ST BEDE’S PASTORAL CENTRE
St Bede’s Pastoral Centre, 21 Blossom Street, York YO24 1AQ.
Tel: 01904 464900, Email: [email protected]
December 09
Dear Friends ,
Thank you for all you have done to make this term another good one. It
has been lovely for those of us who live and work here to see so many
of you again this term and to see so many new faces too!
As you will have seen from our recent brochures, we have had both new
speakers and some who have become firm favourites and are kind enough to
return again and again. Your recommendations are really valued in ensuring that we
continue to get a good variety of speakers and from all areas of interest, so do keep the
suggestions flowing in.
As many of you may know, since January 2009 we have been celebrating the 400th
centenary of the founding vision of Mary Ward’s Institute .
As she and her companions took two years to define exactly what form this new
apostolic religious order should take, our
celebrations are extending too!.
On May 22nd
2010 there will
be a pilgrimage
to Mount Grace
Priory [ up the
hill from the
Carthusian
Monastery of
Mount Grace]. Exactly how it will be organised is still to be
decided, but all are welcome and it would be lovely to see
as many of you as feel able—hence the advance warning.
We will give more details in the next brochure.
Finally, all of us here at St Bede’s wish you a very happy and peaceful Christmas and
New Year, and look forward to seeing you again in 2010.
Cecilia CJ
ST BEDE’S AT A GLANCE IN SPRING 2010
Event and Speaker Date Time Suggested
Donat ion
For such a time as this... 2010
Joan Sargent and Sr Pauline
Wheeler
19 January 10.30-3.30 £12
Journalling - John Knowles 28 January, 4 ,11 & 25 Feb 4 & 11 March
1.45-4.15 £6/£32
Mary Ward and the Osbaldwick Connection - Andrew Clements
28 January 2-4 £5
Afternoon for Candlemas -
Jenny Mitchell 2 February 2-4 £5
Enneagram Part 2 - Karen
Webb 6 & 7 February 9.30-5 £40
Finding God in times of
Change and Transition -24 February 10.00-4.00 £12
The God who brings Freedom - 2 March 10.30-4.00 £12
The Girl and the City -
Brian Horne 3 March 10.30-3.30 £12
Who is this … - Coral Spencer 12 March 10.00-3.30 £12
Finding our Homeland -
Michael Mitton 20 March 10.00-3.30 £12
A Thousand Crucifixions -
Sally Nelson 24 March 2-4 £6
Gethsemane Afternoon - 19 March 2-4 £5
All sessions start at the time stated but you are welcome to come earlier for coffee. Refreshments are included in the price. Lunch
can be bought in the Bar Convent cafe; alternatively, bring your own to eat at St Bede’s. Length of lunchtimes varies. No
one should feel excluded for financial reasons please contact the office for further details.
REGULAR GROUPS AND PRAYER
MEETINGS TO FIND GOD IN ALL THINGS: discovering the Ignatian way of praying
the scriptures, with Sr Louise CJ.
£1 per meeting.
Tuesdays 7.30-8.45pm: 12 & 26 Jan, 9 & 23 Feb, 9 & 23 March
JULIAN MEETINGS: All are welcome to join Sr Thomas CJ and the small group that meets
for a quiet time of prayer and reflection.
Sr Thomas CJ. £2 per meeting.
Wednesdays 2.30-3.30pm: 13 & 27 Jan, 10 & 24 Feb, 10 & 24 March
YORK JUSTICE AND PEACE GROUP: a group interested in a wide variety of justice issues.
Usually 7.30pm on the second Monday each month.
Contact Nan Saeki 01904 783621
CHRISTIAN MEDITATION: an ancient form of contemplative prayer, seeking
God in stillness and silence.
13 & 27 Jan, 10 & 24 Feb, 10 & 24 March
Contact St Bede’s for more details.
