## The Dominican Friars
## A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 2 4
The English Province of the Order of Preachers. Registered charity 231192 (England and Wales) and SC039062 (Scotland)
## The Dominican Friars
## A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 2 4
– F O R T H E P E R I O D 1 S T O C T 2 0 2 3 3 0 T H S E P T 2 0 2 4
The English Province of the Order of Preachers. Registered charity 231192 (England and Wales) and SC039062 (Scotland)
A B O U T T H E D O M I N I C A N F R I A R S
## The Dominican Friars in Britain
THE DOMINICAN FRIARS (est. 1216) are an international Catholic religious order with a specialisation in preaching, teaching and pastoral work. Officially titled the ‘Order of Preachers’, they are known as ‘Dominicans’ after their founder, St Dominic.
## THE ‘PROVINCE OF ENGLAND’
The friars first established themselves in Britain in 1221, as the ‘Province of England’. The Province (one of around 40) endures to this day. It is legally constituted as a single charity ‘The English Province of the Order of Preachers’, with responsibility for the friars’ work in England, Wales and Scotland.
## PRIORIES
The Province is made up of a number of priories, which are local communities of friars with a large degree of self-government. Currently these are in Oxford, London, Cambridge, Leicester, and Edinburgh. The Dominican houses in Grenada and Jamaica in the West Indies are also canonically dependent on this Province, and supported by grants, though not part of this charity.
## KEY FACTS
## OBJECT OF THE CHARITY
Houses: 4 in England, 1 in Scotland (+ 2 canonically associated in Caribbean)
Total English-Province Friars: 76
- 55 in UK
The Province Trust Deed lists ten charitable purposes, which for the purpose of registration as a Charity are summarised as ‘the promotion of education and the Roman Catholic religion and the establishment and maintenance of schools, churches and priories for these purposes and the upkeep of members of the Order of Preachers’.
- 8 in Caribbean
- 5 assig. outside the Province
- 3 working overseas
- 5 on leave / in care
Bishops: 1
Priests: 64
(of which 8 in Caribbean)
Cooperator Brothers: 2
Novices / Student Brothers: 7 (+4 assigned from other provs.)
## OUR MISSION: THE AIMS OF THE CHARITY
The ultimate aim and purpose of the Catholic Church and therefore of the Order of Preachers is ‘the salvation of souls’ (cf. _CIC_ 1752; _LCO_ 1 §2). In furtherance of this goal, the Order of Preachers and the English Province aim to provide effective preaching, teaching and pastoral care flowing from fraternal religious communities of prayer and study. Through the work of the friars we seek to awaken and deepen faith, hope and charity, to the benefit of those to whom we minister, to their families and to the wider community.
_More detailed information can be found on pp. 37ff._
**www.english.op.org**
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C O N T E N T S
## Message from the Prior Provincial
Reflecting on the past year, I am struck by a deep sense of renewal.
The Rosary Shrine in London is flourishing, strengthened by working with Radio Maria. Our brethren in Cambridge are finding new ways to engage with the University and the wider community. Leicester’s parish is thriving; while our Edinburgh community is expanding the Order’s profile in Scotland through the Arts and through academic initiatives.
Blackfriars Hall in Oxford remains a key presence in a world-leading university, shaping contemporary minds, while our Studium is equipping brethren and laity for meaningful engagement in society. Internationally, our mission in Jamaica and Grenada continues to grow – we rejoice at the first entrants to our new Pre-Novitiate on Jamaica.
The Provincial Chapter of 2024 reaffirmed the priority of formation, linking vocations promotion and permanent formation as a unified vision of our life. We are therefore strengthening our formation in Oxford, while also calling every community to renewed engagement with students and young people.
Our tradition offers resources uniquely suited to the needs of our time, and we remain committed to our mission of preaching for the salvation of souls. We are deeply grateful to all our benefactors for making this possible.
In Christ and St. Dominic,
_Very Rev Nicholas Paul Crowe OP, Prior Provincial, Province of England_
## Contents
|ABOUT THE DOMINICAN FRIARS|2|STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE, MANAGEMENT|37|
|---|---|---|---|
|THE YEAR IN REVIEW|4|PUBLIC BENEFIT|43|
|REVIEW BY HOUSE:||PROVISION FOR SICK & ELDERLY|44|
|OXFORD: PRIORY|10|INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE|45|
|OXFORD: STUDIUM GENERALE|11|FINANCIAL REVIEW|47|
|OXFORD: BLACKFRIARS HALL|12|FUNDS & INVESTMENTS|48|
|EDINBURGH|16|TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES|49|
|LONDON|18|TRUSTEES’ DECLARATION|50|
|CAMBRIDGE|20|AUDITOR’S REPORT|51|
|LEICESTER|22|STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES|54|
|CARIBBEAN: JAMAICA & GRENADA|24|BALANCE SHEET|55|
|REVIEW OF EDUCATIONAL APOSTOLATE|26|STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS|56|
|REVIEW OF FUNDRAISING|34|ACCOUNTING POLICIES|57|
|CHARITY DETAILS, OFFICE-HOLDERS|36|NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS|60|
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T H E Y E A R I N R E V I E W
## Objectives & Strategies for the Year 2023–24
## (A) RECRUITMENT & TRAINING
To train priests and religious for pastoral and educational ministry, and to maintain the success of the full-time Director and Promoter of Vocations in drawing larger numbers of young men to enter the Province.
- Through pastoral engagement and work with young people, promote the Dominican vocation as a worthy and fulfilling life in the service of God and his people;
- Through prudent investment and fundraising, provide funds to help support student friars and the communities in which they live;
- Plan for the future needs of the Province’s centre of studies (‘Studium’) by identifying and training future teachers.
## (B) MINISTRY
To continue effective and responsive ministry in the priories and parishes of the Province.
- Continue the training and ordination to the clerical state of friars who will work in the Province’s priories and parishes;
- • Ensure the friars are present in the locations where they are best able to minister;
- Secure celebration of the liturgy and the sacraments in a way that responds to the pastoral needs of each place;
## (C) BLACKFRIARS HALL
To maintain and support the educational and research activities of
Blackfriars Hall and particularly to develop the research projects of the Las Casas and Aquinas Institutes, and foster links with the other private halls of the University.
- Sustain the number of postgraduate students, especially in theology and philosophy, as permitted by the University;
- • Continue to encourage visiting research scholars;
- Continue collaboration with the Anscombe Bioethics Centre (registered charity no. 274327);
- • Continue to enhance the programmes of the Las Casas and Aquinas Institutes, seeking new sources of funding and collaborating with similar institutions elsewhere.
- Create a development plan for the future direction of the Hall, and a fundraising plan in support of this;
- Develop the ground floor of the Blackfriars Annexe to create a dining and events space combined with an incomegenerating public cafeteria
_Of these objectives (a), (b), (e) and (g) applied to Scotland as well as to England and Wales; (c), (d) and (f) were specific to England and Wales, although not to the exclusion of participation by friars assigned to Scottish priories._
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## Objectives & Strategies for the Year 2023–24
## (D) BLACKFRIARS STUDIUM
Strengthen the Province’s centre of studies in Oxford, ensuring proper levels of funding and administrative support.
- Foster links with other religious congregations to open up a wider pool of prospective students and teachers;
- Continue to raise funds, so that an adequate and sustainable system of payment for lecturers can be provided.
## (E) BUILDINGS
To maintain the buildings of the Province so that they are fitting places for the religious life, including for older and sick members of the Order, and for the pastoral and educational apostolate.
- Ensure that regular surveys of the buildings are conducted;
- Perform the maintenance works identified by surveys, as prioritised;
- Identify, where possible, external sources of funding for maintaining buildings;
- Carry out plans for renovation of insulation and heating for the churches, chapels and priories of the Province.
## (F) LONDON AND LEICESTER
Support and develop the mission of the Rosary Shrine in London and Holy Cross Priory in Leicester to their local and extended surrounding areas.
- Develop forward-looking pastoral plans for ministry and outreach;
- Refine development plans and take forward fundraising for improving the facilities that support these missions;
## (G) INFLATION AND COST-OFLIVING CRISIS
- Fundraise with sensitivity to the financial pressures on supporters.
Take extra care with the stewardship • Prioritise pastoral care. of resources and the controlling of expenditure.
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## The Year in Review: Key Facts
## NEW DINING SPACE PROJECT AT BLACKFRIARS [p.13]
NEW ST DOMINIC STATUE IN EDINBURGH [p.17]
GROWING PARISH AT HOLY CROSS, LEICESTER [p.23]
NEW FUNDRAISING DRIVE FOR CARIBBEAN HOUSES [p.24]
**----- Start of picture text -----**
8 7
Ministry in Full-time
Caribbean Ministerial
47 Studies
Ministry
in the UK 8
Ministry
5
or Study
On leave
elsewhere or in care
overseas
**----- End of picture text -----**
Figures from the 2024 _Catalogus_ of the Province. Excludes those serving as bishops (1), and those from other provinces resident in the UK (4).
Age Groups of Friars in the Province
**----- Start of picture text -----**
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
24 and 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85+
under
**----- End of picture text -----**
**Note:** this excludes those currently on leave. Pastoral offices include parish priests, assistant priests, chaplains etc. (35 in previous year). Some are part-time: the count is 15 (14) if considered as ‘fulltime equivalents’. Some individuals hold more than one office. Paid work means the Charity receives income as a result of this work (49% paid in previous year).
## PASTORAL OFFICES
55% UNPAID **30** 45% PAID
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## The Year in Review: Pastoral Figures
## ESTIMATED TYPICAL SUNDAY MASS ATTENDANCE AT DOMINICAN PRIORIES IN THE UK*
**----- Start of picture text -----**
1100
1000 Leicester
900
London
800
753
Edinburgh
600 580 566 573 563 550
460 Oxford
400 390 400 400
350 350 350 Cambridge
250
200 170 160 210 180
94 120 130
42 80
0
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
**----- End of picture text -----**
*Sunday Mass attendance figures are included merely to provide a rough idea of the scale of pastoral work in each priory. These exclude the many other forms of pastoral ministry undertaken ( _see below_ ) and the many and varied other ministries that happen within this Province ( _see the reports in_ pp.9–33). They are of course susceptible to vagaries of local populations and of measurement.
The growth following 2020 is largely a return to pre-Covid Mass attendance levels, with the exception of Leicester where substantial increases have been driven by overseas immigration into the local area.
## SACRAMENTAL STATISTICS
|Baptisms|Infants: 62 (2023: 61)|
|---|---|
||Adults/older children: 9 (10)|
||TOTAL: 71 (71)|
|Receptions of Baptised Christians|17 (10)|
|into the Catholic Church||
|Confrmations|39 (23)|
|First Communions|Children: 32 (17)|
||Adults: 7 (8)|
||TOTAL: 39 (25)|
|Public Masses each week|Sundays: 22 (23)|
||Weekdays: 51 (51)|
||TOTAL: 73 (74)|
|Average Mass attendance|Sundays: 2,580 (2,423)|
||Weekdays: 331 (321)|
|Sacrament of Penance (Confession)|16 hours scheduled per week (17)|
||Average of 72 other individual|
||confessions per week (69)|
|Marriages|24 (16)|
|Funerals|52 (52)|
|Hours of Pastoral Contact|155 (230)|
The age-profile of the Province is such that at present there are fewer friars available to engage in full-time pastoral work, but more engaged in study and other forms of preparation for such work. Moreover, it is impossible to reduce the effectiveness of pastoral ministry to statistics; but the Charity Trustees consider that these figures indicate that the Province is continuing to provide in its parishes, priories and other apostolates the sacramental and pastoral resources that are a necessary prerequisite for effective and responsive ministry. A very considerable number of people benefit from this activity of the Charity.
**Note:** Statistics presented on this page exclude figures provided by those currently on leave or who minister outside the UK.
It is to be noted that 5 friars (5) who are not resident in priories carry out pastoral work in various other parishes and chaplaincies in England and Scotland.
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## Plans for Future Periods
The Charity Trustees view the following as particular objectives for the year to September 2025:
## (A) RECRUITMENT & TRAINING
To continue training priests and religious for pastoral and educational ministry, ensuring the highest standard of formation. Maintain the success of the full-time Director and Promoter of Vocations in attracting young men of strong calibre to enter the Province. Strengthen the newly-established Commission for Permanent Formation, providing ongoing opportunities for apostolic effectiveness and mission-driven formation. Continue to support the flourishing of the Pre-Novitiate in Jamaica and build upon the recent successes in vocations. Ensure sufficient funds are raised for initial and ongoing formation.
## (B) MINISTRY
To sustain and develop effective, responsive ministry in the priories and parishes of the Province. Encourage all communities to actively engage in student and youth outreach, fostering vocations and missionary zeal. Explore new opportunities arising from online ministry, responding creatively to the needs of the faithful.
## (C) BLACKFRIARS HALL
To maintain and strengthen Blackfriars Hall’s academic and research activities, ensuring its continued contribution to the intellectual apostolate. Further develop the research projects of the Las Casas and Aquinas Institutes, reinforcing their role in Catholic social thought and Thomistic studies. Foster stronger links with the wider University and other private halls, positioning Blackfriars as a key centre for Catholic scholarship in Oxford. Explore the possibility of establishing a centre for Theology and the Arts at Blackfriars Hall.
## (D) BLACKFRIARS STUDIUM
To continue to strengthen the Province’s centre of studies in Oxford. Expand collaborations with other religious congregations to widen the pool of prospective students and lecturers. Continue fundraising to provide sustainable financial support for lecturers, ensuring the highest quality of theological education. Explore the possibility of wider public engagement and additional revenue streams via paid short courses.
## (E) BUILDINGS
To maintain and improve the Province’s buildings so that they remain suitable for the religious life, including accommodations for older and sick members. Ensure that properties serve both the pastoral and educational apostolate effectively. Develop long-term maintenance and sustainability plans. Complete the Café / Student Dining project for Blackfriars, Oxford.
## (F) COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
To enhance the public profile of the Province by improving communication strategies. Develop digital and print materials that effectively convey the Dominican mission and its relevance to contemporary society. Strengthen relationships with benefactors, alumni, and the wider Catholic community through regular updates, events, and publications.
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## Review of Activities
## INTRODUCTION
The friars have continued their pastoral work in the parishes and chaplaincies both attached to the priories of the Province and elsewhere; and their educational apostolate which is undertaken alongside the pastoral work, and in a special way within Blackfriars, Oxford. As far as can be determined, in the course of the present reporting period friars and communities of the Province were involved in the concrete activities listed on the following pages. These reports are grouped by geographical location and followed by a Province-wide round-up of the wide range of educational activities undertaken.
_Above: The Provincial Chapter with the newly-elected Prior Provincial, Fr Nicholas Paul Crowe OP._
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## Blackfriars: Priory of the Holy Spirit, Oxford
**Oxford priory** (known as ‘Blackfriars’) has as its principal work the formation of student Dominicans and other religious in our Studium (see p.11). Several friars are also engaged in teaching, research and administration in Blackfriars Hall (p.12).
In addition, the friars also undertake pastoral work, through the liturgy and preaching in their own church, with a flourishing young adult group; and in cooperation with local parishes, the **Defence Academy** at Shrivenham and the **Catholic Chaplaincy to Oxford University** ; one friar also acts as chaplain at the **Oratory**
**School** , near Reading. The student friars speak at, and organise, Catholic youth events around the country.
Blackfriars offers the most central open Catholic church in Oxford, with sung Divine Office and daily Mass. The priory continued to offer its popular livestream of Masses, with grateful followers including the housebound and those from all around the world who appreciate our liturgy and preaching.
Fr Dominic White was elected Prior in June 2024. Bede Mullens was ordained to the priest-hood and John Bernard Church to the diaconate in July 2024.
Prior: Nicholas Crowe OP / Dominic White OP
19 resident friars, including
- 8 full-time students
- 2 friars of other Provinces engaged in full-time study.
## **www.blackfriars.org.uk**
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## The Studium Generale at Blackfriars
**Blackfriars Studium** is a unique centre for ministerial training, being the only specialist centre in Britain providing intellectual formation for the next generation of members of religious orders.
The Studium offers a first cycle of studies leading to an STB (Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology) accredited by the Angelicum (Pontifical University of St Thomas, Rome).
The Studium shares premises, resources, and certain staff with Blackfriars Hall (see p.12) but is institutionally separate.
For the academic year 2023/24 we had 20 students registered for the Studium. The Studium had 10 Dominican students enrolled in the Studium, including a friar from the Northern Italian Province and a friar from the East Coast American Province. The Studium also had in the student body: Benedictines, Carmelites (Calced and Discalced), Franciscans (Conventual and Capuchin). The teaching is largely provided by Dominican friars as well as other religious and lay people.
11 Dominican friars taught on the Studium’s STB programme 2023/24. Thanks to the generous support of benefactors, the Studium also employs four lay teachers: three Studium lectors (one in Philosophy and two in Theology) and a senior postholder joint with Campion Hall, the Jesuit permanent private hall of the University of Oxford. The
title of this latter post is: ‘Frederick Copleston Lecturer and Senior Research Fellow in the Catholic Tradition’ – the senior research fellowship status is with Campion Hall and the lectureship status with the Studium. These are: Dr Jan Bentz (Philosophy),
Dr Victoria De Haan (Theology), Dr Joshua Madden (Theology), and Dr Daniel De Haan (Copleston post).
Regent: John O’Connor OP Vice-Regent: Bruno Clifton OP **www.blackfriars.org.uk**
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## Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford
**Blackfriars Hall** is one of the Catholic Permanent Private Halls (PPHs) in **Oxford University** . It welcomes postgraduate students in a range of humanities subjects, and hosts a small number of visiting students and academics. It shares facilities, staff and resources with **Blackfriars Studium** ( _see p.11_ ) but is institutionally separate.
The Hall specialises in Catholic theology and philosophy in the Thomistic tradition. Central to the mission of Blackfriars Hall, and making for a great enrichment of the Studium also, are its two research centres, the **Aquinas Institute** and the **Las Casas Institute for Social Justice** ( _see following pages_ ).
Blackfriars Hall allows friars a place in one of the great universities of the world. As part of the collegiate University of Oxford, Blackfriars follows university regulations and standards. As part of a regular process, the Hall was reviewed positively in 2022 by the University’s Permanent Private Hall Supervisory Committee.
