Asking for your patience and understanding!
This site is in progress and lots of info still needs to be added!
01/02/2010
09/03/2009
So... What is "formation"?
St Josemaria, founder of Opus Dei, said in Conversations 27:
The types of formation usually offered include:
Please follow the links if you would like to learn more about St Josemaria, his life and his writings.
This site aims to make it easier for people to find out what formation is offered by Opus Dei in their area."The main activity of Opus Dei is offering its members, and other people, the spiritual means they need to live as good Christians in the midst of the world.
It helps them to learn Christ's doctrine and the Church's teachings. Its spirit moves them to work well for the love of God and as a service to other men. In a word, it helps them to behave like genuine Christians: being loyal friends, respecting the legitimate freedom of others, and trying to make our world more just."
The types of formation usually offered include:
- Recollections
- Retreats
- Talks, seminars and study circles on Christian life and piety
- Cultural activities
Please follow the links if you would like to learn more about St Josemaria, his life and his writings.
08/03/2009
Recollections (Mini-retreats)
A recollection is a mini-retreat- a few hours of prayer and reflection once a month. They usually consist of meditiations with the priest, a talk on Christian life or an aspect of piety given by a lay person, the opportunity for confession and spiritual direction and the rosary.
Recollections are held in centres of Opus Dei and also in parishes across Britain. For information about whether there is a recollection near you please look under "formation by location" and click on a region.
Recollections are held in centres of Opus Dei and also in parishes across Britain. For information about whether there is a recollection near you please look under "formation by location" and click on a region.
Retreats in 2010
Retreats are held at Wickenden Manor (Sussex, 10 minutes drive from East Grinstead/ train from London) and Thornycroft Hall (Cheshire, 10 minutes drive from Macclesfield). We are also hoping to be able to hold retreats in Glasgow in the near future.
Retreats are held separately for men and for women, and there are retreats designed to meet the needs of adults, students, school children and clergy.
For more information on what a retreat entails, please visit: Doing a Retreat
For information on retreats:
Wickenden Manor
Thorneycroft Hall
Retreats are held separately for men and for women, and there are retreats designed to meet the needs of adults, students, school children and clergy.
For more information on what a retreat entails, please visit: Doing a Retreat
For information on retreats:
Wickenden Manor
Thorneycroft Hall
07/03/2009
Cambridge, Hertfordshire and the East of England
There are currently activities in Cambridge, Bishop's Stortford and St Albans.
More information to follow.
More information to follow.
Oxford and the Midlands
There are a number of activities for women and students based in Oxford.
More information coming soon.
More information coming soon.
Scotland
There are several activities taking place, based in Glasgow, for women and for students.
More information to follow
More information to follow
Manchester, Cheshire, Liverpool and the Northwest
There are a number of activities taking place in Manchester:
For female students: Coniston Hall
For male students: Greygarth Hall
Retreats for men and women: Thornycroft Hall
Activities in Liverpool
Recollections for women
More information to follow...
For female students: Coniston Hall
For male students: Greygarth Hall
Retreats for men and women: Thornycroft Hall
Activities in Liverpool
Recollections for women
More information to follow...
The South East (inc Purley, East Grinstead and Kent)
There are a number of activities taking place in the South East, including those in Purley, Wickenden Manor and Folkestone.
More information to follow
More information to follow
London
For Women:
Bracklyn (London, nr Old Street)
Hillcrest (Purley)
Dawliffe Hall (Chelsea)
Woodlands (Ealing)
For young professionals:
For students:
Ashwell House
Ashwell is a hall of residence for female univeristy students. It offers formational activities to students and young people, residents and non-residents alike.
Some examples would be- monthly recollections, Christian meditation on saturdays with a priest, confessions, spiritual direction and classes on Christian life.
For school girls:
Tamezin Club
Tamezin is a club for girls, with a great range of activities, and the opportunity to learn more about the Catholic faith.
Woodlands Club, Ealing Common
Woodlands Club takes place on Saturday afternoons and activities include:
Priests of Opus Dei & the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross also hear confessions and give spiritual direction:
Westminster Cathedral
St James', Spanish Place
Newman House Chaplaincy
St Thomas More parish, Swiss Cottage
Holy Ghost parish, Balham
Bracklyn (London, nr Old Street)
Hillcrest (Purley)
Dawliffe Hall (Chelsea)
Woodlands (Ealing)
For young professionals:
For students:
Ashwell House
Ashwell is a hall of residence for female univeristy students. It offers formational activities to students and young people, residents and non-residents alike.
Some examples would be- monthly recollections, Christian meditation on saturdays with a priest, confessions, spiritual direction and classes on Christian life.
For school girls:
Tamezin Club
Tamezin is a club for girls, with a great range of activities, and the opportunity to learn more about the Catholic faith.
Woodlands Club, Ealing Common
Woodlands Club takes place on Saturday afternoons and activities include:
Priests of Opus Dei & the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross also hear confessions and give spiritual direction:
Westminster Cathedral
St James', Spanish Place
Newman House Chaplaincy
St Thomas More parish, Swiss Cottage
Holy Ghost parish, Balham
06/03/2009
05/03/2009
Why are there not activities for men and women together?
From Conversations with Monsignor Escriva de Balaguer, point 99.
You have just spoken about family unity as a great value. In the light of this fact, how is it that Opus Dei does not organise activities of spiritual formation for husbands and wives together?
