| The St Catherine’s Trust for Traditional Catholic Education Traditio et Veritas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Welcome to the website of the St Catherine's Trust, a charitable trust set up in 2004 to promote Catholic education in accordance with the traditional teachings, liturgy and devotions of the Roman Catholic Church. Our main activity at present is the organisation of an annual week-long Summer School for young Catholics aged 11 to 17.
Latest NewsFamily Retreats DiscontinuedWe are sorry to announce that we do not plan to have any more Family Retreats. This is due to the rising costs of these events leading to declining attendances.Unfortunately, this means that the Chant Courses which accompanied these Retreats have also been discontinued. The Latin Mass Society hopes to organise one-day Chant Courses from time to time: please refer to their website or to the blog of the Gregorian Chant Network for further information.
2020 Summer School, for boys and girls aged 11-17
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Bookings are now open for our 2020 Summer School, which will be held at the St Cassian’s Retreat Centre, about a mile south west of Kintbury, Berkshire. This is a secluded manor house with extensive grounds which should provide an ideal atmosphere for the Summer School, especially as we will be the only group using it at the time.
Please note that from this year we have decided to reduce the upper age limit for the Summer School from 18 to 17. However, those who will be aged 18 this summer but have attended a recent Summer School are also welcome to apply. The School will include Sung Mass or High Mass in the traditional Roman rite each day, plus daily Rosary and Sung Compline. The timetable will follow our time-tested pattern of Rosary after breakfast, followed by three morning classes and then Sung or High Mass. After lunch there will be altar serving practice sessions for the boys, after which pupils will have a choice of activity – this year's activities are expected to be football, sewing or a country walk. Tea will follow at about 4pm followed by Latin and singing lessons (Gregorian Chant or polyphony). After dinner we will have either a talk from a visiting speaker or a film of Catholic interest. On two evenings Compline will be preceded by Benediction. On the penultimate evening there will be a quiz on the material taught during the week, while on the final evening pupils will present a staged reading of one of Dorothy L. Sayers' radio plays in the series The Man Born to be King. The Summer School will start with a Sung Mass at around 5pm on Sunday 2nd August, finishing after Mass and lunch on Saturday 8th August. There will be at least one outing during the week to a place of local interest. Kintbury railway station is served by hourly trains between London Paddington and Bedwyn. These trains also call at Reading, allowing interchange with trains from many parts of the country. By road, Kintbury is off the A4, four miles west of its junction with the A34 at Newbury. The postcode is RG17 9SR. There is no fee - parents are invited to make a donation according to their means. It is our intention that nobody should be discouraged from attending our Summer Schools on grounds of cost.
Please apply online or use our
printable application form (A4 size, PDF format). |
Some Past Events
2019 Summer School, for boys and girls aged 11-18, Sunday 28th July to Saturday 3rd August 2019
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This was held once again at the Divine Retreat Centre (formerly St Augustine's Abbey), St Augustine's Road, Ramsgate,
directly over the road from St Augustine's Shrine, Ramsgate.
The Summer School started with a Sung Mass at 5.15pm in St Augustine's Shrine on Sunday 28th July, finishing after Mass and lunch on Saturday 3rd August.
As always, the Summer School included daily Rosary, Sung Mass or High Mass, and Compline. There was no fee - parents were invited to make a donation according to their means.
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2019 Family Retreat - Friday 5th April to Sunday 7th April 2019
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This took place once again at the Oratory School, near Reading (RG8 0PJ).
The Retreat givers were Fr Konrad Loewenstein and Fr Seth Phipps of the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter (FSSP),
assisted by Fr Guy Nicholls of the Birmingham Oratory. The Retreat attracted about 52 people from 10 families, plus a few individual attenders. Arrivals were from 4pm to 4.45pm on the Friday, with a Sung Mass at 5pm followed by dinner. Late registrations were possible from 7 to 7.30pm, and the Retreat ended after Mass and lunch on the Sunday. The Retreat included Sung Mass each day (with High Mass on the Saturday), sung Vespers and Benediction on the Saturday evening and sung Compline on the Friday and Saturday nights. The Rosary was said on the Saturday and Sunday after breakfast. On the Saturday afternoon the Stations of the Cross were prayed in procession through the grounds, finishing in the Old Chapel. This was followed by tea, with a Catholic bookstall available. The Retreat ended after Mass and lunch on the Sunday. During the conferences for the adults there were activities of various kinds organised for the children, including an Easter Egg hunt on the Sunday morning. A collection of photos can be seen on Joseph Shaw's Flickr account, beginning at http://www.flickr.com/photos/josephshaw/47584590071/. Follow the link then click the chevron at the right to see successive photos from the Retreat and accompanying Gregorian Chant Course. Some general information about our Family Retreats is available here in PDF format.