In the academic year 2023/24, the Hall had 69 matriculated University of Oxford students, of which 54 full-time and 15 parttime graduate students; as well as 7 overseas visiting students. The matriculated students are predominantly Doctoral or Masters students (Theology, Philosophy, Social Sciences, Literature, History), or students studying for secondaryschool teacher qualifications.
events space at Blackfriars. We are planning to convert the commercial space of the Annexe Building (32–33 St Giles, _see facing page_ .) into a dual-use space: a commercial café during the day, with the space being usable especially for dining and other events in the evening by the Hall, Priory, and Studium. The café will also secure an additional revenue stream for our charity. The café will be fitted to a high standard; fully adaptable to different layouts; and with a fully equipped kitchen, coffee bar and servery. Already c.£100,000 has been raised in donations for the project. For details, and online donations, see: **www.bfriars.ox.ac.uk/phase2/**
Scholarship provision plays a significant role in Oxford in attracting students of the highest calibre. Blackfriars Hall was delighted to award the Oxford-Bede Jarrett Graduate Scholarship to a DPhil student in Theology, Maura McKeon. The scholarship was created with the generous support of donors together with support from the University of Oxford.
Blackfriars Hall also has a strong partnership with the **Anscombe Centre for Bioethics**
( **www.bioethics.org.uk/** ), a Catholic academic institute that engages with the moral questions arising in clinical practice and biomedical research, and runs educational programmes for, and gives advice to, Catholics and other interested healthcare professionals and biomedical scientists.
Regent: John O’Connor OP Vice-Regent: Bruno Clifton OP
Students: 69 graduates and 7 visiting students, from 15 nations.
In May 2024 an exciting project was launched to create a new dining and
**www.bfriars.ox.ac.uk**
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## Blackfriars Hall: The Aquinas Institute
Oxford, the Institute welcomes visiting scholars from across the world.
**The Aquinas Institute** promotes research into the philosophy and theology of St Thomas Aquinas and its contemporary value. It organises an annual programme of research seminars, colloquia, and public lectures. As well as fostering a community of scholarship in
In March 2024 there was a day conference on the theology of Erich Przywara SJ in collaboration with Campion Hall and St Patrick’s Pontifical University, Maynooth.
_Architect’s drawing of the planned dual-use café / events and dining space in the ground floor of the Blackfriars Annexe._
_(PATH Design, 2024)_
Among the speakers were Dr Philip Gonzales and Prof. John Betz. In June 2024, there was a twoday conference, _Theology After Blackfriars_ , on the intellectual contributions of the Oxford
Dominicans in the last century. The speakers included: Prof. Peter Tyler, Prof. George Corbett, and Dr Simon Hewitt.
The Annual Aquinas Lecture was given by Rev Dr John Saward, a member of the Dominican Priestly Fraternity. He spoke on: ‘Giving Wisdom to Little Ones’. There was also a series of reading seminars on Jean-Luc Marion’s _God Without Being_ as part of the Widening Horizon in Philosophical Theology; and seminars given by Prof. John Haldane and Fr Philip-Neri Reese OP.
Acting Director: Dr Daniel de Haan.
**www.bfriars.ox.ac.uk/aquinas**
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## Blackfriars Hall: Las Casas Institute
## **The Las Casas Institute for**
**Social Justice** is a research centre for applied Catholic Social Teaching based at Blackfriars Hall.
## RESEARCH PROJECTS
The year saw the Institute reach several milestones in the progress of its major research projects.
Dr Hugo Slim’s research into humanitarian responses to the climate emergency saw the Institute host a major international conference in October 2023 on ethical responses to the emergency. This brought together policymakers from local government, European government, faith leaders from the UK and abroad, and academics from different disciplines. Completion later in the year of the project’s research phase led to the publication a major web essay for GPPI Berlin: _Painful Choices: How Humanitarians Can Prioritize in a World of Rising Need_ in January 2024. This led into the writing of Dr Slim’s monograph, _Humanitarianism 2.0_ and discussion of draft chapters with major stakeholders. The final manuscript was delivered to the publishers on 29th May ahead of publication in the autumn of 2024.
The year also saw the publication of the eighth and final volume in the series ‘Virtues and Economics’ edited by Profs. Peter Róna and Laszlo Zsolnai. This final volume, _Homo Curator: The Ethics of Consumption_ , was co-edited by
Prof. Róna and Dr Agnieszka Wincewicz- Price, who has held a three-year Junior Research Fellowship at Blackfriars Hall. It was agreed to launch the volume with an autumn colloquium at Blackfriars, Oxford, leading into a review of how best to take forward the Institute’s long-standing contribution into ‘Economics as a Moral Science’.
other projects which only came to fruition after September 2024 will be featured in the next year’s report.
## VISITING SCHOLARS
2024 also saw a welcome upsurge of people coming as Visiting Research Scholars to Blackfriars Hall under the auspices of the Institute. They included: Dr Anna Puzio, who has been working on robots and ethics, including the use of robots in pastoral and liturgical settings; Dr Ross Moret who was working on a book to examine the place of the virtues in liberal democracy; Dr Carmen Mangion, who has been working on the histories of women religious in so-called ‘inserted communities’, small groups of religious living in ordinary flats or houses in areas of high social deprivation; Dr Lorraine Karl McCarey, who has been working on theology and disability, and more
Research in the area of human dignity and peacebuilding continued under the leadership of Dr Maria Power, who, amongst much other work, produced in collaboration with Thrive Ireland and Christians against Poverty a booklet _Church and Community Transformation_ designed for use in parishes in Britain and Ireland. Dr Power also co-edited with Dr Helen Paynter a volume of papers published as _The Church, The Far Right, and the Claim to Christianity_ . Work on
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## Blackfriars Hall: Las Casas Institute
_Professor Conor Gearty (facing page); and in conversation with Ian Linden (left)._
specifically on issues of governance in communities serving those with disability; Dr Margarita Mooney Clayton, who has been working on pilgrimage, and has now become Research Fellow of Blackfriars Hall; Prof. Carlos Espaliu Berdud, who is a Spanish Professor of International Law with a research interest in responses to disinformation and in cyber-security, and who has also become a Research Fellow of Blackfriars Hall; and Dr Erdal Harunoğulları, who is working on Islamic finance and business ethics.
## ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
The Institute continued to attract a wider ‘Associate Membership’ in the course of the year, including Prof. Scott Thomas, who currently lectures at the University of Bath in International Relations.
## WORKSHOPS
We welcomed two further Oxford workshops run by the Oxford Consortium for Human Rights. These workshops led by Dr Slim bring together forty or so students each time mainly from the United States, and often from disadvantaged backgrounds, who have shown a commitment to the defence of Human Rights and who wish to deepen their understanding of the issues. The March workshop studied ‘Human Rights in Climate Emergency and War’, while the July 2023 workshop looked again at ‘New technology and Human Rights.’
## LECTURES & SEMINARS
Alongside its major research streams, the Institute continued to offer a series of lectures and
seminars on a wide range of topics. The Annual Las Casas Lecture for 2024 was given by Prof. Conor Gearty of LSE on ‘Human Rights after Gaza’.
Prof. Michael Scott led the programme of lectures and discussions online co-sponsored with Georgetown University, including the series ‘Free Speech at the Crossroads.’
## Director: Richard Finn OP
**www.bfriars.ox.ac.uk/ lascasas**
**YouTube: ‘Las Casas Institute’**
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## St Albert’s Parish & Chaplaincy, Edinburgh
**The House of St Albert the Great** serves a thriving Parish and vibrant Catholic Chaplaincy to the **University of Edinburgh** , **Edinburgh Napier University** , and **Queen Margaret University** .
## CHAPLAINCY LIFE
The Catholic Chaplaincy serves the pastoral and spiritual needs of many of Edinburgh’s university students and staff. Staff bring their families and still attend after retirement, so the congregation includes people of every age. Baptisms, weddings and funerals feature regularly, as well as instruction in the faith for both adults and children.
## TALKS AND GROUPS
The Holy Ground talks on Art and Religion continued as a regular feature of weekday evenings. There were also talks on Justice and Peace. In Lent there was a bible study extending over a number of weeks, on
the Book of Jonah. A prayer group and also a book group continue to meet on a monthly basis. **The Albertus Institute** , not part of the Parish but closely linked to it, facilitates informed group discussion on issues of public interest.
## PUBLIC WORSHIP
Sunday morning prayer is followed by three Sunday Masses, with attendance at more than 300.
The children’s liturgy is thriving and the friars continue to be proactive in making our Sunday morning Masses child-friendly. One of the joys of St Albert’s is that we often have three and even sometimes four generations of the same family in attendance together at Sunday Mass.
During term there is a student Mass in the evening (over 100 students). Afterwards the Catholic Students’ Union organises a social event.
## ONLINE MINISTRY
On most weekdays more than 150 people attend evening Mass and Vespers online. Many tell us that they watch it because of the quality of the preaching, and the simplicity of the liturgy. The livestream **scotland.op.org/live** is also used for special events such as funerals and weddings. A weekly email newsletter is an important channel of communication and goes to over 200 parishioners and supporters.
## CATHOLIC STUDENTS’ UNION
The **Catholic Students’ Union** , an official University of Edinburgh student society, continues to flourish. Its membership is about 150 students; but other students attend Mass and participate in the life of the Chaplaincy in other ways. This year the committee organised a fortnightly Midweek Meal; each Friday they had a Baked Potato Lunch, with a short input from a Chaplain
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## St Albert’s Parish & Chaplaincy, Edinburgh
## on a theological topic. Theology
talks for students continue to be an important part of the weekly life of the chaplaincy. There was a Lectio Divina on Mondays, a prayer group on Tuesdays and a theology talk on Thursdays. Fr Matthew served as a Dominican liaison to the **Thomistic Institute** at the University of Edinburgh. The chapter organises public lectures and other activities which open the minds of young Catholics to Catholic thought in the tradition of St Thomas.
## ANNUAL CONFERENCE
In order that the Dominican charism might be better understood within Scotland, in 2023 the Dominican Community began an annual conference with contributions from friars, sisters and lay Dominicans. This year’s conference was entitled ‘God’s Mercy and Yours’, the words said when a friar receives the habit and becomes a novice. This conference sought to explore the place of mercy in our tradition as well as in our lives together and in our mission. Themes included the Dominican contribution to the development of human rights; and Philippe Denis OP came from Rwanda to speak about the process of forgiveness and reconciliation both in South Africa and in Rwanda. Two Dominican Sisters spoke about their work among the poor in Africa and in the care of severely disabled people in England. Finally, Paul Murray OP, an Irish Dominican theologian and poet, spoke about his
_A new statue of Saint Dominic by Kenny Hunter was commissioned and installed in the reworked garden of St Albert’s Priory._
lived experience of mercy as a friar. 110 people attended the conference from Edinburgh and all over the UK.
at Polmont. He has retired but Fr Dermot Morrin continued this significant work, combining his role as Chaplain and Superior with also being part of the chaplaincy team at Polmont. This means that we serve some of the most fortunate as well as some of the most unfortunate and vulnerable people currently in Scotland.
## HOLY GROUND LECTURE
Alongside the annual Conference, we also have an annual Holy Ground Lecture. In March, Fr Michael Dunleavy OP spoke on the significance of music in the works of Fra Angelico, with 120 people present.
## BENEFACTORS
## THE DOMINICAN COMMUNITY
The Lady Marian Gibson Trust continued to provide significant financial support to the parish. We are grateful to all our benefactors.
Fr Dermot Morrin continued as Superior and Parish Priest. Fr Thomas Mannion and Fr Matthew Jarvis worked alongside Fr Dermot Morrin as chaplains. Fr Fergus Kerr is retired but continued in residence. Fr Aelred Connelly was a prison chaplain for many years at HMP and Young Offenders’ Institution
Superior: Fr Dermot Morrin 4 / 5 resident friars
**www.scotland.op.org**
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## St Dominic’s Priory & Rosary Shrine, London
**St Dominic’s Priory** (the Rosary Shrine) is a dynamic centre for Catholic faith and culture, with a diverse parish in north-west London and many events that attract people from not just the local area but across the country and even internationally.
We are extremely proud of the beautiful Priory church, a historic Grade II* listed building thought to be the largest Catholic parish church in London and honoured as Diocesan Shrine to Our Lady of the Rosary. It was the first church in the world to have separate side chapels dedicated to each of the Mysteries of the Rosary. As the only Rosary Shrine in the country, it also joins a small international network of Dominican Shrines dedicated to promoting Dominican prayer and the Rosary.
## CHAPLAINCIES & PASTORAL CARE
- 1 friar was Foundation Governor in the local Catholic primary school;
- 1 friar was Lead Chaplain, UCL NHS Trust, also advising the Cardinal on healthcare chaplaincy, and two friars provided Catholic chaplaincy services at the Royal Free Hospital;
- 1 friar was chaplain to 2 nearby nursing homes;
- Regular Masses for a community of Dominican apostolic sisters;
- Friars also served as religious assistants to the London Lay Dominican fraternity, Teams of Our Lady, and other lay groups.
The brethren in London are engaged in a wide range of ministries serving the parish and Shrine and wider community. We work with charities and institutions to support social and pastoral needs, as well as giving talks, retreat work and
_Cantata_ , the only one in the archdiocese, drawing a young crowd from across London;
conferences nationally and some internationally, both in person and online.
- The ‘Day with Mary’ was hosted and ‘Mothers’ Prayers’ group;
The Prior Provincial resides in the Priory.
- The diocesan Curia of the Legion of Mary holds its annual Edel Quinn pilgrimage here;
## LITURGY AND DEVOTIONS
As a Shrine, the church offers regular access to the Sacraments, with scheduled daily Confession, Adoration and Masses both morning and evening (the only church in the local deanery to offer evening Mass).
- Hosted the Radio Maria Worldwide Rosary, broadcast in 84 different countries;
- Participated in the international ‘World Priest’ Annual Rosary Relay in June;
- Daily recitation of the Rosary on weekday evenings from 5pm and weekly Stational Rosary (Saturdays);
- The friars regularly give spiritual direction and counselling to a wide range of people;
- Monthly ‘First Saturday’ devotions and candlelit Rosary Processions;
- School visits, parish pilgrimages, family retreat days, and visits by Catholic tour groups and groups of religious happen in the course of the year;
- Weekly torchlit Rosary Processions in October and May, drawing regular visitors from as far as Kent and Herts.;
- Occasional pilgrimages by national lay organisations and university chaplaincies.
- Sunday Dominican Rite _Missa_
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## St Dominic’s Priory & Rosary Shrine, London
## A HOME FOR COMMUNITIES
- A Filipino choir sings at a monthly Mass, on feast days and in the Simbang Gabi novena of Masses before Christmas. Each month the Filipino community hosts a hot meal for the whole community in the parish hall;
- A thriving AA group meets weekly in the parish hall;
- The Latin Mass Society has training days for servers, and a gathering of the Guild of St Clare twice a year;
- The Deo Gratias discussion group for young professionals meets every fortnight;
- **Highgate Newtown Community Partners** host a weekly lunch in the parish hall.
## INTELLECTUAL APOSTOLATE
- One friar was Acting Director of Research for a theological institute in Cambridge;
- Two friars teach regularly to seminarians and others (online and in person);
- Bible study group meeting weekly on Fridays;
- Several friars gave talks to University chaplaincies in the UK and abroad, and preached retreats in the USA;
- Talks have been given to the parish community during Lent and Advent, including the Holy Week retreat;
- One friar supports the Thomistic Institute reading group
meeting fortnightly at the Priory (from autumn 2024);
- One friar is researching for a part-time doctorate through Blackfriars Hall, Oxford.
## ART AND CULTURE
- Our historic Willis organ is heard every Sunday and major feast days;
- The church, newly-restored and with ongoing works for its beautification, is regularly visited by tourists and groups;
- The church is a venue for concerts and recitals of sacred music by choirs such as The Elysian Singers, Cappella Nova (conducted by Sir James MacMillan), and the Lyra Singers;
- The annual Open Garden Day (under the National Gardens Scheme) is popular with visitors who come from a distance;
• ‘Credo’, a large sculpture by Dr Arthur John Fleischmann (1896–1990), was installed in the parish hall and blessed in September in the presence of Dominique Fleischmann, the artist’s son. Another Fleischmann work, ‘Pietà’, will be installed in the church in memory of parishioners who died during COVID. Both sculptures are generous gifts from Arthur’s widow, Joy Fleischmann.
## ONLINE APOSTOLATE
Mass continues to be broadcast daily on our YouTube channel. We also
livestream organ recitals, processions and vigils. The friars continue to offer catechesis and talks online.
## RADIO MARIA
The London studio of Radio Maria England is located above our hall. The subprior, Fr Toby Lees OP, is Priest Director of this 24-hour station, speaking regularly on the radio and with overall editorial responsibility. Other friars frequently contribute, and Radio Maria hosts many events at St Dominic’s.
## DEVELOPING PARISH & SHRINE
Catechesis is focused on supporting the faith formation of the whole family, and the main Family Mass on Sunday is tailored to children and parents; Children’s Liturgy of the Word led by catechists; and a music group led by parishioners.
In the previous year, significant sums were raised towards a new underfloor heating system which was installed this year. Future plans include the refurbishment of the repository and the catechesis room.
Prior: Matthew Jarvis OP 11 resident friars
**www.rosaryshrine.co.uk**
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## Blackfriars: Priory of St Michael, Cambridge
## **The Priory of St Michael**
**Archangel** is the location of the Province’s noviciate, where new friars spend their first year in the Order.
Members of the priory are also involved in writing, preaching, theological research and teaching. They normally provide pastoral care for a congregation of c.200 people, as well as assisting with the sacramental needs of the adjacent parishes.
The priory also promotes projects supporting educational provision in Ethiopia in co-operation with the **Jean Grove Trust** (reg. charity 1109593). Recently, a school in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia completed the construction of a new playground thanks to the Jean Grove Trust.
One novice took simple vows for the English Province and our two new novices for the English Province were clothed in September.
Br Daniel Rowlands was assigned to the Cambridge priory where he will complete his studies for ordination.
## APOSTOLATES
The Priory offers a programme of theological education in the form of regular talks, advertised in the city of Cambridge and environs, as well as at the Cambridge University Catholic Chaplaincy, and a communio circle.
We continue to broadcast daily mass and morning prayer on **Radio Maria** which is based in Cambridge. Our Facebook group has over 590 members and is updated with regular content and has a good level of participation.
The 2024 Aquinas Lecture, ‘Thomas Aquinas and the Many Goodnesses of Creatures,’ was given by Fr Philip-Neri Reese OP ( _pictured, facing page_ ) of the Angelicum on Monday 29 January. The chapel
was full and the video posted on YouTube has been viewed more than 350 times.
