Reference code: GB-0033-CSU-D4
Title: Catholics for a Changing Church Archive
Dates of creation: 1967-2014
Extent: 32 boxes
Held by: Durham University Library, Archives and Special Collections
Origination: Catholics for a Changing Church
Language:
English
The Catholic Renewal Movement was established in January 1969 with the principal aim of opposing
Humane Vitae, a papal encyclical issued by Pope Paul VI outlining the Catholic Church's position on the issue of birth control. Its formation in the late 1960s was a response to the perceived failure of the Second
Vatican Council (1962-1965) in reforming the Catholic Church, as well as a reflection of the liberalisation of sexual relations and increasing opposition to traditional authority in the wider society generally. In its early days, the Catholic
Renewal Movement was undoubtedly a radical organisation within the Catholic Church. The London Ad-Hoc Group (the precursor to the Catholic Renewal Movement) used its influence to house priests suspended and evicted from their homes for opposing the
papal encyclical. “Pray-ins” and “teach-ins” were organised in various towns, including Twickenham, Nottingham, Leatherhead and Leicester, to publicise its cause. The aims of this group
were “to open up discussion so that a genuine theology of marriage will be built up through the experience of Catholic couples, and in a more general sense to bring Vatican II off paper into practice”. Within a year,
the movement had attracted 2000 followers, of whom 10% were estimated to be clergy.
The Catholic Renewal Movement developed into a movement whose broad aim was to challenge Church authority generally, leading it to campaign on a number of different fronts from the 1970s to the present day, notably the right of the laity in the
running of the Church, limitations on papal authority, the need to accept guidance by the Holy Spirit rather than the Pope, women's ministry in the Church, clerical celibacy, family planning, and human rights issues. The Catholic Renewal Movement
also campaigned in the field of education, publishing Anthony Spencer's report
The Future of Catholic Education in England and Wales in 1971. After the National Pastoral Congress in 1980, however, it became increasingly more marginalised within the Church and, in November 1993, the organisation
changed its name to Catholics for a Changing Church to avoid confusion with the Charismatic Renewal Movement.
The Catholics for a Changing Church is still in existence today, arranging annual conferences and publicising its views through its website and journal,
RENEW.
The papers of Catholics for a Changing Church and its predecessor, the Catholic Renewal Movement, notably executive committee papers and administrative papers, covering a range of different subjects pertaining to the management of the
organisation; membership records including correspondence and a card index of members; papers highlighting the organisation's links with various other religious groups; subject files, including
Humane Vitae, family planning, human rights, and the role of women; conferences organised by the Catholic Renewal Movement/Catholics for a Changing Church and other bodies; and various publications (leaflets, journals
and books).
Donated by Simon Bryden-Brook and John Mackerell, 14 April 2014.
Archive stored privately by John Mackerell.
There is restricted access to records less than 30 years old, with some further restrictions, generally as noted, on records less than 80 years old where the Data Protection Act applies.
Permission to make any published use of material from the collection must be sought in advance from pg.library@durham.ac.uk and, where appropriate, from the copyright owner. The Library will assist where possible with identifying copyright
owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material
For the most part, the archive reflects the original arrangement by the previous Catholics for a Changing Church archivist, John Mackerell, including files arranged chronologically and separate subject files running parallel to these
chronological files. The structure of the catalogue is to a large extent artificial and is probably not a reflection of the hierarchical structure of the organisation. For example, the Administrative Papers are a useful term to describe the
chronologically-filed papers and to make them distinct from the Executive Committee Papers, although there is significant overlap. This overlap is also apparent in the Subject Files and the Conference Papers which duplicate material in the
Administrative Papers. It was felt that this duplication would be to the benefit of researchers who may be interested in a particular topic rather than the history of the organisation, and who would therefore find various access points into the
material. The printed publications have been catalogued using a different system and are available on the main university library catalogue. The arrangement of the archive is as follows:
1. Executive Committee Papers (D4/A)
2. Administrative Papers (D4/B)
3. Membership Papers (D4/C)
4. Papers of External Organisations (D4/D)
5. Subject Files (D4/E)
6. Conference Papers (D4/F)
7. Publications (D4/G)
The collection has been appraised. Information which is duplicated in other records, and clean duplicates, have generally been removed.
Catholics for a Changing Church is an active organisation so further accruals are expected.
1. Executive Committee Papers
The subjects referred to in the Executive Committee Papers are described in greater detail in the Administrative Papers (D4/B)
(a) Committee PapersD4/A1/1 1969 – 1995
Constitutions of the Catholic Renewal Movement and Catholics for a Changing Church
1 file
D4/A1/2 1994 – 1996
Executive Committee correspondence, arranged alphabetically by correspondent, on a wide range of subjects relating to the management of Catholics for a Changing Church, including membership enquiries, publicity, publication of the
RENEW magazine, conference matters etc.
