This is certainly useful with a view to a common 'purification of memory’.”

Fr Lombardi’s statement also presents the extensive steps taken by the Catholic Church since 2002 to safeguard children and work with survivors of clerical abuse.

To read the full declaration from the Holy See go to:

http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2016/03/04/160304d.html

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7th March 2016

Amette Ley's new CTS book for the Year of Mercy

Amette Ley, tutor at the School of the Annunciation, is the author of the new Catholic Truth Society book, "Stations of Mercy with Pope Francis".  Amette was a contributing author to the CTS's educational series of textbooks, The Way, The Truth and The Life.

Stations of Mercy with Pope Francis is a  journey with the Holy Father along the well known Stations of Christ's passion to discover at every step the boundless and life giving mercy of God. Each Station is accompanied by a brief scripture passage and pertinent words of Pope Francis, giving his own particular insights into mercy. These themes of forgiveness and mercy, so important during the Year of Mercy, are readily absorbed by way of this simple and long-standing devotion.

To purchase a copy please click here: http://www.ctsbooks.org/stations-of-mercy-with-pope-francis-1

 

 

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3rd March 2016

Mass dedicated to the school, staff and students was celebrated yesterday in Rome by our Rector Fr Guy, at the relics of the crib under the high Altar of the Basilica of Mary Major. He prayed that Our Blessed Mother would use the school as she used the crib, to carry the Lord Jesus.

 

 

 

 

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22nd February 2016

Statement from Cardinal Pell's Office

Please pray for Cardinal Pell during this difficult time.

 

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11th February 2016

Dr Petroc Willey’s new CTS booklet on the Catechism of the Catholic Church available to order

Dr Petroc Willey, the School of the Annunciation’s Reader in New Evangelisations, is the author of the new Catholic Truth Society book on the Catechism of the Catholic Church “Reading the Catechism: How to Discover and Appreciate its Riches”:

Essential pocket guide on how to read and understand the Catechism of the Catholic Church, its purpose, and use in teaching the faith. Written by an expert on catechesis, and intended for reading alone or as part of a group, this practical handbook will help unlock this most important and rich document of the Catholic Church. The text contains references so that this can be read alongside any version of the Catechism. Contents include: Gaining an Overview; Scope, Structure and Sequence; Unpacking the Message; Staying Connected; Learning from Sources; Making our Response:.

Published in March to coincide with the launch of  The CTS Definitive and Complete Edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It it available to pre-order at:

http://www.ctsbooks.org/reading-the-catechism

 

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 21st October 2015

St. Paul's Repository and School of the Annunciation

St. Paul's Repository have made available lectures given by Fr. Guy de Gaynesford. St. Paul's Repository follows in the footsteps of St Paul the Apostle, their patron, to teach the Catholic faith through talks, courses and homilies devoted to various aspects of the faith. The lectures that are placed on their website, are given by Father Guy during various residentials at the School of the Annunciation. You can visit their site, here.

 

 

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15th September 2015

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Pontifical Council for Social Communications promotes School's Media and the New Evangelisation course

Britain’s School of the Annunciation is again leading the way in promoting the use of media in the service of the New Evangelization with its latest course, “Media and the New Evangelization”.

The course, whilst open to any Catholic who feels called to discover how they can be more effective communicators of the Gospel through the use of media, is also especially well-suited to those who have already some experience in the field of communications, whether as broadcasters, authors, journalists, or bloggers.

Taking the form of a 4-day introductoryresidential course (full board, and en-suite) between 19-22 November 2015,in the beautiful surroundings of Buckfast Abbey, it is then followed up by a one-year online course.

To continue reading this article, please click here.

To read more about this course on our website, please click here.

 

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14th September 2015

Guild Day on the 19th of September Postponed

Unfortunately the Guild of Our Lady and Saint Joseph need to postpone the Guild Day in Plymouth on the 19th of September. The School of the Annunciation is sorry this cannot take place. If you require more information please contact the Guild of Our Lady and Saint Joseph directly by emailing [email protected]

 

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10th September 2015

Great Catholic Herald editorial on the School of the Annunciation

 

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9th September 2015

Our new Ordinariate Missal is almost here!

It has been announced that by Advent we shall be using the new “Divine Worship: Missal”. This will mark the end of several years of work by the Holy See to provide us with a rite of Mass proper to the Anglican Ordinariates within the Catholic Church.