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2019 Gregorian Chant Course - Friday 5th April to Sunday 7th April 2019
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This took place once again at the Oratory School near Reading, running alongside the Family Retreat.
Participants provided the singing for the Masses, Offices and procession during the Family Retreat, and enjoyed a variety of training sessions designed to cater for their varying levels of experience.
The Course was residential, with accommodation for participants in single rooms in a block separate from those used by the Family Retreat participants. The tutors this year were:
Further information:
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2018 Summer School, for boys and girls aged 11-18
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This was held for the first time at the Divine Retreat Centre (formerly St Augustine's Abbey), St Augustine's Road, Ramsgate (CT11 9PA),
directly over the road from St Augustine's Shrine, Ramsgate.
The Summer School started with a Sung Mass at 5pm in St Augustine's Shrine on Sunday 29th July, finishing after Mass and lunch on Saturday 4th August. (Unfortunately due to the schedule of the Retreat Centre, the Summer School was forced to finish one day earlier this year.) As always, the Summer School included daily Rosary, Sung Mass or High Mass, and Compline. The Masses (and Compline, on most evenings) took place in the beautiful Shrine chapel while the accommodation, lessons and other activities were in the Retreat Centre.
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2018 Latin Course - Monday 30th July to Friday 3rd August 2018
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The Latin Mass Society's 2018 Latin Course for adults was held at the Carmelite
Retreat Centre at Boars Hill near Oxford (OX1 5HB).
Future Latin Courses will not be advertised here as they no longer run in conjunction with St Catherine's Trust events. |
2018 Family Retreat - Friday 6th April to Sunday 8th April 2018
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This took place once again at the Oratory School, near Reading (RG8 0PJ).
The Retreat givers were Canons Scott Tanner and Amaury Montjean of the Institute of Christ the King,
who were joined on the Saturday by Br Albert Robertson who was subdeacon at High Mass. The Retreat attracted about 75 people from 13 families. Some photographs can be seen on Dr Joseph Shaw's blog here and on his Flickr account beginning here (click the right chevron for successive photos). |
2018 Gregorian Chant Course - Friday 6th April to Sunday 8th April 2018
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This took place at the Oratory School once again, running alongside the Family Retreat. The tutors were Christopher Hodkinson, a director of the Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge, and Dr Matthew Ward. The nineteen participants provided the singing for the Masses, Offices and procession during the Family Retreat, and enjoyed a variety of training sessions designed to cater for their varying levels of experience. These ranged from an introduction to the Gregorian modes to practical training in conducting a schola. At the final Mass the various parts of the propers and ordinary were conducted by different course participants. Some photographs can be seen on Dr Joseph Shaw's blog here. |
2017 Summer School, for Ages 11-18 - Sunday 23rd July to Sunday 30th July 2017
This took place once again at the
Franciscan Retreat Centre in Pantasaph, North Wales.
This year the Summer School attracted 39 pupils, the largest number since moving to Pantasaph. As usual, the School included Sung Mass or High Mass each day, plus daily Rosary and Sung Compline. On two evenings we also had Benediction.