Arrangement of the files:
File 1: A
File 2: B
File 3: C
File 4: D
File 5: E - F
File 6: G
File 7: H
File 8: I – J
File 9: K
File 10: L
File 11: M
File 12: N – O
File 13: P – Q
File 14: R
File 15: S (two files)
File 16: T
File 17: U – Z
17 files
D4/A1/3 6 January 1992 – 10 January 1997
Executive Committee correspondence, arranged by committee member:
6 files
D4/A1/3/1 1 February 1994 – 25 October 1996
Joe Froggatt
1 file
D4/A1/3/2 23 December 1992 – 11 October 1996
Michael Gibson
1 file
D4/A1/3/3 3 June 1992 – 16 July 1996
John Gibson
1 file
D4/A1/3/4 28 July 1994 – 16 July 1996
Mary Jo Radcliffe
1 file
D4/A1/3/5 6 January 1992 – 3 July 1996
Cathy Scott
1 file
D4/A1/3/6 20 September 1994 – 10 January 1997
Colin Stockford
1 file
D4/A1/4 9 December 1996 – 10 July 1998
Executive Committee papers, mostly correspondence between committee members on arrangements for meetings, minutes, constitutional questions, and other management issues:
File 1: 9 December 1996 – 18 June 1997
File 2: 30 August – 22 December 1997
File 3: 19 January – 10 July 1998
3 files
(b) John Challoner’s PapersD4/A2/1 31 December 1986 – 6 December 1997
John Challoner’s correspondence files, arranged chronologically, on all matters relating to the management of Catholics for a Changing Church
Arrangement of files:
File 1: 1986 - 1990
File 2: 1990
File 3: 1991
File 4: January - June 1993
File 5: July - December 1993
File 6: 1994
File 7: 1995
File 8: 1996
File 9: 1997
9 files
D4/A2/2 1993 – 1999
John Challoner’s correspondence files, arranged alphabetically by correspondent, on a wide range of subjects relating to the management of Catholics for a Changing Church
Arrangement of files:
File 1: A
File 2: B
File 3: C
File 4: D
File 5: E – F
File 6: G
File 7: H
File 8: J
File 9: K – L
File 10: M
File 11: N – O
File 12: P
File 13: Q – R
File 14: S
File 15: T
File 16: U – Y
16 files
D4/A2/3/1-2 14 June 2002 - 16 July 2004
John Challoner’s correspondence files with individuals:
2 files
D4/A2/3/1 14 June 2002 – 16 July 2004
Correspondence between John Challoner and Ann Barton concerning the Catholics for a Changing Church book list
1 file
D4/A2/3/2 2002
Correspondence between John Challoner and the Polish writer and philosopher Antoni Pospieszalski, mostly on his theological writings
1 file
2. Administrative Papers
See also Executive Committee Papers (D4/A), Subject Files (D4/E), and Conference Papers (D4/F)
D4/B1 June 1967 – December 1968
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, and publicity material, as well as correspondence between John Challoner and others, on the opposition to the papal encyclical
Humane Vitae, including a letter from Hilda Walmesley to Challoner on the radical nature of Challoner’s opposition (19 August 1968); letters from W.C. Clarke and Tony Spencer to Challoner on the suspension of priests
for opposing the papal encyclical (20 August, 8 October 1968); letter from George Jones to Challoner on the Church’s closure of the oratory discussion groups (20 August 1968); letter from Jill Gasha to Challoner questioning his decision to join the
Catholic Church (20 August 1968); letter from Aiden Taylor to Challoner outlining why he is supporting Humane Vitae (22 August 1968); petition with a list of signatories voicing opposition to Humane Vitae (September 1968); letters from Tony Spencer to Challoner, Clifford Bentley to Tony Spence, and Anne Bentley to the editor of the Birmingham Mail, on the work of the Birmingham Ad
Hoc group (14, 19, 27 November 1968); letters from F.J. Pycroft to C. McDonald, J.M. Roberts to Pycroft, and others, on the work of the London Ad Hoc Group (17, 21 November 1968); article by Dom. Sebastian Moore entitled “The Authority of the Encyclical” (November 1968); and a letter from Simon Bryden-Brook to Anne Bentley, with a reply from Bentley, on supporting John Challoner (29 November, 3 December 1968)
1 file
D4/B2 January – March 1969
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, and publicity material, as well as correspondence between John Challoner and others on the opposition to
Humane Vitae, including the formation of the Birmingham Renewal Group/Renewal Movement (January 1969); letter from John Garney to John Challoner on the decision to widen the scope of the group’s attack to include
church authority rather than concentrating solely on Humane Vitae (7 January 1969); papers relating to the first meeting of the Group (18 January 1969); letter from Pycroft to Fr J.W. Flanagan on Pycroft's use of the
term “magic drug” to describe the contraceptive pill (24 February 1969); and papers relating to the second meeting of the Renewal Movement (28 February 1969). Various letters also relate to the administration of and
