Mater Ecclesiae College
Charity Trustees, Annual Report and
Accounts for the year ended 31 July 2024
Re8lstered Charlty No: 1186431

Contents
Pages
Charity Trustees
Governance and Management
Explanation of the Work of the CIO
Activities
Achievements and Performance
Financial Review
Plans for Future Years
4-5
Declaration
Independent Examiners Report
Receipts and Payments Account
ststement of Assets & knabilities
ststement o* Accounting Policies
Notes to the Receipts and Payments Account
io
Mater Eccle5iae College
Registered Charity No: 1186431

Mater Ecclesiae College
Charity Trustees, Annual Report for the year ending 31 luly 2024
Cliarity Ti'iJstee.s
The charity trustees are pleased to present the report of Mater Ecclesiae College (referenced later as
the CIO) which was registered as charity number 1186431 on 19 November 2019. The registered office
is at St Mary's University, Waldegrave Road, Twickenharn, TWI 4SX.
The CIO was formed to advance the Catholic religion for the benefit of the public, by..
al Conducting the Ecclesiastical Faculties of Theology and Philosophy founded by the English Province
of the Society of Jesus (The lesuitsl in Leuven in 1614 and transferred from Heythrop College to St
Mary's University on 17 July 2019,.
bl Conducting any other ecclesiastical facultie5 that may be erected in addition to the ecclesiastical
faculties mentioned in lal above, whether as an ecclesiastical university or otherwise,.
cl Providing such other education and formation as is incidental to the objects set out in lal and Ibl
above.
The Charity Trustees for the whole of the year were as follows:
The Most Revd Bernard Lon8lev
The Right Revd Professor Charles Roderick Strange
The Revd Professor Simon George Gaine OP
The Right Revd John Franci5 Sherrington
The Most Revd Mark Anthony O'Toole
Professor Gavin Grègory D'cost
The Most Revd Malcolm Patrick Mcmahon OP
The Most Revd John Wilson
Governance and Management
The governing document of the charity is the Mater Ecclesiae College Constitution adopted by the
harity trustees in August 2019, which becarne recognised by the Charity Commission when the
Charitable Incorporated Organisation was registered on 19 November 2019. The Charity Trustees are
the Governing Body of thè Ecclesiastical Faculties of Theology and Philosophy conducted by the CIO
under the canonScal Statutes of thè Faculties madè by the Governlng Body and approved by the Holv
See.
Under the Statutes made by the Governing Body, operational details are delegated to the College's
Operational Board, which meets 3 times each academSc year.
The Charity Trustees work entirely on a voluntary basis.
Mater Eccleslae College
Reglstered Charlty No.. 1186431

Explanation of the Work of the CIO
Mater Ecclesiae College, the Pontifical Athenaeum based at St Mary's University, Twickenham, opened
at St Mary's in autumn 2019. Mater Ecclesiae College is the latest civil incarnation of the Ecclosiastical
Faculties of Theology and Philosophy founded by the English Province of the Society of Jesus (The
Jesuits) in Leuven in 1614. Known most recently as the Bellarmine Institute, it had been a part of
Heythrop College, a chartered college within the University of London. The Jesuits, decision to close
Heythrop as a College of the University of London was finalised in 2018, when students who had been
studying for civil degrees there completed their courses.
With the closure of Heythrop College, it became urgent to re-locate the Ecclesiastical Faculties of
Theology and Philosophy to St Mary's University as Mater Ecclesiae College, in order to continue the
intellectual formation of the students at Allen Hall, the seminary of the Archdiocese of Westminster.
Activities
The main actlvitles of the CIO are..
Firstly, to provide opportunities for the study, teaching, and researth of Theology and Philosophy in a
way that promotes a more profound knowledge and understanding of Christian revelation, and of
those matters connected with it,. to enunciate systematically the truths contained therein,. to consider
in the light of revelation the most rècent progress of the sciences and to present them effectively to
the people of today.
Secondly, to providè studènts with an èducation in Catholic doctrine in the flr5t, second, and third
cycles Ibatealaureate, licence and doctoratel,. to prepare thèm to tarry out thelr future tasks
effectively and to provide for the continuing education of the ministers of the Church.
Thirdlyi to collaborate closely in the work of evangelisation with the hierarchy and wlth thè ltscal and
universal Church.
Fourthly, to establlsh frultful collaboratlon wlth other Eccle5ia5tical faculties and with non-
Ecclesiastical faculties and centres of Theology and Philosophy.
Undèr thè arrangemènts with St Martys University, Twickènham. studènts will typlcally study a clvil
Bachelor's Degree in Theology I'BA IHonsl in Theological Studies'l awarded by St Mary's, and also a
St7crae Theologioe Buccoloureus or Baccalaureate of Sacrèd Theology I'ST8'1 which is awarded by
Mater Eccle5iae College.
Mater Ectlesiae College as such is now into the sixth year of Its existènce. All courses have been
delivered and attendance has been hi8h.
Achlevement8 ind PerfrJrm¢ince
For the academic year 2023-24, the College had twenty-five students. These students came from the
dioceses of Westminster, Southwark, and Cardiff, East Anglia, Arundel and Brighton, and Plymouth,.
there were also Salesians, Oratorians and the Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest, as well as
members of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham
Mater Eccleslae College
Re8lstered Charlty No.. 1186431

