8 June 2019
15 June 2018
2017/18 Wrap Up!
With the conclusion of the academic year 2017/18, here's a photo montage of all the events that happened in the past year!
Freshers fair was a chance for us to meet the new undergraduate and postgraduate students who are interested in the Catholic faith! We prepared an assortment of goodies - chocolates, sweets and information cards on Newman House, Churches near each Hall, mass timings, events for the year etc.
Freshers Fair
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| Fr Stephen and our CathSoc President Samantha! |
Fr Stephen (our society's spiritual director) also welcomed any questions on journeying in the faith in London!
Freshers Mass
We kick-started our programme for the year with our Fresher's mass in Week 1! It was a great time to meet fellow Catholics on campus over food and drinks, as well as to find out more about the CathSoc events planned for the year ahead. The committee also gave a crash course on all the tips and tricks of living in London as a student - best food places, student discounts and more!
MT Social - Nandos
Our first social of the year was at the Nandos next to school! It was a fun time of fellowship and chance to unwind as the mid-term work started to pile up. Fr Stephen also shared with us a glimpse of British culture and mannerisms!
Oxford Pilgrimage
In October we joined Newman House for a pilgrimage to Oxford! The day started with a beautiful play on the the life and legacy of Blessed Archbishop Oscar Romero by RISE Theatre, followed by a guided tour of Catholic Oxford, led by students from the Oxford Catholic Chaplaincy. We visited many places, including historic Oxford sites, and places associated with the life of Blessed John Henry Newman.
The pilgrimage was also a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow Catholics from Newman House and other universities in London as well as the UK!
InterFaith Week
In November, in collaboration with the LSE Faith Centre and other religious societies on Campus, we hosted the annual InterFaith Week! It was a chance for students of all faiths (or none) to engage about religion, culture, and spirituality in an open, inclusive, and non-intimidating forum.
Worth Abbey retreat
In Week 9, the CathSoc went for a retreat together with Newman House at Worth Abbey in West Sussex! It was a perfect time to unwind after a hectic Michaelmas Term and connect with God in prayer, fellowship, and nature! The 3 day 2 nights retreat consisted of faith formation talks, silent prayer time, hikes in the English countryside, delicious meals, and plenty of rest!
We also joined the Benedictine monks in their morning prayers and had a glimpse of the monastic life and community. Organised by Newman House, it was a great time meeting fellow Catholic students and forming friendships!
Christmas Cards for Prisoners
For our last event in MT, we organised a volunteering opportunity - writing Christmas Cards for prisoners of conscience. Stationed in the Saw Swee Hock Building, we invited fellow students to pen down Christmas well wishes for people who have people who have been imprisoned because of their faith. These prisoners are falsely accused and/or fighting for human rights in various countries such as Cuba, Pakistan, Indonesia and Myanmar etc.
LT Social - Evensong at St Paul Cathedral
For our Lent term social, we attended the Choral Song at St Paul's Cathedral. The beautiful Anglican service was led almost entirely by music, with the Cathedral Choir singing preces and responses, the psalm for that evening, the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis of the Canticles and also an anthem.
Inter-Catholic Society day of events
Together with Newman House and other campus Catholic societies, we organised an Inter-Catholic day where the different catholic societies came together for a time of prayer and games! It was a wonderful time getting to know each other over ice-breaker games, bible quizzes and charades, and food! Held at More House, it was also a day with God as we attended mass together and had a praise & worship session!
Inter-Faith panel: Is Marriage meaningful?
In March, we organised another Inter-Faith event with the LSE Faith centre and fellow religious societies. As young people in the 21st century, we find ourselves talking about relationships and undoubtedly come across many different views. Accompanied by respectful speakers, the panel was an opportunity to explore controversial and taboo topics regarding marriage, such as the roles of men and women in marriage, premarital sex, and same sex marriage.
LT Social - Epping Forest Hike
To end off the academic year, we set off for a relaxing hike in Epping Forest! Epping Forest was a perfect time to bask in nature after a hectic academic year and let loose on the swings made by fellow hikers! While hiking, we were lucky enough to catch a herd of wild deers cross the trail right in front of us!
