AUTUMN GATHERING
STONOR PARK
SATURDAY 16 OCTOBER 2021
Dear Members,
I am pleased to announce that the Catholic Union will be holding an Autumn Gathering on Saturday 16 October 2021 at Stonor Park, near Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. Stonor Park is the ancient home of the Stonor family, dating back to the twelfth century, and is set in beautiful parkland. The family were recusants and their private chapel remained Catholic throughout the Reformation. The house is associated with St Edmund Campion SJ who secretly printed his famous tract Rationes Decem (Ten Reasons) there in 1581. You can read more details about the house and gardens here: https://www.stonor.com/.
The Gathering will begin with Holy Mass in the chapel at 11am celebrated by Fr Damian Howard SJ, the Jesuit Provincial, and will be followed by some talks about the contemporary political scene and the work of the Catholic Union, and a simple lunch in the restaurant. In the afternoon there will be a full tour of the house and gardens, tea and cake, and an opportunity to socialise with fellow members until the day finishes at 5pm. We hope that our President Sir Edward Leigh MP as well as our Vice-President and former MP Robert Flello will be able to join us for what promises to be a very enjoyable day out.
The capacity of Stonor Park for this occasion is limited to 50 guests and we therefore strongly advise members to book early to avoid disappointment. Please note that the chapel and restaurant are quite small and so social distancing as we have been experiencing it over the last 18 months will not be possible. However, all possible precautions will be taken to provide a safe environment within these limits.
The cost of the Autumn Gathering will be £30 per person which includes lunch, the tour of the house and gardens, and tea and cake. Alcoholic and soft drinks will be available but are not included.
Members are responsible for their own transport. The Stonor website contains directions for those arriving by car as well as by public transport (the nearest railway station is Henley-on-Thames and taxis are available from the station). There is ample parking available at the house which is a short walk from the car park.
If you would like to attend, please contact the office at info@catholicunion.org.uk or telephone on 020 8749 1321, and give them your name(s) and any dietary requirements. It would be helpful if you were to copy your email to me at director@catholicunionorg.uk. Payment should be by cheque made payable to “The Catholic Union of Great Britain” and sent to the office address (St Maximilian Kolbe House, 63 Jeddo Road, London W12 9EE) or by bank transfer with your name as a reference to our account at
HSBC
Account number; 40217492
Sort Code: 40 05 20.
I hope that many of you will be able to join us for our first “in person” meeting for some time.
If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me in the first instance.
Nigel Parker
Director
director@catholicunion.org.uk
07930 955692