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Saturday, May 03, 2008

Copyright © 2008

The Oratory Of St. Philip Neri

Toronto Ontario Canada

The Oratory grew out of Philip’s efforts to spread the Gospel, through talks  and music, to the people of Rome in the sixteenth century. Every day, in the afternoon, four talks were given, mainly on prayer and the life of virtue, but also on Church history.  In between the talks, music lifted the souls of the listeners to God. These afternoon sessions, called the Secular Oratory, were well-attended by people of all backgrounds:  cardinals and prelates, the idle nobility, tradesmen, shopkeepers, servants, soldiers, and many others. In 1575, when the Oratory first received papal recognition, there were about forty priests who dedicated themselves to this apostolate.      Circumstances change. The pace of life today does not permit most people to spend every afternoon or evening listening to talks.  Nor can a smaller community of priests with other apostolates produce four serious talks every day.  Nevertheless, we hope that the Evenings at the Oratory are a legitimate adaptation of Saint Philip’s work for our times.

Presentation in Parish Hall, Refreshments, Sung Compline in Church

Usually on the Second Wednesday of every month
(except June, July and August) at 7:30 p.m. in Holy Family Church
(But exceptions do occur at times -- see dates in red below)

The following is a list of topics that either will be or have been covered.  If the topic is highlighted, you can click on it to download a file, in pdf format, advertising that particular evening. Print it out, pass it on to friends, put it on your fridge, post it on your staff bulletin board, etc.

Future Presentations Date Topic Wednesday May 21 Musical Oratory in Honour of St Philip Neri

Past Presentations Date Topic Wednesday October 9, 2002 The Shroud of Turin Wednesday November 13, 2002 The “Persecution” of Galileo Wednesday December 11, 2002 The Infancy Narratives Wednesday January 8, 2003 Lord of the Rings: A Catholic Fantasy Wednesday February 12, 2003 The Crusades Wednesday March 12, 2003 Spiritual Combat Revisited (A New Book by Fr Robinson Published by Ignatius Press. Now available at our bookstall!) Wednesday April 9, 2003 Christian Books: Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment Wednesday May 14, 2003 Cardinal Newman - “Father” of Vatican II? Wednesday September 10, 2003 The Church - Midwife of Science Wednesday October 8, 2003 John Paul II - Theology of the Body Wednesday November 12, 2003 What Becomes of the Dead? Wednesday December 10, 2003 Our Lady of Guadalupe Wednesday January 14, 2004 To Hell With Culture:  Eric Gill on Work and Art Wednesday February 11, 2004 The Recovery of Fatherhood:  The Films of M. Night Shyamalan (Director of Sixth Sense and Signs) Wednesday March 10, 2004 The Spanish Inquisition Wednesday April 14, 2004 How Catholics Read the Bible Wednesday May 12, 2004 Turning towards the Lord:  Orientation in Liturgical Prayer Wednesday September 8, 2004 Hail, Queen of Heaven Wednesday, October 6, 2004 Holy Disciples of St Philip: Bl Juvenal and St Aloysius Wednesday, November 10, 2004 Evolution: More than a Hypothesis? Wednesday January 12, 2005 Parables of the Kingdom Wednesday February 16, 2005 Deconstructing the Da Vinci Code Wednesday March 9, 2005 Rage of Vision: The Catholic Fiction of Flannery O’Connor Wednesday April 13, 2005 The Message of Our Lady of Walsingham Wednesday May 18, 2005 St Philip: A Musical Oratory Wednesday September 14, 2005 WYD 2005 -- Report from Cologne Wednesday October 19, 2005 “Male and Female He Created Them” The Complementarity of the Sexes Wednesday November 9, 2005 The Mass and Modernity:  Walking to Heaven Backward, a new book by Fr Robinson Wednesday December 14, 2005 Who’s Afraid of the Big Bang? Wednesday February 8, 2006 The Suffering Servant in Isaiah Wednesday March 8, 2006 Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus (No Salvation Outside of the Church) Wednesday April 19, 2006 The Message of St Catherine of Siena Wednesday May 17, 2006 Musical Oratory in Honour of Saint Philip Neri Wednesday September 13, 2006 Blessed Clemens August Cardinal von Galen: Lion of Munster: German Bishop against the Nazis Wednesday October 18, 2006 Intelligent Design:  Science or Philosophy? Wednesday November 8, 2006 Judgment Day Wednesday December 13, 2006 The History of Heresy Wednesday January 10, 2006 Blessed Joseph Vaz of the Oratory Apostle of Sri Lanka Wednesday February 14, 2007 Baronius:  Catholic Culture Hero Wednesday March 14, 2007 Jesus: The Final Week Wednesday April 11, 2007 Jesus: The Final Week -- Part 2 Wednesday May 16, 2007 Musical Oratory in Honour of St Philip Wednesday September 12, 2007 The Holy Mass of St Philip Neri Wednesday October 17, 2007 The Conversion of Newman Wednesday November 14 From Glory unto Glory: St Philip’s Prayer Wednesday December 12 Painters at the Oratory: Caravaggio Wednesday February 13 Offer It Up Wednesday March 12 Christ and the Media Wednesday April 9 Lourdes: 150th Anniversary

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