Also in January, the priory hosted a Young Catholic Adults Network group for a ‘monastery day’.
In August, an associate professor of biology David Ronderos, PhD from the University of Mary, North Dakota gave a talk at priory titled ‘Evolution, Catholicism, and the Unity of Truth.’
Fr Euan Marley continued his writing work for Redemptorist Publications as well as other online preaching platforms. He also broadcasts weekly on Radio Maria.
Fr Bob Eccles continued his ministry of accompaniment both of local people and former students.
Fr Colin Carr continued his work of spiritual direction and accompaniment. Fr Colin also continued to serve as the religious
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## Blackfriars: Priory of St Michael, Cambridge
assistant to the Cambridge fraternity of Lay Dominicans.
Fr Robert Verrill has continued to write a monthly article for the Catholic Herald on science and religion. He also taught philosophy at Blackfriars Studium, Oxford, and taught modules on science and faith at the Faraday Institute, Cambridge.
Fr Robert also runs a Catholic scientists discussion group which meets monthly.
Fr Gregory Pearson continued to serve as Novice Master for the community, and as a canon lawyer for several religious orders and dioceses. He taught canon law at Blackfriars Studium, Oxford, and he
is also the Vocations Director for the English Province.
Fr Albert Robertson continued to work as an Assistant Chaplain at the Cambridge University Chaplaincy, **Fisher House** . Fr Albert also made regular contributions to the _Catholic Herald_ .
Prior: Robert Verrill OP
10 resident friars including 2 novices. **www.blackfriarscambridge .org.uk**
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## Holy Cross Priory & Parish, Leicester
**Holy Cross Priory** has a ministry centred on the imposing parish church that stands on New Walk, very close to the centre of Leicester and on the route to the University. Within the parish boundary also lie De Montfort University and the Leicester Royal Infirmary, as well as HMP Leicester.
The church has a capacity of around 550, a number regularly exceeded at the two largest Sunday Masses. Mass attendance has risen for the third consecutive year since the end of Covid restrictions, and reached 1,100 by the end of the reporting period. The 10.30 Mass is a sung Mass with a large number of enthusiastic young altar servers and a dedicated choir offering a traditional style liturgy that proves especially popular with the substantial south Indian and Nigerian populations. The 7 p.m. Mass is now the only Sunday evening Mass in Leicester,
and draws a large and varied crowd of students and other young people as well as families.
Weekday Masses are also popular, and the church is now open throughout the week in daylight hours. It is planned that Holy Cross church will be the designated Jubilee shrine for the city in 2035, and the intention is to open the west doors of the church also throughout the year. Meanwhile the daytime opening allows local people as well as those who work or shop in the city centre to visit for private prayer and to light candles and make other devotions. The combination of popular devotion and doctrinally informed, interesting and intelligent preaching provides a distinctively Dominican character to the church.
Confessions on Saturdays regularly run on long past the scheduled time, with two priests ministering
to penitents for up to two hours; consequently during the reporting period a second session on Sunday evenings was introduced and also proves popular. Confessions are also heard on call at the door or by request before and after most Masses. During the Saturday morning confessions, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed, with Benediction preceding the 12.30 Mass, and the church is often quite full throughout the morning. The sacrament is now also exposed on Sunday evenings during and after the singing of Vespers, culminating in Benediction before the evening Mass.
Parish social life flourishes, with tea and coffee after the two Sunday morning Masses being very well attended, and the return of the Advent and Summer Fairs, making good use of the recently renovated parish centre.
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## Holy Cross Priory & Parish, Leicester
A series of Catechetical talks was introduced during 2024, running for six months on Saturday mornings.
## OTHER APOSTOLATES
Our Chaplaincy to **Leicester and De Montfort Universities** has grown under the care of the newly appointed chaplain, Fr Benedict Jonak, and students appreciate the weekly student Mass on Wednesdays and the Monday supper, as well as being deeply involved in the activities of the wider parish.
The Chaplaincy to **Leicester Royal Infirmary** continues as before with one brother on call for 24 hours each day to attend to sick and dying patients, especially to offer the
sacrament of Anointing. Typically we receive three or four calls a week, though the numbers can fluctuate greatly.
The Parish Scripture Group returned to meeting in-person, which has proved popular, with meetings every Tuesday evening.
Instruction for adult Baptism, Confirmation and First Communion is offered on an individual basis due to differing times when candidates are available. Instruction of children for First Confession and Communion restarted, and the Good Shepherd course for young children continues on Sunday mornings in the ‘Atrium’ of the Frassati Centre.
## EXTERNAL APOSTOLATES
As well as serving the ever-growing parish community, the brothers have continued to be involved in external evangelical work, including teaching and retreat giving in the UK and abroad. One brother hears the Confessions of the monks of Mount St Bernard Abbey each month, and the brothers regularly celebrate Masses at the local Catholic schools.
Prior: Richard Ounsworth OP
6 friars
**www.holycrossleicester.org**
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## The Caribbean: Jamaica & Grenada
**The English Province has two houses in the Caribbean** that are canonically dependent on it. While not legally part of this charity, they are supported by grants from this Province, made out of funds raised in the UK under the banner of ‘St Martin’s Missions’. This fundraising takes place not just from the supporters of our charity, but also from second collections held in assigned diocesan deaneries. Grants of £33,395 were made to the Caribbean houses during the year.
## CHANGES IN 2024
In August 2024, Fr Bede Mullens was assigned to the House of St Martin de Porres. His move coincided with the opening of a pre- novitiate in the House, which welcomes prospective candidates to discern and prepare for entry into the novitiate. Two young men began the pre-novitiate, and there have been signs of further vocational
interest on Jamaica. Fr Bede is Master of Pre-Novices and Director of Vocations for the Caribbean region.
## JAMAICA
Beside the pre-novitiate, the brothers’ major works in Jamaica consist of pastoring and teaching.
The brothers are entrusted with two parishes, St Thomas Aquinas in Papine and Christ the King in August Town. The parishes present different challenges. August Town has been scarred in recent years by gang violence, as well as endemic family breakdown and poverty.
Fr Clifton Harris coordinates provision of basic foodstuffs and other necessities to parishioners and other local people. While the St Thomas Aquinas congregation is on the whole more middle class, here too important spiritual and material support is provided to parishioners in a range of circumstances, includ-
ing several who live on a nearby squatter settlement.
Much effort goes into accompanying young people, some of whom the brothers have sponsored as they asp ire to educational and professional opportunities. In August 2024, Fr Bede and Br John Church organised a youth retreat for the parishes, which gave rise to a regular young adults’ group. Fr Bede additionally provides chaplaincy to the University of the West Indies and the University of Technology, both in Mona, Kingston.
Through Thomas Aquinas parish, the friars retain a strong connection with Mary’s Child, a shelter for teenage mothers run by the Catholic Mustard Seed community; the girls benefit from Fr Clifton’s pastoral care and the warmth of the parish community.
As of August 2024, the brothers were also officially entrusted with
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## The Caribbean: Jamaica & Grenada
providing chaplaincy to the University Hospital of the West Indies.
## EDUCATION
Fr Peter Hunter teaches several courses in philosophy and theology at St Michael’s Theological College, the seminary of the Archdiocese of Kingston. Students include not just seminarians, but also laypeople and members of the University of the West Indies. Fr Clifton Harris provides evangelisation training to laypeople in the Archdiocese of Kingston.
In September 2024, Fr Bede began teaching Christian Living (Religious Education) to students of several ages at Campion College, a prestigious local Catholic secondary school.
## GRENADA
The brothers in Roxborough serve a variety of apostolates, besides ministering at three parishes: Our
Lady of the Rosary, Roxborough, St Michael the Archangel, Woburn, and St Joseph, Morne Jaloux.
Fr Patrick Alexander hosts a weekly educational (catechetical) television programme. Fr Leroy Hopkin acts as chaplain to members of the Neocatechumenal Way.
## BONDS OF CONNECTION
The assignment of Fr Bede to Jamaica and increasingly regular visits of UK-resident brothers to the Caribbean have extended the range of the brothers’ contribution to the local Church. Last year, it was noted that the mission, particularly on Jamaica, had considerable possibility for growth, and this is being realised.
The Caribbean mission continues to be supported by the fundraising efforts of St Martin’s Missions. Under the direction of Fr Nicholas Crowe, and in collaboration with the Province’s Development Office,
a highly successful appeal was held among the Province’s UK parishes and congregations in November 2023, in addition to revived diocesan parish appeals. Over £64k was raised over the financial year, including a £10k legacy. This money has supported the Basic School attached to Christ the King parish, as well as making possible the purchase of two vehicles to facilitate the friars’ mission.
With pre-novices set to enter the novitiate in Cambridge, and with increasingly regular intercourse between mission and home province, there is (in the words of the motto of the University of the West Indies) ‘light rising in the West’.
Superior: Clifton Harris OP
4 friars (Grenada); 3 friars (Jamaica)
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## Educational Apostolate
## **Education and the intellectual apostolate are a key part of the Dominican charism.**
The academic year 2023/24 continues to show the strength of the Province’s our intellectual apostolate. The friars are engaged in a great number and variety of activity. That said, many of the brethren are highly stretched in terms of workloads; and the intellectual apostolate can sometimes be sacrificed because of the demands. But there is a firm resolve on the part of the Province, its Provincial and Provincial Council, to pay particular attention to the intellectual formation of our younger friars to lay strong foundations for the future of our intellectual mission.
## 1. TALKS AND PUBLIC LECTURES
Many of the talks and lectures by the brethren were also organised by the brethren, but many were organised by other bodies. Most of the talks and lectures were open to the general public, but some were for specific groups (e.g. Lay Dominicans or young adults). Some of the talks and public lectures were one-off and some formed parts of series.
## RANGE OF THEMES
- ‘Mary the Eucharistic Woman’,
- ‘Dominican Spirituality of governance and its application to the apostolic works of the Order’,
- ‘Abraham’,
- ‘Freedom’,
- ‘The Trinity’,
- ‘Prayer and Holiness’,
- ‘Aquinas on the Holy Spirit’,
- • ‘The Hebrew Bible: Defining Scriptural Cultures’,
- • ‘Icons and the Christian Imagination’,
- ‘Purgatory and Time’,
- • ‘The Nature of Forgiveness’, • ‘Accedia’,
- ‘The Annunciation’,
- ‘Chance and Evolution, A Thomistic Analysis’,
- ‘Why Study Theology?’,
- • ‘Questioning God’,
- ‘Faith in the Age of Doubt’,
- ‘Eucharist as the Sacrament of Hope’,
- ‘On Elizabeth Jennings’,
- ‘A Spirituality of Listening: friendship in Fractured Times’,
- ‘Job’,
- ‘Interfaith Experience’,
- ‘Dominican Chant in Dominican Life’,
- ‘Virtue and Character Development’,
- ‘Creativity and Catholicism’, ‘Happiness and the Passions of the Soul’,
- ‘Living out the virtues— experiences and insights from the Dominican Family’.
• ‘Children’s Playground Rhymes collected in the 70’s/80’s’,
Fr Leon Pereira gave many talks on the spirituality of Medjugorje to pilgrims at the shrine.
- ‘Doctrine of God’,
- ‘Introduction to St Thomas and the Trinity’,
Fr Timothy Radcliffe spoke to many large audiences, for example (a selection): c.50 sixth formers at Warwick School, staff and students of St Dominic’s House of Studies in St Louis (40+ people), Purdue Univer-
- ‘Christ’s Beatific Vision’,
- ‘Hope in a Time of Crisis’,
• ‘Whose Inspiration? Which Textual version? Reading Sacred Scripture with St Paul’,
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## Educational Apostolate (cont.)
sity Newman Center (c.200 people), St Clement’s Parish, Chicago (c.250 people), congregation at Sydney Cathedral (c. 180 people), Congress of Benedictine Abbots, an online webinar organised by Liturgical Press (1,500+ participants).
Fr Lawrence Lew gave many talks in numerous countries on the theology of the Rosary and related topics in his role as the Order’s Promoter General of the Rosary.
And Fr Toby Lees, Director of Radio Maria (England), a 24-hour Catholic radio station ( **https:// radiomariaengland.uk/** ), gave five 10-minute reflections per week on Radio Maria and presented three 45-minute programmes per week going through a text and giving reflections on it.
## SERIES OF TALKS
There were also series of talks, some of which were part of retreats and study days.
- Fr Nicholas Crowe gave: two talks to Pope Francis MultiAcademy Trust Leadership Team and Governors, one talk to the Lay Dominican AGM, three talks to Anglican Chaplains of the Royal Navy. He also led a workshop (with Fr Toby Lees) on Social Media at the Youth 2000 Summer Festival at Ampleforth; and led retreats for married couples, the monks of Buckfast Abbey, and the friars of the Dominican House of Studies in Washington DC.
- Fr Richard Finn gave two talks to the Thinking Faith retreat group based at Boarbank Hall and a talk on Christian Asceticism to students at Fisher House, Cambridge.
- Fr Toby Lees gave retreats to sixth form students at Downside School, the Missionaries of Charity in Kilburn.
- Fr Timothy Radcliffe gave a retreat to the Dominican Community at the Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem.
- Fr Richard Ounsworth gave a retreat to the monks of Ealing Abbey.
- Fr Fergus Kerr held an online reading group looking at texts from the Summa Theologiae of St Thomas Aquinas.
## CONFERENCE
A second major event organised by the Edinburgh Dominican Community was a weekend conference on ‘God’s Mercy and Yours’ – _report on p.17_ .
## LAY FORMATION
A significant feature of our outreach through talks is that much of it is for young people and to support active Christian communities.
## LAY DOMINICANS
There were, for example, thirteen Lay Dominican fraternities and fraternal groups in the Province, twelve in Britain and one in Grenada. There is also a Lay Dominican Provincial Council
composed of Lay Dominicans from across Britain. The fraternities and fraternal groups, among other things, promote study in the Dominican tradition; and organise for their members and others events engaging with Catholic thought. Many of the fraternities and fraternal groups have in recent years experienced significant growth. Most of the fraternities have friars as nominated ‘religious assistants’, who often give talks and other input to the fraternities and fraternal groups.
## STUDENT CHAPLAINCY
Much of the outreach to young people is carried out in the chaplaincies to which we provide chaplains, in Edinburgh (University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University and Queen Margaret University) and Leicester (University of Leicester and De Montfort University), and other chaplaincies in which friars works, such as Dundee and Kingston (Jamaica).
For example, Fr Benedict Jonak gave weekly talks during term on exploring faith and current social issues; Fr Matthew Jarvis and Fr Thomas Mannion gave weekly talks to the Catholic Student Union in Edinburgh, including talks in the series ‘Catholic Life Hacks’ over the weekly Friday baked-potato lunch.
In addition to these series,
- Fr Gregory Pearson led ten sessions of the Bible Study Group on John 6–11 at Fisher
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## Educational Apostolate (cont.)
at a different area in the work of St Thomas Aquinas, and read and discuss different texts together. The sessions are led by a range of friars from the Oxford Community. The topics looked at in 2023/24 were: The Triune God, Philosophical and Theological Anthropology, and Christology.
House, Cambridge; and led the monthly Bible study sessions of the Catholic Young Adults’ Group in Cambridge (attendance: c.25-30).
- There was a Dominican Youth Movement Advent Retreat Weekend (21 attendees), Lent Retreat Weekend (15 attendees) and a Study Week (16 attendees), all at Douai Abbey. Talks were given at these events by frs. Jerome Johnson, John Church, Nicholas Crowe.
## THOMISTIC INSTITUTE
The Oxford Chapter of the Thomistic Institute hosted talks by Fr PhilipNeri Reese OP, Prof. Karen Kilby. Dr Valentia Duca, Rof. John Haldane, Fr Gregory Pine OP, Prof Marianne Schlosser, and Fr Anthony Giambrone OP.
## OXFORD AQUINAS GROUP
The Oxford Community, which is a formation community for Dominican students, runs a lively weekly (during term) Aquinas Young Adults Group and supports a Chapter of the **Thomistic Institute** . The Aquinas Group has a weekly attendance of about 20. The meetings include soup and bread, and there is some social life too. In 2023/24 it was run by Brs John Church, Jerome Johnson, and Alin Ardei. Each term they look
The Edinburgh Chapter of the Thomistic Institute also continues to flourish. It ran a fortnightly reading group on Thomas Aquinas and the Greek Fathers and on Aquinas the Augustinian. It also organised seven public lectures that took place at New College (School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh). The speakers were Fr Philip-Neri Reese
OP, Prof. Lewis Ayres, Fr Conor McDonough OP, Canon Anselm Gribbon, Fr Gregory Pine OP, and Fr Dominic Legge OP. Many members of the Edinburgh chapter of the Thomistic Institute participated in the Thomistic Institute Intellectual Retreat in Stonyhurst College in July.
## ALBERTUS INSTITUTE
Over the course of the year, the Board of Directors of the **Albertus Institute** ( **http://albertusinstitute.org/** ) based at St Albert’s Parish and Chaplaincy in Edinburgh, concluded its work reconsidering and renewing its internal structures. It had been agreed by the Directors and confirmed by the Members that the Albertus Institute should move from its structure of being a Company Limited by Guarantee and a Registered Charity, both registered in Scotland, to being simply a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation, entirely registered with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). The application to change status was successful. The Institute had a rich suite of events during the year, including an autumn symposium series on _Radical Hope_ (speakers: Dr Bethany Sollereder, Fr Matthew Jarvis, Dr Elizabeth Drummond Young, Dr Sara Parvis); an Annual Lecture at New College given by Prof. Michael Rovatsos (Professor of Artificial Intelligence, University of Edinburgh) on ‘God in the Machine? Thoughts on AI, Faith, and Reli-
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## Educational Apostolate (cont.)
gious Experience’; and a day-long Spring conference at New College on ‘Evolution and Theology’.
## 2. EXPERTISE
The brothers also serve the wider Church through giving expert advice as consultants and members of various bodies.
- Fr Simon Gaine is a member of the Church’s International Theological Commission.
- Fr Matthew Jarvis is a member of the Order’s International Commission on the Liturgy.
ada, Australia, Germany, Ireland, India, and the Philippines.
## 3. PUBLICATIONS
A wide audience can also be reached through publications, both electronically and in more traditional formats.
## BOOKS
- Fr Robert Ombres is on the editorial boards of three journals: _Ecclesiastical Law Journal_ , _Law & Justice_ , and _Angelicum_ .
