The College celebrated its Patronal Feast in an intimate and outgoing way. We gathered for Morning Prayer at 09.30 followed by a joyful celebration of the Eucharist at 11.30. The many College guests were invited for a splendid buffet dinner in the evening, beginning at 19.00: our fine garden is perfect for this. The small selection of pictures below will give a flavour of how the day unfolded. Happily, the threated rain did not materialize. Four members of the Ordination Year of 2013 were able to join us as part of the celebration of their tenth anniversary. We shared a ubique sense of closeness to Beda members around the world, living and dead; and, in particular, with the Beda Association.

Today the College celebrates our Patron, the Northumbrian Monk Bede, who died in the year 735 and is widely recognised as not only a great historian but also a great learned figure of Anglo-Saxon England. His scholarship covered a huge range of subjects, including commentaries on the bible, observations of nature, music and poetry. The Opening Prayer at Today’s Mass speaks of a marriage in the learned Monk of the gifts of wisdom and merit ( virtue ) and in our own lives as disciples of Christ Jesus we ask for his intercession and inspiration that we may emulate our Patron ! Here in Rome tomorrow we keep the Feast of Saint Philip Neri, known as ‘ il santo sorridente’ , the smiling Saint. In the work of evangelization let us call on both of these saintly figures so that WISDOM, VIRTUE and A SMILE will be our gifts to others today ! Saint Bede, pray for us !

12-14 May 2023 This was the last occasion when Year 4 would meet for a reflective ‘weedend away’. It focused on the whole formation/seminary experience and the prospect of crossing the threshold of leaving the College. There were lots of happy, poignant and courageous moments: memories, reminiscences and anticipations. The Divine Word retreat centre at Nemi had lots of memories too. Despite the drizzly weather, on Saturday afternoon a few responded to the urge to walk round the lake.

All of Year 1 received the Ministry of Reader at this joyful Wednesday evening Mass. They were joined by their guests and enjoyed a shared supper together afterwards. Each of the new Readers received a copy of The New Oxford Annotated Bible.

Guests were invited for a lovely afternoon tea in the garden in celebration of the Coronation of their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla

Seminarians of the Beda College participate in the Easter Sunday Mass with the Holy Father

It was a joy to celebrate Holy Week together without any Covid restrictions. You will find below a miscellany of photos covering Palm Sunday and the Easter Triduum. We were happy to have some guests staying with us as well. The Palm Sunday procession, the Washing of the Feet on Holy Thursday, the Veneration of the Cross on Good Friday and the New Fire and Blessing of the Paschal Candle on Holy Saturday night all make for utterly captivating liturgy. Careful preparations and rehearsals made the celebrations easy, fluent and prayerful.

On Sunday 26 March the community of the Venerable English College came to the Beda for Mass and lunch. For twenty years the Beda – in alternate years during Lent - has hosted either the Scots/Irish Colleges or the VEC. We have called it the Oasis Sunday and it usually falls on mid-Lent Sunday. It is a warm and friendly occasion; celebrating Mass together, followed by lunch. It is quite remarkable how much better we know each other afterwards. This year Fr Stephen Wang (VEC Rector) preached at Mass and received a small gift from the Beda community to mark his twenty fifth anniversary of ordination.

Each year the College welcomes the representatives from the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales who have responsibility for the overseas seminaries. We were very happy to host Archbishop Mark O’Toole (Cardiff and Menevia), Archbishop John Wilson (Southwark) and Bishop John Sherrington (Westminster) for two days. It is a formal visitation, meeting with Personale, Students and Staff; checking out new developments and refurbishments in the House, and joining in the process of visioning for the future. It is fully immersive - a sort of experiential quarantore. In more relaxed mode – see photographs - it is sometimes referred to it as our annual MOT!

This was a happy day for three of our students as they were called to the Ministry of Acolyte. The Rector presided and encouraged the candidates to work for the ‘good of the Church’. Louis Osei osb, Cassian Shayo osb and Philip Thornley (Leeds) were supported by their guests and the whole College community. It was a joy to have so many Benedictines present for this joyous occasion.

3-5 March 2023 Nemi. This weekend on Human Development, with a focus on Sexuality, took place at the SVD Retreat House in Nemi from Friday 3 to Sunday 5 March 2023. It happens every other year, with Safeguarding being the theme for the alternate year. Fr Brendan has led sessions, very successfully, for us before. It was nicely paced with care being taken to ensure all the participants were not overwhelmed or uncomfortable. In fact, it was a ‘lift’ for everyone to be able to reflect on sexuality in a positive and joyful way. The large group numbered sixteen in total, and three smaller discussion groups worked in easy accord. It was an excellent combination of ‘input’ and ‘group reflection’.

