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The Venerable English College (VEC) in Rome has produced a new brochure about the College, for the many Jubilee pilgrims who are visiting Rome this year - it gives a little insight into the life, history, and mission today of the College.

The Venerable English College was founded in Rome as the English Hospice in 1362. For over four hundred years the College welcomed and gave lodging to English and Welsh pilgrims as they visited the holy sites of the city. In the period of the Reformation, while the Hospice continued, it became a seminary for the training of Catholic priests from England and Wales. Forty-four of the College's students gave their lives for their Catholic faith as martyrs.

Today, the Venerable English College has a three-fold mission:

• to train men for the Catholic priesthood: helping them grow in love and holiness, in the image of Christ the Good Shepherd, so they can serve others and serve the mission of the Church

• to welcome pilgrims from Britain and beyond: so they can feel at home in the Eternal City and grow in their love for the Catholic faith

• to share its unique history and heritage: so the treasures of our past can inspire future generations.

Pilgrims are welcome to visit the College, with options including: 

• Group bookings for a tour and/or a private celebration of Mass

• Joining the College for its Community Mass: normally open to the public on Sunday at 10am and Wednesday at 6pm, but groups must pre-book at least two weeks before

• Professional art-historical tours of the art and architecture of the College. These one-hour tours take place on Saturdays.

The College's summer retreat at Palazzola - a Roman villa, then a medieval monastery, and now a guest house that is owned and run by the Venerable English College - is also available for individual or group holidays, pilgrimages, retreats or conferences.

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You can download the new brochure, and information about visiting the College, by clicking the buttons below.

‍Source: Venerable English College