News and Activities
Latest News - November 2007 to June 2008
 | Pope Benedict’s personal donation of £2,000 continues to encourage generosity in others – many are following his example and supporting the appeal for the first time. Please give if you can. Total banked to date: £1,982,974 Total net of costs: £1,899,969 |
 | The Fisher House Newsletter for 2007 was published last year, and may be downloaded here. The 2008 Newsletter is now in production. To make sure you get a copy, please update your details. |
| There are now over 240 standing orders in place providing regular income for the chaplaincy. Please consider giving a small amount regularly. Set up a standing order... To make a secure credit or debit card donation, click on the 'donate now' button. | |
 | Fundraising leaflets have been sent to most CUCA members. If you’ve not seen one, let the appeal office know or download one now. |
Appeal Activities
Here are some of the Appeal's activities:- 2008 September - Alumni Mass '08
- 2007 October - Downside Lecture
- 2007 September - Alumni Mass '07
- 2007 June - Mass & Lunch in the City of London
- 2007 June - Collegium di Crema concert
- 2007 May - King's Voices Concert
- 2007 March - London Lecture
- 2007 March - Lenten Pilgrimage - Cancelled
- 2006 November - Launch
- 2006 November - Dublin Lecture and Mass
- 2006 September - Alumni Mass '06
- 2006 May - Harpsichord Recital
- 2006 April - Hong Kong Reunion
- 2006 February - Gentlemen of St John's
- 2005 September - Alumni Mass '05
2008 September - Alumni Mass '08
Sunday 28th September, 11.00am
The 2008 Alumni Mass, Reception and Lunch will take place on Sunday 28th September at 11am.
The guest preacher will be Fr Allan White OP, Chaplain 1994-2000.
All welcome - bring your families and friends.
Booking is essential for lunch. Cost: £20 (of whick £5 will go to the appeal) or £10 for children under 12.
To book, e-mail Jan Lash on .
2007 October - Downside Lecture
Tuesday 23rd October, 7.30pm
The Abbot of Downside, Dom Aidan Bellenger OSB (JE 1969), chaired a lecture by Professor Nicholas Lash at Downside Abbey, Stratton-on-the-Fosse near Bath. Professor Lash – an old Gregorian himself – lectured on The Impossibility of Atheism after which a retiring collection was taken for the Fisher House Appeal.
2007 September - Alumni Mass '07
Sunday 23rd September, 11.00am
On the Sunday of the University's Alumni Weekend, Fr Alban said Mass with well over a hundred in the congregation. (The treasurer noted with glee that the collection was the largest ever taken!) A lively wine reception upstairs in the library saw alumni, from those who entered the University in 1949 to much more recent graduates, reminiscing about their times at Fisher House. Meanwhile, Fisher Hall was transformed from a chapel into a dining area and eighty guests sat down to a buffet lunch, served by current undergrads (without whose help the event could not have taken place). A thoroughly enjoyable time was had by all. We are already looking forward to next year’s event.
2007 June - Mass & Lunch in the City of London
Friday 22nd June, 1pm
On the Feast of Sts John Fisher and Thomas More, Fr Allan White OP, Dominican Provincial, Chaplain at Fisher House 1994-2000, said Mass at the Church of St Mary, Moorfields, for Cambridge Catholics working in the city. This was followed by a two-course lunch with wine.
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| Fr Allan White OP | St Mary, Moorfields |
2007 June - Collegium di Crema concert
Sunday 17th June, 8pm
The Italian choir and orchestra Collegium di Crema, famous for their performances of the music of Robert Fuhrer, performed at the church of Our Lady and The English Martyrs on Sunday 17th June at 8pm.
We are very grateful to the Robinson College Chapel Choir who organised this concert.
2007 May - King's Voices Concert
Postponed until further notice - sorry!
The King’s Voices, a mixed-voice choir of King's College, will perform a programme of sacred and secular music (folk-songs plus some close harmony). For more information about the close harmony group see www.kings.cam.ac.uk/chapel/kingsvoices.
Admission: £10 (Concessions: £3)
Tickets from Fisher House or on the door.
Cheques payable to: Fisher House CUCA
Send to: Fisher House CUCA, Guildhall Street, Cambridge CB3 2NH
Email: Liz Jacobs on or tel: 01223 742191
2007 March - Lenten Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
Monday 26th March to Monday 2nd April 2007 - cancelled
Professor Jonathan Riley-Smith, president of CUCA whose specialism is the history of the crusades, and Fr Alban McCoy, chaplain, were to lead an eight day pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Unfortunately this pilgrimage has had to be cancelled in 2007. Please contact the appeal office if you are interested in joining another pilgrimage and you will be directed to an alternative group.