Books published by the brethren include:
## NEW BLACKFRIARS JOURNAL
- A collection of essays on the work of Fr Fergus Kerr OP was published by T & T Clark: _Faithful Readings: New Essays in Honour of Fergus Kerr_ (eds. Simon Oliver, Karen Kilby, and Thomas O’Loughlin). The volume includes essays by the three editors and, among others, John Millbank, Charles Taylor, David Burrell, Janet Soskice, and Fr Olivier-Thomas Venard OP.
. A key part of our academic publish• Fr Brian Davies is on the ing mission is our bimonthly jourEditorial Board of the nal, _New Blackfriars_ . The Editor is _International Journal for_ Fr Brian Davies. Fr Robert Ombres _Philosophy of Religion_ . was Reviews Editor until 1 January 2024. Fifteen friars of the English • Fr Benjamin Earl is President of Province are on the Editorial Board. the commission for the review Since 1 January 2024, the journal of the _Liber Constitutionum_ has been published by Cambridge _Mondialium Ordinis_ University Press. _New Blackfriars Praedicatorum_ , and member of has had impressive metrics: over the Juridical Commission of the 200,000 article downloads per Union of Superiors General, as annum, with over 4,000 institutions well as a canonical consultant having access to _New Blackfriars_ for a number of different (mainly wholly online, with a small religious institutes. minority receiving printed copies). • Fr John O’Connor is a member The journal also has considerable of the Arts and Humanities Subinternational outreach. The main Committee of the Royal Society countries for downloading _New_ of Edinburgh. _Blackfriars_ articles are: USA, China, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Can-
- Fr Timothy Radcliffe published a book, _Listening Together: Meditations on Synodality_ (Liturgical Press, Minnesota), which has been translated into Italian, French, Hungarian, Portuguese and other languages. Among Radcliffe’s published articles were: ‘Affectivity and the Eucharist’ in _The Way_
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## Educational Apostolate (cont.)
and ‘Novelists and Poets: the Believers; Allies in a Secular Age’, in _The Christian Literary Imagination_ (Michael Scott and Michael J Collins (eds.), published by Vernon Press).
- Fr Aidan Nicholas published the following books: _Apologia. A Memoir_ (Gracewing), _Return of the White Canons_ (Gracewing); and the third edition of his _The Thought of Pope Benedict XVI_ was also published.
- Fr Robert Ombres ‘St Thomas Aquinas and Canon Law: A Gap in Juridical Thomism’ in Loïc-Marie Le Bot (ed.) _La Tradizione Domenicana del Diritto_ (Angelicum University Press, 2023).
- Fr Benjamin Earl published in the same volume: ‘ _Quis tibi dedit hanc potestatem?_ Sources of authority in the proper law of the Order of Preachers’.
## OTHER JOURNALS
- Fr Dominic White published ‘Early Christian Initiation: A Somatic Ressourcement’ in _Worship_ ;
- Among the articles published by Fr Simon Gaine were: ‘Some Recent Arguments for Christ’s Earthly Beatific Vision in Summa theologiae III, qq.9 and 34’ in _The Thomist_ ; and ‘Universal Salvation, Damnation, and the Task of Theology’ in _Nova et Vetera_ .
_Oxford’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Irene Tracey, visits Blackfriars_
- Fr John O’Connor published ‘What Makes an Ethical Account a Natural Law Ethical Account? Contemporary Ethics, Metaethics, and Normative Ethics’ in _Studies in Christian Ethics_ .
- Fr Brian Davies published ‘Does the “Problem of Evil” Rest on a Mistake?” in the _International Journal for Philosophy and Theology_ .
- Fr Thomas Crean published several articles in _Mass of Ages_ , and ‘On the scope and limits of papal authority’ in _Tradition and Sanity_ Substack.
- Fr Robert Verrill published monthly articles on Science and Religion in _The Catholic Herald_ .
## ONLINE PUBLISHING
Nearly every priest brother in the English Province contributed to Torch ( **https://torch.op.org/** ), the preaching website of the English Dominicans. The student
friars’ blog, Godzdogz ( **https:// godzdogz.op.org/** ) remains very popular with hits from across the world. Among the topics of the blog articles of the academic year 2023/24 were: ‘Diaconal Duty in Jamaica’, ‘Who Does God Love?’, ‘Blackfriars vs Allen Hall match report’, ‘Unity and Diversity in the One Church’, and ‘St Athanasius and Gospel Joy’.
## 4. PARTICIPATION IN THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY
The brethren are also actively involved in the wider academic community. Fr Richard Finn is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS); and Fr Fergus Kerr is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Eleven of the brethren are members of the Catholic Theological Association. The brethren attended conferences in Philadelphia, London, Dundee, Cambridge, Rome, Oxford, Lyon, Edinburgh, Twickenham, Bonn, Durham, and Notre Dame. In many cases the friars presented papers at these conferences. For example, Fr David Goodill gave a talk on ‘Language and Right: Anscombe on the recognition of human dignity’ at a colloquium at the Elizabeth Anscombe archive at the University of Pennsylvania. The friars also attended numerous online conferences and colloquia, often presenting papers, some of which are available online. For example, Fr Bruno Clifton gave a talk on ‘The Hebrew Bible: Defining Scriptural Cultures’, as part of a series of
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## Educational Apostolate (cont.)
lectures organised by the Las Casas Institute (Blackfriars Hall) and Georgetown University: **https://bit.ly/4kvRqXn**
Fr Richard Conrad and Fr Simon Gaine are team members of the Thomistic Evolution Project supported by the John Templeton Foundation. Dr Daniel De Haan, Lecturer in the Studium, is also a member. This project brings together scholars from the US, continental Europe, and the UK to examine how Thomistic insights can shed light on evolutionary theory, and explores how evolutionary theory can be reconciled with a Catholic, and especially a Thomistic, understanding of doctrines, notably those of human origins and original sin.
## 5. EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
## BLACKFRIARS HALL & STUDIUM
The largest single apostolates of the Province of England are our Studium Generale (‘Blackfriars Studium’) and Permanent Private Hall of the University of Oxford (‘Blackfriars Hall’). _Reports from Blackfriars can be found on p.11 ff._
For both Studium and Hall: Fr John O’Connor is Regent; Fr Bruno Clifton is Vice-Regent; Fr Richard Finn. These friars are in charge of the governance of Studium and Hall. The Studium and Hall also have several lay members of staff: Dr Clare Broome Saunders (Senior Tutor and Tutor for Admissions, Blackfriars Hall only), Barbara Brecht followed
by Jayne Chivers as Academic Registrar, Anneli Chambliss-Howes (Bursar), Pauline Lloyd (Assistant Bursar), and Yvette Khoury (Admissions Officer, Blackfriars Hall only). As Regent, Fr John O’Connor, has a place and a vote at the Heads of House meeting of Heads of Oxford colleges.
## EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OUTSIDE BLACKFRIARS
Dominican friars have also been active in educational institutions outside the Studium and Hall:
## FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
- Fr Richard Conrad gave undergraduate tutorials on Aquinas for the Faculty of Theology and Religion;
- Fr John O’Connor was an examiner for a doctoral student’s Transfer of Status.
- Five friar Fellows of Blackfriars Hall are associate members of the Faculty of Theology and Religion, one of whom, Fr Richard Finn, is also an associate member of the Faculty of Classics.
## OUTSIDE OXFORD
- Fr Brian Davies is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Fordham University.
- At Angelicum University, Rome:
- Fr Simon Gaine is the Pinckaers Professor of Theological Anthropology and Ethics at the Angelicium.
- Fr Martin Ganeri is
- Director of the Institute for Interreligious Relations at the Angelicum and is a Professore Invitato of the Theology Faculty. The Institute for Interreligious Relations has launched its ‘Thomist Circles Project’, to promote a Thomist approach to interreligious relations through a series of conferences and publications.
• Fr Dominic White carried out some PhD supervision (sabbatical cover for one term) in the University of Cambridge Faculty of Divinity, where he also examined undergraduate and Masters dissertations. He was also awarded a PhD in Theology (by publication) by the University of Cambridge. He was also Acting Director of Research at the Margaret Beaufort Institute. This role involves coordinating a research community of about 50 people, organising and chairing seminars, and helping lead research days at the Cambridge Theological Federation.
- Fr David Goodill taught an STB course on moral theology at St Joseph’s University, Macau.
- Fr Aidan Nichols taught
- spiritual theology for permanent deacons in formation, in the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois; and gave online tutorials to seminarians of St Michael’s Abbey, Orange California.
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## Educational Apostolate (cont.)
Charterhouse, Parkminster.
- Fr Fergus Kerr is an Honorary Professor at the School of Divinity, University of St Andrews.
- Fr Richard Ounsworth is an External Examiner for the MA in Pastoral Theology for the Maryvale Institute.
- Fr Peter Hunter taught at St Michael’s Seminary and Theological College in Jamaica.
- Fr Robert Verrill taught a course for the Faraday Institute in Cambridge.
- Fr Clifton Harris is a member of the Board of St Michael’s Theological College, Jamaica;
- Fr Rudolf Löwenstein teaches at St Christina’s Primary School in London.
- Fr John O’Connor is an Honorary Lecturer at the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, the University of Glasgow, which enables him to continue to externally co-supervise doctoral students (two during the academic year 2023/24).
## UNIVERSITY CHAPLAINCY
Friars have also had significant interaction with university staff and students through University Chaplaincy:
- Fr Benedict Jonak and John Patrick Kenrick (University of Leicester and De Montfort University);
- Fr Thomas Crean taught for Holy Apostles College and Seminary (Connecticut);
- Fr Dermot Morrin, Fr Matthew Jarvis, and Fr Thomas Mannion (University of Edinburgh, Ed-
- Frs Dominic Ryan and Richard Ounsworth gave lectures to Carthusian monks at St Hugh’s
inburgh Napier University and Queen Margaret University);
- Fr Albert Robertson (University of Cambridge);
- Fr Gregory Murphy (University of Dundee and University of Abertay);
- Fr Peter Hunter (University of the West Indies (Mona campus) and the University of Technology, Kingston).
- We have also had regular involvement by members of Blackfriars, Cambridge, at the Cambridge Catholic Chaplaincy and a student brother on pastoral placement at the Oxford Catholic Chaplaincy.
## 6. FURTHER STUDIES
Among those who undertook complementary studies in the academic year 2023/24 for the sake of the intellectual apostolate were:
- Fr Leon Pereira, a parttime doctoral student at the Angelicum;
- Fr David Rocks is studying for a part-time Masters in Philosophy at The Open University;
- Fr Matthew Jarvis is studying for part-time DPhil at the Faculty of Music at the University of Oxford;
- Fr Jordan Scott is a student of Mandarin Studies at National Kaohsiung University in Taiwan.
- Fr Luke Doherty completed his studies on the Advanced Mas-
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## Educational Apostolate (cont.)
ters in Theology and Religion programme at Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven, with a research Masters thesis on: ‘The Ethics of Nuclear Energy: Why Prevailing Theological Ethical responses are Challenged by Technological Advancements’.
- Fr Simon Gaine, in order to satisfy ecclesiastical requirements, completed a Licence in Sacred Theology at the Angelicum and will pursue a Doctorate in Sacred Theology.
Our planning of higher studies of the friars takes account that the Dicastery for Culture and Education requires our Studium to have a significant number of teachers with ecclesiastically-recognised higher qualifications.
university centres is that they can access well-resourced university libraries. The Edinburgh brethren involved with the University of Edinburgh can automatically have access to the university’s libraries and online materials.
some other boxes which are likely to be of most interest to researchers. In addition, a professional archivist, Hannah Pomeroy, has been employed part-time to create an item-level catalogue of the nuns’ papers.
## 7. LIBRARIES
Our libraries are an important resource for the intellectual apostolate. In Oxford (approx. 40,000 books), there were approximately 300 books acquired by the library during the year. The library at Oxford, which serves the Studium and Hall as well as the priory, has typically between 100 and 150 visitors per annum from the wider University and beyond to consult books that cannot easily be found elsewhere, a number greatly reduced this year because of Covid. The Edinburgh, Cambridge, and London priories also have significant and well-functioning for libraries. A significant factor for the brethren in the large
> Work continues to catalogue the 8. LAYING FOUNDATIONS FOR
> Province’s archives at Douai Abbey THE FUTURE where they are preserved in an apMuch discussion and planning took propriately regulated environment place in preparation for the Provinwith respect to temperature and cial Chapter, which began on 8 April humidity, and where they can be ac2024. Among the topics considered cessed by researchers under superwas how best to use the year freed vised conditions. There now exists a up by moving the Studium STB basic description of the contents of programme from six years to five every box, while more detailed lists years. Other topics included the perof the contents of certain boxes are manent formation of the brethren being created more slowly. Dr Paul and ways in which further studies Sheppy has completed such lists for undertaken by the brothers can best those boxes containing papers sent further our mission, futureproofing from the Order’s curia. The ProvinBlackfriars Hall and Studium, and cial Archivist is currently working enhancing the role of the conventual on detailed lists of boxes containing lectors. papers and other materials relating to Fr Vincent McNabb together with
Much discussion and planning took place in preparation for the Provincial Chapter, which began on 8 April 2024. Among the topics considered was how best to use the year freed up by moving the Studium STB programme from six years to five years. Other topics included the permanent formation of the brethren and ways in which further studies undertaken by the brothers can best further our mission, futureproofing Blackfriars Hall and Studium, and enhancing the role of the conventual lectors.
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## Fundraising Performance[(1)] – Trends
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Overall Fundraising Results
£4.5
Donations
£4.0
Grants
£3.5
Legacies
£3.0
£2.5
£2.0
£1.5
£1.0
£0.5
£0.0
Millions
**----- End of picture text -----**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Collections vs other
£350 Individual Giving (gifts under £5k)
Generated By:
Richard Brown
English Province of the Order of Preachers £300
04/01/2024 13:38
£250
Filtered By:
£200 Date Field: Accounting Date equals Custom (01/10/2015 to 30/09/2023)
Show: All opportunities & gifts
Opportunity Status: Closed Won
£150 Probability: All
Opportunity Record Type not equal to Gift Aid Tax Reclaim,Gift - Corporate
One-off Gifts AND Total Transaction Net Amount Received not equal to 0
£100
Regular Giving AND Payment Type not equal to AND Beneficiary not equal to Newcastle,Blackfriars,Glasgow,Province
£50 Collections AND Primary Campaign Code contains gp
Sum of Total Value of Opportunity Account
2016 2017 2018 2019
One-off Gifts £0 £204,275.85 £197,420.45 £189,133.89 £189,918.99
Regular Giving 2016 2017 2018 £155,751.65 2019 £170,843.99 2020 2021 £178,148.11 2022 2023 £190,063.74 2024
Collections £163 695 25 £175 410 36 £183 347 17 £175 303 03
Thousands
**----- End of picture text -----**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Transaction Volumes
15,000
Other transactions Card Machines
12,500
10,000
7,500
5,000
2,500
0
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **This year saw generous support offered in many different ways to the charity** .
**Overall Fundraising Results** (see p.60, note 1) saw a total of £1.79m (2023: £1.31m) in voluntary income.
- Donations from individuals, including Gift Aid reclaimed, rose to £1.13m (£981k);
- Legacy income achieved £324k (£53k).
- Grants awarded totalled £331k (£563k). (An additional £348k of annual funding for the Studium, from a grant awarded in 2021, was also received.)
There were generous responses[(1)] within the period to various appeals, notably: for our London priory’s successful drive to install underfloor heating in their church (£109k in the period, towards a total of £146k raised); for our annual Caribbean Missions appeal (£64k); and for the ongoing appeal to support the conversion of the ground floor of Blackfriars Oxford’s annexe building into a dining space / public café (£67k), expected to come to fruition during 2025.
**Individual Giving** – Considering the total value (including Gift Aid) of smaller gifts (under £5k in amount), Collections fell slightly, while one-off gifts continued a dramatic rise. Partly this has been driven by the increasing number of transactions coming from the card machines in our churches (see **Transaction Volumes** ). Regular Giving overall was steady at just under £254k (2023: £254k), or £310k with Gift Aid (2023: £310k).
Major Gifts (£5k or more in value) reached a record number of 17 donations (2023: 8), worth a total of £153k including Gift Aid (2023: £126k).
Legacies pipeline: a promotion of Gifts in Wills was again undertaken, with 10 responses (2023: 34, the first year we undertook a promotion). Legacy enquiries and pledges continue to arrive throughout the year.
_(1) Figures listed here do not always match exactly with those in the audited accounts, owing to different ways of recording legacies, grant commitments, and the income from Gift Aid. Figures and trends on this page are given as indicative measures of fundraising performance only._
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## Fundraising Performance[(1)] – 2024
## VOLUNTARY INCOME (EXC. LEGACIES)
**----- Start of picture text -----**
LONDON £398,629 28% OXFORD £234,498 16%
• Church Fabric £176,772
• Parish G.P. £151,326 LEICESTER £214,386 15%
• Priory G.P. £48,328 • Parish G.P. £167,971
• Priory £45,374
£1.44m
CAMBRIDGE £85,622 6% EDINBURGH £213,514 15%
• Priory G.P. £118,007
• Parish G.P. £90,921
PROVINCE £143,349 10%
• Café / dining project £54,432 BLACKFRIARS £145,331 10%
• Caribbean Missions £53,123 • Las Casas Inst £83,128
• Training Fund £17,740 • Scholarships £30,256
• General Purpose £24,360
Note: £348k of a multi-year grant commit-
ment to the Studium was also received
LEGACIES
PROVINCE £13,314 4%
OXFORD £292,252 90%
LEICESTER £7,575 2%
£324k CAMBRIDGE £5,000 1.5%
BLACKFRIARS £5,000 1.5%
LONDON £1,000 0.3%
**----- End of picture text -----**
The friars express their gratitude to all who have helped sustain our mission this year through their generous giving. We would especially like to mark the contributions of:
_Grants:_ Benefact Trust, Catholic Charitable Trust, Catholic Record Society, Catholic Relief Services, Charlotte Marshall Charitable Trust,
Clun Charitable Trust, Edith Bessie Gibson Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, Jesuits (Society of Jesus), Lady Marian Gibson Trust, Mallinckrodt Foundation,
Oxford Consortium for Human Rights, Porticus UK, Sasakawa Foundation, Society of the Holy Child Jesus, Trócaire, University of St Andrews.
