St Bede's Pastoral Centre

The Newman Association is a national organisation whose members meet regularly in local “circles” to discuss and develop their understanding of the Christian faith. Most of us are (Roman) Catholic, but baptised Christians of other traditions are warmly welcome as Associate Members. The Association was founded in 1942, with a formal constitution registered in 1947. The original aim was to answer the needs of Catholic graduates, but is now open to all Christians who seek to promote the aim of an educated laity. The Association takes its name from Cardinal John Henry Newman, who “wanted a laity, not arrogant, not rash in speech, not disputatious, but men who know their religion, who enter into it, who know just where they stand, who know what they hold and what they do not, who know their creed so well that they can give an account of it, who knows so much of history that they can defend it.

I want an intelligent, well-instructed laity…”. (The Present Position of Catholics in England, 1851)
We hope that by promoting a reasoned expression of our faith and stimulating ‘action for change’, we can make an important contribution to the Church.

As well as its local Circle meetings, the Association organises national conferences and events, and produces a quarterly publication called The Newman. We are affiliated with many organisations including CAFOD, Pax Romana and the National Board for Catholic Women (see Links). Within the Association we also have Special Interest groups covering a variety of issues.