The Summer School followed the time-tested pattern of Rosary after breakfast, followed by three morning classes and then Sung or High Mass. After lunch there were altar serving practice sessions for the boys, after which pupils had a choice of activity – football or sewing. This year the sewing sessions featured the making of embroidered prayer cards. Tea followed at about 4pm, after which there were classes in Latin (in three groups depending on ability) followed by practical sessions in Gregorian Chant or polyphony. After dinner, on two evenings we had talks from guest speakers, one from Fr Mark Higgins of the Archdiocese of Southwark on St Augustine of Canterbury, and the other from Canon Scott Tanner of the Institute of Christ the King on the Institute's patrons, St Benedict, St Thomas Aquinas and St Francis de Sales. The talks were followed by Benediction. On two other evenings we had Catholic films, The Agony and the Ecstasy and Conspiracy of Hearts.
On the penultimate evening there was the traditional quiz on what had been taught during the week, in which the students took part with their customary enthusiasm.
Fr Andrew Southwell was with us once again with us as Chaplain, and his catechism classes this year focussed on the Mass. We were ably assisted by Br Vincent Hoare of the Fraternité Saint-Vincent-Ferrier at Chéméré-le-Roi in France, who explored the Mysteries of the Rosary through iconography, taught Gregorian Chant and assisted in the schola for the sung Masses. We were also delighted to welcome former pupil Mr Ciall Humphrey back as a staff member for the second year, teaching Latin and an introduction to mental prayer. Mr Humphrey is a seminarian at the Fraternity of St Peter's seminary in Denton, Nebraska, and received the cassock and tonsure on his return there shortly after the 2017 Summer School. Mr David Forster once again taught the more advanced Latin class, and directed a staged reading of King of Sorrows – one of Dorothy L Sayers' radio plays in the cycle The Man Born to be King – which was performed with accustomed enthusiasm by an all-pupil cast on the final evening. Dr Joseph Shaw taught ethics and Gregorian Chant, while Mrs Lucy Shaw once again taught New Testament Greek and directed the sewing project. Dr John Tennant taught Latin and Gregorian Chant, and rehearsed and conducted some of the pupils in the singing of two polyphonic motets, Jacob Arcadelt's Ave Maria and Louis Lambillotte's Panis Angelicus, in the final Mass. Miss Moira Fernetti was our first aider and also assisted with the sewing project, while Miss Rhoslyn Thomas was with us as a house mother for the girls.
After the first morning class on the Saturday, we all travelled to Warrington where Fr Southwell celebrated a Sung Mass at the Fraternity of St Peter's shrine church, by kind permission of the Rector Fr James Mawdsley FSSP, assisted by servers from the Summer School. After packed lunches we then went on to Chester for a couple of hours of free time before returning to Pantasaph for a final play preparation session before dinner.
A collection of photos from the 2017 Summer School can be seen here.
2017 Family Retreat, Friday 31st March to Passion Sunday 2nd April 2017
This year we were back at the Oratory School, and the Retreat was conducted by Fr Serafino and Br Rosario of the Franciscan Friars in Gosport. Some twelve families, totalling sixty people, attended. The Retreat included Stations of the Cross procession through the grounds, Vespers and Benediction on the Saturday, and Compline on the Friday and the Saturday.
A collection of photos from the Retreat can be seen here.
2017 Gregorian Chant Training Weekend - Friday 31st March to Passion Sunday 2nd April 2017
This course, organised by the Gregorian Chant Network (GCN), ran alongside the Family Retreat at the Oratory School. It was led by Fr Guy Nicholls of the Birmingham Oratory and Dr Christopher Hodkinson, a Director of the Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge founded by the late Dr Mary Berry. The GCN is an umbrella group for choirs singing chant and other interested organisations, including the St Catherine's Trust and the Latin Mass Society. The St Catherine's Trust administers the chant course's practical side, the food and accommodation and so on. Those coming on the Chant course were able to sing at the liturgies of the Retreat: Mass, Vespers, Benediction and Compline, and thus had a chance to sing a wide range of chant, including Psalm tones, Office hymns, and complex Mass propers. Having two chant tutors meant that the group could be divided for part of the time, allowing those with different levels of experience to get the most out of the course.2016 Summer School, for Ages 11-18 - Sunday 24th July to Sunday 31st July 2016
This took place once again at the
Franciscan Retreat Centre in Pantasaph, North Wales.