_Legacies:_ Anna Baidoun, Susan Black, Eileen Buckley, Alfred ‘Dick’ Grove, Margaret Howell, Fr Richard Marriott, Elizabeth Murphy, Mary Watts. _R.I.P._
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C H A R I T Y D E T A I L S , O F F I C E - H O L D E R S
## Details of the Charity, Trustees, Advisors
|NAME OF CHARITY|The English Province of the Order of Preachers|
|---|---|
|CHARITY REGISTRATION|231192 (England and Wales)|
|NUMBER|SC039062 (Scotland)|
|ALSO KNOWN AS|The Dominicans|
|PRINCIPAL OFFICE|Blackfriars, St Giles, OXFORD. OX1 3LY|
|TRUSTEE|The Dominican Council|
||(a company limited by guarantee, no. 387818)|
||Blackfriars, St Giles, OXFORD. OX1 3LY|
|DIRECTORS OF TRUSTEE|Very Rev. Fr Martin Ganeri OP (resigned on 12 April 2024)|
|CORPORATION|Rev. Fr Simon Gaine OP (resigned on 12 April 2024)|
||Rev. Fr David Goodill OP|
||Very Rev. Fr Nicholas Crowe OP|
||Rev. Fr John O’Connor OP (from 12 April 2024)|
||Rev. Fr Toby Lees OP (from 12 April 2024)|
|PRINCIPAL OFFICER|Very Rev. Fr Nicholas Crowe OP, Prior Provincial|
|BANKERS|The Royal Bank of Scotland|
||RBS Bishopsgate Branch, 49 Bishopsgate, LONDON. EC2N 3AS|
|SOLICITORS|Farrer & Co.|
||66 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, LONDON. WC2A 3LH|
|AUDITOR|Gravita Audit Oxford LLP|
||First Floor, Park Central, 40–41 Park End Street, Oxford, OX1 1JD|
|INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT|BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited|
|AND ADVICE|12 Throgmorton Avenue, LONDON. EC2N 2DL|
||_and_|
||Evelyn Partners LLP|
||45 Gresham Street, LONDON. EC2V 7BG|
|WEBSITE|https://english.op.org/|
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## Structure, Governance & Management
## INTRODUCTION
The trustees present their annual report and financial statements of the charity for the year ended 30th September 2024. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out on page 57ff. and comply with the charity’s trust deed, the Charities Act 2011 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (January 2019) and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended).
The English Province of the Order of Preachers is one of forty or so provinces of the Friars of the Order of Preachers, a religious order in the Catholic Church. The Order of Preachers was founded by St Dominic in the thirteenth century for the purpose of preaching, teaching and pastoral work in collaboration with the bishops. Members of the Order are often known as ‘Dominicans’, after their founder. The life of the friars is founded on the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience to which they bind themselves by vow, and is characterised by prayer, study and community life. Most of the friars are also ordained priests.
As part of the Catholic Church, the Order of Preachers is bound to the Church’s Canon Law, especially as contained in the 1983 _Codex Iuris Canonici_ (Code of Canon Law, hereafter _CIC_ ), and to the legitimate precepts of the Holy See and the Roman Pontiff. It is also bound by the laws of the dioceses in which it works, and of the Bishops’ Conferences of England and Wales and of Scotland.
The Order has its own internal law contained in the _Liber Constitutionum et Ordinationum Fratrum Ordinis Praedicatorum_ (Book of Constitutions and Ordinations of the Friars of the Order of Preachers, hereafter _LCO_ ). The General Chapter of the Order and the Master of the Order have authority, in accordance with canonical norms, over all the provinces, priories
## and friars of the Order.
The English Province, in addition to the abovementioned norms, has its own canonical governing document, the ‘Statute of the Province’. The Province is governed by the Provincial Chapter and by the Prior Provincial. The Provincial Chapter is a meeting of friars representing the Province which takes place every four years; its object is to ‘discuss and make decisions about all that pertains to the fraternal and apostolic life and the good administration of the province’ ( _LCO_ 351 §I). The Provincial Chapter can make changes to the Statute of the Province as well as make other ordinations concerning the governance of the Province and its priories. The Provincial Chapter elects the Prior Provincial (major superior), who governs the Province until the following Provincial Chapter.
The Prior Provincial is assisted by the Provincial Council, composed of senior officers of the Province and other members elected by the Provincial Chapter. On major financial matters the Prior Provincial and Provincial Council are advised by the Economic Council of the Province, whose members are appointed by the Provincial Chapter and which is chaired by the Provincial Bursar.
The Province is made up of a number of priories, which are local communities of friars with a large degree of self-government according to the norms of Canon Law and the internal law of the Order and the Province. The priory is ‘the fundamental unit of the Order’ ( _LCO_ 1 §VII), and the principal place where the educational and pastoral mission of the Order is pursued. Priors (local superiors) are normally elected by the members of their priory for three-year terms. Each priory is engaged in a variety of ministerial work, often centred on parish churches or university chaplaincies. Two priories are especially but not exclusively dedicated to the formation and training of priests and friars. The Prior Provincial and his Council have responsibility for the collaboration of the various priories, for the support of provincial projects and for the establishment, maintenance and en-
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forcement of common policy, including those involving major financial issues.
The Charity consider that the members of the Provincial Council comprise the key management personnel, in charge of directing and controlling the charity and running and operating the charity on a day-to-day basis. The Prior Provincial and three other members of the Provincial Council are Directors of the Trustee Corporation, as listed on p. 36. Other members of the Provincial Council are members of the Trustee Corporation. All trustees, and all other members of the Provincial Council, give of their time freely and no remuneration was paid to any of them in the year. Details of trustee expenses and related party transactions are disclosed in notes 9 and 10 to the accounts.
The individual friars make profession of a vow of obedience, encompassing also the other ‘evangelical counsels’ of poverty and chastity. As a result of the profession of poverty, all that is acquired in virtue of the work or activity of a friar belongs to the friar’s priory ( _CIC_ 668 §3; _LCO_ 546). Once a friar has made definitive or ‘solemn’ profession, any income whatsoever that comes to the friar belongs to his priory or the Province ( _LCO_ 546, 548). This arrangement is given civil effect by means of a ‘Deed of Disponer’ in favour of the Charity made by each friar at the time of his solemn profession. Alongside the profession of poverty by the friars, there is a corresponding obligation on the Order to provide its members ‘with everything that is necessary to fulfil the purpose of their vocation’ ( _CIC_ 670).
The Dominican friars share a spirituality and mission with other branches of the ‘Dominican family’: nuns, sisters, members of secular institutes and fraternities of priests and laity (cf. _LCO_ 1 §IX).
## NATURE AND CONSTITUTION OF THE CHARITY
In order to allow for the general administration and financial maintenance of the members, priories and works of the Province, **the Province Trust** was established by Trust Deed in 1930, modified by a deed of partial revocation in 1945. Its registered objects are ‘the promotion of education and the Roman Catholic religion and the establishment and maintenance of schools, churches and priories for these purposes and
the upkeep of members of the Order of Preachers.’ Under the name ‘The English Province of the Order of Preachers’, the Province Trust is registered as a charity in England and Wales, no. 231192, and in Scotland, no. SC039062.
The sole trustee of the Charity is the Dominican Council, a company limited by guarantee and governed in accordance with its Memorandum and Articles of Association. The Dominican Council was incorporated on 25 May 1944, no. 387818. Its registered office is Blackfriars, St Giles, OXFORD OX1 3LY.
The chairman _ex officio_ of the Corporation and its Committee is the Prior Provincial, at present the Very Rev. Fr Nicholas Crowe OP. According to its Articles of Association, ‘any Roman Catholic Priest of the English Province of the Order of Preachers’ (art. 6) is qualified to be a member of the Corporation. Three members of the Corporation are elected by the Corporation to serve on its Committee alongside the Prior Provincial. The members of the Committee function as the directors of the Corporation and as ‘Charity Trustees’ in the sense of s177 of the Charities Act 2011.
## RECRUITMENT AND APPOINTMENT OF CHARITY TRUSTEES
The Province has a wealth of experience among its friars, who have spent years pursuing the Province’s mission and the Charity’s objects by means of educational and pastoral work. Many of the friars have also served as administrators at a local level, holding offices such as prior, parish priest or bursar. The Provincial Chapter therefore has a rich pool of competent and proficient friars to draw upon when it elects the Prior Provincial and the Provincial Council.
The normal practice of the Dominican Council is to elect new members of the Corporation from the Provincial Council, and so in turn it is from among these experienced friars that the Committee is elected. As a result, the Charity Trustees, i.e. the members of the Committee of the Dominican Council, are friars of proven prudence and experience with detailed knowledge of the Charity’s work and structure.
The solemnly professed friars have no personal income or property; anything that comes to them is acquired
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for the Order, which in turn is obliged to support all its members, providing them with ‘everything that is necessary to fulfil the purpose of their vocation’ ( _CIC_ 670). Hence the object of the Charity includes ‘the upkeep of members of the Order of Preachers’. The members of the Committee of the Dominican Council therefore benefit from the activity of the Charity, but they do so in their capacity as members of the Order of Preachers, not as a result of being Charity Trustees.
## TRAINING OF CHARITY TRUSTEES
New members of the Committee of the Dominican Council are very experienced in the work of the Province and its administration. As superiors and administrators they are already well-acquainted with the governing documents of the Order. New members of the Committee are provided with latest version the Charity Commission’s publication ‘The Essential Trustee: What you need to know, what you need to do’ and the OSCR publication ‘Guidance for Charity Trustees’. Trustees are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the other resources for Charity Trustees provided by the Charity Commission, OSCR and other sources. All Charity Trustees are provided with appropriate briefings from the Charity’s professional advisors concerning their responsibilities and when this is pertinent to any decisions that have to be made by the Charity Trustees. Members of the Committee of the Dominican Council attend meetings of the Association of Provincial Bursars and seminars for Charity Trustees organised by professional advisors.
## ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AND DECISIONMAKING
The Charity is structured internally as local priories in accordance with the laws of the Order of the Preachers contained in _LCO_ . These norms, together with those of the Province itself, set out requirements for financial administration and reporting, investment, property acquisition and maintenance for the Province and for each priory, and also the limits to the powers of priors and of the Prior Provincial. In particular:
- A Prior has a limit above which he cannot authorise expenditure without the consent of the
Priory Council. The Priory Council can authorise expenditure to a higher limit, which varies depending on the size of the Priory, and above this authorisation is required by the Prior Provincial or, beyond an upper limit, the Provincial Council. These limits also apply to the authorisation of alienations or the incurring of liabilities. When authorisation is given by the Provincial Council, the Economic Council of the Province is consulted in advance, and a determination is made whether the matter requires an act of the Trustee Corporation.
- The annual accounts and budget of each priory are sent to the Prior Provincial ( _LCO_ 563) and submitted for examination by the Provincial Council ( _LCO_ 564), the Economic Council of the Province and the Trustee Corporation.
The limits mentioned here are reviewed every four years by the Provincial Chapter.
## MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF SCOTTISH ACTIVITIES
The priories in Scotland are managed locally in the same way as priories in England, under the supervision of the Prior Provincial and the Provincial Council assisted by the Economic Council. The Trustees take the view that local governance structures are adequate and appropriate without an additional layer of governance specifically for Scotland.
## RELATIONSHIP WITH A WIDER NETWORK
The Province is part of the Order of Preachers and of the Catholic Church. It operates in accordance with the teaching and laws of the Catholic Church, and the manner in which it realises its object, ‘the promotion of education and the Roman Catholic religion’, is influenced by the priorities identified by the Church and by the Order of Preachers internationally.
## RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER CHARITIES AND ORGANISATIONS
The Charity is closely related to the **Hoper Dixon Trust** (registered charity no. 231160). Under the terms of a Scheme of 20 July 2006, that Trust exists ‘for the benefit of the poor connected with or in the neighbourhood of any house or pastoral centre under
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the direction of the Dominicans of the English Province of the Order of Preachers’.
The Province also co-operates in the mission of the **Catholic Dioceses** in whose territory members of the Province work. Six parishes and chaplaincies to eight universities are entrusted to the Province.
The Charity co-operates fraternally in a number of projects with **other branches of the Dominican family** (Congregations of Dominican Sisters, Dominican Secular Institute and Lay Dominican fraternities) active in Great Britain. The Province recently co-operated in the establishment of a Priestly Confraternity of St Dominic, and remains closely involved in its development and expansion.
The Province operates Blackfriars Hall, Oxford, a Permanent Private Hall of the **University of Oxford** . The Hall co-operates with the University, Colleges and other Halls in furthering its educational objective. There is also co-operation with **other religious institutes** in training candidates for the priesthood and in providing theological formation for other religious. The Hall is developing a research collaboration with the **Anscombe Bioethics Centre** , registered charity no. 274327. Members of the congregations at two of the Province’s priories run overseas aid charities: the **Blackfriars Overseas Aid Trust** (registered charity no. 288585) based in Oxford and the **Jean Grove Trust** (registered charity 1109593) based in Cambridge. The Province is happy to promote and support these works.
The Order’s presence in Grenada and Barbados is canonically dependent on the Province. Though the presence there is not part of the Province Charity, from time to time the Charity is able to make grants for the work of the Order in the Caribbean.
## FUNDRAISING DISCLOSURES
The Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act 2016 requires charities which are subject to an audit to make disclosure in their Financial Statements about their fundraising activities.
The Dominican Friars have been mendicants since the very beginning of the Order of Preachers in the early 13th century, and benefactors have played a crucial role
at every stage of our history up to and including the present day.
In 2013, impelled by an urgent need to improve the financial situation of the charity, the Province began to employ a full-time fundraiser (Development Director) to direct and manage fundraising and related communications activities on the charity’s behalf. The Development Director is now assisted by a part-time Development Support Officer, with oversight provided by the Prior Provincial and the Provincial Bursar.
Most funds are raised from those with whom we have close relationships, typically through their attendance as worshippers at one of our churches. Wider circles of relationships are maintained through our opt-in magazine, opt-in email newsletters, websites, and social media pages, all of which may include invitations to donate. Contact relationship data and donations data are managed centrally through a highly secure database with access restricted to a small number of employees.
We fundraise in accordance with the requirements of the Fundraising Regulator, and with our moral obligations as a Catholic charity. We fundraise responsibly at all times and with a sensitivity to the pastoral relationship that most donors have with the friars. We avoid approaches to vulnerable people and do not hold information on children. We do not exert pressure on people to donate, nor is access to the services we provide as a charity dependent on donations. We do not at this time employ third-party fundraisers, though some people do voluntarily and of their own initiative fundraise on our behalf. Subscriptions to communications can be cancelled at any time. Complaints are responded to as soon as possible; none were received in the current year (2023: none).
## RISK
The trustees review annually the principal risks to which the charity is exposed, and the strategies and procedures in place to mitigate those risks. The trustees consider that the major risks can be categorised under four headings: operational, financial, reputational and regulatory. Listed below are the main risks in each category, along with the principal ways in which they are mitigated.
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## OPERATIONAL
The activities of the charity are highly dependent upon those friars who are responsible for their management, often with little or no professional lay assistance. For this reason there is a risk that our ministries may suffer from lack of direction, poor management and inefficiencies. It can happen that a particular friar is overburdened with responsibilities leading to stress and reduced effectiveness. To mitigate this, the trustees and especially the Prior Provincial regularly review the work of each entity of the Province, ensuring that those responsible for our works are provided with the practical and moral support required. The Province has also instituted regular meetings between the Provincial and local superiors, to offer support and share best practice. The Province maintains its commitment to ensuring that friars who are experiencing emotional or psychological difficulties are provided with appropriate professional help.
The charity is responsible for the care of a number of elderly friars. As at 30 September 2024 there were 14 friars over 70, of whom 5 were over 80. Like all of the friars, these men have no resources of their own as all earnings, pensions and other income have been donated to the charity. As far as possible older brothers continue to live in community, though where appropriate residential nursing care places are found. The Province remains committed to designating all pensions income to the Designated Sick Fund (see page 44), which covers the cost of residential care but also funds home nursing care where appropriate, as well as works in priories designed to make them more suitable for elderly and infirm brothers.
The on-going work of the charity requires that young men continue to present themselves to join the Order, and that these men be properly formed and educated for our ministries. Many religious orders in the UK have seen very low or even non-existent levels of recruitment for a number of years leading to a severely ageing demographic profile and the abandonment of numbers of ministries. The Province has committed one of its ablest young priests to work full-time as Promoter and Director of Vocations, and over the last two years ten men entered the noviciate, an unusually high number. The Province is also committed to ensuring that its
friars receive the best possible intellectual, spiritual and pastoral formation.
## FINANCIAL
The charity’s principal assets comprise listed investments, the value of and income from which are dependent on movements in UK and world markets. A substantial long-term loss of value of these investments would threaten the long-term financial viability of the Province, and any significant reduction in investment income would cause financial difficulties even in the short term. To mitigate this, the investments are managed by reputable investment managers who adhere to a policy agreed by the trustees. The performance of investments and our investment strategy are assessed regularly by the Economic Council of the Province, aided by a lay expert, to ensure that our investments remain appropriate to the charity’s needs (see further page 45).
The Development Office, under the leadership of a lay professional Development Director, with the cooperation of all friars, ensures that the Province and individual priories maintain excellent relationships with existing donors and takes the lead in seeking out and cultivating potential new sources of support. The work of the Development Office is supervised by the Provincial in consultation with the Provincial Council.
Our operations involve very large numbers of financial transactions including significant amounts of cash, bringing with it the obvious risk of fraud, theft or loss. The Province has a well-established set of ‘Norms for Economic and Administrative Practice’ which impose appropriate procedures for cash-handling and for the management of bank payments etc., and the Provincial Bursar visits priories regularly to support local bursars and other friars in adhering to these procedures and other good practices. The Province decided at its recent Chapter to substantially reduce the levels of expenditure that can be made without a second authorised signature.
The operation of Blackfriars Hall and Studium is at particular financial risk, depending as heavily as it does upon numbers of students. The Regent and other moderators of the Hall engage in visits to the USA to seek additional students, and the Hall is developing
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with the Development Director a fundraising strategy emphasising student scholarships and support for Studium teaching with a view to providing Blackfriars with a more solid financial base in the years to come.
In the light of rapidly rising inflation, the Province faces increasing risks both to its income, as donors find their finances stretched, and in general expenditure. The value of returns on investments may also be eroded with higher inflation and loss of capital value in the markets.
