Catholic Truth Society - News

The CTS Bookshop in front of Westminster Cathedral in London has been an important feature of Catholic life for over 70 years.

With its central location near Victoria station, the bookshop plays an important part of CTS’s apostolate, bringing to the high street a good selection of Catholic books, plus quality statues and other devotional items.

Following a complete redesign of the shop front, the CTS Bookshop now presents a colourful and elegant display from under the portico at the side of the piazza, proclaiming CTS’s mission to evangelise.

The new-look frontage, in its upper part, features an image of saints reading. The original painting is on the exterior wall of the famous Voronet Monastery in Romania.

For those seeking Lent reading, the CTS Bookshop has a wide range of spiritual and other books for those looking for deeper perspectives on daily life.

We look forward to welcoming you to the CTS bookshop.

For details of the CTS Bookshop’s opening hours and mail-order service, click here.

Deacon Jack Sullivan signs copies of the booklet describing his miraculous cure through the intercession of John Henry Newman

>>> See more photos from the lecture

Last night at the Oratory, Brompton Road, London, Deacon Jack Sullivan gave the CTS Lecture 2009, speaking on his miraculous cure from a debilitating and agonising spinal condition through the intercession of Cardinal John Henry Newman, the renowned 19th-century English theologian and convert.

Jack Sullivan spoke movingly and from the heart to a crowd of over 500 people as he described the terrible condition from which he suffered, how he came to know of Cardinal Newman, and how his prayers to Newman for a miracle eventually obtained his complete and medically inexplicable cure. This miracle has now been recognised by the Vatican and allows Newman to be beatified in 2010, an historic occasion for the Church in England and indeed throughout the world.

Jack Sullivan’s cure is the subject of a CTS booklet, Cardinal Newman: the Story of a Miracle , priced £1.95 and available from the CTS website.

Jack Sullivan’s visit to Britain has also included: a press conference on Monday, which led to a number of newspaper reports on Tuesday ; his preaching at Westminster Cathedral on Monday evening; and still to come are visits to the Oratory in Birmingham and other places associated with him, and his colleges in Oxford and the Oxford Oratory. Full details of Jack Sullivan’s itinerary can be found at http://peterjennings.co.uk/ .

Jack Sullivan is greatly enjoying this opportunity to see so many places associated with Newman, and to share with so many his testimony to the importance of Newman for the current age, and the reality of God’s existence and his love for us. He is delighted also that the CTS booklet is allowing many more to read this testimony too.

>>> Read a more detailed report on the CTS Lecture at the Newman Cause website

>>> Read additional reporting of Jack Sullivan’s visit to the UK

CTS exclusive: first published account of the
approved miracle of John Henry Newman. 

This is an exciting time for the Catholic Church in England and Wales. The recently announced approval of a miraculous cure worked through the intercession of John Henry Newman, paves the way for his beatification in 2010 and hopefully for his later canonisation.

Many also hope for him eventually to be declared a Doctor of the Church, due to the considerable influence his writings and his conversion had on not just individuals but even the direction of the Church in modern times.

Newman and CTS
CTS was founded during Newman’s lifetime, and has always shared his vision of an educated laity that knows and loves the Faith, and seeks to share it with others. Indeed, at the very end of Newman’s life, CTS began publishing his writings and some 40-odd publications would appear.

CTS’s Exclusive Publication
We are then especially delighted to publish this first official account of the miracle attributed to Newman’s intercession: Jack Sullivan, a deacon from Massachusetts, prayed to Newman in 2001 for relief from a back condition so severe that doctors believed he would end up paralysed.

Sullivan had just been watching a documentary on Newman and this inspired him to seek his help. His recovery was rapid and complete, and he now enjoys gardening as a hobby.

CTS’s account of the miracle, Cardinal Newman: The Story of a Miracle, has been written by Peter Jennings, a journalist and writer and keen supporter of Newman’s cause. The booklet is pictured above, held by Fr Paul Chavasse, Provost of the Birmingham Oratory and Postulator of Newman’s cause.

> You can help promote devotion to Cardinal Newman and the cause for his canonisation by buying CTS’s booklets on Newman and encouraging others to read them.

The Second Evangelium Summer Conference, sponsored and supported by CTS, has been an astounding success, filled to capacity with young people who described it as ‘a wonderful blend of the head and heart’, ‘inspirational’ and giving them ‘great hope for the future’.

