Religious Life

"Welcome! I am part of the team of Catholic Chaplains who serve London’s many universities and it’s my privilege to be chaplain to the Notre Dame London Centre. I’m a true Scot, and like so many of us was born abroad, incidentally in Iran. I am in the London Centre every Tuesday at lunch time to say Mass at 12.05pm and to meet and greet students at the LUP Library tea afterwards. I’m delighted if someone comes and says hello, and would also be very happy to lend a listening ear to anyone who wants to talk. - Fr John"

CHAPLAIN:  Fr John Dickson SDB
Email: wjdicksonsdb @ msn.com

Regular worship:

WEEKLY LUNCHTIME MASS:
Every Tuesday at 12.05 Fr John offers Mass for any students and faculty who can come in the lovely St Anselm’s chapel, which is on the top floor of the London Centre. It is a lovely quiet room where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved and where you can go for some time out or to pray. All are welcome.

NEWMAN HOUSE, the University Catholic Chaplaincy (111 Gower St, London WC1 6AR www.universitycatholic.net) host our opening Mass, and are a residential international chaplaincy centre. You will always be welcome to go there, meet other students and get involved. Sunday Mass is at 10.30am and 7.30pm.

The LUP newsletter, In the LUPe, will have a regular 'church of the week' section, if you are interested in sampling from the wide range of Catholic communities in London, and arriving students will find maps of local churches in their flats. St Anselm’s chapel is available at all times when the building is over for quiet reflection.

Special events:

WEEKEND RETREAT: 18-20 February

"All in all a memorable weekend, where as we listened to one another, we recalled that text from the Gospel of Luke: 'Did not our hearts burn within us as He talked to us on the way.' As we listened to one another and reflected ourselves, we sometimes recognised the voice of the Master himself calling to us."

For a fuller report, with photographs, please see Fr John's account here.

 

ASH WEDNESDAY: 9 March
We will have Mass and the distribution of Ashes at the London Centre to which you are all very welcome.

ROME FOR EASTER:
Notre Dame students traditionally gather in Rome to celebrate Easter in the Eternal City from all over the world, making your own way and finding your own accommodation. See below for the letter from the organiser, Darrell Paulsen, to students for details and how to register.

Getting There
Looking to book flights? This is Easter in Rome, so we suggest checking flights out as soon as possible and getting them in the books. To that end, here are a few sites you might want to try for affordable plane fares:
www.lufthansa.com
www.flightline.co.uk
www.alitalia.com
www.kayak.com
www.ryanair.com  

Staying There
For hostels or hotels, you might have good luck with the following:
www.easytobook.com
www.hostelsofeurope.com
http://www.rometoolkit.com
www.ratestogo.com

For girls, we can recommend the Orsa Maggiore hostel just south of the Vatican in the Trastevere area (which is run by an astonishingly cool and hospitable group of nuns).

Buona Pasqua!
As you begin your new semester, and in the midst of a foreign land, it is time for excited crowds of Notre Dame students to converge on the cobbled streets of Rome for an Easter like no other.  We'll huddle together outside the Coliseum as Pope Benedict XVI leads us in following the Stations of the Cross, we'll lose track of time staring dizzily at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, we'll pray in front of the relics of the passion, we'll tackle the largest gelato cone in Roma (the "Giganti"), we'll stand at the center of Saint Peter's Square on Easter Sunday with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims surrounding us . . . are you ready for this?  It's time to reserve your seat. 

Details:  You’re on your own for travel, lodging, and meals.  The first 150 students to sign up are guaranteed a ticket for Easter Sunday Liturgy.  The first 90 students, not currently studying in Rome, are invited to a discounted (only 10 euro) tour of the Vatican Museums Saturday morning.  The first 50 students to register also are invited to attend a free lunch after the Vatican tour on Saturday afternoon.

Are you interested in an experience of a lifetime?  Now is the time to register!  In order to help make this pilgrimage as profound as possible for you, Campus Ministry will offer a wide array of liturgies, tours, gastronomical advice, and prayer opportunities from Holy Thursday through the celebration of Eucharist on Easter Sunday morning.  We ask that you view the detailed itinerary here, and then fill out the form here to confirm with us which events you plan to attend.

Any questions please contact Darrell Paulsen at Paulsen.1@nd.edu

Enjoy your time abroad and I hope to see you in the eternal city this April!
Peace,
Darrell

Please complete your itinerary form by March 1, 2011

Link to the Detailed Itinerary
Link to Confirm YOUR Itinerary