## REPUTATIONAL
Friars and some other volunteers working with the friars, by the nature of our activities, inevitably often operate with little immediate supervision and often in positions of considerable pastoral responsibility and trust. Mistakes and misjudgements especially by friars in such positions can lead to harm to the reputation of the whole Province. The trustees consider that the greatest risk to the reputation of the charity in terms of severity of outcome, though not of likelihood, comes from allegations of abuse by friars of children or vulnerable adults: even where these allegations are historical in nature and relate to long-deceased friars, and even where they are unfounded, they can be deeply harmful to the reputation, local and national, of the Province, its ministries and its friars. The Province works closely with the Catholic Church Insurance Association, the Catholic Safeguarding Advisory Service and the Safeguarding Co-ordinator of the Roman
Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham to deal with any such allegations in accordance with the safeguarding policy of the Catholic Church in England & Wales. A member of the Provincial Council is the Province’s Safeguarding Co-ordinator, and he is responsible for ensuring that all friars are familiar with, and practise, this safeguarding policy, again in association with the Archdiocese of Birmingham. Lay people volunteer as local safeguarding representatives at each location.
The trustees also recognise the potential for reputational damage that may result from operational failures mentioned in the first paragraph of this section, and this risk is mitigated as detailed there.
## REGULATORY
The trustees are keenly aware of the need to comply with relevant laws, including but not limited to those governing employment, health & safety at work, immigration and data protection, and the potential consequences of failures in this regard. The Provincial Bursar, assisted by the Economic Council of the Province, the Development Director and professional experts, takes the lead in compliance, and is aided in this regard by training sessions provided by the Association of Provincial Bursars. Each site within the Province is visited at least once a year by a professional Health & Safety advisor, to ensure that our sites are not only compliant with the Health & Safety at Work, etc. Act (1974) and related regulations, but also provide good working and living environments for the friars.
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P U B L I C B E N E F I T
## Public Benefit
The Charity Trustees have read the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit, and the specific guidance for charities whose objects include Education and the advancement of Religion. The Charity Trustees have taken note of the Charity Commission’s advice of October 2015 concerning public benefit and fee-charging in relation to educational charities. The Charity Trustees have paid due regard to the Commission’s guidance, and all who make decisions about the activities the Charity undertakes are concerned to ensure that a real religious or educational benefit is provided to a broad range of people.
The priories of the Province all celebrate liturgy which is open to the public, and the friars are available to any members of the public who wish to consult them about matters of faith and the spiritual life. The priory churches are open to the public for most of the day, and many people avail themselves of the opportunity for quiet prayer or reflection. No charge is made for admission to the churches or to religious services (cf. _CIC_ , c. 1221). Offerings are customarily made on the occasion of celebration of certain rites (e.g. baptisms, marriages and funerals), but Canon Law requires that those who are not able to make an offering are not thereby excluded ( _CIC_ , c. 848 and c. 1181). Some charges may be made for other activities (e.g. participation
in pilgrimages); the Hoper Dixon Trust, a connected charity, is in some cases able to assist with these costs.
The main educational centre of the Province, located at Blackfriars in Oxford, welcomes applications to study from any suitably qualified student. Blackfriars Hall charges fees at the level prevalent among Oxford colleges, and students are eligible for public funding in the same way as other students in higher education. The Hall is aware that public funding is not available to assist all who would benefit from studying in Oxford, especially those wishing to study for a second undergraduate degree or a postgraduate qualification. The Hall continues actively seeking funds to broaden access. Members of the public who are not students at Oxford may attend lectures and classes at Blackfriars on application; a small fee is normally charged, but is waived in cases of financial hardship. Blackfriars Hall and many of the priories and parishes arrange for public lectures and talks which are free of charge.
The Charity Trustees consider that the achievements and performance of the Charity demonstrate success in providing benefit to a broad public.
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P R O V I S I O N F O R S I C K & E L D E R LY F R I A R S
## Provision for Sick and Elderly Friars
As of 30 September 2024, 14 friars of the Province (24%) in Great Britain were aged 70 or over, of whom 5 (8%) were 80 or over. Although most of these brothers continue to be active and enjoy reasonable health, the Charity Trustees are concerned to ensure that adequate provision is made for the care of older brothers and of any other sick brothers. The Charity maintains a Sick Fund for this purpose, of which details are given in the Financial Review and Statement of Financial Activities. At the end of the reporting period, no brother was in a nursing home (2023: none); but it is not unlikely that this will be necessary in the future, so the Trustees continue to ensure that such provision is affordable whenever necessary. While the provision and level of
funds is adequate for current needs, the Charity Trustees are aware that demands could increase substantially in future years.
Most pension income is designated for the Sick Fund, which at the end of the period stood at £4,577k (2023: £4,097k). While the income from this fund currently suffices, the Charity Trustees are concerned that the Sick Fund should continue to be increased to ensure that likely future demands can be met.
Priories are also concerned to keep constantly under review their provision for disabled and infirm brothers and as necessary to make various adaptations and improvements.
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I N V E S T M E N T P E R F O R M A N C E
## Investment Performance
The Charity’s investments had a market value of £23,139k (2023: £20,752k) at the end of the reporting period. The market value of investments with Evelyn Partners was £9,781k (2023: £8,403k). The value of the Province’s holdings in the BlackRock Catholic Charities Growth & Income Fund at the end of the year was £11,758k (2023: £10,831k).
## INVESTMENT STRATEGY
The charity’s investments are invested in actively managed funds with medium-risk profiles. The investment funds provide an important stream of income for the charity’s activities as well as capital growth. The investment strategy seeks to balance the need for income now with the need for a sound capital base for the future. The trustees aim to ensure friars can be maintained throughout their old age, once they are unable to support themselves through works, to maintain their priories and chapels, many of which are listed buildings, and to support the training and ongoing development of all brothers. A review of the investment strategy and investment managers is planned for 2025.
## ETHICAL CRITERIA
The investments are managed in accordance with the charity’s ethical investment criteria, including but not limited to those relating to sanctity of life, care for the environment, and justice and peace.
## PERFORMANCE OF FUNDS
The first half of the financial year was largely positive for markets. The second half saw reactions to the escalating conflict in the Middle East and variable earnings and labour market data. The interest rate cut from the US Federal Reserve and Chinese stimulus package helped to support markets in September, to the end of the financial year.
BlackRock Catholic Charities Growth and Income Fund is a unitised fund with a risk rating of Medium/
High 7 on the 1–10 risk scale. In the year ended 30 September 2024, it made a total return of 11.8% net and a distribution yield of 3.1%. Distributions of 1.25p per unit were made on a quarterly basis. The charity received distributions of £367,626 in the year. The market value increased over the year by £927,054 (2023: loss £235,302).
The charity’s portfolio with Evelyn has a risk rating of Medium, or 6 on the 1–10 risk scale. In the year ended 30 September 2024, it made a total return of 12.6% net and a gross yield of 2%. Income from dividends and interest of £175,312 were paid over during the year. The portfolio made an unrealised gain over the year of £878,914 (2023: gain £131,377). Although both Blackrock and Evelyn exceeded the charity’s absolute return targets for them in terms of generating an adequate real return over the long term, both of them underperformed their respective benchmark in the year under review – Blackrock +11.8% versus +12.7%; Evelyn +12.6% versus +16%. The specific line items vary in each case but the fundamental problem has been the same for both. Equity market performance has been very strong but it has been driven largely by a small group of very large US technology stocks. Managers with a more ‘value’ orientation, underweighting these growth stocks relative to their benchmark weighting, have struggled. Furthermore alternative strategies such as some of the environmentally-oriented strategies included in the charity’s funds, and government bonds, have also been a headwind. The charity judges managers against the mandates that they have been given so accepts some underperformance in the circumstances described. However, it is the view of the charity that the underperformance over a period of years merits a comprehensive manager review in 2025, whilst acknowledging the challenge of identifying managers that can accomodate an authentic Catholic mandate.
In July 2024 an additional £500,000 from cash reserves was invested in the portfolio.
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I N V E S T M E N T P E R F O R M A N C E
In 2023, £1.5m was deposited with the BlackRock Institutional Cash Series. At 30 September 2024, £1,600k (2023: £1,519) was directly held in cash funds, comprising 7% of total investment assets (2023: 7%). Income from the cash funds over the year was £80,648 (2023: £200), giving a net return of 5%.
_Further details of these investments may be found in note 6 to the Financial Statements._
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F I N A N C I A L R E V I E W
## Financial Review
## FUNDING SOURCES AND INCOME
**----- Start of picture text -----**
FIGURE 1:
INCOME
**----- End of picture text -----**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Donations and Legacies: £1,785k
Charitable activities: £1,394k
Investments: £682k
Other Trading Activities: £431k
Other: £10k
**----- End of picture text -----**
Total income for the year ended 30 September 2024 was £4,302k (2023: £4,329k). Income fell by £27k in 2024. Income in 2023 included a one-off receipt of £325k in respect of dilapidations on an Oxford property. If this is excluded, income increased by £298k. A share of rental income from the new letting of a primary school formerly owned by the province provided an additional £103k. Blackfriars Hall had fewer students in 2024 than the previous year, so income from Educational services fell by £152k. This was compensated for by increases in university and prisons chaplaincy and pensions income. A brother retired from prison chaplaincy and received a lump sum as well as an occupational and state pension, whilst his chaplaincy role was taken on by another brother.
_More details are given in note 1 to the financial statements; cf Figure 1._
## EXPENDITURE
**----- Start of picture text -----**
FIGURE 2:
EXPENDITURE
**----- End of picture text -----**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Property upkeep: £1,430k
Educational: £1,131k
Friars and communities: £817k
Pastoral: £679k
Raising voluntary income: £217k
Investment management: £130k
Sick and elderly: £94k
**----- End of picture text -----**
Expenditure totalled £4,497k for the year (2023: £4,440k), an increase of £57k, 1%. Upkeep of buildings remains a major item of expenditure. In 2024 projects included completion of the underfloor heating in the London parish, refurbishment of bedrooms in Edinburgh to accommodate an increase in the number of friars assigned there, and LED replacement lighting in Oxford. An increase in Educational expenditure of £151k is largely due to the activities of the Las Casas Institute, in particular the Climate Humanitarianism project. Expenditure on pastoral works increased by £67k. Edinburgh Priory utilised a major grant to deliver a conference on Dominican life and make a video of the life of St Dominic as well as works on the chapel grounds, chapel and priory. Utility bills were under pressure, particularly electricity which rose by £30k. This was compensated for by lower medical costs. The number of friars was stable and other costs of their upkeep remained stable, overall.
_More details on expenditure are given in note 2 to the financial statements; cf Figure 2._
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F U N D S & I N V E S T M E N T S
## Funds & Investments
## INVESTMENT POLICY AND OBJECTIVES
The Charity’s investment policy is set by the Trustees, after regular consultation with the Province’s Economic Council and professional investment managers. The principal objective is the maximisation of returns, seeking capital growth but also a steady and, where possible, growing level of income. The Charity Trustees are concerned to manage risk and therefore maintain and review periodically, with the assistance of the Province’s Economic Council and professional advisors, a high degree of diversification in the Charity’s investment assets, whether held directly or through a common investment fund.
In keeping with the objects of the Charity and the teachings of the Catholic Church, the following policy is stated in the Statute of the Province: ‘Investments shall be avoided in companies a significant proportion of whose activities are contrary to the moral teachings of the Catholic Church, including but not limited to those relating to sanctity of life, care for the environment, and justice and peace.’ This applies both to direct investments and to those through a common investment fund.
## POLICY ON RESERVES
The laws of the Order oblige the Province to ensure that funds are available to support central administration, common projects (e.g. publishing, archives, libraries), the care of sick and elderly friars, and the formation of student friars. The Charity continues to maintain a high level of reserves in order to meet these obligations. The Charity Trustees also ensure that the level of reserves held is adequate to respond to unexpected financial needs, and to be able to commit to new apostolic projects when possible. Such a level of reserves is required because of the very large potential demands made by the ownership of the priories and churches necessary to meet the requirements of the Charity’s objects, many of which are listed buildings. It might not always be possible to meet urgent needs out of branch funds. The high level of reserves also produce an income for central activities, allowing contributions from branch funds to central province funds to be kept down.
The Charity Trustees’ view is that an amount equal to a minimum of four months’ total expenditure (i.e. £1,499k over the reporting period) should be held as free reserves.
The Charity Trustees continue to aim for an increasing level of reserves designated for the purpose of providing for the needs of older or infirm friars and the formation of novices and student friars. The Charity Trustees continue to maintain designated funds as capital funds which generate sufficient income necessary for the Province to be able to satisfy its obligations under the laws of the Order and to meet annual expenditure requirements in these priority areas.
## RESERVES AND DESIGNATED FUNDS
The balance sheet shows total unrestricted funds of £12,714k (2023: £11,675k). The Province General Purpose fund accounts for £6,913k (2023: £3,196k), of which £6,367k (2023: £2,840k) are free reserves (i.e. excluding fixed assets held for charity use). This level of free reserves represents sixteen months’ total expenditure by the Charity.
Designated funds make up the remaining £5,801k (2023: £8,479k) of unrestricted funds, the principal of which are:
**Sick Fund:** This holds a balance of £4,577k (2023: £4,097k) to provide care for sick and elderly friars. Income from the pensions of the friars is allocated to this fund. Despite a number of friars in residential care over the past few years and works to provide accommodation in priories suitable for elderly and infirm friars, it has been possible to continue to build up the sick fund. While it is impossible to predict with accuracy the burden on this fund, the large number of older friars makes significant demands in the near future likely.
**Student Training Fund:** Until 30 September 2024 the Charity maintained a designated fund for the support of the friars’ studies. At 30 September 2024 the Trustees closed the fund and transferred the balance into the Province General Purpose Fund, to ensure the level of free reserves met the target set by the reserves policy. (2023: £3,245k).
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## Trustees’ Responsibilities
## TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE PREPARATION OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The trustees are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards including FRS 102: The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) regulations.
The law applicable to charities in England & Wales and Scotland requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- a. select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- b. observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- c. make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- d. state whether applicable UK accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
- e. prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Charity will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, the provisions of the trust deed, the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended) and the provisions of the Book of Constitutions and Ordinations of the Friars of the Order of Preachers. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
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D E C L A R A T I O N
## Declaration
## DECLARATION
The officers of the Trustee Corporation, The Dominican Council, declare that to the best of their knowledge the annual accounts of the English Province of the Order of Preachers have been prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, and the regulations and requirements of the province Trust Deed, the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and the provisions of the Book of Constitutions and Ordinations of the Friars of the Order of Preachers.
The officers of the Trustee Corporation who were in office on the date of approval of these financial statements have confirmed that, as far as they are aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the auditor is unaware. Each of the officers of the Trustee Corporation has confirmed that they have taken all the steps that they ought to have taken as an officer of the Trustee Corporation in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that it has been communicated to the auditor.
## BY ORDER OF THE TRUSTEE
Fr David Goodill OP Secretary to the Dominican Council 16 May 2025
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## Auditor’s Report
## INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE ENGLISH PROVINCE OF THE ORDER OF PREACHERS
## OPINION
We have audited the financial statements of the English Province of the Order of Preachers (‘the charity’) for the year ended 30 September 2024 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the Statement of Cash Flows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including FRS 102 _The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland_ (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion, the financial statements:
- give a true and fair view of the state of the charity’s affairs as at 30 September 2024 and of its incoming resources and application of resources for the year then ended;
- have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and
- have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 and The Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005.
## BASIS FOR OPINION
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK) ) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the _Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements_ section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance
with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
## CONCLUSIONS RELATING TO GOING CONCERN
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least 12 months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
## OTHER INFORMATION
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, including the trustees’ report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
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A U D I T O R ’ S R E P O R T
We have nothing to report in this regard.
## MATTERS ON WHICH WE ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT BY EXCEPTION
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the trustees’ report.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:
- the information given in the trustees’ report is inconsistent in any material respect with the financial statements; or
- sufficient accounting records have not been kept; or
- the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records; or
- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
## RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES
As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement, the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
## AUDITOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE AUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
We have been appointed as auditor under Section 144 Charities Act 2011 and Section 44(1)(c) Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and report in
accordance with the Act and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists.
Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of noncompliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:
- the engagement partner ensured that the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence, capabilities and skills to identify or recognise non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
- we identified the laws and regulations applicable to the charity through discussions with trustees and other management, and from our knowledge and experience;
- we focused on specific laws and regulations which we considered may have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the charity.
- we assessed the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations identified above through making enquiries of management and inspecting legal correspondence where applicable; and
- identified laws and regulations were communicated within the audit team regularly and the team remained alert to instances of non-compliance throughout the audit.
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A U D I T O R ’ S R E P O R T
We assessed the susceptibility of the charity’s financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by:
- making enquiries of management as to where they considered there was susceptibility to fraud, their knowledge of actual, suspected and alleged fraud;
- considering the internal controls in place to mitigate risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations; and
To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we:
- performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships;
- tested journal entries to identify unusual transactions;
- assessed whether judgements and assumptions made in determining the accounting estimates were indicative of potential bias; and
- investigated the rationale behind significant or unusual transactions.
In response to the risk of irregularities and noncompliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to:
- agreeing financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation;
- reading the minutes of meetings of those charged with governance;
- enquiring of management as to actual and potential litigation and claims;
There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above. The more removed that laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of noncompliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the trustees and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.
Material misstatements that arise due to fraud can be harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.
A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: **www.frc.org.uk/ auditorsresponsibilities** .
This description forms part of our auditor’s report.
Gravita Audit Oxford LLP is eligible for appointment as auditor of the charity by virtue of its eligibility for appointment as auditor of a company under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.
## USE OF OUR REPORT
This report is made solely to the charity’s trustees, as a body, in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 and The Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
- reviewing relevant correspondence.