publicity for the Renewal Movement
1 file
D4/B3 April – June 1969
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence between John Challoner and others on the formation of the Catholic Renewal Movement and its administration,
including a letter from Pycroft to C. Ward on a constitution for the Crayford Renewal Group (1 April 1969); minutes of the London Ad Hoc Group and Birmingham Group meetings (10, 15 April 1969); papers relating to the third national conference of the
Renewal Movement (26 April 1969); and a report entitled
“A new movement: the report of a working party” (20 May 1969); as well as various drafts of the manifesto
1 file
D4/B4 July – September 1969
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence between John Challoner and others on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including a report on a
marriage workshop organised by the Birmingham Renewal Group (1 July 1969); and a meeting of the London Committee (27 August 1969); as well as various notes and reports on organisation
1 file
D4/B5 October – December 1969
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence between John Challoner and others on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including papers
relating to the fourth national conference (4 October 1969); letter from Hilda Graef to Mrs Roberts on the formation of the Oxford Renewal Group (15 October 1969); and a letter from Agnes Yendell to John Challoner on the question of women priests
(16 October 1969)
1 file
D4/B6 January – March 1970
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence between John Challoner and others on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including a list of
priests on the
Bulletin mailing list (January 1970); report entitled “The future of Catholic education in England and Wales” (February 1970); letter from Peter Jennings to John Challoner concerning
Jennings’s wish to leave the movement owing to the policy of celebrating Mass informally in the chaplaincy lounge (8 February 1970); letters from various members to John Challoner on attendance at the National Conference in April (March 1970);
report of the Family Circle National Conference (20 - 22 March 1970); draft replies from John Challoner to Archbishop Dwyer on the protest against Humane Vitae (30 March 1970); note by the bishop of Northampton and
Burnham on Humane Vitae (Spring 1970); and the newsletter of the Birmingham Renewal Group (March 1970)
1 file
D4/B7 April – June 1970
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence between John Challoner and others on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including letters from
John Challoner to Casper Brook, Frank Roberts to Challoner, Rev Michael G[?] to Challoner, John Marshall to Challoner, Kay Nuttal to Challoner, Bruce Cooper to Challoner, Michael Winter to Challoner, Oliver Pratt to Challoner on a leaflet to assist
Catholics in family planning issues in the light of
Humane Vitae (draft leaflet enclosed in the first letter) (1, 7, 8, 9, 22 April, 6, 10, 25 May, 22 June 1970); minutes and papers of a Birmingham Renewal Group meeting (14 April 1970); circular letter from Julie and
Niall Roberts concerning the role of the clergy in the modern world (25 May 1970); report of the First National Conference of Secular Priests in England and Wales (1 – 5 June 1970); report by the Leatherhead Catholic Renewal Movement on women in the
Church (June 1970); and draft report by Simon Bryden Brook entitled “Loyalty & criticism in the Church” (Summer 1970)
1 file
D4/B8 July – September 1970
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence between John Challoner and others on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including a letter from
Roderick Bell to Simon Bryden-Brook, with a reply, on his wish to resign from the movement over the decision to publish the pamphlet on family planning (4, 8 July 1970); circular letter from Bryden-Brook to all members on the family planning
leaflet, Clifford Longley’s decision to resign, and the financial difficulties of the movement (8 July 1970); letters from Roderick Bell to Alan [?Johnson], Oliver Pratt to Bell on Bell's wish to merge the Catholic Renewal Movement with the ONE for
Christian Renewal group (6, 7 August 1970); letter from Bryden-Brook to D. Allen-Griffiths on the authorisation of the bishops for the use of the word “Catholic” in the Catholic Renewal Movement (7 August 1970); press
statement, and a letter from Bryden-Brook to Frank O’Hara on the Fathers of the Birmingham Oratory’s request for John Challoner to resign from the Catholic Renewal Movement (11 August, 2 September 1970); statement by the archbishop of Birmingham