This is a significant moment in the development of the Ordinariates because this missal gives a very concrete expression of what the Ordinariates are. It is also significant because it demonstrates the heart of the successor of St Peter in this expression of his work for the visible unity of all Christ’s disciples. The Missal shows that members of the Ordinariate are truly and joyfully Catholic, and who fully accept the magisterium of the Church. In addition it shows that we have an Anglican heritage that is compatible with Catholic teaching, and incorporates “gifts to be shared” - gifts that can enrich our Catholic brothers and sisters. This missal shows the successor of St Peter is serious about responding to those separated brethren who knock on the doors of the Church and ask for full communion with the Pope. It shows that while it is entirely valid and proper for individuals to be reconciled with mother Church, that it is also possible for congregations and groups to be reconciled with mother Church and also for their life to continue but within the full communion of the Church.

The journey towards the full visible communion of all Christ’s disciples is often full of expressions of good intentions, this missal, and indeed the provision of the Ordinariates themselves, goes well beyond good intentions, it is a concrete gesture that says that not only do we welcome you into the full communion of the Church, but we also welcome the good things you bring with you, that we recognise that you have gifts to share with us in Christ, just as we have gifts to share with you in Christ.

So what is an Ordinariate use mass like? First it uses the traditional language of English used in the worship of  Anglicans since Tudor times - it is a dialect of English that is well disposed to the sacred purposes of liturgy. It immediately signifies that what we are about here is something sacred. It is a dialect that seems to lend itself more to poetry and to express beauty than perhaps our modern use of English can. It is a dialect that seems to stick in our memory more easily than pedestrian English (who doesn’t know the Our Father and Hail Mary in this dialect rather than modern English?).

Secondly it can be considered to be generally somewhere between the Extraordinary Form Mass and the Novus Ordo Mass. For example, it permits the use of prayers at the foot of the Altar, the prayers of the Offertory similar to that of the Extraordinary Form, the normal use of the Roman Canon.

Thirdly it incorporates prayers known and loved by Anglicans but unknown to Catholics, that are compatible with the Catholic Faith. The most obvious example of this is called the Prayer of Humble Access, which is prayed by the Priest and Faithful who are about receive the Sacrament:

We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy: Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body, and our souls washed through his most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.

Please pray for the Anglican Ordinariates, their ordinaries, their clergy and their people, that the publishing of the Missal may be a time of grace for us all, and that it might be a means of us all growing into deeper unity with Christ our Lord. And let us pray that assisted by the prayers of Our Lady of Walsingham, that our separated brethren may see the Catholic Church as their home too.

Fr Ian Hellyer, pastor of the Buckfast Ordinariate Mission

 

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31st August 2015

By Special Request: ‘Who do you say that I am?’ – A Deeper Catechesis for the New Evangelisation

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27th August 2015

New evangelisation school officially recognised as Catholic education institute

From the Catholic Herald:

Bishop of Plymouth gives 'recognito' to the only school in Britain dedicated to the new evangelisation. The School of the Annunciation, based in Buckfast Abbey, has been officially recognised as a Catholic institute of higher education by the Bishop of Plymouth.

Bishop Mark O’Toole has issued a canonical decree, known as a “recognitio”, acknowledging the school’s fidelity to the Church’s teaching. The school’s campus, in the Diocese of Plymouth, is the only higher education establishment in Britain dedicated to the new evangelisation. To read this article in full, please click here.

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10th August 2015

Bishop of Plymouth gives his ‘recognitio’ to the School of the Annunciation

The Rt Rev. Mark O’Toole, Bishop of Plymouth, has officially issued a canonical Decree, also known as a ‘recognitio’, establishing the School of the Annunciation as a Catholic Institute of Higher Education. The School’s campus at Buckfast Abbey is located within the Diocese of Plymouth.

You can download a copy of the full 'Recognitio' from Bishop O'Toole here.

 

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7th August 2015

Franciscan University Steubenville announces partnership with the School of the Annunciation

Franciscan University Steubenville has issued a press release announcing our partnership to offer the online Masters in Catechetics and Evangelisation.

Bob Rice, director of Franciscan's online MA, highlights the strengths offered by the School to the partnership:

"By virtue of SOTA's connections with dioceses and parishes in the United Kingdom and beyond, many more catechists and Catholics seeking an advanced degree will have access to Franciscan University's online program. The Holy Spirit is renewing the Catholic faith in Europe through efforts in the New Evangelisation. This online partnership will equip catechists, teachers, priests, and religious with the knowledge and passion to evangelise Catholics who aren't active in their faith and anyone who simply doesn't know the Catholic Church's message of salvation."

FULL TEXT

Franciscan University Joins With UK School to Offer Online Master of  Catechetics Degree. Partnership with the School of the Annunciation Will strengthen new evangelisation efforts in Europe.

STEUBENVILLE, OHIO & DEVON, ENGLAND ”The School of the Annunciation – the United Kingdom's only higher education school dedicated to the new evangelisation – is now enrolling European students in Franciscan University of Steubenville's Online Master of Arts in Catechetics and Evangelisation Program.
 
