Campion Hall, Oxford

Lovely to see our new beehives mentioned in the bumper August edition of The Tablet in this piece by our Fellow in Contemporary Church History, Dr Austen Ivereigh.

We couldn't resist sharing this lovely photo of our student cohort with their wonderful Senior Tutor, Dr Sarah Apetrei, on the final day of Trinity Term 2026.

We miss the buzz of student life filling the Hall over the summer, but we're already looking forward to October and the start of Michaelmas Term when we'll welcome back familiar faces and meet the newest members of our community.

Until then, we're wishing everyone a restful and rewarding summer.

A short film of the recent ceremony when the Papal Nuncio blessed Campion Hall's new beehives.

A Blessing for the Bees: The New Apiary at Campion Hall The gardens of Campion Hall welcomed a new apiary as His Excellency...

Allow us to share the story behind a refreshing bottle of summer ale... 🍺☀️

A local Oxford brewer recently created something special for the Campion Hall community... 'The Brag' beer. It is a light, refreshing summer ale inspired by the story of St Edmund Campion, our namesake and enduring spiritual inspiration.

But there's more to this beer than meets the eye. Let's take a closer look at the label...

One of its inspirations comes from the 'Battels' (basically, student bill for food and ale) from St John's College, Oxford, where Campion was a scholar and fellow. We can see on the label, pictured, the entry that "Mr Campion" was charged for food and ale in 1568. It's a rare and wonderfully human glimpse into the everyday life of the man who would later become a Jesuit, renowned scholar, priest and martyr. In the words of our Senior Development Manager, Colin Brady, "it's a very nice touch and a reminder that saints are human first of all. "

The beer takes its name from Campion's famous 'Brag' - his bold 1580 letter written before returning to England as a Jesuit missionary, in which he declared: "The expense is reckoned, the enterprise is begun..."

To complete the story, Campion Hall has stood for more than 90 years on the aptly named *Brewer Street*, a reminder of the malthouses and breweries, and William Hall, founder of Hall’s Brewery - long gone but its hare trademark can still be seen on a few pubs around the city - which once shaped this corner of Oxford...

So, a sip of history; bringing together the student life of Edmund Campion, an Oxford street steeped in brewing heritage, and a refreshing summer ale.

Cheers to that! 🍻

How can faith, scholarship and lived experience help us respond to one of the defining humanitarian challenges of our time?

This July, Campion Hall welcomed twelve participants from across the global Society of Jesus for the 2026 Pedro Arrupe Summer School in Forced Migration. Organised in partnership with the (JRS) and Boston College, the two-week programme combined academic study, Ignatian spirituality and practical engagement to prepare participants for ministry with refugees and forcibly displaced people.

You can more about the 2026 Summer School and its impact here:
🔗 https://www.campion.ox.ac.uk/news/campion-hall-welcomes-global-participants-2026-pedro-arrupe-summer-school-forced-migration

The short video below, filmed by Jesuits in Britain during the 2025 Pedro Arrupe Summer School, offers a glimpse into the programme and the experience of participants: https://youtu.be/HyX4IqrqR-0?si=IZmaTJaAcmfTf-aW

More to follow when we have a bit more time, but for the moment here are a few photographs from this evening at Campion Hall when we welcomed the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, who blessed our new beehives. We hope to be welcoming the occupants within a few weeks.
It’s been good to share this little celebration with participants on the Integral Ecology Summer School here.

On the Feast of St Ignatius of Loyola, it is fitting to celebrate a programme inspired by St Ignatius' understanding and practice of leadership as a ministry of discernment, service and mission.

This month, Campion Hall hosted the fourth Ignatian Leadership Programme for Jesuits in Formation, bringing together participants from across the Society of Jesus for two weeks of learning, prayer, reflection and practical leadership development.

Drawing on Ignatian spirituality, contemporary leadership studies and the psychology of human flourishing, the programme equips future Jesuit leaders to lead not through power, but through discernment, collaboration and a deep commitment to the mission of serving others.

As we celebrate the feast of the founder of the Society of Jesus, we give thanks for all who are preparing to lead with wisdom, compassion and courage in service of the Church and the world.

Read more about the programme here: https://www.campion.ox.ac.uk/news/campion-hall-hosts-fourth-ignatian-leadership-programme-jesuits-formation

Pictured:
1) Ignatius of Loyola and Companions. Polychrome wooden sculpture. Spanish (17th cent)

2) An image of the Ignatian Leadership group, taking a quiet moment to reflect, at Campion Hall, during their recent programme.

Jesuits in Britain

🎉 Congratulations to Professor Celia Deane-Drummond, Director of the Laudato Si' Research Institute , on being awarded the title of Professor of Contemporary Catholic Theology by the University of Oxford through its 2026 Recognition of Distinction exercise.

This well-deserved honour recognises Professor Deane-Drummond's outstanding contributions to theology, ethics, and interdisciplinary scholarship.

Revd Dr Nicholas Austin, SJ, Master of Campion Hall, shares: "I am absolutely delighted that Professor Celia Deane-Drummond's exceptional achievements have been recognised by the University in this way. Celia's scholarship has shown how theology can illuminate some of the defining ethical and ecological challenges of our time. Through her outstanding leadership of the Laudato Si' Research Institute, she has built a flourishing transdisciplinary community of scholars whose work embodies Campion Hall's Jesuit mission of intellectual excellence in the service of the common good. Her vision and leadership have greatly enhanced the Hall's international standing in theology and integral ecology, while inspiring colleagues and students alike through her generosity and commitment to our common home."

Read more about Celia's achievement here:
https://www.campion.ox.ac.uk/news/campion-hall-celebrates-professor-celia-deane-drummonds-recognition-distinction

Image: Tom Lucas ©Campion Hall
Jesuits in Britain

Yesterday, we shared the exciting news that our new bee hives are taking shape, ready to welcome their first residents! 🐝

In the meantime, why not read more about our respect for bees in the latest issue of Jesuits & Friends in Britain . The magazine features our story on 'The Wisdom of Bees' Integral Dialogue event hosted at Campion Hall earlier this year in collaboration with the Laudato Si' Research Institute

You can read the article online via the link below:

https://anyflip.com/vggbk/vhul