rejecting the family planning leaflet published by the Catholic Renewal Movement (1 September 1970); newspaper cuttings on the leaflet (2 September 1970); and minutes of a meeting of the Birmingham Renewal Group (8 September 1970)
1 file
D4/B9 October – December 1970
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence between John Challoner and others on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including a note, and a
letter from Oliver Pratt to Simon Bryden-Brook, on a proposed working party on theology in relation to pastoral practice (October, 18 October 1970); draft constitution for the movement (2 October 1970); letter from Jeanne Johnson to Colin [?] on
resolutions passed at the conference (13 October 1970); letter from Niall and Julie to Clifford Longley, with reply, on Longley’s letter to
The Times concerning the dubious nature of Catholic Renewal Movement as a Catholic organisation (14, 15, 20 October 1970); letter from Julie to Bryden-Brook on the possibility of cooperation with the British Humanist
Association in the field of education (23 October 1970); letters from Julie to Janice; Oliver Pratt to Alan Johnson, Tom Donnellan to the Catholic Renewal Movement executive on the proposed merger with ONE for Christian Renewal (24, 31 October, 4,
11 November 1970); minutes of a meeting of the Birmingham Renewal Group (27 October 1970); letters from the Catholic Renewal Movement to the Birmingham Oratory Fathers, Bryden-Brook to Frank [Pycroft], with replies, Colin Fleetwood-Walker to
Challoner on the Birmingham Father’s request for John Challoner to resign from the Catholic Renewal Movement (12, 17 November, 2, 4 December 1970); Crawley & District Local Group of the Catholic Renewal Movement’s newsletter (November 1970);
letter from Bryden-Brook to Gerald Macklin enclosing a statement of accounts (3 December 1970); papers of the Birmingham Renewal Group’s AGM (15 December 1970); note by Joan Morris entitled “Reasons for the re-institution
of the deaconess” (1970); and memorandum by John Francis Maxwell entitled “The protection of human rights in Catholic Church law” (1970)
1 file
D4/B10 January – March 1971
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including a letter from the Catholic Renewal Movement
executive to the editor of
The Times concerning Cardinal Heenan’s prohibition of Catholic scholars from giving lectures at Corpus Christi College [London] (5 January 1971); draft article by Simon Bryden-Brook entitled “Catholic renewal in England” (23 January 1971); memorandum entitled “Injustice to teachers in Catholic schools” (January 1971); newsletter of the Birmingham Renewal Group (March 1971);
letters from Simon Bryden-Brook to Jeanne, and others, on the publication of “The future of Catholic education” (12, 16, 22, 23, 25, 29, 30, 31 March 1971); and papers relating to the AGM of the Southwark branch of
the Catholic Renewal Movement (March 1971)
1 file
D4/B11 April – May 1971
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, mostly correspondence between Alan Johnson and others
concerning
“The future of Catholic education in England and Wales”; as well as a discussion paper by the Liturgy Working Party of the Birmingham Renewal Group on the sacrament of penance (20 April 1971); and papers on the
Catholic Renewal Movement constitution (11 May 1971)
1 file
D4/B12 June 1971
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, mostly on the Catholic Renewal Movement study day at
Birmingham University (26 – 27 June); as well as a letter from J. Dominon to Mrs Roberts criticising the Catholic Renewal Movement’s stance on birth control (8 June 1971); and a letter from Julie to John Challoner, with reply, on the stance to be
taken on the anti-abortion question (21, 22 June 1971)
1 file
D4/B13 July – September 1971
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including a letter from Niall and Julie Roberts to the
editor of the
Catholic Herald, as well as correspondence between Simon Bryden-Brook, D.H. Byrne and Adelaide Burns, on criticism of the choice of speaker giving a talk entitled “Sex and the Young
Christian” at a Catholic Renewal Movement conference (3, 4 July 1971); a letter from Niall and Julie Roberts to the editor of the Tablet on the future of the Catholic Renewal Movement (3 July 1971); a letter
from Simon Bryden-Brook to Frank Pycroft on John Challoner’s dispute with the Birmingham Oratory Fathers over his involvement in the Catholic Renewal Movement (14 July 1971); and a report by Niall and Julie Roberts entitled
“The future of Catholic Renewal Movement” (1971).