Financial Review
whi15t Mater Ecclesiae College is an independentinstrtution, rt has a collaboration aTh3ngement with
St Mary's University, Twickenham. Underthis arrangement, the teaching 15 arranged by St Mary'sand
much teaching takes Pla￿ on the premises of St Mary's Unniersty-
A servi￿ Arrangement eM5ts between the CIO and St Marfs, andthere is a tharge of £50,(m plus
VAT per annum to the CIO, forthe Universrtls provision of the following sejvices:
Registration & Admi551011S
Student services lincluding wellbeing)
Arranging and paying Hourly Paid Academics toteach the ecdesiast￿l rnodules forthe STB
Marketin& Recruitment and Communication of programmes
Human Resour￿5 support
ITsupport & ￿brary services
Financial administratlOTI SUPPOrt
The College's students are permitted to have aC￿$S to library faalities at Allen Hall Seminary.
The charges are reviewed on an annual basis and may be inueased to reflectthescale of costs,
levels and inflation.
Management and transactional accountingforthe CIO is carried out byst Marfs Finan￿ Department
The chartty trustees are gratefultothe Catholic Bi5hop5' Conference of England &Wales for providing
fundingfor the above costs.
In the pre￿dIngfin3nClal reporting perk)d, the College changed rts finanaal year-end lorAccountir
Reference Datel f rom 31 Decemberto 31 July, in order to better align wrth the a(3demic year-end.
The timing of the College's annualdonationfrom the Btshop's conferen￿ of England &Walesand the
annual payment of rts seNice charge to St Marvs Universrty for the year ended 31 Jtjly 2023 fel
outside of the accounting period ended 31 July 2023. Accordingly, the College is therefore reportiig
net receipts and payments during the current year for both the prior period and the cu￿ent ye
ended 31July 2024
The College did not have it5 own bank account duringthis peritid, and it had noassets nor liabilttie5 as
at the period end.
Reserves policy
The CIO is in the early years of rts fom)ation. wrth its actThiities being funded by a donation fr(¥n
Catholic Bishops, Conference of England & Wales. re￿Ned via the Catholic Trust for England and
W31es. The trustees will develop a meaningful reserves policy in the next few years.
Plans lor Future Years
Two prim3ry 3re3s of development are underway,'firstly, with regardto Canon Law and second￿. with
regard to the establishment of a ￿￿nce in Sacred Theology ISTLI programme. A PGCert in Canon Law
and Safeguarding was prepared wtth the hope that a cohort would be ready in September. The
requirements of the NationalTribunaIServ￿e have since modrFied slightty however, and st Mary'saKI
Mater Ecclesiae awatt further guidan￿ as to subsequent prograrnrne developmerrt. plans for the
developmerrt of the STL are undetwayand this will be developed f romthe MA Theologyprogramme,
in the f irst instance, and, tt is hoped, will be laund)ed in 2025 to enable Sufficient time to advertse
and recrutt a viable cohort.
Mater Ecclesiae College
Registered Charity No: IL8f•131