This year the Summer School attracted 36 pupils, the largest number since moving to our current venue, the Franciscan Friary at Pantasaph. Our Chaplain and co-founder, Fr Andrew Southwell, was back with us, taking time out from his doctoral studies in Rome. As usual, the School included Sung Mass or High Mass each day, plus daily Rosary and Sung Compline. On two evenings we also had Benediction.
We were also delighted to welcome Mr Ciall Humphrey, a former pupil on the Summer School, back as a teacher.
This year's Summer School included an outing to the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, where Fr Andrew Southwell and Miss Caroline Marris (of the Summer School staff) explained the gallery's religious and pre-Raphaelite paintings respectively.
The Summer School featured two evening talks, one from Fr Anton Gudziel of the Birmingham Oratory on St Philip Neri, and the other from Fr James Mawdsley FSSP on the Divine Office. Fr Mawdsley, who was ordained on 2nd July 2016 in Bavaria and is currently based at the Fraternity's shrine church in Warrington, also gave First Blessings to pupils and staff. As well as the classes in the morning, there were serving practice sessions for the boys in the afternoon, after which pupils had a choice of activity: football or sewing. This year the sewing sessions featured the making of brown scapulars.
On the penultimate evening there was the traditional quiz on what had been taught during the week, in which the students took part with their customary enthusiasm.
On the Saturday afternoon, in place of serving practice, we prayed the Way of the Cross following the outdoor Stations belonging to the Friary, with veneration of a relic of the True Cross at the 12th Station.
A collection of photos from the 2016 Summer School can be seen here.
2016 Family Retreat, Easter Friday 1st April to Low Sunday 3rd April 2016
The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, from Papa Stronsay, led the St Catherineâ€(tm)s Trust Family Retreat over the weekend of Low Sunday, in Ratcliffe College (LE7 4SG), a Catholic boarding school about seven miles from Leicester. The Latin Mass Societyâ€(tm)s Priest Training Conference took place there in 2013.The Retreat Givers were Fr Magdala Maria and Fr Jean Marie F.SS.R, two young priests. As well as conferences from the Retreat givers, there were daily Sung or High Mass, Rosary and opportunities for Confession. The Retreat included a procession through the grounds, Vespers and Benediction on the Saturday, and Compline.
2016 Gregorian Chant Training Weekend - Easter Friday 1st April to Low Sunday 3rd April 2016
This course, organised by the Gregorian Chant Network (GCN), ran alongside the Family Retreat at Ratcliffe College. It was led by Colin Mawby, the distinguished composer who was the Director of Music at Westminster Cathedral under Cardinal Heenan, and Christopher Hodkinson, a Director of the Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge founded by the late Dr Mary Berry. The GCN is an umbrella group for choirs singing chant and other interested organisations, including the St Catherineâ€(tm)s Trust and the Latin Mass Society. The St Catherine's Trust administers the chant courseâ€(tm)s practical side, the food and accommodation and so on. Those coming on the Chant course were able to sing at the liturgies of the Retreat: Mass, Vespers, Benediction and Compline, and thus had a chance to sing a wide range of chant, including Psalm tones, Office hymns, and complex Mass propers. Having two chant tutors meant that the group could be divided for part of the time, allowing those with different levels of experience to get the most out of the course.2015 Summer School, for Ages 11-18 - Sunday 26th July to Sunday 2nd August 2015
This took place once again at the Franciscan Retreat Centre in Pantasaph, North Wales.
Our Chaplain and co-founder, Fr Andrew Southwell, was back with us, taking time out from his doctoral studies in Rome.
The Summer School started with Sung Mass on Sunday evening 26th July, followed by dinner, and ended on the following Sunday, with Sung Mass followed by lunch.
This year's outings comprised an afternoon outing to Denbigh and a pilgrimage to the relics of St Richard Gwynne in Wrexham Cathedral with High Mass and Benediction (in conjunction with the LMS).
You can view photos from the 2015 Summer School here.
