College Carol Service

Many thanks to all who attended and contributed to the College Carol Service last night. We raised £986 which will form part of our donation to St Aloysius Gonzaga High School in February.

Northern Marches Day of Recollection - 28/11/2010

The Day of Recollection for the Northern Marches has had to be cancelled as Fr Cobbold cannot get out of Ampleforth due to the snow.

Petrasancta Companions Dinner - January 4th 2011

The dinner will be once again in VIVA (corner of Bothwell and West Campbell Streets) . I suggest starting at 5 for an early end as the Praefectus will want to go to sleep and the rest of you will doubtless have a multitude of spiritual events to attend later ...

If any of your parents would like to come, and indeed join the Companions, they would be most welcome too.

Please sign up either on Facebook or by email or text so that I can give Marco some idea of how many to expect.

Ceilidh for Kibera

Many thanks to all who supported the Ceilidh for Kibera last night. Copious sums were raised for our host groups in Kibera (Laini Saba, St Secilia's, St Aloysius and the Order of Malta Clinics).

The ceilidh band, of Tony Coogan and Donnie MacAskill did a great job yet again in keeping the whole crowd on its feet for the entire evening!

Colonel Beverly Bergman

The Petrasancta Society will be entertaining Colonel Bergman to lunch on Tuesday 7th December at 12. Beverly is a consultant physician, the Scottish Government's liaison officer with the Armed Forces and will give us a talk first on the medical arrangements for the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. All Companions are welcome but please tell me if you are coming.

June Nairobi Trip

We know have five definitely going on the late-June Nairobi safari, approximate cost £1000. More information after the February jaunt.

Stonyhurst Meeting

Jesuit Missions has convened a meeting of all the partner schools on the Companions project at Stonyhurst from 10th-11th November. Each school will describe its experiences in Africa and India and there will be some African students there too. Our project will be represented by Michael Diamond.

Knights of Malta Ball 5th March 2011

The Knights Ball, the largest fund-raiser of the Scottish Delegation, will take place in Edinburgh in the Sheraton Grand Hotel on Saturday 6th March. Full details will follow shortly, although it is never too early to put it in your diary and dig out some raffle prizes (anything from a case of wine to a week in your villa in Antibes). I know several of you have been in the past and I think Alex and Amy would recommend it highly - large numbers of students go so it is not just for coffin-dodgers.

Kibera 2011 Dinner

The group going to Kibera in February will be having a Group Hug in Viva on Tuesday 26th October at 5 p.m. with the accompanying staff. It would be good if some Companions could pop in from 6 for a pizza and/or a drink to share some advice informally - much more useful than my yapping on all the time. Please text me if you can come.

We also need to solidify the proposal for a late June 2011 trip to Kibera which some of you have already said you are interested in. Currently we have 4 people definitely going.

Any other Companions, Knights or Dames would be most welcome to come with us - it is always great fun and very rewarding.

Order of Malta Requiem Mass

The Annual Requiem Mass for deceased members of the Order will take place at the Gillis Centre, 100 Strathearn Road, Edinburgh, on Thursday 11th November at 6.15 for 6.30 p.m.

Chivalric sciences

The College of Noblemen (Nobili), otherwise known as St Francis Xavier, was a branch of the multifarious educational activities of the Society of Jesus in 18th century Bologna. In addition to the usual Jesuit curriculum, young noblemen studied the Chivalric Sciences (scienze cavalleresche) of conversation, deportment, fencing, and horsemanship as well as foreign languages, music, military architecture and heraldry. The Collegio dei Nobili had two elite academies within it—the Argonauts, and the Affidati who received an even more rigorous course than the rest. The boy who scored the highest marks in each academy in philosophy, literature or in arms would be created Principe dell’Accademia for that semester. Some of these principi included future doges of Venice and Pope Clement XIII.

While it is not proposed to offer deportment, and conversation would be a work of supererogation, all Companions are cordially invited to join the seminars preparing the two Africa groups, as well as specially arranged classes in KISWAHILI, AFRICAN DRUMMING, HERALDRY, ARCHERY, FIRST AID, PLAINSONG, RIDING and FENCING.

Service for the Pakistan Floods

Many thanks to all who supported the Scottish Asian Christian Fellowship service in aid of Pakistan. A huge number of churches was present - some of them very small - with the Catholic church represented by Father Gannen of St Albert the Great's, and ourselves. £1000 was given to Release International and a delicious lunch was served afterwards by Octavia and her team.

Service for Pakistan Flood Victims

We are having a service along with the Scottish Asian Christian Network in Pollokshields Parish Church on Saturday 2nd October at 11 a.m. The collection is in aid of victims of the Pakistan flood and will be followed by lunch in the Church Hall. I have three volunteers already but any other Companions willing to come and help steward would be very welcome. After the lunch some of us are going on to Swan Lake at the Theatre Royal - all welcome at that too. Text or email me if you are coming.

Walsingham Pilgrimage - September 2010

The WOS Companions were represented at the Annual Pilgrimage of the Order to Walsingham. After Mass and blessing of the sick in Wells-next-the-Sea, we repaired to the home of Peter Allingham for afternoon tea. Peter had gone to some trouble to decorate his beautiful home for us - this was the Saturday of the papal visit.