CITY PRAYER: a group of enthusiastic people who meet to pray and sing together. Mondays,
7.30pm
Contact David Copeland 01904 330 608
ONGOING SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT SPIRITUAL ACCOMPANIMENT SUPPORT (SAS). A
group for people who work in spiritual accompaniment, for on-going training and support.
Please contact Cecilia Goodman CJ ([email protected] or phone 01904 464900)
A CUPPA AND SOME PEACE
Is life asking a lot of you at the moment? Caring for someone a lot of the time? Just surviving at work? Feeling low? Join us for some rest & creativity, or just a chat!
Come along any time between 12 midday and 3pm on Fridays in our term time -
bring your sandwiches if it’s your lunchtime. Drinks are provided and the cost is by
donation.
MASS IS SAID AT NOON IN OUR CHAPEL ON MOST MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS IN
TERM TIME AND AT NOON IN THE BAR CONVENT ON FRIDAYS.
Journalling Course with John Knowles
28 January—11 March (continuing from last term) Journalling is a creative way of using words (written for our eyes only) to explore
the many aspects and layers of our life and to illuminate their meaning for us.
This workshop, spread over three terms, provides an oasis to contemplate and
integrate the personal and spiritual dimensions of our life for future use. Based
on the work of Progoff, each session (6 per term) will consist of input, time for
writing and personal reflection. Please bring a hardback, loose-leaf file and paper
and a pen with you to each session.
INDIVIDUAL EVENTS WITH THE CJ SISTERS
THE GOD WHO BRINGS FREEDOM
Tuesday 2 March 10.30-4pm What have we to learn from the characters in the Prodigal Son, and
how do the differing approaches of the older and younger son play out
in our own lives? How does the woman with the issue of blood affect us
today, and what can we make of Peter’s attack on the servant of the
high priest in Gethsemane?
For all of us, Jesus’ freeing touch is needed and some of these familiar
stories can bring unexpected shifts and insights in our lives. The day
will be one with some input, guided meditations and time for personal
prayer. With Sr Cecilia CJ
GETHSEMANE AFTERNOON
Friday 19 March 2-4pm
They went to a place called Gethsemane Mark 14:32
Spend time in the garden with Jesus as He begins His Passion.
With Sr Ann CJ
INDIVIDUAL EVENTS
For such a time as this….2010
with Joan Sargent & Sr Pauline Wheeler SJW
Tuesday 19 January
Looking at the life of Esther and asking what God has for us in this new year.
Sister Pauline Wheeler SJW works as the Prayer Co-ordinator of the
Spurriergate Centre. She has worked for many years in the churches homes
of healing. She is a qualified Spiritual Director, a Methodist local preacher and is involved in lead-
ing days apart and retreats focussing on prayer and encouraging people to enter into sacred
space.
Joan Sargent MA works as Pastoral Co-ordinator of the Spurriergate Centre. She has recently
completed an M.A. in evangelism and is qualified as a Counsellor and Spiritual Director. She
speaks fluent Lancashire and spent 5 years in Afghanistan.
Mary Ward and the Osbaldwick Connection
with Andrew Clements
Thursday 28 January
An Anglican vicar’s reflections on Mary Ward 1585-1645
Mary Ward had a vision that ‘in time to come women would do much’
and her tombstone in the Anglican church in Osbaldwick bears a
coded reference to her determination that women might also take
inspiration from St. Ignatius: ‘To love the poore, persever in the same,
live, dy and rise with them was all the ayme of Mary Ward’.
Over the 12 years at Osbaldwick, Andrew has welcomed lots of visi-
tors to her tombstone in the parish church. He has also written an MA
thesis on Mary Ward.
A Quiet Afternoon for Candlemas
with Jenny Mitchell
Tuesday 2 February
Come and enjoy a time of prayer and reflection with scripture, art, words and music.
Jenny is a member of
the Sign Group.
