CATHOLIC STUDENTS IN LONDON: WELCOME TO YOUR UNIVERSITY CHAPLAINCY FOR THE NEW ACADEMIC YEAR
Welcome to all the new students who will be arriving in London in September, and to those returning! We will have a full programme of Catholic chaplaincy activities for the months ahead. Whether you have a strong faith or whether you are searching and questioning, the chaplaincy is your home. Don’t be shy. And remember our motto: “Faith. Friendship. Community. Service”. These things are even more important in the Covid world.
For those who already know Newman House, things will look a bit different this year because of Covid-19. The chaplaincy will be working out of St Aloysius Church and other local parishes. To quote our patron, St John Henry Newman: “To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.” This is just a taster of the programme, and more details will follow soon.
- Our main chaplaincy centre at Newman House will be open as a hall of residence but, sadly, closed to non-residents. The spaces are simply too small for us to provide a Covid-secure environment for the large numbers of students involved. So there will be no public access to the chapel and the rest of the building this academic year.
- However, the University Chaplaincy programme will continue in other venues. The key moment will be 30pm Sunday evening Student Mass at St Aloysius Church, Euston (20 Phoenix Road, NW1 1TA), with Confessions before and a student social in the church hall afterwards. Starts on Sunday 6 Sept.
- There will be a regular programme of sacraments and events across central London. Regular weekday Confessions and Student Masses at St Charles (Ogle Street), St Peter and St Paul (Clerkenwell), St Aloysius (Euston), and on various campuses.
- There will be a full programme of remote groups and activities – prayer groups, rosary, bible study groups, apologetics, faith formation, faith sharing groups, Catholic theology, and much more.
- Our volunteering and social outreach commitment is as important as ever. Some of our current programmes will continue, and we hope there will be new remote projects to support people in different ways.
- There are a number of special events planned, including social events, London pilgrimages, retreats, a 33-day consecration, a Week of Guided Prayer, and much else besides.
- Each university has its own student-led Catholic Society and chaplain. Please contact your CathSoc to connect with students at your own university and see the services and activities they are organising – some of them remote, and some of them physical.
- We have a fantastic team of chaplains working across London and Hertfordshire. All of the chaplains will be available for support, conversation, advice and spiritual direction. We will share their contact details soon and introduce the new chaplains who are joining the team this year.
Our key message is: Don’t be alone this semester! Yes, things will look very different in the Covid-19 world. But the university chaplaincy will be a place where you can grow in faith and meet other young people in a safe and welcoming environment. When so many university groups are having to cut back or close this year, it is even more important for us as a chaplaincy to be present for our students and staff.
HOW TO KEEP IN TOUCH
Please like our Facebook Page: @newmanhouselondon – this is our main way of communicating with you.
www.facebook.com/newmanhouselondon
Follow us on Instagram: @newmanhouselondon
www.instagram.com/newmanhouselondon
Visit our website for general information about the Chaplaincy:
PS We still have one or two places in the residential community for the coming academic year. See this page for information: www.universitycatholic.net/accommodation/newman-house-residential-community/