17 January 2016
Advent Retreat 2015
Just near the end of 2015's Michaelmas Term, LSE SU Catholic Society organised an Advent Retreat at Douai Abbey in Upper Woolhampton, Reading, UK. Douai Abbey is home to a community of monks of the English Benedictine Congregation. The monastery is under the patronage of St Edmund, King & Martyr, and was founded in Paris in 1615. Uprooted by the French Revolution it settled at Douai in Flanders. After more political turmoil the monastic community finally returned to England in 1903, settling at Woolhampton in Berkshire, at the invitation of the Bishop of Portsmouth.
In conjunction with the year of Mercy, this Advent Retreat's main focus was learning the meaning of Mercy and how to be more merciful in our daily lives. The word 'Mercy' was came from the Latin word, Misericordia which is having the heart to welcome the miserable condition of your brother or sister. As catholics, it is our permanent obligation to do the work of mercy through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
The corporal works of mercy include:
- To feed the hungry;
- To give drink to the thirsty;
- To clothe the naked;
- To harbour the harbourless;
- To visit the sick;
- To ransom the captive;
- To bury the dead.
- To instruct the ignorant;
- To counsel the doubtful;
- To admonish sinners;
- To bear wrongs patiently;
- To forgive offences willingly;
- To comfort the afflicted;
- To pray for the living and the dead.
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| Outside the new chapel for the monks at the abbey. |
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| Inside the chapel. |
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| While we were having a little walk around the area. |
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| From left: Stephanie, Fr Jose, Veronica, Izabela, Nicholas, Samantha, Paulina, Patricia, Paul, Ashley and David. |
It was great weekend embracing the value of silence and prayers away from the hustle and bustle of London. Special thanks to those at Douai Abbey for preparing the wonderful french cuisine and making us feel welcomed.
Date of retreat: 4-6 December 2015
Pictures by: Samantha Lim Yi Cheng
Singing Christmas Carols at St. Patrick's Church Soho
15 November 2015
Catholicism Series
After Mass on Wednesday for most of the 2015's Michaelmas Term, we will be screening episodes of the Catholicism by Bishop Robert Barron as part of our Faith Formation session.
Come and join us to learn more about the Catholic Faith!
Episode 1 - Amazed and Afraid: The Revelation of God Become Man
The strange and dangerous words of Jesus of Nazareth set up a drama that will culminate in a surprising battle between two kings, and in the wake of this conflict, an empire will be defeated – and the world will be changed. Bishop Robert Barron illuminates and explains the conviction of the Catholic Faith that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah, and the revelation of God become man. He shows how Jesus fulfills the four tasks of the Messiah, according to the Old and New Testaments, and how the living legacy of Christ, God and Messiah, is proclaimed by the Church. Join Bishop Barron as he addresses some of the most controversial questions about the life and identity of Jesus Christ and travels through the mysterious and sacred places of the Holy Land of Israel and the eternal city of Rome.
Episode 2 - Happy Are We: The Teachings of Jesus
The revelation of Jesus as God is accompanied by a stunning invitation to a unique new way of life, explained in the teachings of Jesus. To every generation, the words of Jesus have proven fascinating, disorienting, sometimes confounding, deeply transformative, and always unforgettable. Bishop Barron highlights the Beatitudes, the path of non-violence and lessons of forgiveness, care for the poor and our relationship with God as presented in the parables. Jesus’ teachings are illuminated during Bishop Barron’s pilgrimages to Poland, Germany, Spain and New York City. Commentaries at these sites also show how the Catholic Church is a living culture, which gives witness to the inviolable dignity of the human person.
Episode 3 - That Than Which Nothing Greater Can Be Thought: The Ineffable Mystery of God
Bishop Barron considers St. Anselm’s description of God as “that than which nothing greater can be thought,” and goes on to explain St. Thomas Aquinas’ arguments which support the claim that God truly exists. He also speaks from the Catholic tradition about the nature of God and the challenging question of evil and the existence of God. To provide a vision of the ineffable majesty and mystery of God, Bishop Barron invites us to the heights of the Sinai desert and makes his way to mysterious Istanbul, walks the glittering streets of Paris and then captivates the viewer with the glories of the Sistine Chapel in Rome.
