Three Marian Shrines in 16th Century England by Tim Guile

Posted on September 14, 2020 by

Tim Guile writes a fascinating account of the medieval shrines of Ipswich, Willesden and Walsingham. Read his paper in full here

Posted in English Catholic History

Cluniac Death Rituals: A Comparison with Covid Britain by John Mullaney

Posted on September 14, 2020 by

ECHA member John Mullaney has written a timely paper. Click here to read it in full.

Posted in English Monastic History

Renaissance Man: The World of Thomas Watson by Ian Johnson

Posted on September 14, 2020 by

This book has been newly published by one of our members.

Who was Thomas Watson? Famous in his day, he was the epitome of Renaissance man: classical scholar, linguist, poet, playwright, musician, scientist, thinker, traveller, cosmologist, a man of intense curiosity. “A very learned man that could tell strange things”. His book of 100 love poems still intrigues, and musicologists admire his deft translations of Italian madrigals. He was a sociable companion, too, a loyal friend of poets and playwrights, and a wit-“witty Tom Watson“.

Watson mixed with the highest in the land, including the Earl of Oxford’s literary clique and the rival house of Philip and Mary Sidney. He was a close friend of the atheist Christopher Marlowe, and colleague of the Roman Catholic composer William Byrd. Yet, Watson also mingled with the basest in society. He was a government agent, an acquaintance of the spy master “Mr Secretary” Walsingham and a loved companion of his nephew. Scrapes and scandals dogged his life and even his death in 1592 aged 37 is blemished by a question mark.

History has neglected Tom Watson. By examining his works and the culture in which he mixed, Ian Johnson attempts to get a measure of the man

https://www.amazon.com/Renaissance-Man-Ian-Johnson/dp/1789558859

Posted in English Catholic History

News from the CCS, Durham

Posted on September 14, 2020 by

The Centre of Catholic Studies in Durham member Dr James Kelly has produced a 15-minute video on English convents in early modern Europe: pilgrimages, relics and Catholic identity. It is available here and is part of the Durham University Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies’ series exploring the traditions and wider context of ancient and modern pilgrimage.

The other videos already available in this series are:

Light and the Cult of St Thomas Becket (Dr Tom Nickson)

Holy Water and Healing Wells (Prof. Robin Coningham)

For further details, please visit the series’ webpages or IMEMS’ Facebook page.

Posted in Centre of Catholic Studies

ECHA COVID-19 update

Posted on April 16, 2020 by

Sadly we have had to either cancel or postpone all our public events until further notice.

We are planning that our AGM and Day Conference will be go ahead via Zoom on October 24th when Dr Carmen Mangion will be speaking on Changing Dimensions of Women’s Religious Life from 1945-1990.  We will keep you updated.

Posted in English Catholic History

ECHA Newsletter March 2020

Posted on April 16, 2020 by

Please see the link below for our latest newsletter

ECHA Newsletter_- March 2020

Posted in English Catholic History, Newsletters

London Catholic History Walks 2020

Posted on February 25, 2020 by

Refer to the London Catholic History Walks website for more details of the events below:

RICHMOND: FRIDAY March 13th, 11am (note time, there is Mass at 10am) St Elizabeth’s RC Church, The Vineyard, Richmond TW10 6AQ. Nearest Tube and main line train RICHMOND. We will explore the Old Palace (Henry VII, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I) and then walk along the river to St John Henry Newman’s family home at Ham.

ISLINGTON: SUNDAY March 15th, 3.30pm at St John the Divine, Islington, London N1 8AL (nearest tube ANGEL). We will learn about the ancient shrine of Our Lady of the Oak, and a modern Catholic heroine, Caroline Chisholm.

 RICHMOND: SUNDAY March 22nd. 3.30pm History Walk RICHMOND. Meet St Elizabeth’s RC Church, Richmond TW10 6AQ

WESTMINSTER: MONDAY March 30th, 6.30pm (after 5.30pm Mass). Meet steps of Westminster Cathedral London SW1P 1LT. We will explore Westminster, the Abbey, Parliament etc.

NO NEED TO BOOK   – JUST TURN UP!  Wear sensible clothing and shoes – we will be walking whatever the weather!

Suggested donation: £10 per adult.

http://www.catholichistorywalks.com

Posted in English Catholic History

The English Reformation and the European Renaissance – CHC conference 28 March 2020

Posted on February 13, 2020 by

The Christian Heritage Centre at Stonyhurst is hosting an academic conference entitled The English Reformation and European Renaissance, whichwill take place on the afternoon of 28th March 2020 and will feature Professors Peter Davidson (Oxford) and Gerard Kilroy (UCL).  They will examine the cultural interaction between England having undergone a religious revolution and continental Europe during the Renaissance.

Professor Davidson will examine how the poetry of the famous Jesuit saint, Robert Southwell, reached and sustained not only its immediate and Catholic audience, but a rather more diverse section of English society. Professor Kilroy will explore how English Catholicism was maintained and nurtured by exiles on the continent, and how a particular relationship between England and Europe continued as a result.

There will follow a Q and A session with the Professors and an optional evening seminar entitled Practical Problems in the Study of the British Catholic Diaspora. For full details and booking, please visit the event’s page on their website: https://christianheritagecentre.com/event/reformation-renaissance-conference/ Generous discounts are available for students booking as individuals or as part of a group.

 

 

Posted in Stonyhurst

Christian Heritage Centre, Stonyhurst – English Christian History and its Saints – Saturday 7 March

Posted on February 13, 2020 by

On Saturday 7th March the Christian Heritage Centre, Stonyhurst, Lancashire, will be running a family day on Our English Christian History and Its Saints. This will be a day of learning about and celebrating our English Christian story, and it will feature workshops, talks and a history walk for the adults, with parallel creative activities for the children. All are welcome of course, not just families! But we hope it will be a lovely day of community activity, fostered by buns, cakes and scones to help things along; and a glass of something bubbly to round it off! Please click here for more info and to register.

Their next evening talk on Caravaggio, Communicating the Invisible, will be on Thursday 20th March at 7:30pm. Please click here for more information.

Posted in Stonyhurst

ECHA Newsletter for December 2019

Posted on February 10, 2020 by

Please click on the link  below to read our latest newsletter

2019 Sept-December Newsletter

Posted in Newsletters