Spiritual Life
Although the source of our community is the liberal education which draws all of us to The College, the heart and soul of our community is the Catholic faith. We are above all, Catholic, and provide numerous opportunities for our students, faculty, and staff to avail themselves of the wisdom and holiness of Christ and his Church.
Sundays
Sundays belong to the Risen Lord, and at Magdalen College we keep the day holy as a community. Students (and oftentimes faculty and staff) together attend Holy Mass in the morning, Benediction and Exposition in the evening, followed by a formal community dinner served family-style complete with table cloths and linen, and very often a speaker from within the community or a guest speaker. We thereby give visible witness to the unique holiness of Sunday and its role as the center of our Catholic community life.
The Divine Liturgy, the Sacraments, and Prayer
We keep Sunday holy, above all, by attending the Holy Mass. The Divine Liturgy celebrated each Sunday in Our Lady Queen of Apostles Chapel is enriched by the college’s student choir. In addition, the male students serve and lector.
The College also provides opportunities throughout the week for students to meet together to attend Mass, receive the sacraments, and pray. Mass is offered daily, and our chaplain hears confessions every day prior to the Divine Liturgy and by appointment.
Many of our students meet every day in our chapel or in the residences to pray the Rosary. Members of the community also meet regularly to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
Students also cultivate the practice of praying the Liturgy of the Hours, particularly Lauds, Vespers, and Compline. The College community sings Second Vespers each Sunday as part of Benediction.
Holy Days of Obligation and the Holy Triduum
The Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of our lives as Christians and the Holy Triduum is the pinnacle of our lives as Catholics. In order to prepare ourselves to participate in the Triduum, The College’s catechists offer instructions on the events of Christ’s life which Holy Week commemorates, on the signs and symbols of the Liturgies of Holy Week, and the meaning of Redemption for our lives as Christians.
Besides the catecheses, the College suspends classes so that we may focus our whole attention on the mystery of Jesus Christ ‘s Passion, Death, and Resurrection. We celebrate a Catholic inspired Seder meal prior to the Holy Thursday Mass so that students can experience and be catechized on the relationship between the Passover of the Jewish people and the Mystery of the Redemption as celebrated at Holy Mass.
Outside of the Triduum, the College observes all Holy Days of Obligation by closing the administration offices and suspending classes so that the entire community can celebrate together. For other feasts and events, the College is frequently invited to attend a parish in New Hampshire or Massachusetts or even St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Manchester, where the College choir often sings with the Cathedral Choir on the Feast of Christ the King.
At other times the College community observes a special feast with processions and litanies for the day.
Eucharistic Adoration & Benediction/Exposition
Students have worked closely with our College chaplain to begin the praiseworthy act of daily Eucharistic Adoration in our chapel. The Holy Eucharist is exposed for 1 hour every day for faculty, staff, and students to make a visit to our Lord. There are plans to continue expanding the amount of time available for adoration in the future.
As part of our Sunday celebration, the community gathers for Vespers and Benediction with Exposition.
Retreats, Days of Recollection, and Spiritual Direction
Several times during the year, the College invites priests and religious to campus to offer days of recollection and lead retreats for the men or women.
In addition to our chaplain, the priests and religious who visit make themselves available for private conferences or continuing, one-on-one spiritual direction.