2015 Family Retreat and Gregorian Chant Course
Unfortunately these two events did not take place this year owing to to circumstances beyond our control connected with the venue (the Oratory School, Reading).2014 Summer School, for Ages 11-18 - Sunday 27th July to Sunday 3rd August 2014
The 2014 Summer School, for boys and girls aged from 11 to 18, took place at the same venue as the previous year, the Franciscan Retreat Centre in Pantasaph, North Wales. As in previous years, we had daily Rosary, Sung or High Mass in the traditional rite, and Sung Compline at the end of the day.In the absence of our chaplain Fr Andrew Southwell (who was unable to attend due to his studies), Br (now Fr) Stephen Morrison of St Philip's (Premonstratensian) Priory in Chelmsford was with us throughout the week. As a layman, Br Stephen had been on the Summer School staff from 2006 to 2010. He provided catechism lessons, while the daily Sung or High Masses were provided by Fr John Hunwicke, Fr Richard Bailey and certain of the priests attending the concurrent Latin Course for adults (see below).
The Summer School also included lessons each day in Catholic History, English Literature and a number of other subjects taught from a Catholic perspective, from our volunteer staff. The boys received altar serving training and were of course able to serve at the Masses themselves. In the afternoons, there were various activities to choose from including football and sewing, which were followed by lessons in singing (Gregorian chant and/or polyphony) and Latin, before dinner. On one afternoon there was an outing to Chester.
After dinner each evening, there was talk or a film on a Catholic theme, while on the penultimate evening we held the traditional quiz on the material taught over the week. Each day was rounded off with sung Compline, preceded on two evenings by Benediction.
A special feature of the 2014 Summer School was that on the Saturday, we all travelled to the Shrine of Ss Peter, Paul and Philomena (the “Dome of Home”) in New Brighton to participate in the Latin Mass Society's pilgrimage to that shrine. This included High Mass, a guided tour of the shrine church, lunch and solemn Benediction.
For a collection of photos from the 2014 Summer School, click here.
2014 Latin Course for Adults, Monday 28th July to Saturday 2nd August 2014
Once again, the Latin Mass Society's Latin Course took place concurrently with the Summer School, with participants attending the Masses and Offices of the Summer School. Full details can be seen on the Latin Mass Society's website.
2014 Family Retreat and Gregorian Chant Course
Unfortunately these two events did not take place this year owing to building works taking place at the Oratory School.2013 Summer School, for Ages 11-18 - Sunday 21st July to Sunday 28th July 2013
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| Participants in our 2013 Summer School |
Each day started with breakfast and the Rosary followed by classes, with the Mass preceding lunch. Our Chaplain Fr Andrew Southwell gave catechesis, and there were lessons each day in Catholic History, English Literature and a number of other subjects taught from a Catholic perspective, by our volunteer staff.
The boys received altar serving training in the first part of the afternoons, and served at the Masses themselves. In the afternoons, there were lively football matches and sewing classes, followed by lessons in singing (Gregorian chant and/or polyphony) and Latin, before dinner. On one afternoon we had an outing to St Asaph and Denbigh.
After dinner each evening, there was talk or a film on a Catholic theme, including talks from Canon Amaury Montjean of the Institute of Christ the King (based at their church on the Wirral) on the Sacred Heart and from Fr Julian Booth on Blessed Dominic Barberi. On the penultimate evening we held the traditional quiz on the material taught over the week. Each day ended with sung Compline, preceded on two evenings by Benediction.
Three pages of photos can be seen here: 1 2 3
2013 Family Retreat - Easter Friday 5th April to Low Sunday 7th April 2013
| View video: One Weekend in April: The St. Catherine's Trust Family Retreat, April 2013 from LMS on Vimeo |
This was our fourth Family Retreat in this excellent Catholic venue. It included daily Sung (or High) Mass in the traditional rite, spiritual conferences and talks for the adults, plus talks and activities for children of all ages. As in previous years the Retreat will included sung Vespers on the Saturday evening and sung Compline on the Friday and Saturday nights.
The Retreat Giver was Fr John Hunwicke of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.