1 file
D4/B14 October – December 1971
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including a letter from P. Preston to the Catholic
Renewal Movement executive asking for support for a new birth control pressure group (10 October 1971)
1 file
D4/B15 January – March 1972
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including letters from Alan Johnson to Frank Pycroft,
Michael Cooke to [Frank Pycroft], W.G. Baker to Johnson, and others, as well as an open letter from the Catholic Renewal Movement to Cardinal Heenan on the resignation of academic staff from Corpus Christi College [London] over Cardinal Heenan’s
prohibition of Catholic lecturers giving talks at the college (1, 7, 11, 24, 25, 29, 31 January, 3, 13 February 1972); and a press release and newspaper cuttings on the censorship by the Birmingham Corporation Health Visiting Service of the Catholic
Renewal Movement’s family planning leaflet (6 January 1972)
1 file
D4/B16 April – June 1972
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including a memorandum by Neville Neal on the
establishment of a new working party to revise the family planning leaflet (11 April 1972); and a report on a Catholic Renewal Movement conference on education (22 April 1972)
1 file
D4/B17 July – September 1972
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including letters from Alan Johnson to the Newman
Association, and others, on the need for a campaign to persuade Rome to appoint radical bishops to English dioceses (8 September 1972); papers on an ecumenical conference by the Birmingham Renewal Group on the subject of Anglican and Catholic
perspectives on the Eucharist (16 September 1972); and a report of the working party on family planning, as well as letters from Oliver Pratt to Johnson, and Neville Neal to Frank Pycroft (23, 27, 30 September 1972)
1 file
D4/B18 October – December 1972
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including a letter from Dolores [?] to Alan Johnson on
the need for more engagement by the Catholic Renewal Movement with the working classes (8 October 1972)
1 file
D4/B19 23 January – 18 November 1973
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement
1 file
D4/B20 18 January - December 1974
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including a letter from Joanne and Alan Johnson to Mr
Velecky on the purpose of Catholic Renewal Movement in the parishes (28 August 1974)
1 file
D4/B21 12 January – 13 December 1975
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including a letter from E.D. Turbin to Mrs Hamlyn on the
decline of the Catholic Renewal Movement as a political force (30 April 1975); papers of a Catholic Renewal Movement conference on evangelisation (10 May 1975)
1 file
D4/B22 10 January – 30 October 1976
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including papers relating to the
“Young People and the Christian Faith” conference (21 March 1976); statement of income and expenditure (31 August 1976); and a press release asking for support for Bishop Donal Lamont of Rhodesia, accused of failing
to report the presence of terrorists to the Rhodesian authorities (17 September 1976)
1 file
D4/B23 29 January – 13 December 1977
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including a letter from Martin Pendergast to Cardinal
Basil Hume (archbishop of Westminster), with an attached press statement, on their recent constructive dialogue on the question of Church authority (30 January 1977); a letter from Margaret Bradley to Jeanne and Alan on her campaign for democracy in
Catholic school government (11 July 1977); letters from Basil Hume to Martin Pendergast, Ronnie and John Gibson to Pendergast, as well as a discussion paper, on the Catholic Renewal Movement sub-group investigating the handling of diocesan finance
(12, 14, 23, 28 July, 4 November 1977); and a letter from M. Bryden to the Catholic Renewal Movement on the question of women priests (17 July 1977)
1 file
D4/B24 17 January - December 1978
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including a Catholic Renewal Movement report, and
correspondence, on
“Priesthood and Ministry” (8 September 1978)
1 file
D4/B25 6 January – 31 December 1979
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including papers relating to the Catholic Renewal
Movement conference
“The Church we must become” (27 January 1979); press statement by the Catholic Renewal Movement criticising the 1980 Synod of Bishops’ Working Document on “The Role of the Christian
Family” (10 November 1979); and a letter from Jean Hewson (chairperson of the Catholic Renewal Movement) to Archbishop B. Hein, with reply, on the treatment of Fr. E. Schillebeeckx (3, 7 December 1979)
1 file
D4/B26 1 January – 31 December 1980
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including a letter from Maggie Reading, Michael
Mitlehner, Michael Snelgrove and Martin Pendergast, to Alan and Jeanne Johnson on the Church’s role in ending discrimination for homosexuals (1980); letter from Jean Hewson to Rev R. Davis, with reply, Hewson to the Rt Hon the earl of March, Hewson
to the editor of the
Catholic Herald, T. Jelf to Hewson on the treatment of Fr. E. Schillebeeckx (3, 14, 15, 16 January, 20 April 1980); correspondence relating to the National Pastoral Congress (March 1980); draft report by the Catholic
Renewal Movement on the synod’s working document on “Marriage and the Family” (May 1980); and Hewson to the editor of the Tablet on the dismissal of salaried staff from Heythrop
