Unless otherwise stated meetings take place at The Old Palace (Catholic Chaplaincy), which is located in Rose Place, just off St. Aldates and opposite Christ Church Memorial Gardens.
Speaker dinners are held at 7pm prior to Tuesday evening speaker meetings at a cost of £9 (three courses and wine). Please contact the President by the preceding Monday if you wish to dine.
Speaker meetings are followed by drinks and then Compline in the Chapel of St. Thomas More.
NAUGHTH WEEK
VISIT OF THE RELICS OF ST THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX TO OXFORD
Thursday 7th and Friday 8th of October.
The Newman Society will participate in the visit of the relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux at the Oxford Oratory. Holy Hour for students on Thursday at 9.30pm and Sung Latin Mass in the Extraordinary Form on Friday at 8.30am.
FIRST WEEK
START OF TERM DRINKS PARTY
Tuesday 13th October from 8.30pm
Join us in the Blue Room at the Chaplaincy for free drinks and canapés. It is the perfect opportunity to meet the Committee and other members of the Society over a drink; all are welcome. If you would like to learn more about the activity of the society or become a member, do come along.
SECOND WEEK
FR THOMAS CREAN OP
Tuesday 20th October from 8.30pm
“Incoherences of Atheism”
Fr Thomas Crean will be speaking against the arguments proposed by the recent atheist attacks to religious faith. A graduate of St John’s College, Oxford and Blackfriars, Fr Crean has written “God is No Delusion” as a response to Richard Dawkin’s publications against religious faith.
THIRD WEEK
FR ROGER DAWSON SJ
Tuesday 27th of October from 8.30pm
Fr Roger will be speaking on the challenges presented by modern culture to young Catholics. Fr Roger Dawson works with Fr John as a Chaplain of Oxford University. He not only holds a Doctorate in Psychology, but has also practiced psychology in the NHS and served in the British Army and has extensive teaching experience.
FOURTH WEEK
KATHRYN BARUSH, WADHAM COLLEGE
Tuesday 3rd November at 8.30pm
“Pilgrims, Prophets, Painters: art and religion in early nineteenth century England”
Kathryn Barush is a graduate student at Wadham College researching early 19th Century religious imagery and its relationship with the changing religious movements of the time. From this term on, the society will introduce greater student participation in inviting members of the university to deliver a talk on their current research project or a particular topic they may be interested in.
FIFTH WEEK
DR HELEN WATT, DIRECTOR OF THE LINACRE CENTRE
Tuesday 10th November at 8.30pm
“A Catholic response to Abortion”
Dr Helen Watt is involved in the running of the Linacre Centre for Healthcare Ethics, one of the most prominent bioethics institutes in Britain and the World. She has written much to address the ethical issues of abortion from a Catholic perspective, and published material on the subject in cooperation with the Catholic Trust Society. This talk will address one of the most debated ethical topics in society, parliament and in Oxford, and should be extremely instructive to all in the fundamental principles in the Church’s position against abortion.
VISIT OF DEACON SULLIVAN TO OXFORD
Friday 13th and Saturday 14th of November
SIXTH WEEK
TERMLY MASS AND DINNER
Friday 20th of November
This term’s Mass will be celebrated by the Very Revd DOM AIDAN BELLENGER OSB, ABBOT OF DOWNSIDE ABBEY, on the 20th of November. Mass will be followed by the Termly Dinner to which all are invited. Further details will be available from the President nearer the time.
SEVENTH WEEK
DR SHERIDAN GILLEY, EMERITUS READER OF THEOLOGY, DURHAM UNIVERSITY
Tuesday 24th November at 8.30pm
“Newman and the Crises of Capitalism”
Dr. Sheridan Gilley is a renowned Newman scholar, author of celebrated “Newman and His Age” and a specialist in 19th Century British ecclesiastical history. He has contributed much to the Newman Society over the years and returns to deliver his yet unpublished work for the 2009 Annual Newman Lecture at Maynooth.
EIGHTH WEEK
THOMAS MORE LECTURE
BISHOP JOHN ARNOLD IN CONVERSATION WITH DR EVAN HARRIS MP
Monday 30th November at 5pm.
'The place of Christianity in the British Constitution'
In the last of our series of Thomas More Lectures examining the theme of 'Religion in the public square' a Catholic Bishop will debate with an atheist politician about the role Christianity should play in shaping contemporary political discourse and governance.
The Right Reverend John Arnold is an Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster and chairs the Oxford and Cambridge Catholic Education Board. Dr. Evan Harris MP is a Liberal Democrat politician and winner of the 2009 'Secularist of the Year' award.
E-mail newman@herald.ox.ac.uk to reserve a place.
STUDENT SPEAKER AND END OF TERM DRINKS PARTY
FEAST OF THE BLESSED MARTYRS OF OXFORD UNIVERSITY
Tuesday 1st December at 8.30pm in the Blue Room of the Old Palace
A student speaker will deliver a short paper to the society and all guests on a topic of his choosing. General debate will follow during the society’s end of term drinks party. Again all are welcome.
The first Speaker Meeting of term got off to a cracking start with around fifty people packing the Blue Room to hear Fr. Thomas Crean OP speak on the subject of ‘Incoherencies of Atheism’. Fr. Crean is an Oxford alumnus and is well know for his stance against Prof. Dawkin’s celebrated book ‘The God Delusion’. In his talk Fr. Crean identified a number of philosophical inconsistencies in modern atheistic thought. Belief in God, he said, provides us with the answer. Those wishing to find out more should read his book ‘A Catholic Replies to Professor Dawkins’, which is available from Family Publications. Some of Fr. Crean's sermons can be read here.
