11 students graduated at St Mary’s University College, Twickenham. Klaus Reidel from St. Bede's in Newport Pagnell is the first on the front left and Father Ashley Beck, the Dean of Studies of the Permanent Diaconate Formation Programme is in the front centre.
Photo by Jessica Kirkdale of the Arundel and Brighton Diocese

For the first time, men in formation for the Permanent Diaconate have completed the new two-year Foundation Degree in Pastoral Ministry awarded by St Mary’s University College, Twickenham.

The graduation ceremony took place in the college chapel, which was visited six months previously by Pope Benedict XVI during his trip to the UK.  One of those graduating was Klaus Reidel from St. Bede's in Newport Pagnell. Klaus has since been ordained to the Permanent Diaconate on 18th June 2011.)

The ceremony was presided over by the Chair of Governors of the college, the Rt Revd George Stack, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster. Instead of inviting guest speakers, which is common on such occasions, the graduation started with a Service of Thanksgiving led by the College Chaplain, Fr Gerard Devlin.

The new degree gives a good theological and pastoral grounding with modules including Scripture, liturgy, the sacraments, ecclesiology, spirituality and church history. In their third and final year of formation, many diaconate students will achieve a full honours degree