The Catholic Independent Schools’ Conference(CISC) will highlight Pope Benedict’s call to young people to be saints of the 21st century in their “Saints in our time” conference at the Oxford Belfry Hotel on 19 – 20th January. 164 delegates, most of them Heads, will attend. Keynote speakers, Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP and Fr Adrian Porter SJ, will explore the universal call to holiness and how this can be made a reality in contemporary life.

Catholic independent schools have a proud sporting tradition and recognise the role of sport in building character in young people. In this year of the London Olympic Games, they also welcome Monsignor John Armitage, Vicar General of the Brentwood Diocese and the lead Chaplain to Catholic 2012, who will explore “Spirituality and Sport”.

CYMFED, a group of Catholic young people, who are organising the “Flame” National Youth Congress at Wembley Arena on 24 March, will lead a devotional workshop - over 600 senior students from Catholic independent schools will be attending the congress which promises to be an inspiring experience.

In another workshop, Dr Rebecca Nye will share her expertise in children’s spirituality. Godly Play is a radical approach to imaginative religious education, more like spiritual direction, which is sensitive to both verbal and non verbal aspects of spiritual language.

The Conference Mass is always central to the conference and Archbishop Bernard Longley will be coming down from Birmingham to lead this celebration.

ENDS

The new CISC website will go live later in 2012: www.cisc.uk.net. The old website can still be accessed here: http://cisc.eteach.com/ 

For up to date news about the CISC annual conference please follow the Catholic Education Service on Twitter @CathEdService or use the hashtag #cisc2012.