Maryvale Institute

Maryvale lies at the centre of the ancient settlement of Oscott, about five miles from Birmingham City Centre. With its charming buildings, in which Christian values and prayer  are almost tangible, its long and interesting history and peaceful grounds, Maryvale is spiritual ‘home’ to many.

It has been the aim of the Maryvale Institute from its inception to provide opportunities for lay people, clergy and religious to achieve a deeper understanding of the faith and to appreciate more clearly its joyful message for the lives of individuals and communities.  Maryvale stands within the Catholic theological tradition, whose riches it seeks to explore, and draws from that tradition an insistence, not only on the foundational importance of faith for theological reasoning, but also on the place of reason in the response of faith.  In pursuance of this the Institute provides opportunities for Catholic formation and education through courses across a wide range of subjects and levels.

Maryvale has a well-equipped library, where internet access and computers are available to students, together with multi-media and audio-visual resources. The House can accomodate up to 150 people on a day basis in its lecture, conference and seminar rooms, and has study bedrooms to accomodate 40 students. The Bridgettine Sisters welcome guests and maintain a regular cycle of prayer in the Chapel. The Shrine to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a popular place of pilgrimage. The grounds include a Rosary walk with Stations of the Cross, ample car parking, and easy access to numerous sites of historic interest, Oscott College, the Birmingham Oratory and Birmingham City Centre

Vision

The vision for Maryvale Institute, as per the Trust Deed, is to be a diocesan, national and international college which:

• Lives and presents the Catholic faith, morality and its contribution to contemporary religious, moral and ethical issues;
• Provides a range of formation courses offered primarily, but not exclusively, to lay and consecrated religious members of the Church, especially those involved in catechesis or other lay apostolates;
• Takes a self-critical stance as an academic community in monitoring and evaluating its own courses and methods in the light of evidence gathered internally and that provided by external agencies to ensure the highest possible standards and relevance of its academic activities;
• Develops its courses and other activities according to the findings of ongoing evaluation procedures and in response to changing needs in the wider community, as advised by the Board of Trustees;
• Develops collaborative partnerships with other centres of Catholic theological education in the UK and elsewhere, and other UK higher education providers;

Mission Statement

The Mission of Maryvale Institute is to be a leader in the provision of lifelong learning for all, and research opportunities, in Catholic Evangelisation, Catechetics, Theology, Philosophy and Religious Education in order to serve Christ’s mandate and his Church’s mission of evangelisation in contemporary society. This provision is a distinctive combination of the methodology of distance learning and critical engagement with the Word of God in Scripture and Tradition, guided by the Church’s Magisterium. This work is carried out within an environment of Christian Faith, of academic and administrative quality, of open dialogue and the mutual valuing of the work, gifts and the personal and professional development of every member of the Institute.