2006 November - Launch
Tuesday 28th November 2006, 6pm to 8pm
The appeal was publicly launched at the Travellers' Club, Pall Mall, London. We were honoured that Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Patron of the Appeal, attended.
It was a most enjoyable evening, with about ninety people there, including the Papal Nuncio and the Duke of Norfolk. The Cardinal spoke very warmly about how impressed he had been on a recent visit to Fisher House.
It was a wonderful occasion when old friends were reunited after several years apart and current undergraduates, talked to Cambridge graduates from before Mgr Gilbey's time at the University. Mr Ffrench-Davies wowed many of the attending guests with his stories of times past. General agreement was that the chaplaincy must be supported and we must put all hands to the deck to find the funds for the chaplaincy.
On Sunday 12th Fr Alban preached at Mass at St Mary's. Afterwards in the church hall he and Professor Duffy met and chatted to many new friends. It was a very busy weekend with dinners, receptions and even a baptism in between the lecture and Mass in Dublin but both visitors from Cambridge said they'd received the traditionally warm Irish welcome (and glass of Guiness) from everyone they met and hugely enjoyed their time there. Collections at the Lecture, Mass and social events were all donated to the Fisher House Appeal - Thank you to those that organised the weekend and to those that generously added to the appeal funds.
2006 September - Alumni Mass '06
24th September, 11am
This was yet again a great occasion and, as Archbishop Maurice commented, it was "an especially happy event through the presence not only of 'treasures old and new', as the gospel says, but also of 'people old and new'".
Many Fisher House people met with old friends and took up where they'd left off some twenty or so years ago.
After two years now, it looks as if this Fisher House event may well become a tradition during the University's Alumni Weekend every September.
2006 May - Harpsichord Recital - Purcell and his contemporaries
Friday 5th May, 8pm
Another successful event. Colin Booth, harpsichord builder and performer who studied Classics at Cambridge, gave a wonderful recital of music by Henry Purcell, Jean Henry D'Anglebert, Louis Couperin, J.C.Fischer and G.Muffat. Colin played on a new copy, which he had made himself, of the 1687 harpsichord by Caudry in the Victoria and Albert Museum. It was an enthralling performance by this well known harpsichord player and the atmosphere of the evening was added to by a warm summer's evening that allowed the audience to spill onto the roof garden during the interval. Our thanks go to Colin for the recital and to those that attended for their kind donations to the appeal funds. Vist www.colinbooth.co.uk for more information.
2006 April - Hong Kong Reunion
Wednesday 5th April, 11am
During the celebrations for the 800th Anniversary of the University, Mrs Susanna Yates, Treasurer of CUCA, planned to host a reunion of Cambridge Catholics. Although, sadly, it did not prove possible to meet any former CUCA members, she took the opportunity to make some valuable contacts in Hong Kong.
If you are one of the many Catholic Cambridge graduates who now live in Hong Kong, please register your contact details on the Fisher House Appeal part of this website. We hope there will be an opportunity for a reunion at some time in the future. Please keep in touch with Fisher House by email to .
2006 February - Gentlemen of St John's
Monday 6th February 2006
A superb evening's entertainment was provided by the Gentlemen of St John's. The programme was in two halves; the first was sensitively sung liturgical music including works by Tomkins, Biebl, Duruflé, Thompson and Thomas Tallis; the second was lighter with a very polished performance of closely harmonised traditional and modern songs. We are grateful to Gerrard Investment Management whose sponsorship meant that all the income from the event went towards the Fisher House appeal. A success from all points of view!
Picture: Gentlemen of St John's at Fisher House.
2005 September - Alumni Mass '05
Sunday 25th September 2005
In September 2005 the first Alumni Mass, reception and lunch was held at Fisher House. Fr Alban welcomed Canon Richard Incledon (Chaplain 1966-1977) and over 80 guests. Mass was followed by a reception upstairs in the library and then a delicious 3 course lunch in Fisher Hall. Father Richard preached at Mass and later addressed the guests many of whom were old friends from his time as chaplain.
Pictures: Fr Alban McCoy, Alumni in Fisher Hall, Canon Richard Incledon, Abbot Stephen Ortiger.