Collegio Beda

Collegio Beda (Pontificio Collegio Beda) is united to the English College in Rome and intended for converted Anglican clergymen wishing to prepare for the priesthood. It was founded in 1852 by Pius IX; and increased under Leo XIII. It was named after the Anglo-Saxon monk and scholar the Venerable Bede. Cardinal Howard bequeathed to the two colleges his valuable library. The country seat of the two colleges is at Monte Porzio.

This College was first founded in 1852 for older men, often convert clergymen, for Catholic priesthood. They came only for four years, because they were seen to have significant knowledge and experience already.

Today the character of the community has changed. Although the Beda remains the responsibility of the Bishops of England and Wales, it has opened its doors to receive men from English-speaking countries worldwide. However, the essential mission remains the same: to help older men harness and develop their experience and knowledge in the service of the Gospel as Catholic priests.

History

In 1852, Pope Pius IX approved a plan to accommodate in Rome a number of clergymen from England who had joined the Catholic Church from other Christian denominations and wished to prepare for the Catholic priesthood.

The new College—first known as Collegio Ecclesiastico and later as Collegio Pio—also included lifelong Catholics, drawn to the priesthood fairly late in life.

A third category comprised younger, newly ordained priests studying for post-graduate degrees in Rome. For over 100 years this was to remain the typical composition of the student body, ensuring that the College would become the world's best-known College for "late vocations"--training men who had already followed widely differing careers.

The College entered a period of renewal at the turn of the century when, as a result of the interest taken by Pope Leo XIII, a new constitution was issued in 1898. The Pope decided that the College should be placed under the patronage of the Venerable Bede, the eighth century author of The Ecclesiastical History of the English People, to whom the Pope had a personal devotion. In the following year he was to raise St Bede to the dignity of Doctor of the Church and the name "Pontificio Collegio Beda" originates from this time. The Beda developed its own system of priestly formation, based on a unique four-year course of studies conducted in English. This took shape in the 1930s and 1940s, while Monsignor Charles Duchemin was Rector.

The College was evacuated to Britain in 1939 for the duration of the Second World War and by October 1947, the Beda had returned to its home at 67 Via di S. Nicolo da Tolentino, near the Piazza Barberini. But by the mid-1950s, with large numbers seeking admission, the College had outgrown its premises. In 1956 Pope Pius XII provided from Vatican property the land on which the present modern Beda stands, adjacent to the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls. Pope John XXIII formally opened the new building on 20 October 1960. The College has continued to develop on this site.

Formation

Formation in the Beda is a rigorous process. A person who wishes to be considered for the priesthood has been through a selection process, which is carried out by the diocese to which he applies.

Each student at the Beda is supported in his training by his diocesan bishop or religious superior and vocations director, as well as by the College formation and teaching staff. A student cannot train for the priesthood without the agreement and support of his diocesan bishop. Discernment of a student's suitability for the ordained ministry is carried out in the light of the Church's teaching, especially as contained in the document Pastores Dabo Vobis.

Community

The Beda College is a self-contained community within a spacious and modern building. Built on Vatican territory in 1960, the College remains an "extra-territorial enclave" and is opposite the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls.

With good public transport and easy access to the heart of Rome and Vatican City, the Beda provides a daily encounter with the rich heritage of the city and the earliest beginnings of the Christian community and the Church from apostolic times, as well as the daily bustle of a modern European city.

The Beda programme of formation lasts four years and includes programmes of human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation. As required by the Church, the course includes Scripture, Philosophy, Liturgy, Dogmatic Theology, Moral Theology, Spiritual Theology, Pastoral Studies, Homiletics, Canon Law and Church History. The courses are designed to provide a thorough and balanced preparation for the priesthood, taking into account the age and experience of each student. In addition to lectures, all participate in seminars and tutorials. Where extra tuition is needed, students receive individual attention.

In October 2002, after fruitful negotiations with senior university officials, the College entered into partnership with University of Wales, Lampeter (http://www.lamp.ac.uk/trs/). Students are now able to study for degrees awarded by the University of Wales. All of the students will now normally register for a degree in their first year - either the degree of Bachelor of Theology (BTh), or the degree of Bachelor of Divinity (BD, to include Latin and Greek). The College will, of course, remain entirely in charge of its own curriculum.

The pattern for the coming year will be that each new student registers for one of the above Degrees and should graduate at the end of Year 3. In his fourth year he will be eligible to embark on the Graduate Certificate.

This partnership will require continued academic rigour (within the overarching priorities of formation for priesthood), and will be the preferred academic course that each student follows. The option for a student to study for a Pontifical Baccalaureate Degree at the Angelicum (or another Roman university) still remains open. This, however, would not be the norm. Such a course of study would be at the specific request of a bishop and in keeping with the good interests of the student and the College.

External links

• Pontifical Beda College Official Website