The establishmentof the CertHE Philosophyprogramme is intended toenable lal laystudentstotake
the full programme of studies necessary for them to be elig￿ble for the STB and Ibl ensure that
seminarians receive civil accreditation for their Philosophy studie5. Inte￿st in the BA IHonsl
Theological Studieswtth CertHE philosophy has been encouragin& andthe launth of this programme
represents a signrficant expansion of College's work.
Gi'Lidiiation
The 2024 graduation ceremony took place on I￿ September 2024, at whid) 14 members of the
College graduated as Bachelors of Sacred Theology. nine summa cum laLtde Iwrth the greatest
distinction) and f Die magno cum loude (with great distinrtionl, and several new lecturers made ther
profession of faith and made their oath of fidelrty in the presen￿ of the chancellor.
Declaration
The chartty trustees dedare that they approved the report and accounts forthe Year ended 31 Ju
2024 on 5 March 2025.
Signed:
Archbishop John Sherrington, chaimian of the Goveming Body on beha￿ of the Charlty Twstees
Mater Ecclesiae Colle8e
Reglstered Charlty No: 1186431

Independent Examiner's report to the trustees of Mater Ecclesiae College
I report to the trustees of the Mater Ec¢lesiae College I'the Charity'l on my examination of the accounts
of the charity for the year ended 31 July 2024.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in
accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 {'Ihe Act.).
I report in respect of my examination of the charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011
Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity
Commission under section 1451511bl of the 2011 Act.
Independent examinerfs statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come lo my attention in
connection with my examination giving me cause lo bèlieve that in any material respect..
accounling records were not kept in respect of the Charity 8s required by section 130 of the Act,. or
• the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination lo which
attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of Ihts accounts lo be
reached.
Peler Mackereth, Independenl Examiner
(Member ol the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales}
Buzzacott Audit LLP
130 Wood Street
London
EC2V 6DL
30 May 2025
Mater Eccleslae College
Re8lstered Charlty No: 1186431

Mater Ecclesiae College
Receipts and Payments Account for the Year ending 31 luly 2024
te5
Total funds.
YÈar Èndod
Total funds.
7 months to
Recglpt¥
Donation5
120,000
Sub Total IGr05s income for
Annual Return)
120.000
A5sel and Inv•$imènl 8al8$
Total R6¢¥lpl$
120.000
S•rvica charoe paid
120.000
Sub total (Gross èxp8ndilurÈ
for Annual R8luml
120.000
A&sel and Investment
pur¢h8888
Total Payrnont•
120.000
Net receiplsllpayrnen151
Tran¥fers betwaèn lund8
Cash lund8 la81 pgrlod and
Cash lundB Ihl& pgrlvd end
*AII funds are unrestricted
Mater Eccle51ae College
Reglstered Charlty No: 1186431


Archbishop John Sherrington Trustee 

Date: 29 May 2025 



Statement of Accounting Policies
Basis of preparation
The accounts are prepared on a receipts and payments basis as permitted under section 133 of the
Charities Act 20111'the Charities Act'l.
Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds are general funds that are available for use at the charity trustees, discretion in
furtherance of any of the objectives of the charity.
Mater Ectleslae College
Reg15tered Charity No.. 1186431

Notes to the Accounts 31 luly 2024
Year to
7 mDnth5 to
l Recelpts
Donations
Catholic Trust for EngLgnd and Wale5-
Contribution towards runnin9 costs
Total
120.000
120.000
2 Payments
Servite tharge ro sr Mar¢s L5niversity
120.000
Totsl
t20,000
3 Relatsd patytransacthns
Tht Most Revd Bernard LOffl￿ey The Most Revd Maltolm M¢Mah¢n OP ¥nd The Mosi
Reverend Mark O'Toole. areall trustees of the CIO and also trusteesof the CatholicTrust
of Mater E￿leslae College.
Mater Ectleslae College
Reglstered Charity No: 1186431