Finding God in times of Change and Transition
with Margaret Silf
Wednesday 24 February
We are living in times of major dislocation where so many of our past
assumptions and ‘certainties’ appear to be breaking down. Is this
always bad news, or could it be the gateway through breakdown to
breakthrough? During the day we will explore a spirituality of transition,
reflecting on our own experience of change and breakdown, both
personal and global, and drawing wisdom from this experience. We
will also reflect on this experience alongside the narrative of transition
that we find in the ancient story of Passover and discovering the many
ways in which this helps to shed light on where we are today in the 21st
century.
Margaret is an ecumenical lay Christian committed to working across
and beyond the denominational divides. She spent most of her work-
ing life in the computer industry, and left in 2000 to devote herself to
writing and to accompanying others on their spiritual journey through
retreats, workshops and seminars. She is the author of a number of
books on the spiritual journey for 21st century pilgrims, a regular
columnist for 'America' magazine and a regular contributor to the
Bible Reading Fellowship 'New Daylight' series. Margaret has one
grown daughter and a baby granddaughter, and lives in Cheshire.
The Girl and the City
with Brian Horne
Wednesday 3 March The greatest poetry of medieval Europe, that
of the Divine Comedy, arises out of the
encounter of the poet, Dante, with two,
apparently unrelated, experiences: the world
of love and the world of politics. The girl,
Beatrice, and the city, Florence, defined the
contours of Dante’s vision of reality and his
journey to God. This day will explore the
relevance of that twin experience to our own
understanding of the spiritual journey.
The morning’s session will focus on the encounter with Beatrice. The afternoon’s session
will examine the meaning of the image of the City.
Brian Horne is a retired lecturer in Systematic Theology at King’s College, University of
London. Educated in South Africa, England and the United States of America, he was an
English Literature scholar before becoming a theologian. His principal interests are the
work of Dante Alighieri, Charles Williams and the relation between the arts and religion.
His publications include the books - A World to Gain, Imagining Evil and his edited volume
of essays on Charles Williams.
Who is This that Passes by
with Coral Spencer
Friday 12 March
A Quiet Day on the Via Dolorosa through the eyes of those Jesus encountered during His
ministry. This is an alternative view of the Stations of the Cross using art, music and
poetry as well as Scripture and personal reflection.
Coral lives in York and is a mother to three and grandmother to four.
She is an ecumenical Christian and has been involved in Ignatian
Spirituality for over 25 years. Coral is engaged in the ministry of
spiritual direction and retreats.
Finding our Homeland
with Michael Mitton
Saturday 20 March
Michael will explore the theme of homeland:
How do we find that place where we feel truly
at home in our lives? How can our church be
the kind of home where people feel the
safety of home, but also the freedom to
adventure? There are parallels today between
the people of God in exile in the 6th century BC, and the people
of God today living in a post-Christendom world – using the ancient stories for
inspiration, how does a vision of home encourage us? Michael will lead the day
using stories, poetry, music and silence.
Michael Mitton is a free-lance writer, trainer, consultant and spiritual director. He is
also the Fresh Expressions Adviser for the Derby Diocese and the non-stipendiary Priest
in Charge of St. Paul’s Church, Derby. He has written a number of books including The Sounds of God (Eagle 1993), Restoring the Woven Cord on Celtic Christianity (DLT 1995),
and Wild Beasts and Angels on the healing ministry (DLT 2000) A Heart to Listen (BRF
2004). His Restoring the Woven Cord and A Heart to Listen are both being revised and republished in 2010. He is also writing a book on the subject of Homecoming.
A Thousand Crucifixions
with Sally Nelson
Wednesday 24 March
What can the church say to twenty-first century society about suffering and pain? In this after-
noon session we will use a mixture of music, poetry and theology to reflect on the Lenten
theme of taking up the cross and following Christ. In particular we will explore the use of lament
and there will be chance to write your own.
I am a Baptist minister and worked for some years as a hospice
chaplain before pursuing research in theology. I have a special
interest in the theology of disability.