The Oratory’s group for young adults (aged 18-35) meets monthly, usually on Thursday evenings.
Meetings take place in St Wilfrid's Hall, the entrance to which is in the forecourt of Oratory House.
The hall opens at 7.45pm, with a talk at 8pm, and a social afterwards (with hot snacks and drinks) until 10pm.
Please note the age range for this group (18-35); if you are outside this bracket, there are many other parish groups and opportunities available, which are listed here.
To receive e-mail notifications of upcoming events, please sign up for the mailing list via the button below.
Upcoming Events
Our regular meetings are on pause for the summer and will resume in the autumn.
The following meetings for later in the year are already scheduled:
Thursday 25th September, 8pm: Relics and their significance through the centuries - (Dr Jesse Harrington, University College Cork, Ireland).
Talk Summary: This talk will explore the significance of saints and their relics from the Middle Ages to today. It will introduce the material significance that the remains of the holy dead acquired in the early Christian period and the Middle Ages, the association between relics and medieval belief and practice, and their distribution in the medieval and early modern period. It will also consider the distribution of the relics of a small number of medieval Irish saints who died on the continent, and an ongoing scientific and canonical investigation concerning the relics of one medieval saint in which I participated this year.
Speaker Bio: Dr. Harrington is an historian of the cult of the saints in medieval England, France, and Ireland, and a research fellow at Ireland's independent statutory institute for pure research, the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. He is advisor to the international commemorations in 2025-2030 of the birth, death, and canonisation of St. Laurence O'Toole, patron saint of Dublin and of the Ville d'Eu in Normandy, and is leading an international research team studying the medieval manuscripts concerning St. Laurence's life and miracles in France and Ireland.
Click here to register to attend.
***
Saturday 27th September: All-day conference for young adults (10am for 10.30am start, ends at 4pm)
Marriage as a Joint Venture: Why Her "Yes" Needs His Proposal
Because matrimony deserves more than just a casual pitch!
Facilitated by Sam Baker (Catholic Man UK) and Katherine Bennett (Catholic Unscripted).
Event Summary: What if the marriage proposal was more than a romantic gesture? What if it was a real proposal — an outline of the vision, mission and practicalities of the life a couple will build together? And what if it took its cue from the world of business?
In this engaging and practical workshop, we’ll approach Catholic teaching on marriage, headship, and submission in a fresh and positive way. Let's take St Paul’s words about husbands and wives by the scruff of the neck and look at how a man receives in obedience his mission from God to be the head of the family, and why making that mission clear gives a woman the true freedom to offer her “yes” — not in weakness, but in strength, by bringing her whole self, her talents, and her gifts into the marriage.
Let's see what happens when we throw into the mix words such as: plans; outcomes; negotiations; favourable terms; time frames; roles, responsibilities and expectations of stakeholders; risk and reward; or, what success looks like in a year, ten years, sixty years! If you're discerning your vocation, preparing for marriage, or simply curious about the practicalities of shaping a sacramental relationship, this workshop will challenge and encourage you to see matrimony as the most important “proposal” of your life.
Sam Baker and Katherine Bennett will be providing opportunities for men and women to discuss the topic together and in separate groups.
Speaker Bios: Samuel Baker is the Co-Founder and Director of Catholic Man UK. A husband and father, he is on a quest to discover and live out authentic masculinity as ordained by God and upheld by the Catholic Church. He is a lover of God & the Faith, of family, fraternity, good whiskies, fragrant tobacco, stimulating reads, conversing, hill-walking, power-lifting, and various combinations thereof.
Katherine Bennett is a Catholic Journalist, Broadcaster, and co-host of Catholic Unscripted, an online apostolate of evangelism and renewal taking inspiration from St John Henry Newman and Archbishop Fulton Sheen. Katherine speaks regularly on local and national media, defending and elucidating the Catholic position on a number of social and ethical issues including surrogacy, euthanasia, abortion, gender equality and race. Katherine has been called upon to speak at conferences in the UK and Europe, as well as further afield in the Philippines, Nigeria and the United States. In 2022 Katherine collaborated with St Anthony Communications to present a series called 'Faith in the Family' and was appointed Evangelisation mentor in the London diocese of Southwark by Archbishop John Wilson.
Please register if you wish to attend. To enable us to support the speakers in providing a full day of content especially for us, and to defray the cost of tea/coffee/light refreshments, we request a donation of at least £10 per person, made at the time of registration. Lunch is not included; please bring a packed lunch. There will also be a lunch break if you wish to go out to buy something to eat.
***
Thursday 30th October, 8pm: Pilgrimage: Walking Toward God in a Restless World (Lauren Heithaus, Hidden Catholic)
Talk Summary: This talk explores the meaning and power of pilgrimage in the life of a Catholic today. We'll look at how pilgrimage has shaped the Church throughout history, from medieval journeys to holy shrines to modern-day spiritual travel, and why it still matters. I’ll share key pilgrimage destinations in the UK and abroad, reflect on my own transformative experiences as a pilgrim, and offer insight into how these sacred journeys can awaken faith, deepen identity, and foster community. I’ll also introduce some of the pilgrimages I now offer through my company, Hidden Catholic, created to help others encounter the beauty and depth of our Catholic heritage through travel.
Speaker Bio: Lauren Heithaus is the founder of Hidden Catholic, a company that offers immersive Catholic tours and pilgrimages across the UK. Originally from the U.S., she now lives in London with her husband and two sons. Her work weaves together history, travel, and faith, helping others rediscover the beauty of Catholicism through the lives of the saints, sacred places, and stories often hidden in plain sight. Lauren speaks and writes on Catholic heritage, pilgrimage, and spiritual motherhood, and hosts a regular segment on Radio Maria England.
[Signup link available soon]
****
Subscribe to the mailing list via the button above to receive notifications of future meetings.
Please subscribe to the mailing list via the button above to receive details of forthcoming meetings.