College (1 December 1980)
1 file
D4/B27 27 January – December 1981
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including a letter from Jean Hewson to Rev Mgr Ralph
Brown on Pope John Paul II’s visit to Britain in 1982 (2 March 1981); papers for a Catholic Renewal Movement conference entitled
“Authority – how far can you go?” (2 May 1981); letter from Wilf [?] to Jean Hewson on the views of Catholics on nuclear weapons (10 June 1981); letter from Hewson to Rev David Haslam on the apartheid question in
South Africa (16 June 1981); and a review paper by Peter Seymour entitled “Why should contraception be an issue in the Catholic Church?” (September 1981)
1 file
D4/B28 4 January – 30 December 1982
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, in particular the Catholic Renewal Movement’s response
to Pope John Paul II’s visit to Britain. Other papers include letters to Peter Seymour (Catholic Renewal Movement chairman) on nuclear disarmament (22 February 1982); and papers relating to a Catholic Renewal Movement conference on marriage (13
September 1982)
1 file
D4/B29 6 January – 12 November 1983
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including a report by Rex Davis on the second
consultation on
“Authority in the ecumenical consensus” (April 1983); correspondence between Bruce Kent (general secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament), Cardinal Basil Hume, and Peter Seymour, on the Church’s position
towards nuclear disarmament (May 1983); and a Catholic Renewal Movement position paper by Sue Dowell on the local Church (8 August 1983)
1 file
D4/B30 20 January – December 1984
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including papers relating to the Catholic Renewal
Movement study day on
“People, Power and Priesthood” (16 June 1984)
1 file
D4/B31 2 January – 1 December 1985
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including papers relating to a Catholic Renewal Movement
study day on
“Renewal Now” (18 May 1985)
1 file
D4/B32 9 January – 1 November 1986
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including a letter from Wilf Fenton (Catholic Renewal
Movement chairman) to Cardinal Hume, with reply from Hume asking for reassurance that Archbishop Marcinkus will not be appointed as the pro-nuncio in London (9, 10 January 1986); letter from Fenten to Hume, with replies from Hume, and a Catholic
Renewal Movement questionnaire, on the role of the laity in the Church (January, 26 February, 6 March, 30 April, 2, 30 May, 5 June 1986); and a letter from Wilf Fenten to Walter Schwarz on the misappropriation of church money by priests (3 April
1986)
1 file
D4/B33 12 January – 22 December 1987
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including Denis [?] to Sharon and John Gibson, and
Gibson to the editor of the
Tablet on church finances (3, 9 November 1987)
1 file
D4/B34 30 January – 29 November 1988
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including a letter from John Gibson to Wilf Fenten on
church finance (29 February 1988)
1 file
D4/B35 23 January – 6 December 1989
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement
1 file
D4/B36 4 January – 18 December 1990
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement
1 file
D4/B37 4 January – 14 December 1991
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including papers of a conference in Frankfurt on human
rights in the Church (11 – 13 January 1991); letter from Rt Hon David Curry to [?] on the government’s record relating to the sale of arms to other countries (17 February 1991); papers including correspondence and newspaper cuttings on Eugen
Drewermann (March 1991), Hilary Fenten to the editor of the
Tablet on the role of the laity in the Church (14 May 1991); and papers relating to a Catholic Renewal Movement study day on “The Church organisation or community?” (30 November
1991)
1 file
D4/B38 3 January - June 1992
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including papers concerning the third annual conference
for Human Rights in the Church (13 January 1992); and a letter from Simon Bryden-Brook to the editor of the Independent on clerical celibacy (12 May 1992)
1 file
D4/B39 5 July – 31 December 1992
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement, including papers relating to a Catholic Renewal Movement
working group on Catholics and family planning (July - August 1992); and letters from Michael James to Cathy Scott, and Dora Turbin to John Challoner, on a possible change of name for the Catholic Renewal Movement (22 September, 13 October 1992);
AGM papers (24 October 1992)
1 file
D4/B40 6 January – 29 June 1993
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholic Renewal Movement. Most of the letters relate to an internal dispute within
the executive, as well as a letter from Tom Cumming to Simon Bryden-Brook commenting on the Catholic Renewal Movement constitution and manifesto (24 January 1993); a letter from the Catholic Renewal Movement secretary (Bryden-Brook) to all members
of the executive, as well as voting papers on the future of the Catholic Renewal Movement and the change of name to Catholics for a Changing Church (26 January 1993); and a letter from John Challoner (Catholic Renewal Movement chairman) to the
editor of the
Tablet on the dismissal of Fr Matthew Fox (18 April 1993).
