Scottish Catholic Observer

The first Catholic home of Blessed John Henry Newman has been formally named by the Vatican as the first Higher Institute of Religious Sciences in the English-speaking world.

The Vatican has bestowed the honour on The Maryvale Institute in Birmingham. It was at Mary’s Vale—Maryvale House, Old Oscott, on the outskirts of Birmingham, that the then Fr Newman set up the English Oratory of St Philip Neri on February 1 1848.

Maryvale Institute

The Maryvale Institute was established by the Archbishop of Birmingham, George Patrick Dwyer, in 1980, in response to the need for religious formation, in particular for lay people and religious, to assist in preparing them for diverse lay ministries and fulfilling Cardinal Newman’s vision for a laity well educated in faith.

The work started by Archbishop Dwyer has been continued by his successors Archbishop Maurice Couve de Murville, Archbishop Vincent Nichols and the present Archbishop of Birmingham, Bernard Longley, who have all been president of the institute.

“I am delighted that the Holy See has granted this important recognition to the Maryvale Institute,” Archbishop Longley said. “I hope that it will encourage those who are seeking to deepen understanding and appreciation of their faith within an academic framework that is recognised and esteemed by the universal Church. The Maryvale Institute has demonstrated both the quality of the courses now recognised by the Holy See through the École Cathêdrąle, and its faithfulness to conciliar Papal teaching. This recognition strengthens the confidence already felt by many in what Maryvale offers widely within and beyond the Catholic Church.”

Second Vatican Council

Since the Second Vatican Council, with increased interest in the study of theology, the Holy See has defined and promoted the establishment of Higher Institutes for Religious Sciences.

Maryvale’s method of distance-collaborative learning enables study much more widely and has extended provision across the English-speaking world.

“Maryvale shares in the New Evangelisation for the renewal of the Church promoted by Pope Benedict XVI,” Mgr Paul Watson, director of the Maryvale Higher Institute, said. “Every Higher Institute of Religious Sciences must be attached to a Pontifical Theology Faculty and so Maryvale Institute is now attached to the Faculté de Notre Dame at l’Ecole Cathédrale in Paris and students will receive the Ecclesiastical Graduate and Post-Graduate Degrees of ‘Baccalaureate’ and ‘Licence.’”

The director added that special events to mark the new status are being planned for the new academic year in the autumn.