The recent attacks of the ‘new atheists’, and others hostile to Catholic faith and morals, has made it more important than ever to equip young people, intellectually and spiritually, to proclaim and defend the Gospel in the modern world.

Over the weekend 7th-9th August, the Evangelium Conference brought world-class, seasoned campaigners, philosophers and theologians together to share their experience with over 150 young people at the beautiful Reading Oratory School in Berkshire.

Expert insights were given on a vast range of issues, including answering the militant atheists, faith and science, the Pope and AIDS, spiritual warfare, the Catholic reading of Scripture, authority and freedom and the history of Catholic England.

Eminent experts who spoke at the Conference included journalist David Quinn of the Iona Institute, Fr Brian Harrison, Dr Helen Watt of the Linacre Centre, Fr Timothy Finigan, Fr Nicholas Schofield, Prof. Thomas Pink from King’s College, London, Joanna and Jamie Bogle, Fiorella Nash, Fr Jerome Bertram, Fr Thomas Crean OP and Fr Jeremy Davies. Delegates also represented EWTN, Aid to the Church in Need, Family Life International and St Anthony Communications.

Although the topics addressed were often serious, there was also much good humour and a great sense of joy.

The Conference was organised by Fr Marcus Holden and Fr Andrew Pinsent of the Evangelium Project, in association with the Catholic Truth Society. Fr Pinsent describes the approach of the organisers:

We aimed to bring young people together for a weekend of expert, clear and entertaining presentations on Catholic faith and life, with beautiful liturgy and a prayerful, joyful atmosphere. The enthusiastic response of those present confirms the fruitfulness of this approach.

Many young people left the Conference asking for more such events and the Evangelium Project is hoping to organise a third Conference at the Reading Oratory School next summer. Further information can be found at www.evangelium.co.uk.

> To ensure you receive news from CTS about future events, sign up to CTS’s free e-mail newsletter.

TAKE A LOOK AT SOME PHOTOS FROM THE CONFERENCE:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/catholictruthsociety/sets/72157622023261933/

Quotations from people attending the Conference:

Inspiring talks, very inspirational homilies! A wonderful blend of the head and heart - talks and workshops that are intellectually challenging as well as being focused on prayer and the sacraments…It was so wonderful to meet so many good people - it gives me lots of hope for the future!

The most important aspect for me was meeting like-minded young and professional Catholics and hearing material from professional speakers. It has given me a boost to evangelise and try to live a faithful Catholic life!

It was spiritually uplifting to mix with Catholics who are so devoted to Christ and His Church. Also it was a great opportunity to hear of other apostolates and to network… Wonderful all round.

The conferences were really excellent. I enjoyed gaining an appreciation of the philosophical richness of our faith.

The three days have been fantastic … well-organised and full of inspiring priests and other great witnesses.

What I did know was confirmed, what I did not know or understand I am now inspired to learn.

Has your Catholic
school seen The Way,
The Truth & The Life?

 

Has your local Catholic school seen the programme?

> Send us an e-mail to orders@cts-online.org.uk and we’ll send a brochure and a free sample to any named contact
> Order the books from our website www.cts-online.org.uk
> Read more about the programme and view supplementary resources at www.tere.org 

One year on - How is God’s Name represented in CTS’s publications?

Almost one year after the directive from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments setting out new rules as to how ‘The Name of God’ can be reproduced in print, many enquirers are keen to know how CTS is managing.

The Church now requires that the word ‘Yahweh’ must no longer be used, and must be replaced by the word ‘Lord’. The name ‘Yahweh’ is now forbidden from being read, sung or prayed in the Liturgy or at other times of prayer. This version of the Name was used in recent decades among Christians as a speculative way of pronouncing the Hebrew letters YHWH, which are used in the Scriptures to represent God’s Name. However pronouncing the Divine Name is considered disrespectful to the Jewish people, our older brothers in faith. The Church has traditionally translated the Divine Name as ‘Lord’, and it is to this version that the Holy See is now asking publishers such as ourselves to return.