2013 Gregorian Chant Training Weekend - Easter Friday 5th April to Low Sunday 7th April 2013
| View video: One Weekend in April, Part Two: The Gregorian Chant Network Weekend Course from LMS on Vimeo |
2012 Summer School, for Ages 11-18, Sunday 22nd July to Sunday 29th July 2012
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| Participants in our 2012 Summer School |
As in previous years, the Summer School included daily Rosary, plus daily Sung Mass and Sung Compline, both in the traditional rite. This year, thanks to the presence of additional clergy, Fr Thomas Crean OP and Fr John Hunwicke of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham (who was one of the tutors on the Latin Course running in parallel with the Summer School), we were able to have Solemn High Masses on most days. The students received catechesis from our Chaplain Fr Andrew Southwell, and lessons each day in Catholic History, English Literature and a number of other subjects taught from a Catholic perspective, from our volunteer staff. In the afternoons, activities included football and sewing, followed by lessons in singing (Gregorian chant or polyphony) and Latin, before dinner. On one day there was an outing to Holywell including Sung Mass in the parish church and a visit to the shrine of St Winefride, followed by a packed lunch and some free time in Chester. After dinner, the students enjoyed a talk or a film on a Catholic theme. On the penultimate evening a quiz was held on the material taught over the week, in which the students participated with their usual enthusiasm. On the final night we listened to a staged reading of The Empty Tomb by Dorothy L. Sayers, performed by some of the students under the direction of Mr David Forster. Each day was rounded off by sung Compline, preceded on two evenings by Benediction.
The Summer School attracted twenty-six students aged 11 to 18. Four pages of photos may be seen here: 1 2 3 4
For details of our previous Summer School, in 2010, see Dr Joseph Shaw's blog, or below.
For descriptions and photos from our earlier Summer Schools, please see the links on the left or below.
2012 Latin Course for Adults, Monday 23rd July to Sunday 29th July 2012
This took place at the Franciscan Friary in Pantasaph at the same time as the Summer School. Accommodation was provided at St Winefride's Guest House next to the Holywell shrine.2012 Family Retreat, Easter Friday 13th April to Low Sunday 15th April 2012
This took place at the Oratory School, Oxfordshire, near Reading.This Retreat was our sixth annual Retreat for families, and our third at this excellent venue! It included Daily Sung or High Mass in the traditional rite, sung Compline, traditional devotions, spiritual conferences and activities for children of all ages. The Retreat was designed to enable parents to attend accompanied by their children, although adults not accompanied by children were also welcome.
2012 Gregorian Chant Course, Easter Friday 13th April 2012 to Low Sunday 15th April 2012
This took place concurrently with the Family Retreat (above) at the Oratory School.The Chant Course, provided in association with the Gregorian Chant Network, was directed by Colin Mawby, composer and former Director of Music at Westminster Cathedral, and Christopher Hodkinson of the Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge.
The singers participated in the liturgical functions of the Family Retreat, involving rehearsal of the Mass Ordinaries and Propers, and the chants for Benediction and the Divine Office. They were also introduced to the semiology used in the Graduale Triplex in the context of the Offertory and Communion chants from the Mass of Low Sunday.
2010 Summer School, for Ages 11-18, Sunday 1st August to Sunday 8th August 2010
This took place at Ardingly College, near Haywards Heath, as last year. This “jubilee” Summer School, marking five years since our first in 2005, saw all the features which have made it such a success over the years.We had high staff-student ratio thanks to our volunteers, making for a varied set of subjects and small class sizes. Our Chaplain, Fr Southwell, gave all the students catechesis. Each day began with the Rosary in the chapel, and ended with Sung Compline; we had Sung Mass every day before lunch. In addition to the lessons there was a variety of outdoor activities, sewing and drawing, altar serving training for the boys, and a trip to Arundel with Sung Mass in the Cathedral.
Some pictures can be seen on Dr Joseph Shaw's blog.
2010 Latin Course for Adults, Sunday 1st to Sunday 8th August 2010
This new initiative took place at Ardingly College concurrently with the Summer School. It had its own accommodation and staff, but participants were able to attend the liturgical functions (Sung Mass and Sung Compline) of the Summer School each day.Under the direction of the well-known Latinist Mr Philip Goddard, this was the only Latin Summer School with a focus on liturgical Latin. It was an intensive course with classes for beginners and the more advanced.
Reports on our past events
| About the Trust |
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The St Catherine’s Trust is a Registered Charity, no. 1110417.