Theodore Trust donates final £2m to Christian Heritage Centre at Stonyhurst

Group gathered for the presentation, including front row: LtoR: Baroness Masham of Ilton, HE The Hungarian Ambassador, Lady Nicholas Windsor, Lord Nicholas Windsor, Lord Alton of Liverpool, Field Marshal Lord Guthrie, Lord Deben, Lord Shinkwin

At a reception in the House of Lords last night, Fr John Barnes, Chairman of the Theodore Trust, on behalf of his trustees, presented a cheque for two million pounds to the Christian Heritage Centre at Stonyhurst. This is the final donation to be made by the Theodore Trust before it is wound up.

The gift will be applied to Phase Three of the Christian Heritage Centre at Stonyhurst - which will comprise a retreat, study, and leadership centre to be called Theodore House. It will lead to the restoration of the Old Mill Buildings situated in this area of outstanding natural beauty, with its link to recusant Catholics and to celebrated Catholics such as JRR Tolkien and Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ.

St Theodore of Canterbury was a Syrian Christian who was appointed Primate of All England by the Pope and after whom the Trust, and the new centre, are named. St Theodore is venerated as a saint by the faithful of both the Catholic and the Anglican traditions.

The reception was hosted by the Chairman of the Christian Heritage Centre Trust, The Lord Alton of Liverpool. The donation was received on behalf of the trustees of the Christian Heritage Centre by the project's Royal Patrons Lord and Lady Nicholas Windsor.

Lord Nicholas Windsor said: "We are tremendously grateful and excited to have been chosen as the recipients of the Theodore Trust's final donation."

Fr John Barnes, (Chairman of the Theodore Trustees) recalled the foundation and origins of the Trust and the support which it has given over many years to Christian projects, including the Catholic National library and the CAFÉ project. He said that "The emphasis which the Trust has place on ensuring that the Christian story is told to the next generation has convinced us that this project is the right one for us to support with our final bequest."

Lord Deben (Trustee of the Theodore Trust) said: "We feel this donation is an appropriate legacy for the Trust and we are happy to support such a worthwhile endeavour. We are delighted that the retreat, study, and leadership centre is to be named after St Theodore of Canterbury. Knowledge of their rich story will help Catholics to be more insistent about their place in British society and the Christian Heritage Centre will also celebrate the importance of artefacts and transmit the love of our Faith to the next generation"

His Excellency Péter Szabadhegy, Ambassador of Hungary, who has visited the project said: "I have no doubt, just as St Theodore represented the coming together of East and West, that Theodore House will be a centre of international importance and significance."

Lord Alton said: "This gift amounts to half of the funding required for completion of our project's third phase. It is a wonderful boost, allowing us to move nearer to our goal of building a retreat, study, and leadership centre to support the global work of the Christian Heritage Centre at Stonyhurst. This donation adds to support which the project has received from the British Province of the Society of Jesus and Stonyhurst College as well as other donors. Once we have completed Phase Three we will get to work on Phase Four, which will be a Visitors' Centre, using the unique artefacts which we hold in trust to tell the Christian story to a new generation."

Also in attendance at the reception were: Christian Heritage Centre at Stonyhurst Patrons and Trustees; The Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank, Chairman of Aid to The Church in Need Graham Hutton; His Excellency Péter Szabadhegy, Ambassador of Hungary (The Embassy of Hungary is being supported by Christian Heritage Centre at Stonyhurst in bringing the relics of St Thomas Becket from Hungary to the UK later this year); Councillor Terry Hill, deputy leader of the Ribble Valley Council.; Baroness Masham of Ilton and Senator Ronan Mullen.

Read more about Stonyhurst's Christian Heritage Centre here on their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ChristianHeritageCentre/