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.