Leicester Square Catholic Herald Reporter
THE French Church, in Leicester Square, was even more
French than usual on Tuesday and Wednesday, of last week, when over a thousand French students, who are attending vocation' courses in England attended a special Mass. The boys' Mass was on Tuesday. the girls' on Wednesday.
The courses are organized by Seiours Cours de Valances en A ngleterre, (S.C.V.A.), which, its Director General, M. Roger Turgis, told me, is the largest Catholic organization in France for arranging school trips abroad.
M. Turgis, a lecturer in English at the Juilly College, who stays in Wembley for the duration of the courses. has been organizing them ever since the tide of war receded in Europe, in 1945.
There are two courses each year, in July and August. The pupils are split up into groups of about 40. either boys or girls. and centred in various towns. usually within easy reach of London, although this year, for the first time, there are groups in Dublin and Edinburgh. The pupils stay with English families. and have lessons together in specially opened selaools.
The Masses last week marked the beginning of the August course, and pupils I spoke to. some of whom had been on courses in previous years, were enthusiastic about the weeks ahead, including the not incon
siderable amount of time spent on English lessons.
CATHOLIC HERALD readers in many districts of the Home Counties will probably come across some of these French students during the next few weeks, if they have not already done so. To judge by M. Turgis' impressive organieation, their time in England will not he wasted,