Many students leave today for their Christmas break. Some will stay throughout the Christmas holiday enjoying a peaceful and restful time with prayer and celebration in the college. News items will resume after the break which ends on 8th January. We wish everyone a peaceful and joyful Christmas with all the blessings the season brings.
The traditional Advent Service of Evening Prayer this evening marked the end of the term. A prayerful atmosphere prevailed in the common room where Evening Prayer began, continued into chapel for a time of Exposition with carols in six languages, and concluded in the Refectory. After a blessing, students, staff and guests celebrated a festive Christmas buffet meal prepared by our Personale. A lovely way to end this stage in the Beda programme.
The Beda Review for 2015-16 was officially unveiled by the rector at a pre-lunch book launch in the student comon room. In his absence, last year's editor, David Savoury (ordained for Clifton Diocese in July) was thanked by assistant editor John Tabor for his part in producing it. Students received their copies - just in time to take home for their Christmas reading?
Beda student Simon Agak, from the Rosminian community, who studied for the past four years at the Beda, was ordained priest today in Kisumu, Kenya. Congratulations, best wishes and prayers for him and his family and friends.
An external Beda student, Modestus Aloys from the Rosminian community, made his final vows in a ceremony this evening at Porta Latina. Staff and students were there to support him at this important moment in his vocational journey. Congratulations, prayers and best wishes to Modestus and to the whole Rosminian community.
An important step towards priesthood was taken by thirteen students from third year as they were accepted as Candidates in a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Arthur Roche. The dioceses the students are from are: Liverpool (3), Melaka-Jahor (2), Belgaum (India), Brisbane, Maitland_Newcastle, Melbourne, Durban, Nottingham, Elphin (Ireland) and Westminster. Congratulations to those students as they move towards diaconate ordination in June 2017.
Twelve students took the train to Albano for their day off to visit the Vatican observatory at Castelgondolfo.They were greeted and guided by the Director of the observatory, Guy Consolmagno who spent more than two hours showing them round the observatory and the papal appartments. Many thanks to Guy for the invitation, the hospitality, and for the wonderful guided tour.