In this, as in so many other aspects of life, Christians can choose different solutions in accordance with their own preferences or opinions, and no one may impose an exclusive system upon them.
We would flee like the plague from that approach to pastoral work and the apostolate in general which seems to be no more than a revised and enlarged edition, in religious life, of the one party system. I know that there are Catholic groups that organise retreats and other formative activities for married couples. I have no objection whatever to their doing what they think is best nor to people taking part in their activities if they find that they help them live their Christian vocation better. But I do not consider this to be the only way of doing things and it is by no means self evident that it is the best.
There are many facets of Christian life in which married couples, and in fact, the whole family can, and at times should, take part in together, such as the Eucharistic Sacrifice and other acts of worship. I think, nevertheless, that certain activities of spiritual formation are more effective if they are attended separately by husband and wife. For one thing, it highlights the fundamentally personal character of one's own sanctification, of the ascetic struggle, of union with God. These certainly affect others, but the role of the individual conscience in them is vital and cannot be substituted. Furthermore, it makes it easier to suit the formation given to the particular needs, circumstances and psychology of each person. This does not mean to say that in these activities the fact that the participants are married is disregarded, nothing could be further removed from the spirit of Opus Dei.
For forty years I have been preaching and writing that each person has to sanctify himself in ordinary life, in the concrete situations of every day. Married people, therefore, have to sanctify themselves by living their family obligations perfectly. One of the aims of the retreats and other means of formation organised by Opus Dei for married men or women is to make them more fully aware of the dignity of their vocation to marriage and help them prepare themselves, with the grace of God, to live it better.
In many aspects the demands which married love makes on men and on women are different and their love shows itself in different ways. With specific means of formation they can be helped effectively to discover these details of love in their daily lives. In this way, separation for a few hours or a few days will, in the long run, make them more united and help them to love each other more and better than they did before, with a love full of respect.
I repeat that we do not claim that our way of acting in this is the only good one, or that it should be adopted by everyone. It simply seems to me that it gives very good results and that there are strong reasons — as well as long experience — for doing things this way but I do not take issue with the contrary opinion. Furthermore, I would add that if in Opus Dei we adopt this procedure in certain types of spiritual formation, nevertheless in numerous other activities married couples, as such, participate and cooperate. I am thinking, for example, of the work which is done with the parents of pupils in schools conducted by members of Opus Dei, in the meetings, lectures etc., especially arranged for the parents of students who live in halls of residence run by the Work.
So you see, when the type of activity requires the presence of the married couple, husband and wife both take part. But these types of meetings and activities are different from those that are directed towards personal spiritual training.
You have just spoken about family unity as a great value. In the light of this fact, how is it that Opus Dei does not organise activities of spiritual formation for husbands and wives together?
In this, as in so many other aspects of life, Christians can choose different solutions in accordance with their own preferences or opinions, and no one may impose an exclusive system upon them.
We would flee like the plague from that approach to pastoral work and the apostolate in general which seems to be no more than a revised and enlarged edition, in religious life, of the one party system. I know that there are Catholic groups that organise retreats and other formative activities for married couples. I have no objection whatever to their doing what they think is best nor to people taking part in their activities if they find that they help them live their Christian vocation better. But I do not consider this to be the only way of doing things and it is by no means self evident that it is the best.
There are many facets of Christian life in which married couples, and in fact, the whole family can, and at times should, take part in together, such as the Eucharistic Sacrifice and other acts of worship. I think, nevertheless, that certain activities of spiritual formation are more effective if they are attended separately by husband and wife. For one thing, it highlights the fundamentally personal character of one's own sanctification, of the ascetic struggle, of union with God. These certainly affect others, but the role of the individual conscience in them is vital and cannot be substituted. Furthermore, it makes it easier to suit the formation given to the particular needs, circumstances and psychology of each person. This does not mean to say that in these activities the fact that the participants are married is disregarded, nothing could be further removed from the spirit of Opus Dei.
For forty years I have been preaching and writing that each person has to sanctify himself in ordinary life, in the concrete situations of every day. Married people, therefore, have to sanctify themselves by living their family obligations perfectly. One of the aims of the retreats and other means of formation organised by Opus Dei for married men or women is to make them more fully aware of the dignity of their vocation to marriage and help them prepare themselves, with the grace of God, to live it better.
In many aspects the demands which married love makes on men and on women are different and their love shows itself in different ways. With specific means of formation they can be helped effectively to discover these details of love in their daily lives. In this way, separation for a few hours or a few days will, in the long run, make them more united and help them to love each other more and better than they did before, with a love full of respect.
I repeat that we do not claim that our way of acting in this is the only good one, or that it should be adopted by everyone. It simply seems to me that it gives very good results and that there are strong reasons — as well as long experience — for doing things this way but I do not take issue with the contrary opinion. Furthermore, I would add that if in Opus Dei we adopt this procedure in certain types of spiritual formation, nevertheless in numerous other activities married couples, as such, participate and cooperate. I am thinking, for example, of the work which is done with the parents of pupils in schools conducted by members of Opus Dei, in the meetings, lectures etc., especially arranged for the parents of students who live in halls of residence run by the Work.
So you see, when the type of activity requires the presence of the married couple, husband and wife both take part. But these types of meetings and activities are different from those that are directed towards personal spiritual training.
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