Yesterday was the last day of our first term at The Saint Benedict Academy. There is much to be thankful for. Two especially important milestones have been; the granting of the title “Catholic” by the Rt Rev Michael Campbell and the granting of charitable status by the Charity Commission.
We are extremely grateful to the Rt Rev Michael Campbell for granting the title “Catholic” to our young Academy. Canon Law states that “…no undertaking is to claim the name Catholic without the consent of competent ecclesiastical authority” (CIC, can. 216). Bishop Campbell has been very encouraging to us in these initial stages of St Benedict’s and this is a real confirmation of his support.
The Charity Commission has registered St Benedict’s as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). This is the body that runs the Academy. In years past, gaining charitable status was fairly easy, these days it has become harder, with the Charity Commission being (rightly) more cautious. The CIO model is a relatively new entity, only having been around for the last 5 years in England. It is another important step for us and we are grateful to our trustees for all their hard work.