Durham: dates announced for new Ushaw Lecture series

Pugin Chapel at Ushaw

Durham University’s Centre for Catholic Studies has announced the next speakers in its successful series of Ushaw Lectures.

This academic term the speakers include the head of Theology at Durham University, the curator of the Victoria and Albert museum’s latest exhibition and the archivist of the British Jesuit province.

Professor Alec Ryrie opens the series on 1 May with a talk about the other side of life in post-Reformation England, looking away from the polemic to signs of tolerance. He is followed on 22 May by the V&A’s Tessa Murdoch who will be discussing the sacred and secular silver held at Ushaw. The final lecture of the academic year will be delivered by Rev Dr Thomas McCoog SJ of Fordham University. On 5 June he will give a talk entitled ‘Poverty, Persecution and Possession: Aspects of the Jesuit Mission in North-East England, 1588–1688’.

The Ushaw Lectures are designed to raise awareness of the nationally-important holdings at the former seminary, including documents from the period of Catholic persecution and rare first edition books. As such, it features invited guests who speak on aspects of Ushaw’s history and the history of Catholicism in the North-East of England more
generally.

Speaking of the upcoming events, Dr James Kelly, fellow at the Centre for Catholic Studies and convenor of the Ushaw Lectures, said: “We are extremely happy to again being hosting such noted speakers in what has been a very successful first series of Ushaw Lectures. Indeed, the response has been so positive that we have decided to run a new series in the next academic year and already have a significant scholar from a US institution confirmed to open it.

“These events are aimed at showing just how important Ushaw and its holdings are not just to the Catholic community, but to the history of the North-East and England more generally. By looking at Ushaw in this way, it becomes clear that its history – and that of Catholicism – is not a mere footnote to the national story but of lasting importance.”

The Ushaw lectures start with refreshments at 5.30pm before the actual talk at 6pm. Each event will be accompanied by a small exhibition of items held at Ushaw relevant to the topic. All lectures are free but you must register to attend by contacting Theresa Phillips at ccs.admin@durham.ac.uk or tel: 0191 334 1656