All new and re-printed publications issuing from the CTS now use this version. CTS has made considerable progress in the last 12 months to eliminate the use of the term ‘Yahweh’ from its publications. This work continues as a thorough search of the Society’s nearly 500 publications draws to a conclusion. CTS is proud to say that even before the official decree was made public, its new CTS New Catholic Bible was published in November 2007 and abided fully with the new guidelines, replacing the word ‘Yahweh’ for ‘Lord’ throughout the entire translation.

For more information on the CTS New Catholic Bible, a new edition prepared specifically to assist Catholics in living and praying with the Scriptures in their daily lives and worship, follow this link. 

CTS delighted to hear of praise for our recently published marriage preparation course

The Most Rev. Raymond Leo Burke, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, has written personally to the Right Rev Patrick O’Donoghue, the recently retired Bishop of Lancaster, warmly congratulating Bishop O’Donoghue on his recent publication - Fit for Mission? Marriage - A Preparation Course.

I have received with pleasure Fit for Mission? Marriage - A Preparation Course produced after your competent and sound authorship … the main text and accompanying Couple’s book provide an excellent pathway for the preparation of couples that intend living marriage truly and fully.

For more details of the Fit for Mission? Marriage Preparation Course, please visit the Catholic Truth Society website, publishers of the Fit for Mission series:

http://www.cts-online.org.uk/acatalog/info_Do812.html 

Samples can be viewed through the CTS website:

DOWNLOAD SAMPLES:
> Introduction from Presenter’s Book
> Session 4 (standard course) from Couple’s Book
> Session 4 (standard course) notes from Presenter’s Book
> Session 4 (Preparation Plus course) from Couple’s Book
> Session 4 (PreparationPlus course) notes from Presenter’s Book

EVANGELIUM CONFERENCE 2009 - Explaining the Catholic Faith in the Modern World

7 - 9 August 2009, The Oratory School near Reading

> World-class speakers

> Great socialising

> Inspiring prayer and worship

A big spiritual buzz was felt by those who attended last summer’s Evangelium conference. The speakers were powerful, the company was excellent and the mixture of talks, discussion, prayer, worship and socialising gave a sense of renewal in faith to the young adults attending.

If you are aged 18 to 35, you are invited to attend the second Evangelium weekend residential conference on ways of explaining the Catholic faith in the modern world. The Conference is organised by the Evangelium Project and is being sponsored by CTS.

We’re also encouraging parishes to sponsor young people from their parish to attend, especially teachers, youth leaders and catechists, or any young adults whether professionals or students who are interested in ways to share their faith in the modern world.

“The best weekend of my life”

“Very high quality of speakers”

“I’m leaving here rejuvenated both in my own faith and feel more equipped in sharing the riches of the Catholic faith.”

For more information, click here

Download Brochure (PDF file)

At the close of the Papal General Audience on Wednesday 15th April, Bishop Patrick O’Donoghue (who retires from Lancaster diocese at the end of April) had the opportunity to present Pope Benedict XVI with his two ground-breaking documents – Fit for Mission? Schools and Fit for Mission? Church, both published in an expanded form by CTS and now joined by Fit for Mission? Marriage Preparation course.

The Holy Father departed from the usual protocol and spent quite some time going through both documents with Bishop Patrick, expressing his obvious delight at the wide­-ranging scope of the work.

Bishop Patrick explained to Pope Benedict that these were diocesan documents that concentrated on fostering an authentic Catholic identity in our schools and a correct interpretation of the Second Vatican Council in our parishes. The Bishop stressed that the initiative was an attempt to encourage all to think clearly about what it is to be Catholic today.

He went on to say that the overall objective of Fit for Mission? was to propose practical ways of balancing continuity, in the life of faith, with change in the midst of an increasingly secular world.

Towards the end of their meeting the Holy Father thanked the Bishop for all his work of renewal in the Lancaster Diocese.

Bishop Patrick also presented the Holy Father with a letter briefly introducing the third and final document in the Fit for Mission? series – Fit for Mission? A Marriage Preparation course, which was published by the Catholic Truth Society on the very same day as their meeting in St Peter’s Square.

Bishop O’Donoghue made the following comment:

I am so grateful for having the opportunity to personally explain to the Holy Father what we have being attempting to achieve through our Fit for Mission? initiative in the Diocese of Lancaster. His obvious interest and enthusiasm confirms me in my conviction that over the past two years – despite the difficulties and controversies – we have been on the right track, through the aid of the Holy Spirit.