1 file
D4/B41 1 July – 17 December 1993
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholics for a Changing Church. Most of the letters relate to an internal dispute
within the executive, as well as correspondence between Simon Bryden-Brook, John Challoner, C.P. Power, John A. Wheeler, M. Melville, and others, on the People of God Trust (the charitable arm of Catholics for a Changing Church) (5, 8, 9, 13
October, 2 November, 2 December 1993)
1 file
D4/B42 12 January – 27 June 1994
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholics for a Changing Church, including an article from John Challoner for the
Tablet entitled “His Holiness’ loyal opposition” (17 January 1994); and an information sheet on the ordination of women and the General Synod of the Church of England (January
1994)
1 file
D4/B43 1 July – 9 December 1994
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholics for a Changing Church, including a statement of accounts for the People
of God Trust (6 October 1994)
1 file
D4/B44 30 January – 9 December 1995
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholics for a Changing Church, including letters from John Challoner to Frank
Pycroft, Simon Bryden-Brook to Pycroft, and others, on Bishop Gaillot (24, 29 April, 12, 15, 20, 23, 30 July, 1 August 1995); and People of God Trust accounts (3 October 1995)
1 file
D4/B45 5 January – 14 December 1996
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholics for a Changing Church, including a paper by Dorothea McEwan entitled
“The Church and its own institutional violence or going beyond the tyranny of ‘Father is always right”, presented at the Catholics for a Changing Church conference in London (5 January 1996); and papers relating to
an executive weekend (29 – 30 June 1996)
1 file
D4/B46 2 January – 4 December 1997
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholics for a Changing Church, including a letter from John Challoner to Cardinal
Basil Hume commenting on the declaration
“We are the Church” (2 January 1997); a letter from Simon Bryden-Brook to all members on the need for a radical re-think of Catholics for a Changing Church’s aims (9 October 1997); AGM and Study Day papers (25
October 1997); and papers relating to the Michael Richards Memorial Lectures (December 1997)
1 file
D4/B47 4 February – 22 December 1998
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholics for a Changing Church, including a letter from John Challoner to all
members of the Hierarchy of England and Wales on the need for a greater dialogue between the Catholics for a Changing Church and the bishops (4 February 1998); Catholics for a Changing Church Weekend papers (6 June 1998); and a constitution for the
Catholics for a Changing Church (19 September 1998)
1 file
D4/B48 6 January – 27 June 1999
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholics for a Changing Church, including a letter from Canon A. Cotter to Frank
Pycroft on the ordination of women priests (3 March 1995); a draft booklet by Elizabeth Price entitled
“Seeing sin where none is?” (19 June 1999); and Catholics for a Changing Church Weekend papers (25 – 27 June 1999)
1 file
D4/B49 6 July – 31 December 1999
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholics for a Changing Church, including a letter from Monica Jelley (on behalf
of Cherie Blair) asking for Mrs Blair to be added to the list for complimentary copies of RENEW (30 July 1999); and a report by Frank Pycroft entitled
“How Catholics for a Changing Church continues to promote Vatican II’”(1999)
1 file
D4/B50 18 January 2000 – December 2001
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholics for a Changing Church, including an article by Sebastian Moore entitled
“A word for sexual desire” (2001)
1 file
D4/B51 2 July 2002 – September 2012
Papers, mostly reports, newspaper cuttings, minutes of meetings, conference papers and publicity material, as well as correspondence, on the administration of the Catholics for a Changing Church, including a letter from Fr F. Marsden to Elizabeth
Price criticising her view on the Church’s doctrine on human sexuality (23 February 2004); report by Simon Bryden-Brook on Catholics for a Changing Church’s negative image among Catholics (12 June 2004); and papers relating to a Catholics for a
Changing Church home study course entitled
“The challenge of Catholicism”
1 file
3. Membership Records
CLOSED until 2079
D4/C1 September 1970 – 20 June 1999
Papers relating to membership of the Catholic Renewal Movement and Catholics for a Changing Church, including membership enquiries, forms and lists of members
Arrangement of files
File 1: 1970 - 1975
File 2: [1980] - 1989
File 3: 1992 - 1993
File 4: 1994
File 5: 1995
File 6: 1996
File 7: 1997
File 8: 1998 - 1999
8 files
D4/C2 [1980] – 1992
Card index of members and other contacts, including name, address and subscription paid
1 card index
4. Papers of External OrganisationsD4/D1-9 1970 - 1999
