» Every year there are kind people who find themselves willing and able to offer a gift to the monastic community for Christmas. Mostly they come from among our friends, oblates, parishioners and Old Dowegians. The community is always grateful to them and each Christmas Fr Abbot posts a list of benefactors on the cloister board for us to be thankful for and to pray for.
In the last 24 hours we have had two generous gifts of wine, arriving anonymously. Fr Hugh has put them safely in our modest wine cellar and Fr Abbot and the brethren are very grateful for this kindness. To these and all our donors - Deus benedicat vos!
» Apart from the customary principal monastic liturgies in the abbey church this Christmas – Christmas Eve Mass at 9pm, Christmas Day Mass at 11am, and Pontifical Second Vespers at 4.30pm – this year we will be dipping into the tradition and celebrating the office of Lauds in Latin chant rather than English on Christmas morning at 9.30am. The fervent (and the curious) are warmly invited to join us for this office of worship, which would make a fitting preparation for the Mass to follow at 11am.
