Endorsements
As someone who takes pride in my work and strives to deliver the best possible outcomes, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse range of individuals and organisations throughout my career. Their feedback and recommendations are a testament to the quality of my work and the positive impact I strive to make. In this suite of endorsements and recommendations, you will hear from those who have worked closely with me and can attest to my professionalism, expertise, and commitment to achieving results. I am honoured to have earned their trust and respect.
Endorsements for Speaking
“Thank you, Raymond for leading our wonderful retreat in the beautiful setting of Ampleforth. Truly inspirational!”
Barbara Reilly O’Donnell, Director of Ethos, Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Educational Trust
“The gift of Raymond Friel is timeliness. His material as a speaker is current and well-researched, often to a depth where others fear to tread, but always bringing us home to the Gospel so we know we are being fed from the source.”
Karen Foong, Chair of the National Conference of Ongoing Formation Directors for Clergy in England & Wales (CBCEW)
“I found Raymond inspirational and I’m definitely going to follow Examen as part of my spiritual nourishment.”
Delegate at the Catholic Headteachers Association of Scotland, National Conference, November 2021
“It’s a delight to listen to Raymond share his passion and his knowledge. It’s clear from the offset that he knows his stuff. He’s well read, he’s a published author, he’s a led a school that gained the Outstanding Ofsted grade. However, for me, the most important part… he gets it. He knows and understands the struggles of Catholic Leadership and walks beside you offering insight and inspiration.”
Julie-Anne Tallon, Director of Catholic Schools Partnership
“Raymond Friel is an inspirational Catholic educator and leader. He is gifted at imparting his wisdom, extensive experience, deep faith and knowledge of the Church in a way which resonates with others, motivating them to reflect on their own situations and respond in light of his insights. His stimulating talks and presentations continue to have an impact on those with whom he has worked and, in turn, on the lives of the pupils they teach.”
Professor Roisin Coll, Director of the St Andrew’s Foundation for Catholic Teacher Education, University of Glasgow
“Many thanks for giving up your time and energy to speak today. What you said was fantastic and will inspire our schools.”
Claire O’Neill, Adviser for Catholic Education, Westminster Diocese
“Inspirational framing of education from Raymond Friel.”
Delegate at the Holy Family CMAT Governors’ Conference, February 2023
“Raymond Friel’s input to Master’s level students in Christian Leadership in Education was both inspiring and challenging. I particularly welcomed how he brought together the best insights from corporate culture with original and innovative scholarship on servant leadership that was at the same time thoroughly grounded both biblically and theologically. I highly recommend his work. “
Rev Eamonn Conway, Professor of Integral Human Development, Notre Dame University, Australia
“All the team were presented with Raymond’s book 'How to Survive working in a Catholic school' and found the language and explanations insightful and helpful. Raymond has been into school leading formation sessions. The team always feedback that they feel invigorated, knowledgeable and filled with the Spirit. Raymond’s realistic understanding of the current education agendas, his theological insight and his empathy alongside his charismatic presentation skills ensure that people feel involved, challenged and ready to make an impact. I have Raymond on speed dial to ensure that as a headteacher I am leading an authentic Catholic school with the CST at the heart of our mission.“
Clare Hogg, Headteacher, St Thomas More Catholic High School, Crewe
Endorsements for Books
Catholic Social Teaching
Raymond has provided us with a valuable resource for Catholic Social Teaching. He shows that CST is an integral part of the gospel and not something that is an add on to the life and mission of the Church. He bases his work on the Scriptures and the Catholic Social Teaching of the Church from the encyclical Rerum Novarum to the present exhortations of Pope Francis in the Evangelii Gaudium and Laudato Si. As well as giving sound theology he provides a practical resource based on the model See, Judge and Act. He prefers the word discernment rather than judge following the example of Pope Francis who lays emphasis on the necessity to discern the way forward for the Church. I recommend this book to schools, parishes and charities.
Declan Lang, Bishop of Clifton
Formation of the Heart: the Why and How of Being a Catholic Today
Raymond Friel draws us into the joyful adventure of faith, showing how God’s revelation changes our horizons and transforms our world. Brilliantly readable, drawing on the best scholarship, yet always accessible and personal.
Austen Ivereigh, biographer of Pope Francis and Fellow of Campion Hall, Oxford
In a profound and moving yet accessible way, and solidly anchored in the teachings of the Church, Raymond Friel shares his reflections on the why and how of being a Catholic today. He takes the reader on a beautiful, rich and at times poetic journey, towards an intimate encounter, allowing us to get closer to the treasure where our hearts truly want to be.
Maria Nyman, Secretary General, Caritas Europa
How to Survive in Leadership in a Catholic School
To be a good Catholic headteacher means to do theology on your feet, to walk the God talk. This book clearly describes both the demands and the rewards of the journey.
Fr Christopher Jamison OSB, Abbot President of the English Benedictine Congregation.
Gospel Values for Catholic Schools: a practical guide for today
A serious contender to be a prescribed textbook in the formation of Catholic teachers and, most certainly, for those in or aspiring to be leaders of our schools.
Willie Slavin, former headteacher
It is a brilliant piece of focused professional scholarship. It brings together great clarity on the subject of Gospel Values , supported by in-depth biblical and theological knowledge and creative, practical suggestions for translating ideas into gospel reality in our schools.
Professor Gerald Grace, St Mary's University
At Your Side, A book for those who pray, those who want to pray and those who lead prayer, co-authored with David Wells
In At Your Side the authors of this beautiful, insightful, and sometimes challenging collection of prayers wish to help us to see that prayer is a heart-to-heart encounter with God, who loves us passionately, desires that we share our daily lives with him, and wants us to know that there is nothing that we experience that we cannot share with him in prayer.
Patrick McKinney, Bishop of Nottingham
This beautiful collection of prayers gives us just the right words to soothe and uplift the soul in every situation and helps us to find God in each moment of our daily life. This is a book of prayers to use again and again.
Dame Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England
Prayers for Schools: Original prayers and resources for teachers and chaplains
The soul of the Catholic school is its spirituality. In a highly competitive educational system this beating heart of inner faith and love is too often neglected, or ignored. Into this worrying scenario comes Raymond Friel’s Prayers for Schools which offers the graced vision that inspires young hearts to greater commitment. Through these new prayers for schools every classroom door is opened for the Holy Spirit to come and consecrate the daily sacred work of education.
Fr Daniel O’Leary, best-selling author and international speaker
How to Survive Working in a Catholic School, with Sr Judith Russi SSMN
By helping them to understand that each person, young or old, is a child of God and precious in his sight, this excellent book will help priests, governors, teachers and parents to understand their role in supporting our Catholic schools and their mission.
Malcolm McMahon OP, Archbishop of Liverpool