I hope to catch some attention to this wonderful new group of young Catholics who are rallying around the Pope, wanting to open up the debate in Britain's media to thinking differently about Catholic issues. John Henry Newman said:
'I want a laity, not arrogant, not rash in speech, not disputatious, but men [and women] who know their religion, who enter into it, who know just where they stand, who know what they hold and what they do not, who know their creed so well that they can give an account of it, who know so much of history that they can defend it. I want an intelligent, well-instructed laity - I wish...to enlarge [their] knowledge, to cultivate [their] reason, to get an insight into the relation of truth to truth, to learn to view things as they are, to understand how faith and reason stand to each other, what are the bases and principles of Catholicism...'
I hope he has his wish in these 20 members of the team of Catholic Voices!
The Team
COORDINATORS
Jack Valero is a director of Opus Dei in the UK and the co-ordinator, with Austen Ivereigh, of the Da Vinci Code Response Group in 2006, a team of Catholics who made themselves available to the media in the run-up to the DVC film. He is also Press Officer for the Beatification of Cardinal Newman.
jack.valero@catholicvoices.org.uk
Austen Ivereigh is a Catholic journalist and commentator who writes regularly for the Guardian CiF section and Our Sunday Visitor, and is European correspondent for America magazine in New York. His latest book is Faithful Citizens: a practical guide to Catholic Social Teaching and community organising (2010).
austen.ivereigh@catholicvoices.org.uk
Kathleen Griffin is a broadcaster, writer and journalist. She has been a reporter and producer on many BBC Radio 4 programmes, including Woman's Hour, Feedback, In Touch, The Food Programme, and All in the Mind. She currently teaches Broadcast Media at Brighton University. Her latest book is The Forgiveness Formula (2002), a practical guide on the steps to forgiveness.
kathleen.griffin@catholicvoices.org.uk
SPEAKERS
Dominic Burbidge is a postgraduate student of the University of Oxford, interested in the local politics of East Africa. He also works as a Researcher to Timothy Garton Ash.
Danelia Cardona is a psychiatrist from Colombia who has lived in the UK for 8 years. She is involved with Youth 2000, a lay initiative which helps young people plug into the heart of the Catholic Church.
Jim Carr is an Irish pharmacist currently working in the NHS. He is pursuing a part-time PhD in political theology at the University of Bristol.
Robert Colquhoun is the editor of the recent book: Pure Heart Create for Me: theology of the body today. He organises talks, seminars, catechism classes and papers about the truth and meaning of human sexuality.
Daniel Coughlan is a PhD student in Cambridge working on Cardinal Heenan and Vatican II. He has theology degrees from both Oxford and Cambridge and is currently co-chair of the Cambridge University Catholic Graduate Society.
Laura Crowley is a barrister, practising in commercial law. Before being called to the Bar, she read History at Cambridge.
Patrick Cusworth is a public affairs consultant, specialising in the science, research and technology sector. He holds a Masters degree in Medical Law and Ethics and is a keen supporter of religious liberties.
Neil D’Aguiar has Degree in Theology from Durham University, including a year at Kings College London. He works as a RE Teacher and Director of Spirituality at Richard Challoner School. He is also a carer to his wife.
Michael d'Arcy is a barrister, practising in commercial law. After a degree and doctorate in physics at the University of Oxford he was a lecturer both at Oxford and King's College London. He has also carried out science policy research in Washington DC.
Bonnie Lander Johnson is writing a doctorate on Shakespeare and Chastity at Oxford University, where she was President of the Catholic Society. She is part of the New Feminist movement.
William Johnstone was an Anglican clergyman. He works for the St Barnabas Society, a Catholic charity that supports convert ministers and religious, while studying classics at University College London.
Marie Jones is a full-time mother of two with a background in Youth Ministry. She has worked with the physically and mentally handicapped and spent time with L’Arche community.
Fr Paul Keane works as a parish priest in north-east Essex and is the Catholic chaplain at the University of Essex. Born in London, he read History at Cambridge and trained to be a priest at The English College in Rome.
Ella Leonard is married with three children. She is a corporate lawyer specialising in investment funds and is a governor of three educational charities, one of which operates two Catholic primary schools in South London.
Poppy MacDonald is currently studying for an MA in Bioethics at St Mary’s University, Twickenham whilst working full-time as a Commodity Buyer in Aerospace Engineering.
Chris Morgan is a tax advisor specialising in international and European law. He is a member of the Catholic movement, Communion and Liberation.
Fiona O’Reilly is a management consultant, specialising in programme and project management. She also leads Soul Food, a lay initiative that brings together a large range of Catholic professionals living and working in London.
Fiona Paley works in Communications and Public Affairs. She has a Theology and Religious Studies degree from Cambridge University.
Chris Serpell is a research scientist in supramolecular chemistry at the University of Oxford. A former Catholic Society President, he has also spent time living in community and working with the disadvantaged.
Madeleine Teahan works as a parliamentary researcher in the House of Lords. She read Social and Political Sciences at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
Peter D. Williams is a former Atheist ‘revert’ to the Catholic Faith, works as a Campaigner for the Pro-Life organisation Right to Life, and is a part-time Graduate Theology student at King's College London.