Based at Buckfast Abbey in Devon, England, the School of the Annunciation (SOTA) enables students who enroll in the  SOTA/Franciscan University program to take most of their courses online and attend a short residential summer program at their Buckfast Abbey campus. The abbey is a medieval monastery, refounded in 1882, and located in the Devonshire countryside, south of London.
 
"By virtue of SOTA's connections with dioceses and parishes in the United Kingdom and beyond, many more catechists and Catholics seeking an advanced degree will have access to Franciscan University's online program," said Bob Rice, director of Franciscan's online MA in Catechetics and Evangelisation Program.
 
"The Holy Spirit is renewing the Catholic faith in Europe through efforts in the New Evangelisation. This online partnership will equip catechists, teachers, priests, and religious with the knowledge and passion to evangelise Catholics who aren't active in their faith and anyone who simply doesn't know the Catholic Church's message of salvation."
 
Both institutions share a common vision for catechesis, grounded in the principles contained in Pope St. John Paul II's Apostolic Constitution, Ex corde Ecclesiae.
 
Father Guy de Gaynesford, STL, rector of the School of the Annunciation, said, "All those associated with the School of the Annunciation will naturally be absolutely delighted to learn of the beginning of this exciting collaborative partnership with a world-renowned Catholic university. The remarkable progress both sides have achieved in creating this partnership was made possible by our common fidelity to the Catholic faith, our shared academic expertise, and our joint passion to form disciples of the Lord for the work of the new evangelisation."
 
Students will be taught by professors at both institutions, including Franciscan University professors Dr. Scott Hahn, Professor Bob Rice, Sister M. Johanna Paruch, FSGM; Dr. Petroc Wiley, and Dr. Alan Schreck. SOTA professors include Dr. Caroline Farey and Dr. Andrew Beards.
 
The School of the Annunciation: Centre for the New Evangelisation was founded in 2014 as a higher education institution dedicated to the new evangelisation. In the past year, SOTA has launched three new courses in evangelisation, catechesis, and Latin.
 
Students are now being accepted into the program, which begins January 2016. More information is available from the School of the Annunciation, or email [email protected]

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6th August 2015

Deacon Nick Donnelly in CTS Campaign 'Meet Jesus in Prayer and Scripture'

Deacon Nick Donnelly's latest book 'Meet Jesus with Pope Francis' is part of the Catholic Truth Society campaign 'Meet Jesus in Prayer and Scripture'. Deacon Nick's book is featured alongside Pope Emeritus Benedict's 'Praying with Jesus' and Orthodox Bishop Kallistos Ware's 'The Jesus Prayer.'

Grow in your relationship with Christ with these specially chosen booklets:

Meet Jesus with Pope Francis gives a down to earth and straight-talking approach to life and daily living with a merciful and life-giving God...

The Jesus Prayer is a beautiful and simple way of connecting with Christ by repeating his Holy Name... 

In Praying with Jesus, Pope Benedict looks to how prayer flowed through the life of Jesus as an example for us all.

Buy all three booklets for just £5 - click here to order.

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31st July 2015

Guild Day 19th September 2015: "Ephphatha! Be Opened! Giving and receiving the Good News of Christ"

This event has been postponed:

***Unfortunately the Guild of Our Lady and Saint Joseph need to postpone the Guild Day in Plymouth on the 19th of September. The School of the Annunciation is sorry this cannot take place. If you require more information please contact the Guild of Our Lady and Saint Joseph directly by emailing [email protected]***

 

The next Guild Day will take place on the 19th of September 2015 at Christ the King Church, Armada Way, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 2EN.

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15th July 2015

A Day On The Family At Ealing Abbey

I'm feeling on top of the world this morning, home from Mass and after a wonderful day yesterday at Ealing Abbey for the Guild of Our Lady & St. Joseph's day of Catholic study on The Family: The Fundamental Cell of Society. I was privileged to have the company of my son Mike and a couple of friends, Joao Pereira and Paul Abbot, and we all traveled up from Essex together. We got there in time for Mass with the Benedictines, celebrated by one Brother who was 60 years a priest on that day!

Initially, the take up for this day was low. This wasn't a surprise; the day clashed with the Proclaim15 event in Birmingham and the LMS AGM at Westminster Cathedral. We also did not have any "star speaker", the last Guild Day I attended in Soho, we had Bishop Phillip Egan, who no doubt drew a crowd just to see him. Despite these issues, we received a good number of registrations in the week running up to the event and quite a number of people showed up on the day.

To continue reading this article, please click here.

To view some photos of the event, please click here.

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17th June 2015

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School of the Annunciation becomes first centre outside USA to offer Franciscan University of Steubenville online courses

Please click on the image below to download a copy of the press release in full.

More information about the MA in Catechetics and Evangelisation can be found under our 'Courses' tab on the main menu, or by clicking here.

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