Latin Language Course
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35 weeks
Part-time | Online
Starts 22 September 2026; application deadline 30 August 2026.
Maryvale HIRS
Overview
Latin is not a dead language. It is the living tongue of the Western Church, the language of the Mass, the Roman Breviary, the Vulgate and two millennia of theology and prayer. Ecclesial Latin for Beginners teaches Latin from the very start, with no prior knowledge assumed. Over thirty-five weeks the course moves from the alphabet, through the structure of Latin grammar, to short Latin texts: prayers, Psalm verses, parts of the Mass and pages of the Vulgate. It teaches Latin as a tool for prayer, reading and entry into the tradition. The aim is not virtuoso scholarship but literacy, the steady capacity to open the Missal, the Vulgate or a page of the Fathers and read with understanding. It is taught in-house by Dr Jack Bull.
Those who follow the Mass in Latin and want to understand it from within, catechists, lectors, lay theologians, and any serious reader of Scripture or the tradition who wants direct access to the Western Catholic tradition in its own voice.
Requirements
No prior knowledge of the language required
Computer or tablet with reliable internet access.
A working knowledge of English, minimum CEFR level B1. Non-native English speakers will need to provide written evidence of their level upon enrolment.
Course Fees
Six steps from first thought to enrolment. Take them at your own pace, and ask for help at any point.
2026 – 2027
£300
2027 - 2028
TBC
Structure & Modules
Thirty-five weeks of teaching, with a 75-minute weekly live lecture on Canvas covering instruction, questions, discussion and translation practice. The course follows a graded progression: the alphabet and pronunciation, the five declensions, the four conjugations, syntax, and the steady building of vocabulary drawn from the Mass, the Vulgate and the Roman Breviary. By the closing weeks, students read short selections of liturgical and patristic Latin directly.
Live lectures are on Tuesdays, 17:45 to 19:00 UK time. The course starts on 22 September 2026, with a maximum of 20 students. Course lead: Dr Jack Bull.
Set text, which students buy themselves: A Primer of Ecclesiastical Latin by John F. Collins.
Programme Director
Dr Jack Bull
BDiv Deputy Director
Assistant Director of the Bachelor of Divinity and a scholar of early Christian literature who teaches Church Latin and Koine Greek at FE level.
Course Tutors
Dr Jack Bull
BDiv Deputy Director
Assistant Director of the Bachelor of Divinity and a scholar of early Christian literature who teaches Church Latin and Koine Greek at FE level.
Supervision & Assessment
Assessment is by a single final written exam, a passage of Ecclesial Latin to translate. The exam is optional. Students who wish to receive a certificate sit it; those who do not take the full course without it. The course leads to a Maryvale Higher Institute of Religious Sciences (HIRS) Certificate.
Accessibility
If you have a disability or any long-term condition that impacts on your day-to-day life, please download the Accessibility Form below, open and edit it in Acrobat Reader, and email or post the completed document to the Accessibility Coordinator (address included on the form), to ensure we can give you the best possible support during your course of study. Disclosing a disability will not be a factor in Institute’s decision as to whether or not to offer you a place on the course. However, it is important that the Institute knows if you have any specialist needs in order to provide you with appropriate support and facilities. This information will remain strictly confidential. For further information, please contact us to speak to the Accessibility Coordinator.
Contact us
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