Greetings, fellow Newmanites! The following are the announcements from the Newman Centre and the Newman Catholic Students’ Society for the upcoming week.
Highlights this week:
- Is Political Forgiveness Possible?: Lecture by Prof. Nigel Biggar
- The Position of Canadian and British Courts on Euthanasia: Q&A with Profs. Margaret Somerville and Nigel Biggar
- Bible Study on Mercy Resumes
- Sandwiches on the Street
- Saturday Night Supper
- Soup and Bagel Lunch Program Resumes
— Michael
Events and Activities This Week
Is Political Forgiveness Possible?: Lecture by Prof. Nigel Biggar
Is Political Forgiveness Possible?: Lecture by Prof. Nigel BiggarTuesday, January 12th (6:00pm)
Motivated by deep scriptural reflection on the parable of the Prodigal Son, Oxford University’s Prof. Nigel Biggar has been at the forefront of peace processes in Northern Ireland and South Africa. He has advised Truth and Reconciliation committees around the world and has written insightfully on forgiveness in Forgiving Enemies in Northern Ireland and Burying the Past: Making Peace and Doing Justice after Civil Conflict. His insights are as pertinent to personal forgiveness as they are to political forgiveness.
Please join us for this year’s Claude Ryan lecture to inaugurate the Year of Mercy at the Newman Centre. Reception to follow. Visit the Newman Centre’s website for more information.
The Position of Canadian and British Courts on Euthanasia: Q&A with Profs. Margaret Somerville and Nigel Biggar
Wednesday, January 13th (3:00pm)
Why did the legalization of euthanasia fail in Britain, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland? What cases were cited in these contexts that raised serious concern? And why instead did it succeed in Canada? Margaret Somerville, author of Death Talk, and Nigel Biggar, author of Aiming to Kill: The Ethics of Suicide and Euthanasia, will analyze the court rulings and, with reference to some recent court cases, will comment on the judicial reasoning and the relative roles of the judiciary and the legislature in both countries.
Tea and light refreshment will be served. Visit the Newman Centre’s website for more information.
Bible Study on Mercy Resumes
Wednesday, January 13th (7:00pm)
Join us Wednesday at 7:00pm for our next Newman Bible Study on Mercy. Samuel Farrugia will lead a Scriptural reflection followed by a spiritual meditation led by Julian Paparella. Have mercy and attend!
Sandwiches on the Street
Saturday, January 16th (11:00am)
It’s sandwich time again! Want to learn more about Christian street ministry with an ecumenical service project? Join the Newman Catholic Students’ Society (NCSS), Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF), Just Church/L’Église Juste (Anglican-United) and ICON (Coptic) in making and distributing sandwiches to Montrealers living without a home.
11:00am — Sandwich making at the Newman Centre. If you are willing to bring something, we are most in need of sandwich meats, cheese and tuna.
12:00pm — Sandwich distribution (various locations). Teams will be sent into the city (metro passes provided if traveling further than walking distance) to interact with the homeless population in Montreal and give them some of the sandwiches we made.
You are welcome to come for both sandwich making and distribution, or just one portion of the event. Everyone is welcome!
Saturday Night Supper
Saturday, January 16th (6:00pm)
The Newman Catholic Students’ Society has a longstanding tradition of hosting a supper every Saturday night, prepared by members of the Newman community. For only $5, you get a full meal, including dessert. Please come join us and share a great meal and great conversation!
If you’re interested in signing up to help prepare a meal in the future, please contact our VP Saturday Night Suppers, .
Soup and Bagel Lunch Program Resumes
Wednesday, January 13th (12:30-2:00pm)
Every weekday starting this Wednesday, from 12:30-2:00pm, enjoy all-you-can-eat hot soup and Montreal bagels in the Newman Centre’s Bagelounge for the low price of $3.50, courtesy of our administrative coordinator, Linda Diez.
Events and Activities This Month
Faith Studies Resumes
With the new semester comes a new opportunity to grow in faith, friendship, and virtue through a faith study! Faith studies are small groups of students, led by a trained student guide, that meet once a week over the course of six weeks during the semester to learn about the Catholic faith using specially prepared study guides from Catholic Christian Outreach.
