Cathedral at Christ Church

Cathedral At Christ Church
A most prized possession of this cathedral - the Thomas Beckett stained glass. Apparently Henry VIII wanted the Beckett "cult" to disappear and ordered anything with his face to be destroyed. To preserve this beautiful work of art and religious devotion, they removed Beckett's face - you may be able to see this in the middle of the 3 panels.

Christ Church

Christ Church College
Christ Church is a very beautiful college. It is one of the most visited. Among the famous attendees they have John Locke, philosopher, Charles Dodgson a.k.a Lewis Carroll, author; W.H.Auden, poet, Albert Einstein, physicist; William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania; Sir Christopher Wren, architect.

Settling In

SUNDAY
Sunday was hectic day with an early morning arrival, a mishap with luggage at the airport, the drive to Oxford through the beautiful countryside, a nice brunch while our rooms were ready, check-up and unpacking, an orientation session, and a very nice reception also attended by our Tutors for the next 2 weeks. I think we all “crashed” that night!

MONDAY
On Monday we had sessions in the morning and afternoon and at around 4:30 we gathered in 2 groups and went for a walking tour of the downtown area with 2 local guides. That night we had a wonderful dinner hosted by the Director of Continuing Education - International Programs.

TUESDAY
Today we had a half day of classes and a free afternoon. A group of colleagues and I went to Jesus College to see a magnificent portrait of Elizabeth I and then to Christ Church College, originally named Cardinal College when it was founded 1525 by Cardinal Thomas Wolsley (archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor during Henry VIII’s reign). This is a beautiful place with a grand Hall (used as the focal point in the Harry Potter’s stories), and a magnificent Cathedral which also serves as the official cathedral for the diocese of Oxfordshire. Henry took over this college in the 1540s and this has been an Anglican cathedral since that time. When we were visiting, the choir was practicing for the evening services and it was a beautiful experience.