The seminary has its own bookshop, some titles of which you are able to purchase from this website. Find out how below.

To purchase a copy of any of these books, please contact publishing@oscott.org, or send a cheque for the relevant amount (all prices displayed are inclusive of P&P) to the address on the right of this text. Please be sure to enclose a return address for your purchases and a clear list of the titles you wish to purchase.

Naomi Johnson, Curator
St Mary’s College, Oscott
Chester Road
Sutton Coldfield
West Midlands
B73 5AA

The Secular Priesthood in England and Wales: History, Mission and Identity

by Judith Champ

“This book presents a confident vision for the future of the secular priesthood in England and Wales. Drawing on the rich history of pastoral ministry from the medieval period, through the era of persecution to modern times it sets out to explore the unique identity of the priesthood, rooted in the history of the Church in England. While offering a fuller understanding of the past and this great priestly heritage, its key message is about the future.

“As the role of the priest and parish structures change constantly, it challenges many of the traditional ideas about priests in the 21st century: the misguided focus on numbers, both priests and Mass attendance, as a measure of growth or decline, success or failure; the vital need for priests to rely on each other in fraternity and friendship to survive living on their own, as most do; and the importance of developing a priestly rather than a clerical identity.

These are challenging times to be a priest and this book offers a road map and a vision for the secular priesthood to renew itself and its future mission in hope and confidence.”

(Dr Judith Champ, Church History Lecturer and Academic Tutor at Oscott College)

Copies are available for £14.50 each.

The Secular Priesthood in England and Wales History Mission and Identity by Judith Champ

A Seminary goes to War

by Judith Champ

“Like other community and family in Britain, World War One had a profound effect on Oscott College, not least that it forced Catholics to shed the social isolation they had embraced for decades. The call to arms, conscription, the demand for military chaplains, the overall stalemate, the ever-growing casualty lists and finally true insight into the pity of war all changed Oscott students and staff. This book examines the effects of the war through the lives of Oscott men, clerical and lay, some of whom survived the conflict, many of whom were killed. In particular it focuses on the role of military chaplains, where and how they should operate to serve the troops most effectively and the practical difficulties they faced.

“The book also reflects on changing attitudes in Oscott as the stalemate of the war gradually turned jingoism to exhaustion, quoting letters sent to Oscott from the front. Of particular interest is the author’s research into the post-war era at Oscott and the ways in which the war changed attitudes to training and priestly ministry. Lavishly illustrated with many original photos this highly readable book is a delight that will bring to the reader joy and sadness in equal measure as it reflects on this crucial period in the history of Oscott College.”

(Dr Judith Champ, Church History Lecturer and Academic Tutor at Oscott College)

Copies are available for £12.00 each.

A Seminary Goes to War: St Mary's College Oscott and the First World War

Psalm 63: A Study of its Imagery and Theology in the Context of the Psalter

by Zbigniew Zieba

“Psalm 63 has often been called ‘the pearl of the Psalter’. It has been used at morning prayer in the monastic and church offices through the centuries, and along with corresponding imagery in Psalms such as 42-3, 84 and 143 has been prominent in Jewish and Christian piety at times of weariness and thirsting for the presence of God. Zbigniew Zieba takes this familiar psalm and explores its rich imagery and metaphorical language not only in the context of psalmody, but also of similar prophetic texts in Isaiah and Jeremiah and of the poetry of the ancient Near East, particularly from Sumer and Ugarit. A later trajectory is also explored with reference to poets such as George Herbert and Henry Vaughan. Through this detailed study the reader not only learns much about the poetry and imagery of the Psalms in general but also finds new ways of using Psalm 63 in particular for personal reflection and private prayer.”

(Susan Gillingham, Professor of the Hebrew Bible, University of Oxford)

Copies are available for £10.50 each.

Psalm 63: A Study of its Imagery and Theology in the Context of the Psalter by Zbigniew Zieba

William Bernard Ullathorne: A Different Kind of Monk

by Judith Champ   

Ullathorne has been widely misread as simply a bluff, blunt Yorkshireman with a pompous and even aggressive style, aptly nicknamed ‘Monsignor Ego Solus’. In fact he had a profound understanding of the human spirit, including his own proud and impatient nature, and a clear appreciation of the social problems facing his people.

As a monk he was inspired by the powerful blend of stability and freedom which is the spirit of St Benedict, and as a bishop he became a wise father to the diocesan clergy and the greatest advocate and friend of women who found their fulfilment in convent life. His large heart, practical common sense and instinctive faith in God made him a humane and sympathetic leader, religious superior and friend, and a far more interesting and complex person than has previously been appreciated

This is the first new biography of Ullathorne since 1926.

Copies are available for £20.00 each.

The English Pilgrimage to Rome

by Dr Judith Champ    

This fascinating narrative of English pilgrims and pilgrimages to Rome from Saxon times to the present day acts as a packed gazetteer of the material trqaces of the English in Rome, enabling the reader to track their presence through the city’s monuments, churches and palazzi, and to use the stones and inscriptions of Rome and its environs to recover a sometimes forgotten but enlightening story

Copies are available for £15.00 each.

Th English Pilgimage to Rome Book Cover

Oscott College Chapel

Everything you could want to know about this phenomenal space at the heart of Oscott College. Tracing the history of this space from its conception by Joseph Potter to its execution under the artistic direction of A.W.Pugin, this excellent book is packed with information, explanations and images of this truly inspirational space

Copies are available for £5.00 each.

Oscott College Chapel Book Cover

Oscott in the Twentieth Century

by Michael Williams      

When Oscott College opened in 1794 it was the first foundation in England since the Reformation to provide for the education of Catholic priests. It’s contribution to the religious life of the country during the nineteenth century has been recognised, but there has been as yet no account of its more recent history. The dawn of the new century was the perfect time to review and reflect on the challenges and changes of the twentieth century and perhaps throw light on some of the difficulties that confronted clergy training at the turn of the century.

Copies are available for £12.50 each.

Oscott College in the 20th Century Book Cover

Other Publications

by the Birmingham Historical Commission: £4.00

John Milner

John Milner Book Cover

William Bernard Ullathorne

William Bernard Ullathorne Book Cover

150th Anniversary of the West Midlands Synod

150th anniversary of the First Westminster Synod Book Cover

St Chad of Lichfield and Birmingham

Saint Chad of Lichfield and Birmingham Book Cover

Catholic Bishops of Birmingham

The Catholic Bishops of Birmingham Book Cover