Episode 4 - Our Tainted Nature's Solitary Boast: Mary, The Mother of God
In this episode, Bishop Barron masterfully correlates the Catholic Faith’s testimony to the revelation of God in Christ with the vivid practices of reverence offered to his Mother. Mary is explained as “an on-going presence, an actor in the life of the Church.” Bishop Barron journeys to the humble remains of Mary’s house in Nazareth, to the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus and to the great Marian shrines of Lourdes and Guadalupe to explain the Church’s teachings about Mary as the Mother of God, the Immaculate Conception and the dogma of the Assumption.
Episode 5 - The Indispensable Men: Peter, Paul, and the Missionary Adventure
Bishop Barron calls Peter and Paul “two indispensable men, the ones without whom the church never would have emerged and survived.” In telling each man’s story, Bishop Barron shows how the Holy Spirit worked through all the apostles and disciples to build the Church. Following the trail of these apostles as they took the Gospel to the ends of the earth, Bishop Barron presents the foundations of the apostolic faith, particularly the revelation of Christ’s resurrection from the dead.
Episode 6 - A Body Both Suffering And Glorious: The Mystical Union of Christ and The Church
Clearly answering the question, “What is the Church?” Bishop Barron presents the reality of the Church as “one, holy, catholic and apostolic.” The Body of Christ can be seen on earth from the Church’s center in Rome to the cities of New York, Sao Paolo, Manila, Namugongo and Uganda, while still escaping total understanding as the mystical union between Christ and his Church. Bishop Barron also explores the Catholic conviction that the life and presence of Christ continues to embrace humanity in all its joys and sorrows through the presence of the Church.
Episode 7 - Word Made Flesh, True Bread Of Heaven: The Mystery of The Liturgy and The Eucharist
Bishop Barron explores the ancient practices of the Church’s worship that endure to this very day, and the notion that “all value is summed up in the liturgy, the supreme act by which we commune with God.” Considered by the Catholic Faith to be “the source and summit” of its identity and mission, the Eucharist is the central practice of the Church’s culture. Bishop Barron describes all the parts of the Mass, and shows how the Sacred Liturgy embodies the whole of the Faith in diverse places as Jerusalem, Rome, Chicago, Orvieto, Mexico City.
Episode 8 - A Vast Company Of Witnesses: The Communion Of Saints
The story of the Church is told in the examples of those men and women who dedicated their lives to knowing and serving Jesus Christ. The Catholic Faith is made visible in real human lives. Bishop Barron gives consideration to some of the Church’s greatest heroes, and demonstrates how their extraordinary examples display both the passion and creative potential of the Catholic Church. Highlighting Katharine Drexel, Therese of Lisieux, Edith Stein, and Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Bishop Barron tells the story of the Church as a vast company of witness who are called by Christ to be a Communion of Saints.
Episode 9 - The Life of His Love: Prayer and the Life of the Spirit
In this lesson, Bishop Barron explores Catholic spirituality, which is centered on prayer. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “Prayer is the lifting up of the mind and the heart to God.” On pilgrimage to the places where the great saints and spiritual masters lived, Bishop Barron explores the different types of prayer: contemplation; adoration; petition; and intercession. In telling the stories of Catholics like Thomas Merton, St. Theresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, Bishop Barron demonstrates how the human person can be transformed through prayer that manifests a deep, spiritual commitment centered in Christ.
Episode 10 - World Without End: The Last Things
Explore the Church’s conviction that life here and now is preparation for an extraordinary world that is yet to come – a supernatural destiny. Bishop Barron presents the Catholic vision of death, judgment, heaven, hell and purgatory as he journeys to Florence, Ireland and Rome. The vision of the Church sees beyond this world and invites us to consider a world without end. Bishop Barron shows how this vision is supported by the mystery and truth of the Resurrection of Jesus.
Extracted from: http://catholicism.wordonfire.org/
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