The theme for Christian Unity Week this year is DO GOOD; SEEK JUSTICE (Isaiah 1:12-18). At the Beda we highlighted the theme linked to Day 8 of the ecumenical prayer cycle ‘The Justice that restores Communion’, using Ephesians 2:13-22 and Luke 18:1-8 as the other inspirational passages from Scripture. Our celebration took place on the evening of the Saturday in the Unity Octave. We were joined by many guests and members from other Christian communities in Rome. Fr Martin Brown osb, an official at the Dicastery for Christian Unity (Holy See) preached the homily. He has studied in Durham where he found a great affinity for St Bede. As a shared Symbolic Action we crafted sprigs of olive branch into a mesh-woven cross. The olive tree takes more than twenty years to produce fruit - indeed the one in the Beda orchard has only fruited in the last couple of years - and its branches betoken a climate of friendship in which that growth can happen. After the Service in church we joined our guests for a delightful Buffet Supper in the student common room.

The College brought the first term to an end on Friday 16 December at 18.15 by celebrating an Advent Service with the theme of Via Lucis. This enabled us to process between the three main gathering spaces in the College. We started in the Common Room with the Psalms of evening prayer, Readings and Advent songs. From there we processed into the corridor and from there to the Chapel. During exposition we heard five single voices singing carols in different languages, sang the Magnificat and received the blessing. Finally, we processed to the Dining Room where we shared intercessions, blessed food for a festive supper, and sang the Alma. Several guests attended.

Nine members of Year 3 were called to Candidacy (becoming a named ‘candidate’ for ordination to the priesthood) by Bishop Paul Tighe (Secretary at the Dicastery for Culture and Education) on Wednesday 7 December 2022, at 18.00. The core of the Rite is quite short. Bishop: In response to the Lord’s call, do you resolve to complete your preparation so that in due time through Holy Orders you will be prepared to assume ministry within the Church? Candidates: I do. Bishop: Do you resolve to prepare yourselves in mind and spirit to give faithful service to Christ the Lord and his Body, the Church? Candidates: I do. Bishop: The Church receives your declaration with joy. May God who has begun the good work in you bring it to fulfillment. All: Amen. We continued the celebration into supper at 19,30

Year 1 have had a few days at Palazzola, for a period of recollection and reflection. The resouces for the weekend were the members of the group themselves and their experience – so far - of ‘being at seminary’. Everyone was savouring a first taste of the unique setting of the convento Pallazola. The group photo shows the Library as the convivial setting for the group meetings.

On Sunday 6 November the College gathered to give thanks for achievements of the previous academic year. All the teaching faculty – internal and external professors – met at 10.00 for one of their bi-annual meetings. This was followed by Mass at 11,30. At the end of mass individual students, who had received academic awards in June through St Mary’s University Twickenham, were congratulated by the Rector and received the warm appreciation of all. A joyful lunch ensued at 13.00. It was a beautiful day.

The opening Mass of the induction for new students took place in the Basilica St Paul. We were joined this year by 11 new students and 3 Anglican Exchange students. The Induction Period also included an early morning Mass in the Crypt of St Peter's. There have been many opportunities to discover Rome and to travel to local places. A walk around central Rome; a day trip to visit the Papal Palace and Gardens of Castel Gandolfo and Nemi; the Catacombs of San Callisto and the Ardeatine caves; and Mass in Santa Maria in Trastevere. The new students, together with many returning students, attended the Wednesday Audience of the Holy Father in Saint Peter’s square. Tickets had been obtained for good seats on the Sagrata near the Holy Father who also welcomed the new students during the audience. The college then prepared for University registration and the Period of Recollection for the opening of year was held this last weekend while lectures began on Monday.

Eight Third Year Beda students were today ordained deacon in the Basilica of St Paul's outside the Walls by Bishop Mark Davies, Bishop of Shrewsbury. The new deacons are for the following dioceses: Southwark, Shrewsbury, Derry, Down and Conner, Killala, Leeds, Stockholm and Westminster. Congratulations to all the new deacons and thanks to everyone who helped to make this such a special day. Ad Multos Annos. 100 photos of the day can be accessed here.

The Beda anticipated the celebration of two Golden Jubilees on Sunday. During the summer, Sister Patricia celebrates 50 years of Religious Profession and Fr Peter celebrates 50 years of Priestly Ordination. The joyful thanksgiving for those milestones was marked with a sadness in the college as Fr Peter finishes as spiritual director at the Beda this summer. Drinks before lunch, presentations to both Jubilarians, and a relaxed meal together gave everyone the opportunity to express their thanks for the past and their best wishes for what lies ahead. Ad multos annos.

With the end of year exams completed, the Rector's Gita always provides a time to relax and wind down. For the first time this year, on 9th and 10th of June, the Gita took in an overnight stay near the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi. This extended visit was to mark in a special way the contribution which the FMDM Sisters have made to the life of the Beda during their 62 years here. The photographs which can be accessed here show various events during a wonderful two day visit. An 8 minute video of the visit is available on Facebook.