If you’re interested, please sign up for this semester here. Please read the instructions carefully as it asks for the times you’re NOT available to meet. You will be contacted as responses come in so please sign up as soon as you can!
Uncover McGill
January 18th-22nd at various locations
Uncover McGill is a week of events put on by the Christian groups at McGill, including the Newman Catholic Students’ Society, to facilitate discussion and exploration of life’s biggest questions. Each day during the week there will be two lunch talks with free food, as well as evening events. See the schedule to the left for details or visit the Facebook event page.
All students are invited and welcome. We’ve made sure there’s lots going on to interest everyone, so do come and bring your friends!
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity – Ecumenical Prayer Night
Tuesday, January 19th (7:00pm) at Peoples Church
Beginning Sunday, January 17th and ending Saturday, January 23rd, Christians of all different traditions and denominations around the world will be observing a week of prayer for Christian unity.
To mark this occasion, “The Living Room”, a local Protestant church in downtown Montreal, in partnership with Christian Direction and a few other groups, is organizing a joint worship and prayer night on Tuesday, January 19th at 7:00pm at Peoples Church. The goal is for the churches and ministries in downtown Montreal to come together in unity to pray. Our Protestant brothers and sisters in Christ have invited students from the Newman Centre to join them that evening. It is a unique opportunity to step outside our comfort zone of our own faith tradition and join together with one voice to cry out to God on behalf of our city, our nation and our world.
Our campus minister, , will be leading one of the periods of prayer that evening; please contact him for more information.
YOUCAT on Tap
Friday, January 22nd (5:00-7:00pm)
Join us for next week’s YOUCAT on Tap, which resumes Friday, January 22nd. As usual, beer and pizza service starts at 5:00pm followed by the topic discussion at 5:30pm. All are welcome!
Armchair (Lenten) Retreat
February 7th-March 20th (deadline to register January 31st)
Every Lenten season, the Newman Centre, in partnership with the Ignatian Spirituality Centre of Montreal, is pleased to offer an “Armchair retreat” to Newmanites. The Armchair retreat is six weeks of one-on-one spiritual direction with a trained prayer companion from the Ignatian Centre.
The retreat begins with a group gathering on Sunday, February 7th for orientation and prayer. After that, students are paired off with spiritual directors whom you will be able to meet with weekly throughout the six weeks of Lent concluding with a group gathering on Palm Sunday (Sunday, March 20th).
The Armchair retreat is a uniquely personal experience tailored to each individual and their schedule. For more information or to register, please contact our campus minister . The deadline for registration is Sunday, January 31st; space is limited so please register ASAP!
Other Announcements
Call for Previous Semester’s Reimbursement Forms
As the new semester begins, please help us bring the last semester to a close. If you have spent money cooking for an SNS or organizing a Newman activity, and wish to be reimbursed, please submit your requests to our VP Finance, , by Saturday, January 16th.
Reimbursement request forms can be found in the NCSS mailbox at the Newman Centre or on the NCSS website.
Become a Newman Catholic Students’ Society Member!
Membership in the Society is open to everyone and comes with the following benefits:
- one free Saturday Night Supper (normally $5),
- right to attend Council meetings,
- right to vote in Society elections (if you are a SSMU or PGSS member), and
- a snazzy red membership card!
Memberships cost $2 and can be purchased from our VP Finance, .
Parking at Newman
Parking spaces are reserved for staff, all others by permission only. Fees apply. See a member of staff before parking. Unidentified vehicles will be towed at the owner’s expense.
Mass Schedule
The Newman Centre has Mass every Sunday at 5:00pm. Weekday Masses are held from Tuesday to Friday at 4:00pm, with Eucharistic Adoration from 4:30-5:30pm. Confessions are heard before all Masses.
Centre Hours
The Newman Centre is open weekdays from 10:00am-5:00pm (extended hours on some days) and on weekends during scheduled events such as Mass.
