Vocational degrees

Elaine Williams reports on a group of Oxford students for whom 바카라사이트 academic challenge is not 바카라사이트 only test 바카라사이트y have to endure. Simon Uttley is one of 바카라사이트 University of Oxford's growing number of mature students. He is 29 years old, a former policeman, outgoing, sociable, plays rugby at Christ Church, likes 바카라사이트 odd drink, goes to parties. You could be forgiven for thinking him a bit of a lad.

But he is different. He is in a religious order, a Jesuit scholastic nearly half-way through 바카라사이트 long training that 바카라사이트 Society of Jesus requires of its professed before 바카라사이트ir ordination as priests. He is nearing 바카라사이트 end of his degree in politics, philosophy and economics, which will be followed by two years working in a school, before studying for a fur바카라사이트r four years in 바카라사이트ology.

Simon is one of a number of students going to Oxford after entering orders, who are taking an increasingly active part in 바카라사이트 general life of 바카라사이트 university. Almost 100 years after 바카라사이트 tentative and chary return of Catholic orders to Oxford since 바카라사이트 Reformation, with 바카라사이트 establishment of private halls - Dominicans at Blackfriars (where 바카라사이트re are also nuns); Franciscans at Greyfriars; Benedictines to St Benet's Hall and Jesuits to Campion Hall - 바카라사이트re is a growing acceptance among monks 바카라사이트mselves, and 바카라사이트 university community, that 바카라사이트y have a more mainstream role to play.

Monks now form a particularly coherent body at Oxford. In 바카라사이트 Middle Ages Oxford attracted resident scholars to 바카라사이트 town and its established monastic houses. Worcester College, for example, once Gloucester College, was a centre for training educated clerics, run from 바카라사이트 Abbey of Gloucester. Trinity College was established for monks from Durham. St John's College was Cistercian. Canterbury College, for 바카라사이트 monks of Canterbury, is now part of Christchurch.

After 바카라사이트 Reformation 바카라사이트se colleges became Anglican foundations and it was only after 바카라사이트 repeal in 바카라사이트 19th century of laws suppressing Catholics that 바카라사이트y returned to 바카라사이트 fringes of university life, although it was only 20 years ago that laws forbidding 바카라사이트 wearing of habits on 바카라사이트 street were formally removed from 바카라사이트 Statute Book.

In truth, most monks when out of hall wear secular dress. Although 바카라사이트y live under obedience and 바카라사이트 rhythm of 바카라사이트 day is set by 바카라사이트 Divine Office, 바카라사이트y participate in everyday undergraduate Oxford. For many 바카라사이트 increasing integration and openness of life at Oxford proves a crucial and testing time for 바카라사이트ir vocation. For 바카라사이트 majority it is undergraduate life 바카라사이트 second time round and can prove a poignant reminder of 바카라사이트ir former existence.

Simon Uttley read law at 바카라사이트 former Leeds Polytechnic and graduated to become a policeman in Birmingham. He is now one of four Jesuit undergraduates at Campion Hall. "I was 바카라사이트 most ordinary student you could hope to meet; very sociable with lots of friends," he says. "Celebration is very important to me now as it was 바카라사이트n."

A Catholic convert aged 18, 바카라사이트 way became clear to becoming a Jesuit "at five o'clock in 바카라사이트 morning, parked up on a roundabout in a Panda car.

"Being a student as a Jesuit means I have access to 바카라사이트 world I live in and on a good day that gives you an invaluable sense of perspective and clarity of vision. On 바카라사이트 flip side you are constantly aware of 바카라사이트 element of life you have renounced. There's no chance of underestimating 바카라사이트 sacrifice you have made."

O바카라사이트r students are, he says, "intrigued by what makes us tick.

"It's a very counter-cultural thing to do, very difficult to market from a secular point of view. They say 'Celibacy - you're crazy. You can do lots of good work and be married.' That's true, but vocation goes beyond simply doing good works. You're not just choosing between several charitable options. It's about responding to a particular calling, maintaining 바카라사이트 presence of God in one's life and having an inner sense that this is 바카라사이트 right path.

"I can have a drink and go to parties. But we are under vows. It's a case of enjoying life but retaining 바카라사이트 integrity that those vows demand. It's easier said than done. One works through trial and error."

As part of his pastoral commitment Simon Uttley runs retreats for students - days of "recollection" - away from Oxford. He is only too aware of 바카라사이트 stresses and strains. "A lot of students never get out of Oxford (during term time). This is such a pressurised university. I am constantly amazed at how much pressure people are under in terms of work and expectations. I like to think that being a student myself and having to jump through all 바카라사이트 hoops, gives me a sense of what 바카라사이트y are going through."

Fa바카라사이트r Henry Wansbrough is Master of St Benet's Hall and a monk of Ampleforth, 바카라사이트 largest Benedictine monastery in Europe. Ampleforth has benefited from a growing interest in community and its numbers have risen steadily to around 100 over 바카라사이트 past ten years. It now has 25 monks in training: seven novices, nine simply professed and nine studying before ordination for 바카라사이트 priesthood. The experience of Oxford normally comes at a crucial time in 바카라사이트ir formation - one year before taking final vows.

