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Renovation of the Oratory The Oratory is the quiet heart of the Institute. It has the reserved Blessed Sacrament. It is space for private and group prayer and adoration.  It has not been renovated for many years and requires decoration, re-carpeting and new furniture at a cost of £6,000.

Development of the chapel We want to convert the chapel to a flexible worship, library and public space During the 1950s, when our building was the convent of the Canonesses of St Augustine, the large chapel was used for regular worship and, on Sundays in particular, was open to lay people. Currently under-used, its proposed redevelopment represents Phase 2 of the strategic plan for the whole site; Phase 1 having comprised remodeling and expansion of residential accommodation completed March 2020. Detailed and costed plans have been drawn up by our architects to remodel this large open space and increase [...]

Social Action Projects Social Action Projects  in prisons, detention centres, and police chaplaincy The Institute is developing resources for pastoral workers in prisons. ‘Flourishing Inside’ is supported by a grant from the Plater Trust until October 2020. This project will develop theological and ethical resources for pastoral work in prison as well as feed into Catholic social teaching. We perceive a need to extend this work into other areas such as detention centres and the police service. Scoping will cost £2,000. £3,000 will enable us to organise and host a conference and a further £3,000 will cover three seminars [...]

Centre for Ecclesial Ethics The rationale for creating this Centre is to help the Church at all levels to flourish. By drawing insights from professional ethics and examples of good pastoral practices, the Centre’s aim will be to address areas of malfunctioning, revealed by recent scandals, abuse and other crises in the Church, and develop frameworks for improving practice. The Centre is gaining significant support from ordained and lay people, pastoral workers and academic researchers, locally and internationally. The Institute received a grant for two years, to December 2021, to enable the Centre to establish itself and start preliminary [...]

Mary Ward and Cardinal Hume Fellowships Every year we appoint one Cardinal Hume Fellow and one Mary Ward Fellow to support experienced researchers or teachers from all over the world who would like to advance their scholarship by spending three months at the Institute.  We provide accommodation, participation in the community life of the Institute and access to libraries, seminars and lectures in Cambridge. £5,000 will fully sponsor one fellow. The theological education of women is the Institute’s USP, and Mary Ward Fellows have all been women. 50 per cent of the Cardinal Hume Fellows have been men. Prof [...]

Theology of Ageing Project  An apposite project for the times we live in. This is an innovative, inter-disciplinary project that the Institute is developing to examine the theological and spiritual implications of the current narratives of ageing. We are seeking funding for the first year, from September 2020. A scoping exercise would cost £2,000 £3,000 will enable us to organise and host a conference and a further £3,000 will cover three seminars on particular themes related to ageing.

Research Student Bursaries Engaging in postgraduate and research education is expensive but essential for human development. This is especially difficult for students from the global South but also for home students.  Our innovative and flexible modes of delivery could enable a greater number of students to gain qualifications and serve others in their communities.   We are appealing for both match funding and full bursaries. £14,000 will cover the full fees for a MPhil, PhD or ProfDoc student Dr Catherine Sexton completed her PhD in 2019. She writes: "I completed my PhD studies in Practical Theology at Margaret Beaufort. I [...]