LAVINIA BYRNE
CURRICULUM VITAE
ADDRESS
38 South Street, Wells, Somerset BA5 1SL
DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH
10 March 1947 Edgbaston, Birmingham
INTERNET SITE
EDUCATION
1950-58 Holy Child Jesus Convent, Edgbaston
1958-64 St Mary’s Convent, Shaftesbury
Entered the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1964. Read Modern Languages (BA French and Spanish) at London University and obtained the Post-Graduate Certificate of Education from Cambridge University in 1971. Westminster Diploma in Theology 1970-1974. Post-Graduate Certificate in Information Studies in 1996. Left the IBVM 2000.
POSITIONS HELD
1971-85 Senior mistress Modern Languages at St Mary’s, Ascot; St Mary’s, Cambridge; St Mary’s, Shaftesbury; and the Bar Convent, York.
1985-90 Institute of Spirituality at Heythrop College, University of London and co-editor of two international journals of spirituality, THE WAY and THE WAY SUPPLEMENT. Regular retreat work and organising spirituality training programmes. Teaching for Heythrop’s Post-Graduate Certificate in Pastoral Studies and the Inter-Congregational Course for Religious in Formation at Tite Street.
1991-95 Associate Secretary for the Community of Women and Men in the Church at the Council of Churches for Britain and Ireland, including retreat and training courses for ordinands.
1995-6 Post-Graduate Information Studies at the University of North London, with courses in Information Retrieval Systems; Information Systems and their Users; Information and Society; Essentials of Management; The Bibliographic Control of Audio-Visual Materials; the Technology of Data Transfer and Handling; Desk-Top Publishing and Researching the Internet.
1997-03 Tutor at Westcott House, Cambridge.
2003-5 Reporter, The Wells Journal.
WORK EXPERIENCE
1996 January - February House of Commons Library.
1997 September- December BBC Religious Programmes, Manchester - including design of Internet pages for BBC 1’s ‘Lives of Jesus’.
BROADCASTING
Regular broadcaster with the BBC since 1988 on ‘Thought for the Day’. Presenter of the Daily Service on Radio 4 since 1994. BBC World Service ‘Words of Faith’ since 1990.
LANGUAGES
French - fluent written and spoken.
Spanish - competent reading and speaking.
Italian - adequate reading.
AWARDS
Honorary Doctor of Divinity, University of Birmingham, July 1997;
Visitor's Trophy, Dulcote and Dinder Village Fete, August 2001.
PUBLICATIONS
1985 Mary Ward: a pilgrim finds her way (Avila Press, Dublin)
1986 Young people: their spiritual journey (Avila Press, Dublin)
1988 Women before God (SPCK, London/23rd Publications, Mystic CN)
1989 Sharing the Vision (SPCK, London/Cowley Publications, MA)
1990 Traditions of Spiritual Guidance, ed. (Cassells, London)
1991 The Hidden Tradition, ed. (SPCK, London/Crossroads, New York)
1993 The Hidden Journey, ed. (SPCK, London)
1994 Woman at the Altar, (Mowbrays, London)
1995 The Hidden Voice, ed. (SPCK, London)
1997 A Time to Receive: Preparing for Easter with BBC Religious Programmes, (Hodder Headline)
1998 The Daily Service: 70 Years of Religious Broadcasting (Hodder Headline)
1998 The Life and Wisdom of Francis of Assisi; The Life and Wisdom of Teresa of Avila; The Life and Wisdom of Helena, the Mother of Constantine; The Life and Wisdom of Augustine of Hippo; The Life and Wisdom of Benedict; The Life and Wisdom of Margaret of Scotland; The Life and Wisdom of Catherine of Siena; The Life and Wisdom of Francis Xavier (Hodder Headline)
1999 The Dome of Heaven (Hodder Headline)
2000 The Journey is My Home (Hodder Headline)
2001 The Rhythm of the Hours (Hodder Headline)
2002 Pause for Thought (Hodder Headline)
2003 More Pause for Thought (Hodder Headline)
2008 Original Prayer (SPCK, London)
as well as various articles in THE WAY, THE WAY SUPPLEMENT, Review for Religious, The Tablet; book reviews for the above and for the Church Times and Catholic Herald; Universe column; Church Times diary; The Financial Times, Times Literary Supplement.
APPOINTMENTS
1986-90 IBVM Provincial Secretary; Archivist;
1991-95 CCBI’s Publications Committee
1992- Governor, St.Mary's School, Ascot;
1993 University Preacher, University of Oxford;
1993- Trustee, the Catholic Media Trust;
1995- Theological Advisor, Churches Commission on Inter-Faith Relations;
1996 Select Preacher, University of Cambridge;
1996- Internet Consultant for Catholic Bishops’ Conference;
2002- Governor, Horrington Primary
School;
2006-7 Chaplain to the Mayor of
Wells;
2007- Wells City Councilor – as an Independent.
TRAVEL
Workshops/retreats/seminars in the United States (Chicago, Phoenix);
Retreat Director Training and workshops in Canada (Guelph, Calgary);
Lecture Tour in Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Brisbane);
Seminars and Church visits in Continental Europe (Amsterdam, Brussels, Antwerp);
Summer school at the Ecole Catholique in Paris;
Regular visits to the WCC (Geneva);
Church leaders’ visit to NATO;
Church leaders’ CCJ study visit to Israel;
Visit to China, including the Amity Bible factory and theological college in Nanjing.
Conference on Pornography in the Philippines, including visits to child rehabilitation unit in the former Subic Bay base at Olangapo;
Church leaders’ visit to the Caribbean Conference of Churches with extended visits to projects in Surinam, Guyana, Barbados and Trinidad;
Exposure visit to India;
Tour to Syria and Jordan;
Lecture tours, preaching and visits in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
INTERESTS
Computers and cookery.