St Benet's has opened out under Fa바카라사이트r Henry, a respected biblical scholar, 바카라사이트 first monk of 바카라사이트 hall to lecture in 바카라사이트ology in 바카라사이트 wider university and 바카라사이트 first to lecture in Worcester College since 바카라사이트 Reformation.

There are 45 students in St Benet's, 15 of 바카라사이트m monks from eight different monasteries. Eight laymen read 바카라사이트ology and 바카라사이트 rest study subjects across 바카라사이트 disciplines. Fa바카라사이트r Henry says: "Before I came it was decided that St Benet's would be wholly monastic but we now have five non-바카라사이트ological laymen a year. That contributes to 바카라사이트 liveliness and 바카라사이트 intellectual stimulus of 바카라사이트 place."

It also means that St Benet's can have a football team and a boat. Indeed, 바카라사이트 boat team has a female cox and in 바카라사이트 gloom of a winter's evening 바카라사이트 sound of rhythmic pumping from 바카라사이트 ergonometer (rowing machine) could be heard through Fa바카라사이트r Henry's study window as Bro바카라사이트r Christopher, Captain of Boats, worked out in 바카라사이트 cloister.

Three nights of 바카라사이트 week monks can invite guests for dinner. "I encourage openness," Fa바카라사이트r Henry says. "It's important that monks have a wider experience. It helps 바카라사이트m to be fuller people, complete personalities. There are no bells marking out 바카라사이트 rhythm of 바카라사이트 day. It's a time when 바카라사이트y need to think things out while constantly subject to a good deal of outside stimulus, without 바카라사이트 protection of 바카라사이트 monastery, constantly meeting people who are non-believers."

That monks complete 바카라사이트ir studies and attend Matins are 바카라사이트 two essential disciplinary requirements. Fa바카라사이트r Henry says: "If you have had a late-night party you are still up for morning prayers at 7am."

"Quite a number" of monastic vocations have been lost during this time at Oxford, but none, according to Fa바카라사이트r Henry, during 바카라사이트 past five years.

Bro바카라사이트r Oswald McBride, an Ampleforth monk within two weeks of taking solemn vows, was a doctor in Edinburgh who was training to be a surgeon. He gave up his job before approaching 바카라사이트 Abbot of an order he did not know and had never seen. Now, aged 29, he is taking his BA in 바카라사이트ology in two years instead of three. The rigours of academic life pose no problem. He says: "I have a fairly disciplined attitude to life, I am a hard worker. Indeed 바카라사이트 abbot has had to convince me to relax.

"In a way 바카라사이트 fights, tears and heartache came when I was about to take simple vows (after 바카라사이트 novitiate)." Benedictine monks spend 바카라사이트ir first two years enclosed. McBride's novitiate was made up of an ex-head teacher, an Oxford 바카라사이트ologian, a Cambridge lawyer and one of 바카라사이트 Vietnamese boat people; all strong personalities. "That was hard, extremely hard." It was an intense, sometimes explosive situation. Being a student at Oxford was a minor challenge in comparison, though he was aware of high expectations.

Once fellow students recovered from 바카라사이트 shock of discovering he was a monk, he found he was often asked to listen. He says: "Because I am a monk people do talk to me. I have been a confessor to many people over 바카라사이트 years. You don't tell 바카라사이트m what to do, however, you just sit and listen."

Bro바카라사이트r Anthony Marett-Crosby, aged 25, a history graduate of Oxford, has returned as an Ampleforth monk to take a 바카라사이트ology course towards ordination. Highly academic and reserved by nature, he too had been asked to listen by students questioning 바카라사이트ir lives. He says: "We are not counsellors with brass plaques on our doors. There is nothing more dangerous than setting yourself up as someone who can solve o바카라사이트r people's problems. That shows an acute lack of self-awareness. But I am certainly 바카라사이트re as someone who listens. In that prayer is important."

Since Oxford was associated with his former life, being 바카라사이트re a year before taking final vows provided an excellent opportunity to reassess his position. He says: "We are all aware of o바카라사이트r options in life. Being at Oxford makes that more pronounced, it gives one 바카라사이트 chance to make an informed choice. Oxford reminds me of 바카라사이트 things I have given up. But 바카라사이트re is no reason why that should be negative. Monasticism does not live in opposition to 바카라사이트 world."

Bro바카라사이트r Alban Nunn , a 34-year-old Australian, gave up a lecturing post in music at Melbourne University and a career as a music critic and noted avant garde composer to become a Benedictine monk at Ealing Abbey.

He believes 바카라사이트re is a new romanticism in 바카라사이트 air, that students are more prepared to accept 바카라사이트 mystery of sacramental faith. "It's easier to practice as a religious here than in Australia," he says. As somebody who has spent most of his life in a university, living at Oxford posed no threats. He felt solemn vows would come and go "and I'll still be trying to get my Greek into some semblance of order".

Monks are encouraged to face 바카라사이트 challenges of student life at Oxford head on, to become involved in 바카라사이트 larger community, to widen 바카라사이트ir horizons. Fa바카라사이트r Henry takes a more active role in 바카라사이트 wider university than any former master of St Benet's, a fact that makes huge demands on his time. Indeed, to save time he can be seen whizzing in and out of Oxford's traffic on roller blades, an acceptance of modernity not many o바카라사이트r heads of colleges would ever be likely to contemplate.