To the great credit of its Principal, staff and students, inspectors from the Church of England's Ministry Division have recently praised the work of St Stephen's House (and your Editor declares an interest as a member of the House Council, [...]

ST MARY, CREDENHILL, HEREFS Supposing that someone who resided in this parish 350 years ago could return, what difference would he notice in the church he knew well? The exterior would look much the same, though the palm tree to [...]

Luke Briers welcomes two books which unpack the gifts of the Rosary A WALSINGHAM ROSARY Philip and Anne Gray Canterbury Press, 110pp, pbk 978 184.8256309, £9.99 PRAYING THE ROSARY A JOURNEY THROUGH SCRIPTURE AND ART Denis McBride Redemptorist Publications, 136pp, [...]

Tragedy and Comedy Tom Sutcliffe explores issues of immigration and women's freedom — and enjoys a good laugh in Berlin I missed A View from the Bridge at the Young Vic last year, but seized a £39 matinee ticket to [...]

Resurrection life Andy Hawes is Warden of Edenham Regional Retreat House Last November I attended a lecture by Fr John Behr, a Russian Orthodox theologian, titled `Reclaiming Death'. He outlined the current situation in western societies where death is pushed [...]

Advice to the Christian John Henry Newman Our duty lies in acts — acts of course of every kind, acts of the mind, as well as of the tongue, or of the hand; but anyhow, it lies mainly in acts; [...]

Arthur Middleton on catechesis Modern liturgies have made us familiar with distinguishing Word and Sacrament. In the Primitive Church the Ministry of the Word was the Liturgy of the Catechumens. It embodied the transmission of the faith to new members [...]

SARGENT Portraits of Artists and Friends National Portrait Gallery 12 February-25 May Admission £14.50, concessions available If John Singer Sargent were a novelist, he would fall between Henry James (middle period) and E.F. Benson. He had terrific facility and was [...]

Wooden pews as we know them started appearing in churches in the Middle Ages, by the 14th century. Before then, people stood or knelt, with perhaps stone seats around the base of arcade piers or along the walls for the [...]

The Bishop of Fulham finds help in preaching the Resurrection Cross or Resurrection? It is absurd to make them into alternatives, but often we can be tempted to do just that. We pray in aid uncritical reflections on Christian art, [...]