Mater Ecclesiae College

A Message from the Rector of Mater Ecclesiae College, Monsignor Paul McPartlan

paul-mcpartlan Welcome to this temporary website of Mater Ecclesiae College. As Rector, I would like to welcome in particular those who are interested in the possibility of studying here.

As you can see from the introduction below, the College’s origins go back to 1614, when it was established in Louvain. It subsequently moved to England, and, since 2019, it has been located at St Mary’s University, Twickenham.

Uniquely among centres of higher education in the UK, the College is an ecclesiastical faculty, able to award pontifical degrees, recognised by the Vatican, which open up the possibility of teaching in Catholic universities, colleges, and seminaries throughout the world. Moreover, thanks to its special relationship with the University, those degrees are paired with civil degrees awarded by St Mary’s University.

The College exists for the benefit of the Church as a whole and for the good of the world. Further information is given below, and there will be more information on the new website, coming soon in Spring 2025. Meanwhile, please feel free to contact me (paul.mcpartlan@stmarys.ac.uk) or the Dean of the Faculty of Theology of Mater Ecclesiae College (francisco-javier.ruiz-ortiz@stmarys.ac.uk).

We look forward to hearing from you.

STB and BA Theological Studies

Faculty

What is Mater Ecclesiae College?

Mater Ecclesiae is an ecclesiastical college which can trace its history back to 1614. In 2019, it entered into a collaborative relationship with St Mary’s University. It existed first of all to facilitate the education of seminarians to the priesthood, being founded when the Society of Jesus established a house of studies in Louvain for English Jesuits studying for degrees in theology and philosophy. Mater Ecclesiae College is proud to continue this tradition and to be able to confer some of the oldest academic degrees in the country. By doing so it is supporting an important aspect of the Catholic Church’s mission.

However, these pontifical degrees, awarded under the auspices of the Dicastery for Culture and Education in Rome, are not exclusively for seminarians. Increasingly, lay men and women study for these degrees at every level. By offering these degrees in the UK, Mater Ecclesiae is a potential home for the global Catholic community. To enrol for the Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology (STB), students who are not seminarians should have completed a certain amount of preparatory philosophical study.

For further information about this, please contact the Dean of the Faculty of Theology.

Students of Mater Ecclesiae may receive a civil award, the BA (Hons) in Theological Studies, from St Mary’s, as well as the STB from Mater Ecclesiae.

In addition to the STB, it is intended that in the near future Mater Ecclesiae College will also award other pontifical degrees, the Licence in Sacred Theology (STL), an ecclesiastical equivalent to a masters degree, and the STD, which is an ecclesiastical doctoral qualification. Suitable candidates, both laity and clergy, will be very welcome. The possibility of studying for these higher degrees will significantly enrich the intellectual life of the Church in this country, as well as the existing research community in theology at St Mary’s University.

The relationship between Mater Ecclesiae and St Mary’s brings significant benefits for the student experience and also through the breadth of expertise among lecturers on the various programmes. The combined faculty of Mater Ecclesiae and St Mary’s offers a rich range of talent to serve both lay students and seminarians, and indeed to contribute to the good of both the Church and society at large.

A Message from the Rector on the Death of Pope Francis

mater-ecclesiae-logo Mater Ecclesiae College joins St Mary’s University and the Catholic Church worldwide in sorrow at the death of Pope Francis, but also in great thanksgiving to God for the witness of this exemplary Christian and pastor, faithful disciple of the one Pastor, Jesus Christ. Because it all relates to him, the Good Shepherd, true theology is pastoral, as Pope Francis never ceased to insist, echoing Pope John XXIII, who called the Second Vatican Council, wanting its teaching to be pastoral and wanting the Church to use ‘the medicine of mercy rather than that of severity’.

Pope Francis was deeply influenced by his Jesuit confrere, Henri de Lubac, a leading pioneer of the Council. De Lubac once said that the Catholic Church ‘is neither Latin nor Greek, but universal’ and that it seeks ‘to gather in everything for its salvation and sanctification’. That was clearly Pope Francis’ instinct in reaching out to everyone with love and respect, and in urging care for creation. He touched the hearts of countless people, Christians and those of other faiths and none, with his goodness and grace.

Many times, particularly when speaking to priests, he recalled de Lubac’s warning that the greatest temptation faced by the Church is ‘spiritual worldliness’, which ‘consists in seeking not the Lord’s glory but human glory and personal well-being’ (Evangelii gaudium, 93). In order to avoid that danger, de Lubac said that the Church must be a mother like Mary, ceaselessly striving ‘to deliver us to the life of the Spirit’. Like Mary, she must be ‘the Sacrament of Jesus Christ’. Pope Francis was devoted to Mary.

Mater Ecclesiae College was established at St Mary’s during Pope Francis’ pontificate. May his teaching and example always inspire us. May he rest in peace and rise in glory!

Mary, Mater Ecclesiae, pray for him and pray for us!