Papers of external organisations with links to the Catholic Renewal Movement/Catholics for a Changing Church:
1 file
D4/D1 1989 – 1995
Eighth of May Movement
1 file
D4/D2 1995 – 1999
European Network
1 file
D4/D3 1994 – 1999
Fire and Ice Hermitage Centre
1 file
D4/D4 1994 – 1996
Jubilee People
2 files
D4/D5 1988 – 1995
North American Catholic Reform Group
1 file
D4/D6 1970 – 1979
ONE for Christian Renewal
1 file
D4/D7 1970 – 1997
Pastoral Development Group
1 file
D4/D8 1995 – 2006
We Are Church Coalition
1 file
D4/D9 1994 – 1995
YEAST: The Ecumenical Forum of Christian Groups for Change
1 file
5. Subject Files
See also Administrative Papers (D4/B)
D4/E1 1934 – 1999
Papers relating to the financial management of the Catholic Church, including correspondence, reports and newspaper cuttings
3 files
D4/E2 1969 – 1972
Papers relating to
Humane Vitae, mostly newspaper cuttings, reports, and commentaries
1 file
D4/E3 1969 – 1995
Papers relating to Church liturgy, including liturgies used for various Catholic Renewal Movement/Catholics for a Changing Church events
1 file
D4/E4 1970 – 1971
Papers relating to the Catholic Renewal Movement publication
“The future of Catholic education in England and Wales”, including correspondence and newspaper cuttings
3 files
D4/E5 1970 – 1993
Papers relating to family planning, including correspondence, reports, leaflets and newspaper cuttings
1 file
D4/E6 1970 – 1998
Papers relating to the role of women in the Church, including correspondence, articles, reports, and newspaper cuttings
1 file
D4/E7 1970 – 1999
Papers relating to human rights in the Catholic Church, including draft articles, conference papers, correspondence, and newspaper cuttings
6 files
D4/E8 1974 – 1997
Papers relating to population, including leaflets, reports, and publications produced by Population Concern
1 file
D4/E9 1994 – 1995
Papers relating to the issue of women priests in the Catholic Church, including correspondence and newspaper cuttings
1 file
D4/E10 1996 – 1998
Papers relating to anti-Catholicism, mostly newspaper and web reports
1 file
D4/E11 1998
Papers relating to the National Apostasy, including draft letters from Catholics for a Changing Church to the hierarchy
1 file
6. Conference Papers
See also Administrative Papers (D4/B)
(a) Catholic Renewal Movement/Catholics for a Changing Church ConferencesD4/F1/1 1975–1976
Papers relating to a conference organised by the Catholic Renewal Movement entitled
“Priesthood and Ministry”, 25 October 1975, as well as the papers of a follow-up document “Priesthood and Ministry Today”
2 files
D4/F1/2 21 March 1976
Papers relating to a conference organised by the Catholic Renewal Movement entitled
“Young People and the Christian Faith”
1 file
D4/F1/3 25 September 1976
Papers relating to a conference organised by the Catholic Renewal Movement entitled
“One Parent Families”
1 file
D4/F1/4 28 May 1977
Papers relating to a conference organised by the Catholic Renewal Movement entitled
“Chaos and Community”
1 file
D4/F1/5 12 April 1980
Papers relating to a study day organised by the Catholic Renewal Movement entitled
“Into the Eighties”
1 file
D4/F1/6 [?1995]
Conference paper by the Rt Rev John S. Spong, bishop of Newark, given at a conference organised by Catholics for a Changing Church
1 file
(b) Other conferencesD4/F2/1 27 January 1979
Papers relating to the Liverpool Pastoral Congress entitled
“The Church We Must Become”
1 file
D4/F2/2 September 1993
Papers relating to the National Conference of Priests
1 file
D4/F2/3 9 October 1993
Papers relating to a conference organised by the People of God Trust entitled
“How Must the Church Change?”
1 file
D4/F2/4 3 - 7 June 1996
Papers relating to the 5th Annual Conference of the European Network entitled
“Mission and Ministry in the Third Millennium”
1 file
7. PublicationsD4/G1 [1970 – 2000]
Leaflets produced by the Catholic Renewal Movement and Catholics for a Changing Church
1 file
D4/G2/1-154 1968 – 2014
RENEW
The journal of the Catholic Renewal Movement and Catholics for a Changing Church
For a more detailed catalogue entry, search for “Catholics for a Changing Church Archive” in the Durham University Library catalogue
154 items
D4/G3/1-49 1970-2010
Printed periodicals, mostly from religious organisations
Arranged alphabetically
For more detailed catalogue entries, search for “Catholics for a Changing Church Archive” in the Durham University Library catalogue
49 periodicals
D4/G4/1-6 1970–1995
Catholic Renewal Movement/Catholics for a Changing Church publications
For more detailed catalogue entries, search for “Catholics for a Changing Church Archive” in the Durham University Library catalogue
6 items
D4/G5/1-12 1970 – 1996
Publications from other religious organisations
For more detailed catalogue entries, search for “Catholics for a Changing Church Archive” in the Durham University Library catalogue
12 items
D4/G6 [?1975]
Language:
French
Unpublished [?thesis] on theology and sociology
Title page missing and author unknown.
621 p.