Gravita Audit Oxford LLP, Statutory Auditor First Floor, Park Central 40–41 Park End Street Oxford OX1 1JD
## 6 June 2025
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S T A T E M E N T O F F I N A N C I A L A C T I V I T I E S
|Total funds carried forward 30 September 2024|Total funds brought forward 1 October 2023|RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS|Net movement in funds|Transfers between funds|TRANSFERS|Net income/(expenditure)|GAINS /(LOSSES) ON INVESTMENTS|TOTAL EXPENDITURE|Charitable Activities|Investment management costs|Costs of raising voluntary income|Raising funds|EXPENDITURE ON:|TOTAL INCOME|Other|Charitable Activities|Investment Income|Other Trading Activities|Donations and Legacies|INCOME FROM:||for the year ended 30 September 2024|for the year ended 30 September 2024|STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|12||||11|||6|2||||||1|||||||Notes||||
|12,714,116|11,675,315||1,038,801|273,982||764,819|969,097|922,763|583,416|129,882|209,465|||718,485|-|207,027|385,809|99,328|26,321||£|2024|Funds|Unrestricted|
|19,568,087|18,914,926||653,161|(273,982)||927,143|917,469|3,574,300|3,566,993|-|7,307|||3,583,974|9,556|1,187,014|296,069|331,526|1,759,809||£|2024|Funds|Restricted|
|32,282,203|30,590,241||1,691,962|-||1,691,962|1,886,566|4,497,063|4,150,409|129,882|216,772|||4,302,459|9,556|1,394,041|681,878|430,854|1,786,130||£|2024|Funds|Total|
|11,675,315|11,272,566||402,749|229,682||173,067|54,414|935,523|708,053|117,175|110,295|||1,054,176|4,274|173,580|656,954|135,866|83,502||£|2023|Funds|Unrestricted|
|18,914,926|19,514,040||(599,114)|(229,682)||(369,432)|(138,986)|3,504,942|3,500,377|-|4,565|||3,274,496|14,788|1,284,839|273,164|73,029|1,628,676||£|2023|Funds|Restricted|
|30,590,241|30,786,606||(196,365)|-||(196,365)|(84,572)|4,440,465|4,208,430|117,175|114,860|||4,328,672|19,062|1,458,419|930,118|208,895|1,712,178||£|2023|Funds|Total|
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B A L A N C E S H E E T
|BALANCE SHEET
at 30 September 2024
Notes
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible assets
5
Investments
6
TOTAL FIXED ASSETS
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors
7
Cash at bank and in hand
TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS
LIABILITIES
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
8
Net Current Assets
Total Assets less Current Liabilities
Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year
14
NET ASSETS
FUNDS
Restricted funds
Branch funds
Province restricted funds
Total restricted funds
Unrestricted funds
Province general purpose
Province designated
Total unrestricted funds
TOTAL FUNDS
12|2024
£
6,739,826
23,139,111|2023
£
7,003,696
20,752,495|
|---|---|---|
||29,878,937
1,460,636
1,647,948|
27,756,191
1,592,736
1,802,357|
||3,108,584
(700,657)|
3,395,093
(545,869)|
||2,407,927
32,286,864
(4,661)|
2,849,224
30,605,415
(15,174)|
||32,282,203|30,590,241|
||14,162,586
5,405,501|
13,872,048
5,042,878|
||19,568,087
6,913,449
5,800,667|18,914,926
3,195,643
8,479,672|
||12,714,116|
11,675,315|
||32,282,203|30,590,241|
The financial statements on pages 54 to 72 were approved by the Trustee, authorised for issue on 16 May 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
Directors of Trustee Corporation }
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S T A T E M E N T O F C A S H F L O W S
## STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
|STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS|||
|---|---|---|
|for the year ended 30 September 2024
2024
£
2023
£
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net movement in funds
1,691,962
(196,365)
Depreciation charges
655,446
646,774
(Gains)/Losses on investments
(1,886,566)
84,572
(Proft) on disposal of fxed assets
(6,500)
(194)
Interest received
(681,878)
(930,118)
Decrease in debtors
132,100
730,718
Increase/(Decrease) in creditors
160,471
(754,310)
NET CASH FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
64,985
(418,923)
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Interest received
681,878
930,118
Purchase of property and equipment
(397,260)
(169,713)
Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment
6,500
194
Additional cash invested
(500,000)
(1,500,010)
Purchase of investments
(1,153,035)
(1,939,214)
Proceeds from sale of investments
1,430,422
1,394,861
Change in cash in investment portfolios
(277,386)
544,351
NET CASH FROM/(USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES
(208,881)
(739,411)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Payment of fnance lease liabilities
(10,513)
(8,870)
NET CASH USED IN FINANCING ACTIVITIES
(10,513)
(8,870)
CHANGE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS IN THE YEAR
(154,409)
(1,167,207)
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
1,802,357
2,969,561
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT THE END OF THE YEAR
1,647,948
1,802,357
Cash and cash equivalents are comprised of:
Cash at bank and in hand
1,647,948
1,802,357
1,647,948
1,802,357
ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN NET DEBT
At start
of year
£
Cash
fows
£
At end
of year
£
Cash
1,802,357
(154,409)
1,647,948
Finance lease obligations
(22,655)
10,513
(12,142)
1,779,702
143,896
1,635,806|2024
£
1,691,962
655,446
(1,886,566)
(6,500)
(681,878)
132,100
160,471|2023
£
(196,365)
646,774
84,572
(194)
(930,118)
730,718
(754,310)|
||64,985|(418,923)|
||681,878
(397,260)
6,500
(500,000)
(1,153,035)
1,430,422
(277,386)|
930,118
(169,713)
194
(1,500,010)
(1,939,214)
1,394,861
544,351|
||(208,881)|(739,411)|
||(10,513)|(8,870)|
||(10,513)|(8,870)|
||(154,409)
1,802,357|(1,167,207)
2,969,561|
||1,647,948|1,802,357|
||1,647,948|
1,802,357|
||1,647,948|
1,802,357|
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A C C O U N T I N G P O L I C I E S
## Accounting Policies
## BASIS OF PREPARATION
The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant notes to these accounts.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) effective 1 January 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Charities Act 2011 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended).
The financial statements have been prepared to give a ‘true and fair’ view and have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a ’true and fair’ view. This departure has involved following Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing these accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (the Charities SORP (FRS 102) effective 1 January 2019) rather than the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice effective from 1 April 2005, which has since been withdrawn. The trust constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
## ASSESSMENT OF GOING CONCERN
The Trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for the foreseeable future, being a period of at least 12 months from the date that these financial statements have been signed. In arriving at this conclusion, the charity has prepared a detailed budget and cash flow
forecast to end of September 2025. The Trustees consider that the charity has sufficient unrestricted reserves, in the form of cash and a liquid investment portfolio, that could be drawn upon, should the charity be required to do so in order to meet its costs for the foreseeable future, being a period of at least 12 months from the date that these financial statements have been signed. On this basis, the Trustees consider that it is appropriate to prepare the financial statements on a going-concern basis.
## FIXED ASSETS
Functional property is capitalised at cost except in the case of historic property for which no cost information is available. Such property has been capitalised using the derived cost method based on insurance replacement value and retail price index. The year the property was built is used for this purpose and as such enhanced expenditure is also incorporated into cost.
Tangible fixed assets are being depreciated over their useful economic lives. The following rates are used:
**Historic Property** : over expected useful lives between 10 and 371 years
**Other Freehold Property** : over expected useful lives between 10 and 50 years
**Motor Vehicles** : over 4 years on a straight-line basis **Fixtures and Fittings** : over 4 years on a straightline basis. **Leases** : over 7 years
**Assets in course of construction** : not depreciated.
Assets are reviewed for impairment when evidence of such impairment arises. Expenditure on tangible items is not capitalised where it is less than £2,500 or where the view is taken that it is incapable of providing any future economic benefit to the Charity.
## WORKS OF ART AND HISTORIC TREASURES
Individual works of art, historic treasures and plate are not capitalised as a valuation is not considered practical. Such items as are in the possession of the Charity were created for use in religious worship or devotion and
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A C C O U N T I N G P O L I C I E S
continue to be used for these purposes. The Charity maintains stewardship by keeping a full inventory and has no intention of disposing of any of the works of art, historic treasures and plate so long as this use continues.
## INVESTMENTS
All investments are valued at their market value at the balance sheet date. It is considered that market value best represents a true and fair view of the value of these assets to the Charity. Gains and losses on disposal of the investments are treated as realised. Gains and losses on the revaluation of investments are treated as unrealised. Both are recorded in the Statement of Financial Activities. Investment management fees are recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities when incurred.
## FOREIGN CURRENCIES
Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated at the rate of exchange ruling at the balance sheet date. Transactions in foreign currencies are recorded at the rate of ruling at the date of trans action. All differences are taken to the Statement of Financial Activities.
## LIABILITIES
Liabilities are recorded in the financial statements when the Trustees have made a commitment to acquire goods or services.
## DONATIONS AND LEGACIES
Donations and legacies are accounted for in accordance with the requirements of the SORP (being entitlement, probability and measurement). Legacies are considered receivable once the value of the legacy has been determined and probate has been granted. Legacies received by friars of the Province, who have signed Deeds of Disponor in favour of The Dominican Council, are classified as legacy income. Donated assets and services are recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities when a reliable estimate of the value to the charity can be readily obtained.
Pension income for professed members of the Order is accounted for when it is receivable.
## ACTIVITIES FOR RAISING FUNDS
Fundraising, publications and other similar income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities when the relevant amount of income becomes receivable or the item has been sold. Property rental income is accounted for when it is receivable in accordance with the terms of the relevant agreements.
## INVESTMENT INCOME
Investment income is accounted for when notified by the Charity’s investment portfolio manager. Deposit interest is accounted for on a receivable basis. Interest received on cash held with investment managers is accounted for as investment income.
## CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
The costs of charitable activities are accounted for when they become payable. They include apportioned support costs.
## SUPPORT AND GOVERNANCE COSTS
Within this heading are incorporated management and administration costs, and any other costs not directly constitutive of charitable activity, generation of funds or governance. Where support costs are attributable to a particular charitable activity, they are allocated to that activity. General support costs are apportioned on the basis of the direct costs of each activity.
## NATIONAL INSURANCE CONTRIBUTIONS FOR FRIARS
The Province pays voluntary (class 3) national insurance contributions for friars when these will count towards the provision of State Pension. These costs are recognised at the end of the tax year in which HM Revenue and Customs issues notice of a gap in National Insurance Contributions.
## GRANTS RECEIVABLE
Grants receivable are accounted for in accordance with the terms of the grant, and are recognised when the conditions for receipt have been complied with.
## PENSIONS RECEIVABLE
## RETIREMENT BENEFITS
The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for its employees. The amount charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in respect of pension costs is the contributions payable in the year.
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A C C O U N T I N G P O L I C I E S
## TAXATION
The English Province of the Order of Preachers is a registered charity and as such its income and gains falling within Sections 518 to 564 of the Income Taxes Act 2007 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 are exempt from income tax and capital gains tax to the extent that they are applied to charitable objectives.
## RESTRICTED FUNDS
Restricted funds can only be applied for a particular purpose. Most restricted funds of the charity are ‘branch funds’, restricted to use for the particular purposes of a branch of the charity (a priory, a parish or Blackfriars Hall) while that branch continues in existence. Some branch funds have more specific designations; others have further restrictions that would have to be respected even in the event of a branch ceasing to operate.
There are also central restricted funds, the principal of which are:
- Training Funds – to support training of student friars of the Order;
- Historic Property Fund – comprising the Historic Property Fixed Assets (see ‘Fixed Assets’ above);
- Mission Funds – to support various missions of the Order.
## CONNECTED CHARITY
The Hoper Dixon Trust is considered to be a connected charity because the Dominican Council is one of the Trustees. The Trust’s accounts are not consolidated within those of the English Province of the Order of Preachers because in the opinion of the officers of the Dominican Council the Order does not have control of the Trust. The Trust’s Statement of Financial Activities and Balance Sheet are given in notes 17 and 18 respectively.
## FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
The Charity only has financial instruments and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value.
## LEASES
Leases are classified as finance leases where the terms of the lease transfer substantially all the risks and rewards incidental to ownership of the equipment from the lessor to the lessee.
As a lessee: equipment held under finance leases are recognised on the Balance Sheet at the commencement of the lease at its fair value measured at the lease’s inception. The asset recognised is matched by a liability for the obligation to pay the lessor.
## UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
The unrestricted funds of the Charity comprise general purpose funds and designated funds. General purpose funds are retained to cover future direct charitable costs, general support costs, and investment management costs.
Designated funds are those parts of the Charity’s unrestricted funds designated by the Trustees to be used for particular purposes in the future. The Trustees have the power to reallocate such funds. The principal designated funds are:
Finance charges are recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities.
## CRITICAL ACCOUNTING JUDGEMENTS AND ESTIMATION UNCERTAINTY
The charity makes estimates and assumptions concerning the future. There are no estimates and assumptions that have a risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities within the next financial year.
- Study Funds – representing amounts designated for expenditure on students’ study costs.
- Sick Funds – representing amounts designated for expenditure on the care of sick and elderly friars.
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N O T E S T O T H E F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S
## Notes to the Financial Statements
## 1. ANALYSIS OF INCOME
|TOTAL INCOME|Other Income|Total Charitable Activities|Pensions received|Educational services|Ministerial services|Charitable Activities|Income from listed investments|Total Other Trading Activities|Property|Fundraising, publications etc.|Other Trading Activities|Total Donations and Legacies Income|Grants received|Legacies|Donations and gifts|Donations and Legacies|INCOME|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|718,485|-|207,027|184,955|-|22,072||385,809|99,328|96,328|3,000||26,321|-|6,000|20,321|||£|2024|Funds|Unrestricted|
|3,583,974|9,556|1,187,014|30,802|501,649|654,563||296,069|331,526|320,534|10,992||1,759,809|331,323|318,141|1,110,345|||£|2024|Funds|Restricted|
|4,302,459|9,556|1,394,041|215,757|501,649|676,635||681,878|430,854|416,862|13,992||1,786,130|331,323|324,141|1,130,666|||£|2024|Funds|Total|
|1,054,176|4,274|173,580|141,913|-|31,667||656,954|135,866|123,608|12,258||83,502|2,010|-|81,492|||£|2023|Funds|Unrestricted|
|3,274,496|14,788|1,284,839|25,926|653,797|605,116||273,164|73,029|61,332|11,697||1,628,676|560,494|53,209|1,014,973|||£|2023|Funds|Restricted|
|4,328,672|19,062|1,458,419|167,839|653,797|636,783||930,118|208,895|184,940|23,955||1,712,178|562,504|53,209|1,096,465|||£|2023|Funds|Total|
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N O T E S T O T H E F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S
## 2. ANALYSIS OF EXPENDITURE
|Total|Funds|2023|£||114,860|117,175|232,035||980,071|611,741|121,716|1,632,429|862,473|4,208,430|4,440,465|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Restricted|Funds|2023|£||4,565|-|4,565||868,000|476,268|21,861|1,355,486|778,762|3,500,377|3,504,942|
|Unrestricted|Funds|2023|£||110,295|117,175|227,470||112,071|135,473|99,855|276,943|83,711|708,053|935,523|
|Total|Funds|2024|£||216,772|129,882|346,654||1,130,800|678,548|94,035|1,430,474|816,552|4,150,409|4,497,063|
|Restricted|Funds|2024|£||7,307|-|7,307||1,088,674|468,652|24,374|1,199,988|785,305|3,566,993|3,574,300|
|Unrestricted|Funds|2024|£||209,465|129,882|339,347||42,126|209,896|69,661|230,486|31,247|583,416|922,763|
||||Notes|||||3||||||||
|ANALYSIS OF EXPENDITURE||||COSTS OF RAISING FUNDS|Costs of raising voluntary income|Investment management costs|Total costs of raising funds|EXPENDITURE ON CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES|Educational|Pastoral works and projects|Care for sick and elderly friars|Property upkeep|Support of the friars and communities|Total charitable activities|TOTAL EXPENDITURE|
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N O T E S T O T H E F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S
## 3. APPORTIONMENT OF SUPPORT COSTS
|. APPORTIONMENT OF S
CENTRAL SUPPORT COSTS
Friars
Staff
General administration
Governance costs
Audit & accountancy fees
Legal fees
Other professional Fees
Total central support costs
BRANCH SUPPORT COSTS
TOTAL SUPPORT COSTS 2024
TOTAL SUPPORT COSTS 2023|UPPORT COSTS
Fund-
raising
£
Educat-
ional
£
Pastoral
£
Sick &
Elderly
£
Property
£
Friars &
Comm-
unities
£
Total
£
14,615
5,142
17,757
4,905
18,496
1,591
62,506
27,927
9,825
33,932
9,373
35,344
3,040
119,441
24,626
8,664
29,922
8,265
31,166
2,681
105,324
11,363
3,998
13,807
3,814
14,381
1,237
48,600
870
306
1,057
292
1,101
95
3,721
6,713
2,362
8,156
2,253
8,496
731
28,711|
|---|---|
||86,114
30,297
104,631
28,902
108,984
9,375
368,303
816
209,102
20,489
-
-
67,217
297,624|
||86,930
239,399
125,120
28,902
108,984
76,592
665,927|
|||
||-
402,576
62,447
9,245
123,994
135,211
733,473|
Central support costs are apportioned to activities in proportion to directly incurred expenditure. Branch support costs are allocated to the principal activity of the branch incurring the cost. Included in Audit and accountancy fees are audit fees of £18,750 (2023: £18,750).
## 4. STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS
|. STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS|||
|---|---|---|
||2024|2023|
|STAFF NUMBERS|||
|Average number of Employees|24|25|
|Average number of FTE Employees|14|15|
The number of employees who earned £60,000 per annum or more (including taxable benefits but excluding employer’s pension contributions) during the year was as follows:
|2024
£60,001 - £70,000
1
STAFF COSTS
£
Salaries/Wages
636,332
Employer's national insurance costs
52,964
Pension costs
83,786
Total Staff Costs
773,082
No remuneration is paid to the trustee corporation or its directors.
VOLUNTEER NUMBERS
Total Lay Volunteers
70
Total Full Time Equivalent Lay Volunteers
5|2024
1
£
636,332
52,964
83,786|2023
1
£
606,529
48,563
80,827|
|---|---|---|
||773,082|
735,919|
|||54
4.8|
Note: for the sake of clarity, friars are no longer included here as volunteers.
62
THE DOMINICAN FRIAR S ANNUAL R EPORT 2024
N O T E S T O T H E F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S
## 4. STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS (CONT.)
For the purposes of this report, employees are those who have contracts of employment. The figures do not include persons paid through payroll from time to time who have no contracted hours; typically, such persons provide teaching or other ad hoc services to Blackfriars Hall, and are either employees of other institutions or students doing small amounts of part-time work.
The charity considers its key management personnel is comprised of its Trustees and other members of the Provincial Council, all of whom are Friars. The total
employment benefits, including employer pension cost of key management personnel, were £nil (2023: £nil). The total of expenses reimbursed to key management personnel was £nil (2023: £nil).
