The Pontifical Beda College ( it, Pontificio Collegio Beda) is a college in Rome. It was founded as the ''Collegio Ecclesiastico'' at the

Palazzo dei Convertendi Palazzo dei Convertendi (also Palazzo della Congregazione per le Chiese orientali) is a reconstructed Renaissance palace in Rome. It originally faced the Piazza Scossacavalli, but was demolished and rebuilt along the north side of Via della Conc ...

in 1852 by

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...

and is intended for older men, often convert clergymen, wishing to prepare for the

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

priesthood.

History

This college was moved in 1854 to the English College to accommodate a larger number of clergymen from England who had joined the Roman Catholic Church from other Christian denominations and wished to prepare for the Catholic priesthood. They came only for four years, because they were seen to have significant experience already. Here the college became known as the ''Collegio Pio''. It also included lifelong Catholics, drawn to the priesthood later in life and priests studying for post-graduate degrees in Rome. Pope

Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...

issued a new constitution in 1898 and placed the college under the patronage of the

Venerable Bede Bede ( ; ang, Bǣda , ; 672/326 May 735), also known as Saint Bede, The Venerable Bede, and Bede the Venerable ( la, Beda Venerabilis), was an English monk at the monastery of St Peter and its companion monastery of St Paul in the Kingdom o ...

, the eighth century Anglo-Saxon monk and scholar. Cardinal Howard bequeathed to the two colleges his valuable library.Benigni, Umberto. "Roman Colleges." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 11 January 2016 It was decided by the Sacred Congregation of Studies (1917), that it should be completely separated from the

Venerable English College The Venerable English College (), commonly referred to as the English College, is a Catholic seminary in Rome, Italy, for the training of priests for England and Wales. It was founded in 1579 by William Allen on the model of the English College, ...

, and that it should have a corporate life entirely of its own under a rector and staff of its own and in its own premises. Pending the acquisition of a permanent home, temporary premises were rented in the Prati di Castello from the Polish Hospice. Mgr Mann was brought from England to be the new rector, and the Rev. J. C. Richards was appointed vice-rector. The Bede students took up their new quarters on 2 January 1918. When the First World War ended, the Polish returned to Rome and the Beda became homeless. The community was transferred in 1922 to the Via S. Niccolo da Tolentino close by the

Piazza Barberini Piazza Barberini is a large piazza in the ''centro storico'' or city center of Rome, Italy and situated on the Quirinal Hill. It was created in the 16th century but many of the surrounding buildings have subsequently been rebuilt. The current ap ...

. The college made progress under the guidance of Mgr Mann and his Vice-Rector Mgr McShane. In 1956 Pope

Pius XII Pius ( , ) Latin for "pious", is a masculine given name. Its feminine form is Pia. It may refer to: People Popes * Pope Pius (disambiguation) * Antipope Pius XIII (1918-2009), who led the breakaway True Catholic Church sect Given name * Pius B ...

provided from the

extraterritorial property of the Holy See The properties of the Holy See are regulated by the 1929 Lateran Treaty signed with the Kingdom of Italy. Although part of Italian territory, some of them enjoy extraterritoriality similar to those of foreign embassies.see Article 13, 14, 15 and 1 ...

the land on which the present Beda stands, adjacent to the

Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls The Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls ( it, Basilica Papale di San Paolo fuori le Mura), commonly known as Saint Paul's Outside the Walls, is one of Rome's four major papal basilicas, along with the basilicas of Saint John in the ...

. Pope

John XXIII Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...

formally opened the new building on 20 October 1960. The Beda remains the responsibility of the Bishops of England and Wales but now receives men from English-speaking countries worldwide.

List of rectors

1852-1864: Rev Dr English 1864-1867: Rev Dr Neve 1867-1897: Mgr O'Callaghan 1897-1908: Mgr Giles ice-Rector1908-1911: Mgr Butt ice-Rector1911-1917: Mgr George [Vice-Rector 1918-1928: Mgr Mann * 1928–1961: Mgr Charles Duchemin 1961-1972: Mgr Cutrin 1972-1978: Mgr Travers 1978-1987: Mgr Mitchell * 1987–1991: Mgr Walter Drumm 1991-1992: Mgr Walton *1992-1998: Mgr Brian Dazaley * 1998–2015: Mgr Roderick Strange * 2015–present: Canon Philip Gillespie

References

External links

Pontifical Beda College Official Website
{{Holy See Educational institutions established in 1852 English College, Rome Catholic Church in England and Wales Roman Colleges 1852 establishments in the Papal States