Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council

We have recently been giving some thought to how we might celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of the start of Second Vatican Council which will occur in October 2012 and some people suggested a meeting and conference be held in London. We decided to consult supporters for their views and as part of this consultation we sent the following two email messages to supporters.

Email No.1 April 2011

Stand up for Vatican II would like to arrange a celebration for the weekend of 11-14 Oct 2012, to coincide with the opening of the Second Vatican Council in 1962.  The nature of the event we are considering is a conference and open meeting. It is proposed that it take place at the Royal Foundation of St Katherine in east London (www.stkatharine.org.uk).

It is proposed that starting on the Thursday evening (with supper) a residential conference would take up the whole day on Friday for some 40 people, for discussion and reflection as well as looking to the future. On Saturday we would hold a one day celebration and open conference (a further 30 can be accommodated on the day) with:

• Eucharist
• Lunch
• Speakers

The cost per person for those attending the residential event (3 days full board, Thursday supper to Sun lunch) is likely to be around £250 per person.

In order for the organising committee to proceed with its plans we need:

• some indication of how many people are likely to want to come to such a residential conference
• offers of financial support by way of loans between £100 and £500 to cover the deposit of £2,000 required by St Katherine’s
• offers to bear some of the risk in the most unlikely event of us incurring a financial loss

Can you please let us know what you think?   Without some enthusiasm from supporters of Vatican II it seems risky to proceed.   You may also wish to offer your services to the organising committee or in some other way any help would be welcome.   The ad hoc organising committee meets in London on 10 May.   Can I ask for your response before then?

Email No.2 June 2011

Further to our recent email regarding the above we decided not to go ahead with the proposed conference and meeting in October 2012. Indications of financial support in response to our message were limited and we would not have been able to cover the deposit. There was also some discussion about the appropriateness of the event under consideration and some felt:

• Thursday to Sunday was too long
• The cost of the venue was more than many could afford
• A larger venue able to accommodate more people venue might be preferable
• A central (accessible) venue might be preferable.

So it was agreed that we would not go ahead with the event as proposed. However we have not given up on the need to ensure that we celebrate the anniversary, this vital moment in the life of the Church.

A number of ideas emerged from the responses to our email and the discussion at our meeting:

• A large public meeting at a venue in Central London , perhaps preceded by, or followed by Mass
• A number of meetings based in towns around the country
• A conference and meeting at a more central venue.

The upshot of all of this was that we decided to ask you what you think, so I would ask you to let us know what you would prefer. We can promise to listen to what you suggest but we can only do what we are capable of (have the resources, finance and people to do what we would like).

One idea under discussion is that we seek to hold a celebration in as many locations, parishes, deaneries and dioceses as possible and then perhaps after a suitable period hold a major national

event in London .

If we were to encourage local events it would mean that people in all localities would need to “Stand Up” and be prepared to help organise and support such events.

A starting point should be to talk to others asking them what they would like to do, the talking needs to include your parish priest, your dean and your bishop. It would also provide a wonderful opportunity to involve local schools to ensure our young people are aware of the Council which introduced us to the word “Aggiornamento”, the bringing up to date of our Church or in the words of Pope John XXIII, opening the windows of the Church and letting fresh air in. We have plans to publish a short leaflet which will summarise the major outcomes from the Council which can be used as a discussion aid for parish or school meetings. We will send you an electronic version when it is available later this year.

Many in the Church are already thinking about and planning events, we know that already some national hierarchies along with all the People of God have started thinking and planning. We know also that Father Ladislas Orsy SJ, a priest who participated in the Council, has called for the years 2012 – 2015 to be recognised as a celebration of this most important event in the life of the Church during the 20^th century.

Do let us know what you think. Tell us your plans so that we can share your ideas, keep in touch and have an occasional look at our website www.standup4vatican2.org.uk If you would like to have more information about he Council a useful site to look at is www.vatican2voice.org

Keep in touch and good wishes to all

Bernard Wynne and Derek Reeve

We will publish the result of the consultation on the website in due course, if you would like to contribute to the discussion please write to me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with your ideas

Bernard Wynne

June 2011