The principal roles of non-friar volunteers are answering the door and telephone at the priories in Oxford and Cambridge, and church cleaning, flower arranging and similar tasks in Leicester and London, along with singing in the church choirs. The average number of hours worked by these volunteers each week is 2.8.
## 5. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS USED FOR CHARITABLE PURPOSES
|Inalienable
Property
£
ASSET COST
Balance brought forward
1 October 2023
1,000,613
Additions
-
Disposals
-
Balance carried forward
30 September 2024
1,000,613
ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION
Balance brought forward
1 October 2023
487,747
Disposals
-
Charge for year
4,539
Balance carried forward
30 September 2024
492,286
NET BOOK VALUE
Brought forward
1 October 2023
512,866
Carried forward
30 September 2024
508,327|Inalienable
Property
£
1,000,613
-
-|
Other
Property
£
9,704,620
2,988
-|
Motor
Vehicles
£
66,909
43,587
(19,827)|
Fixtures &
Fittings
£
2,891,028
350,685
(11,368)|
Total
£
13,663,170
397,260
(31,195)|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||1,000,613|
9,707,608|
90,669|
3,230,345|
14,029,235|
|||
3,664,185
-
286,321|
62,334
(19,827)
14,723|
2,445,208
(5,684)
349,863|
6,659,474
(25,511)
655,446|
||492,286|
3,950,506|
57,230|
2,789,387|
7,289,409|
||512,866|
6,040,435|
4,575|
445,820|
7,003,696|
||508,327|
5,757,102|
33,439|
440,958|
6,739,826|
Historic property includes churches, places of worship and priories owned and occupied by the Order.
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THE DOMINICAN FRIAR S ANNUAL R EPORT 2024
N O T E S T O T H E F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S
## 6. INVESTMENTS
|Total
100.0%|Cash
6.9%|Alternatives
7.7%|Property
0.0%|Fixed Income
17.2%|Global Equities
60.6%|UK Equities
7.6%|Catholic Charities Growth & Income Fund was as follows:|* As of 30 September 2024, the composition of the||23,139,111|Cash held in investment fund
324,071|Market Value at 30 September
22,815,040|Net gain/(loss) on revaluation
1,886,566|Disposals Proceeds
(1,430,422)|Additions at Cost
1,153,085|Capital added
500,000|Market Value at 1 October
20,705,810|£|2024||16,863,582|BlackRock Institutional Cash Series
1,500,010|Funds managed by Evelyn Partners**
7,033,325|Catholic Charities Growth & Income Fund*
8,330,247|£|Cost|INVESTMENTS|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Total
100.0%|Cash
3.3%|Alternatives and Multi-Asset
8.9%|Property
4.7%|Fixed Income
13.7%|Global Equities
52.2%|UK Equities
17.2%|Funds managed by Evelyn Partners was as follows:|** As of 30 September 2024, the composition of the||20,752,495|46,685|20,705,810|(84,572)|(1,394,861)|1,939,214|1,500,010|18,746,019|£|2023||23,139,111
16,363,582
20,752,495|1,600,011
1,500,010
1,519,363|9,781,478
6,533,325
8,402,564|11,757,622
8,330,247
10,830,568|£
£
£|Market Value
Cost
Market Value|30 September 2024
30 September 2023|
64
THE DOMINICAN FRIAR S ANNUAL R EPORT 2024
N O T E S T O T H E F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S
## 7. DEBTORS
|. DEBTORS||
|---|---|
|DEBTORS
Trade debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
Other
Total Debtors
. CREDITORS
CREDITORS
Amounts falling due within one year
Trade creditors
Taxation and social security
Accruals and deferred income
Other
Total Creditors
Deferred income (analysis)
At 1 October
Amount released to income
Amount deferred in the year
At 30 September|2024
£
2023
£
92,973
36,740
1,367,546
1,554,120
117
1,876|
||1,460,636
1,592,736|
||2024
2023
£
£
413,679
444,061
13,492
14,484
147,232
42,225
126,254
45,099|
||700,657
545,869|
||13,676
1,027,891
(13,676)
(1,027,891)
41,364
13,676|
||41,364
13,676|
## 8. CREDITORS
Deferred income represents tuition fees invoiced in advance, unsaid Masses, and advance rent received.
## 9. TRANSACTIONS WITH TRUSTEES
The Trustees of the Charity are also members of the Order and as such have taken vows of poverty under which they renounce all personal right to income and
capital. The Charity provides for the essential needs of all members of the Order within the Province.
## 10. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Members of the Order arranged for grants totalling £13,684 (2023: £15,409) to be made from the Hoper Dixon Trust, a trust of which the Dominican Council is a Trustee. The beneficiaries of the Hoper Dixon Trust are the poor connected with or in the neighbourhood of any house or pastoral centre under the direction of Dominicans of the English Province of the Order of Preachers. The Hoper Dixon Trust’s Statement of Financial Activities and Balance Sheet are reproduced in notes 17 and 18 respectively.
As of 30 September 2024, the Hoper Dixon Trust owed the English Province of the Order of Preachers the sum of £2,362 (2023: £9,422) in respect of grants approved and payable.
Fr Simon Gaine OP is Director of the Thomistic Institute at the Angelicum, Rome. The Institute made a payment to the Charity of £779 (2023: £2,150) in respect of teaching provided by brothers of the Province. Payments to the Institute totalled £1,533 (2023: £544) for diploma certificates.
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N O T E S T O T H E F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S
## 11. FUNDS 2024
|Total Funds||Total Unrestricted Funds|Total General Funds|Province Revenue|Province Capital|GENERAL|Total Designated Funds|Other|Glasgow|Sutcliffe|Development|Sick & Elderly funds|Training & Study funds|DESIGNATED|Total Restricted Funds||Other funds|Inalienable property|Novice & Student training funds|Caribbean Mission|Province Funds||Aquinas Institute|Las Casas Institute|Blackfriars Hall|Studium|Priory & Parish Fabric & special project funds|Priory & Parish operating funds|Branch Funds|RESTRICTED|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|30,590,241||11,675,315|3,195,643|441,782|2,753,861||8,479,672|438,957|345,012|186,442|167,960|4,096,661|3,244,640||18,914,926|5,042,878|206,838|512,865|4,069,899|253,276||13,872,048|9,720|332,621|1,485,114|1,319,978|8,887,917|1,836,698||£|2023|Balance at 1
October|
|4,302,459||718,485|401,012|271,130|129,882||317,473|2,279|10,000|-|8,742|249,630|46,822||3,583,974|233,407|55,639|-|106,175|71,593||3,350,567|6,929|88,242|550,843|169,052|225,611|2,309,890||£||Income|
|(4,497,063)||(922,763)|(680,587)|(550,705)|(129,882)||(242,176)|(11,054)|(9,500)|-|(123,696)|(98,515)|589||(3,574,300)|(167,494)|(43,430)|(4,539)|(87,954)|(31,571)||(3,406,806)|(12,947)|(127,809)|(570,914)|(480,076)|(657,526)|(1,557,534)||£||Expenditure|
|1,886,566||969,097|387,141|-|387,141||581,956|(18,056)|33,822|(45,249)|15,073|329,368|266,998||917,469|405,001|2,309|-|376,668|26,024||512,468|0|0|(135,200)|12,117|525,332|110,219||£||Gains/
(Losses)|
|-||273,982|3,610,240|50,544|3,559,696||(3,336,258)|295,305|-|(141,193)|68,679|-|(3,559,049)||(273,982)|(108,291)|2,452|-|(103,787)|(6,956)||(165,691)|(280)|(3,277)|31,283|(21,215)|446,221|(618,423)||£||Transfers|
|32,282,203||12,714,116|6,913,449|212,751|6,700,698||5,800,667|707,431|379,334|-|136,758|4,577,144|-||19,568,087|5,405,501|223,808|508,326|4,361,001|312,366||14,162,586|3,422|289,777|1,361,126|999,856|9,427,555|2,080,850||£|2024|Balance at 30
September|
The transfers represent the obligations of the Province to support the friars and activities of Blackfriars Hall and the individual priories, and also the obligations of the Hall and priories to support the central costs of the Province. Definitions of the Funds named here can be found on p.68.
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THE DOMINICAN FRIAR S ANNUAL R EPORT 2024
N O T E S T O T H E F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S
## FUNDS 2023
|Balance at 30
September|2023|£||1,836,698|8,887,917|1,485,114|1,319,978|332,621|9,720|13,872,048||253,276|4,069,899|512,865|206,838|5,042,878|18,914,926||3,244,640|4,096,661|167,960|186,442|345,012|438,957|8,479,672||2,753,861|441,782|3,195,643|11,675,315||30,590,241|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Transfers||£||(358,848)|236,992|34,128|(21,457)|(17,174)|(94)|(126,453)||(317)|(102,665)|-|(247)|(103,229)|(229,682)||-|-|80,858|-|-|-|80,858||-|148,824|148,824|229,682||-|
|Gains/
(Losses)||£||(13,162)|(107,920)|11,965|(2,321)|-|-|(111,438)||(5,220)|(21,860)|-|(468)|(27,548)|(138,986)||53,220|66,063|(4,357)|(3,630)|(6,722)|4,004|108,578||(54,161)|(3)|(54,164)|54,414||(84,572)|
|Expenditure||£||(1,533,359)|(655,034)|(592,623)|(498,823)|(93,690)|(16,206)|(3,389,735)||(27,174)|(83,494)|(4,539)|-|(115,207)|(3,504,942)||(11,048)|(137,049)|(120,726)|-|(22,500)|(7,443)|(298,766)||(117,175)|(519,582)|(636,757)|(935,523)||(4,440,465)|
|Income||£||1,859,016|114,662|697,521|193,817|292,142|1,182|3,158,340||8,576|105,109|-|2,471|116,156|3,274,496||58,638|220,648|3,487|-|10,000|-|292,773||117,175|644,228|761,403|1,054,176||4,328,672|
|Balance at 1
October|2022|£||1,883,051|9,299,217|1,334,123|1,648,762|151,343|24,838|14,341,334||277,411|4,172,809|517,404|205,082|5,172,706|19,514,040||3,143,830|3,946,999|208,698|190,072|364,234|442,396|8,296,229||2,808,022|168,315|2,976,337|11,272,566||30,786,606|
|||RESTRICTED|Branch Funds|Priory & Parish operating funds|Priory & Parish Fabric & special project funds|Blackfriars Hall|Studium|Las Casas Institute|Aquinas Institute||Province Funds|Caribbean Mission|Novice & Student training funds|Inalienable property|Other funds||Total Restricted Funds|DESIGNATED|Training & Study funds|Sick & Elderly funds|Development|Sutcliffe|Glasgow|Other|Total Designated Funds|GENERAL|Province Capital|Province Revenue|Total General Funds|Total Unrestricted Funds||Total Funds|
Definitions of the Funds named here can be found on p.68.
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N O T E S T O T H E F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S
## 11. (CONT.) FUNDS DEFINITIONS
## RESTRICTED FUNDS
**Priory & Parish operating funds:** each priory and parish has a General fund from which the costs of day-to-day operations are met, generated
from donations and income earned by the friars which they assign to their house.
**Priory & Parish Fabric & special project funds:** priory & parish fixed assets, fabric maintenance and renewal.
**Blackfriars Hall:** funds generated by the Hall for its operations.
**Studium:** funds held by the Studium for its operations, including the unspent element of a grant of £2m by the Society of Jesus made in 2021 to support the training of candidates for the priesthood.
**Las Casas Institute:** for the projects of the Las Casas Institute.
**Aquinas Institute:** for the projects of the Aquinas Institute.
**Caribbean Mission:** the Province actively fundraises for its brethren in Jamaica and Grenada.
**Novice & Student training funds:** The English Dominican Noviciate Guild (EDNG) monies for the formation and training of novices and student brothers.
**Inalienable Property:** the Province’s priory and church buildings.
## DESIGNATED FUNDS
**Training & Study funds:** to supplement restricted EDNG funds.
**Sick & Elderly funds:** for the care of sick and elderly brothers.
**Development:** to support the development of fundraising capacity across the Province.
**Sutcliffe:** for the purposes of absorbing unexpected, unbudgeted expenditure.
**Glasgow:** Funds transferred from Glasgow priory on its closure, used for the upkeep of a brother who remained in Glasgow.
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N O T E S T O T H E F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S
## 12. ALLOCATION OF ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||2024|£|23,139,111|6,265,429|474,397|3,108,584|(700,657)|(4,661)|32,282,203|||||2023|£|20,752,495|6,553,301|450,395|3,395,093|(545,869)|(15,174)|30,590,241|
|Total|Restricted|Funds|£|12,511,261|4,962,748|465,264|1,836,144|(202,669)|(4,661)|19,568,087|||Total|Restricted|Funds|£|11,021,070|5,175,239|441,019|2,377,253|(84,481)|(15,174)|18,914,926|
|Total|Province|Restricted|£|4,350,213|1,041,542|-|13,746|-|-|5,405,501|||Total|Province|Restricted|£|3,960,523|1,073,713|-|9,063|(421)|-|5,042,878|
|Total|Branch|Funds|£|8,161,048|3,921,206|465,264|1,822,398|(202,669)|(4,661)|14,162,586|||Total|Branch|Funds|£|7,060,547|4,101,526|441,019|2,368,190|(84,060)|(15,174)|13,872,048|
|Total|Unrestricted|Funds|£|10,627,850|1,302,681|9,133|1,272,440|(497,988)|-|12,714,116|||Total|Unrestricted|Funds|£|9,731,425|1,378,062|9,376|1,017,840|(461,388)|-|11,675,315|
|ALLOCATION OF ASSETS
Province|BETWEEN FUNDS 2024
General
Province|Purpose
Designated|£
£|Investments
5,592,868
5,034,982|Property
544,407
758,274|Other fxed assets
1,722
7,411|Current assets
1,272,440
-|Creditors: amounts falling due
in less than one year
(497,988)
-|Creditors: amounts falling due
in more than one year
-
-|Net Assets
6,913,449
5,800,667||alances of the principal Province funds are given in note 11.|ALLOCATION OF ASSETS
Province|BETWEEN FUNDS 2023
General
Province|Purpose
Designated|£
£|Investments
2,288,103
7,443,322|Property
324,017
1,054,045|Other fxed assets
31,724
(22,348)|Current assets
1,017,840
-|Creditors: amounts falling due
in less than one year
(466,041)
4,653|Creditors: amounts falling due
in more than one year
-
-|Net Assets
3,195,643
8,479,672|
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N O T E S T O T H E F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S
|13. ACTIVITIES IN SCOTLAND
Income from activities in Scotland
Expenditure on activities in Scotland
Net Income/(Expenditure) relating to activities in Scotland|2024
£
2023
£
400,469
501,658
(527,797)
(652,051)|
|---|---|
||(127,328)
(150,393)|
## 14. OPERATING & FINANCE LEASE COMMITMENTS
## OPERATING LEASES
The charity’s future minimum payments receivable under non-cancellable operating leases at the reporting date are as follows:
|he charity’s future minimum payments receivable under
re as follows:|non-cancellable operating leases at|
|---|---|
|Within one year
In 2–5 years
After more than 5 years|2024
£
2023
£
34,000
34,000
136,000
136,000
1,458,500
1,492,500|
||1,628,500
1,662,500|
Lease payments recognised as ‘other operating income’ in the period were £28,958 (2023: £55,126).
The charity leases a flat to students in Edinburgh on leases of no more than 12 months. These arrangements do not result in the recognition of investment properties and are treated as operating leases.
At the reporting date the charity had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payment under noncancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:
|oncancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:||
|---|---|
|Within one year
In 2 - 5 years|2024
£
2023
£
6,840
7,964
8,170
15,010|
||15,010
22,974|
## FINANCE LEASES
At the reporting date the charity had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payment under noncancellable finance leases, which fall due as follows:
|oncancellable fnance leases, which fall due as follows:||
|---|---|
|Equipment:
Within one year
In 2–5 years
Future fnance charges
Net carrying amount of obligations under fnance leases|2024
£
2023
£
12,312
12,312
4,860
17,172|
||17,172
29,484
(1,998)
(5,440)|
||15,174
24,044|
The charity had no commitments under non-cancellable finance leases at year end (2023: £Nil).
The finance leases are for telephone equipment which is rented for periods of up to 7 years. These are recognised as tangible fixed assets (see note 5). The lease agreements are for fixed lease payments and include an option to renew at the end of the term.
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N O T E S T O T H E F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S
## 15. CAPITAL COMMITMENTS
There were no capital commitments at 30 September 2024 (2023: £156,000).
## 16. HOPER DIXON TRUST STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
|INCOME
Investment income:
Income from investments
Income from bank deposits
TOTAL INCOME
EXPENDITURE
Expenditure on charitable activities:
Grants payable
Support costs for grants payable
TOTAL EXPENDITURE
NET GAINS/LOSSES ON INVESTMENT ASSETS
Net income/expenditure and movement in funds
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
Fund balances brought forward at 1 October
Fund balances carried forward at 30 September|Unrestricted Funds
Income
Fund
£
Designated
Capital
Fund
£
Total
2024
£
Total
2023
£
16,597
-
16,597
16,331
-
-
-
-|
|---|---|
||16,597
-
16,597
16,331
13,684
-
13,684
15,409
22
-
22
7|
||13,706
-
13,706
15,416
-
51,855
51,855
9,002|
||2,891
51,855
54,746
9,917
33,891
562,211
596,102
586,185|
||36,782
614,066
650,848
596,102|
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N O T E S T O T H E F I N A N C I A L S T A T E M E N T S
## 17. HOPER DIXON TRUST BALANCE SHEET
|FIXED ASSETS
Investments
CURRENT ASSETS
Bank balances
LIABILITIES
Creditors: amounts falling due
within one year
Net current assets
NET ASSETS
FUNDS
Unrestricted Funds
Income Fund
Capital Fund
TOTAL FUNDS|2024
£
614,066
39,144
(2,362)|2023
£
562,211
43,333
(9,442)|
|---|---|---|
||36,782|
33,891|
||650,848|
596,102|
||36,782
614,066|
33,891
562,211|
||650,848|
596,102|
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THE DOMINICAN FRIAR S ANNUAL R EPORT 2024
## The Dominican Friars
w w w . e n g l i s h . o p . o r g
## CONTACT DETAILS
Dominican Friars’ Development Office, Blackfriars, St Giles, Oxford OX1 3LY development@english.op.org 01865 610208