St Benet's Hall, Oxford

St Benet's Hall is a Permanent Private Hall (PPH) of the University of Oxford.

Contents 1 Composition and status 2 History 3 Masters 4 J.C.R. 5 Rowing 6 University life 7 Welfare

Composition and status

St. Benet's Hall, founded in 1897, is a Benedictine foundation, whose principal historic function was to allow Catholic monks (primarily Benedictines from Ampleforth Abbey, and members of related orders, including the Premonstratensians of England) to study for secular degrees as undergraduates within the University. It became a Permanent Private Hall of the University in 1918 when new University legislation created the status of PPH. Unlike some of the other PPHs, the Hall has never been a theological college, although this is a frequently stated misunderstanding. The Governing Body of the Hall are the Trustees of the St Lawrence Education Trust, and a number of functions are also performed by the St Benet's Hall Sub-Committee of the Governing Body. The Hall continues to have a monastic Master, currently The Revd Dom Felix Stephens, OSB, MA (and the Chaplain and the Theology Tutor are both also Benedictine monks), but it now principally admits laymen (who do not have to be Catholics, but are asked to be supportive of monastic life and values) both as undergraduates and post-graduates. Its chief buildings consist of adjacent houses in St Giles. As St. Benet's is a Permanent Private Hall of the University, it is different from a College of the University of Oxford, but it is entitled to matriculate students to be members of the University, and those of its members who have matriculated are full members of the University, and able to supplicate for degrees on the successful completion of their studies. For most of its members the only noticeable difference made by the Hall's legal status is that it is very much smaller than any of the Colleges. Members of the Hall are individually members of the Oxford University Student Union (OUSU), but, following a dispute over OUSU's policy on reproductive health, the Hall dissaffiliated in 1997, and is not represented in the OUSU Council. Students at St. Benet's are eligible for life membership of the Oxford Union Society. The Hall is known as "Benet's" within the University, and has the distinction of being the only constituent body of the University open only to men. The recent review of the PPHs conducted by the University concluded that St Benet's had a 'good sense of its place within the collegiate University', and drew attention to the 'commitment and care' of the Hall's academic staff.

See also Alumni of St Benet's Hall

History

The Hall was originally established in 1897. It took on its official name "Aula Privata Sancti Benedicti" ("St. Benet's Hall") in 1918. Prior to this date, Permanent Private Halls of the University of Oxford took their name from their Master, and the Hall was known successively as Hunter-Blair, Parker, and McCann Hall. The Hall was initially set up in October 1897 at 103 Woodstock Road. This house is still in existence, opposite SS Philip and James Church, and is now a guest-house. The Hall lived here till 1904, when it moved to the former Grindle's Hall in Beaumont Street, from which it removed in 1922 to the present buildings of 38 and 39 St Giles. The Beaumont Street houses were demolished in 1938 to make space for the Oxford Playhouse theatre. In 1879 the present building of 38 St. Giles was the site of Oxford High School, until it moved to 21 Banbury Road in 1881. The Hall had always primarily been a venue for monastic study, but the falling number of vocations led to the admission of lay men to fill vacant places, which have over time come to be the majority of the Hall's undergraduate members. Current subjects offered for study by St. Benet's include Theology, Theology and Philosophy, Classics, History (including both Ancient and Modern), History and Politics, and Oriental Studies. Subjects still being taught, yet not offered include Law, English and PPE. Though, PPE is currently under review as possible candidates can still be matriculated and taught.

Masters

St. Benet's has had ten Masters since it was established in 1897:

• Abbot Oswald Hunter Blair OSB (1898–1909)
• Father Anselm Parker OSB (1909–1920)
• Father Justin McCann OSB (1920–1947)
• Father Gerard Sitwell OSB (1947–1964)
• Father James Forbes[1] (1964–1979) OSB (famed pottery expert and Knight of Malta)
• Father Philip Holdsworth OSB (1979–1989)
• Father Fabian Cowper OSB (1989–1990)
• Father Henry Wansbrough OSB (1990–2004) (Editor of the New Jerusalem Bible)
• Father Leo Chamberlain OSB (2004–2007)
• Father Felix Stephens OSB (2007-)

J.C.R.

Like other Colleges and PPHs, St. Benet's has a united common room of which all students at the Hall are members. The present J.C.R. Committee is:

• President: Robert Stroud
• Treasurer: Gerard Miles
• Secretary: Martin Parlett
• Social Secretary: Konstantin Schober
• Welfare Officer: Nick Hanson
• P.R. and Graduate Officer: Thomas Carew Hunt
• Food Liaison Officer: Nicholas Wingfield Digby

Rowing

St. Benet's is noted for its rowing team, the self-proclaimed 'Benet's bisons'; despite the small size of the college a consistently strong team has been fielded for many years, and in recent years it has an all but consistent record of winning 'blades', the trophy awarded for 'bumping' (rowing past teams ranked above) every day in a regatta. Recently, one of the Light-Weight Blues Team came from St. Benet's.

University life

Despite having a small number of members, Benet's has been surprising successful in university societies. Several Presidents of the Oxford University Newman Society, a President of the Oxford Law Society, several Officers in the Oxford University Conservative Association, including the current president, several Returning Officers and Chairmen of the Consultative Committee of the Oxford Union, officers of the Light Entertainment Society, and prominent University sportsmen have come from St. Benet's.

Welfare

A high standard of catering is provided by a dedicated housekeeper. Members of the Hall are entitled to invite guests to all meals. Of these, the universally acclaimed Sunday lunch is the most prestigious and keenly attended.

•  • e University of Oxford

Chancellor: The Lord Patten of Barnes • Vice Chancellor: Dr John Hood Colleges: All Souls • Balliol • Brasenose • Christ Church • Corpus Christi • Exeter • Green • Harris Manchester • Hertford • Jesus • Keble • Kellogg • Lady Margaret Hall • Linacre • Lincoln • Magdalen • Mansfield • Merton • New College • Nuffield • Oriel • Pembroke • Queen's • St Anne's • St Antony's • St Catherine's • St Cross • St Edmund Hall • St Hilda's • St Hugh's • St John's • St Peter's • Somerville • Templeton • Trinity • University • Wadham • Wolfson • Worcester Permanent Private Halls: Blackfriars • Campion Hall • Greyfriars • Regent's Park College • St Benet's Hall • St Stephen's House • Wycliffe Hall Categories: University • Chancellors • Colleges • Departments • Academics • Alumni