SPES 2010-2011

Thank you for your support for Saint Patrick’s Evangelisation School this year, particularly as we have been ‘homeless’ since April as the long-awaited restoration works have begun in our church and basement, forcing us to rely more than ever on the Lord’s providence and guidance.

We have just finished our eighth year of the School, with five young women graduating on 15^th June at a Mass celebrated by Bishop Alan Hopes, in Notre Dame de France Church, Leicester Square. It was a wonderful occasion to celebrate the hard work and progress of our students with so many of our friends. Aisling, Christina, Deanna, Lissette and Shi Rui have had an excellent year, journeying with the Lord to strengthen their faith, spreading the Good News, and discerning their vocations.

Our building work has forced us to take stock of our situation, as since April we have been ‘making do’ with a variety of temporary and inadequate facilities as the School has been evicted from its classroom, chapel, offices and dining room. While the students have coped magnificently, it seems that it would not be possible to give the same experience to our students next year as we have always endeavoured to provide in the past. Therefore it is with a heavy heart that we have decided not to run the School as a full-time programme for new students in 2010-2011.

I fully intend, however, that the work that we have been doing – evangelisation, forming young Catholics, being a praying presence in the heart of London – continue here until our refurbishment is complete. It is very important to me that we keep alive the ‘Spirit of SPES’ that the Holy Spirit has created here over the past eight years. I hope that you will take this chance to continue to support the work of SPES as we call upon your gifts. Edna dos Santos (’08) and Deanna Joy (’10) will coordinate all these activities and continue the SPES community life, so please keep in touch with them through the year.

The restored church and new parish centre are on course to be reopened by Archbishop Vincent Nichols on 31^st May 2011. Exact details will follow, but I do hope that you can put this date in your diaries now.

God willing, the School should open the doors of its new purpose-built facilities to the next cohort of students in October 2011. Therefore our recruitment process will continue.

I hope that you will continue to support SPES, particularly with your prayers in this time of transition. We keep you in our prayers.

Yours in Christ,

Father Alexander