Petrasancta Ceilidh for Kibera 26th November 2010

PLEASE, come to the Ceilidh for Kibera on 26th November. Last year's was great and I would like to fill the Hall again. Phone Nicola/Elissa for tickets (£10) 0141 331 9222. All the money goes to Kibera, as you know, so round up your family and pals and come along.

Kibera February 2011

A large group of Sixth Formers turned up with their parents for the Kibera Information Session this evening so I think we may be about 20 in the party as there are five staff going. I am assuming the Companions - I hope you have all sent your forms off to Lalla, by the way - will not manage due to university commitments but if you are able to, and have £1000 to spare, let me know asap and I will book a place for you.

Other than that, my wife and I intend going over to Kibera in early July for ten days so you would be welcome to come with us and I will fix up placements for us all.

If you would rather help at Lourdes, you might be able to go with the Order of Malta Volunteers in July or, if enough of you want it, we can fix up our own pilgrimage.

Keep in touch! There's no "I" in "team", "failing to plan is planning to fail", "monie a mickle maks a muckle" "per ardua ad asda" "clichés are Us".

Inaugural Dinner 7th September 2010

Many thanks to Alex, Mikey, William, Danny, Katie, Sarah, Andrew, Hannah, Michael, Rebecca and Amy for coming along to the Inaugural Dinner. Do sign up QUICKLY so we can get things started - please try to post your form by Friday if at all possible. If the monthly payment is a problem, let me know: we need you anyway. It would be really good if you could each nab one other potential Companion - I can send them forms if you can soften them up first.

Opera at the Fringe 5th September 2010

Many thanks to all who performed in Opera at the Fringe on Sunday, as well as to the generous audience which contributed £300 to the Nairobi clinics.

Musical Evening - Sunday 5th September 2010

The Opera Group of St Aloysius' College will give its annual performance during the Edinburgh Festival in the Lauriston Centre, Lauriston Street, (next to Sacred Heart Church) on Sunday 5th September 2010 at 5 p.m. The young people will perform extracts from Bizet's Carmen and Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro.

No tickets are required but there will be a collection for the Companions' project in support of Alice Murphy's work in Nairobi. All welcome.

Petrasancta/Companions Dinner - September 7th 2010

There will be a dinner in Viva, Bothwell Street, at 5.30 p.m. on Tuesday 7th September for all interested in becoming Companions.

Please sign up via Facebook if you intend coming - we will be finished by 7.30p.m. so you can all go gadding about for the evening in your usual fashion.

Annual Requiem - November 11th 2010

The Annual Requiem of the Order will take place on November 11th 2010 in the Gillis Centre, Edinburgh. All Companions are warmly invited to attend the Mass which will be followed by a reception.

Ceilidh for Kibera

A Ceilidh for Kibera will take place in Christ the King Hall, Carmunnock Road, Glasgow, on Friday 26th November 2010 at 7.30 p.m. Tickets costing £10 each will be available shortly. Once again, Donnie MacAskill's peerless band will lead the event which is in aid of the children of Kibera Slum, Nairobi.

Day of Recollection

The Northern Marches of the Order of Malta will hold a Day of Recollection in Newcastle on Sunday 28th November 2010.

Carol Service 2010

The Annual Carol Service for the Order will take place on 14th December 2010 in St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral, Edinburgh, and will be followed by seasonal refreshments in the Cathedral Hall.

Visit to Traquair House

In January 2011 (date t.b.c), the Companions will go on an excursion to one of the few Catholic stately homes left in Scotland, Traquair House. The visit will include Mass in the House Chapel, followed by lunch in the Cottage Restaurant and then a tour of the House, conducted by Catherine Maxwell Stuart, 21st laird of Traquair. The visit will conclude with a private tasting in the 18th century Dining Room of all four delicious bottled ales brewed at Traquair.

Dating back to 1107, Traquair was originally a hunting lodge for the kings and queens of Scotland. Later a refuge for Catholic priests in times of terror the Stuarts of Traquair supported Mary Queen of Scots and the Jacobite cause.

The excursion will cost £25 per head, including transport, lunch and entrance fees.

A Volunteer Week in Nairobi (11th-21st February 2011)

The Companions sponsor the wonderful work done by Alice Murphy and others in the Kenyan capital. Malteser International supports the Kenyan government by running eight clinics in the slums and prisons in Nairobi to diagnose and treat tuberculosis and HIV. They currently have a catchment of 1 million people and the work they have done to date has been awarded by the Kenyan government on two separate occasions.
The St Aloysius' College Petrasancta Society will be going out in February 2011 for its annual week working in schools and hospitals in the Kibera slum, in association with young graduates of the College's sister school, St Aloysius Gonzaga Kibera. All Companions are welcome to join them, staying in a secure Retreat Centre and working in a volunteer programme including the clinics of the Order of Malta.
The approximate cost will be £500 per person, excluding insurance and flights which Companions are encouraged to book themselves. You will be picked up from Kenyatta Airport and driven to the Group and may wish to come for less than the full ten days the young people are there. We hope to arrange a second trip, in the last week of June, for Companions who are students.

London Visit Friday 11th-Sunday 13th March 2011

A visit to London is planned for the weekend of 11-13th March 2011. On Friday evening we will attend David McVicar's production of Verdi's Aida at Covent Garden. On Saturday we will visit the Conventual Church of the Order for Mass and lunch. Other plans to follow.