DOUAI ABBEY

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DOUAI ABBEY NEWSLETTER

No 6. Winter 1998/9

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NEW ABBOT FOR DOUAI

Fr Geoffrey Scott OSB elected as tenth abbot

The abbatial blessing took place on Saturday November 14, the feast of Blessed Hugh Faringdon, last abbot of Reading. Bishop Crispian Hollis of Portsmouth, our diocese, presided. About 600 people were present in the Abbey Church for the Mass, including the Abbot President, the Abbess of Stanbrook and the Abbots of Downside, Ampleforth, Belmont, Ealing, Worth, Buckfast, Ramsgate, Prinknash, Pluscarden and Quarr. Fr Aidan Bellenger of Downside preached the sermon. The music was led by the Douai Singers under the direction of Dr John Rowntree. Afterwards lunch was provided for all the guests.

Abbot Geoffrey was born in 1947 and comes from our former parish of Birtley, Co. Durham. He became a pupil at Douai School in 1962, and after leaving school joined the novitiate. After ecclesiastical studies he read History at Oxford, and went on later to complete his PhD with a thesis on English Benedictine history in the eighteenth century, which he published under the title Gothic Rage Undone. He became monastic librarian and archivist, and after several years of teaching History, was appointed Headmaster of Douai School by Abbot Gregory Freeman in 1988, a post he held until 1993.

From 1994 to 1997, Fr Geoffrey was chaplain to the Benedictine nuns at Stanbrook Abbey, and was then appointed as assistant pastor in our parish of Ormskirk, Lancs. He has lectured at Oxford and currently teaches Church History at Oscott and Wonersh seminaries. He has been elected as a Fellow of the Society of Antiquities and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

TODAY is a moment of hope and support for the community of St Edmund as Bishop Crispian blesses its new abbot, Geoffrey, a superior who, with God's help will lead Douai Abbey into the third Christian millennium.

Bishop Charles Walmesley, one of Geoffrey's more distinguished predecessors as superior of St Edmund's, dedicated his later life to studying 'the last days', a prolonged meditation for one destined to live into his late eighties, and to discern the shape of the Apocalypse. 'The time is fast approaching', he mused in the late eighteenth century. ' for the end of the present era and the vague stirrings of something better.' The beginning of a new abbacy is a time for taking stock. Looking to the past, yes, - and with an historian abbot I fear the community will not be allowed to forget it - but more importantly to the future. An abbot in any age must always steer a steady course between the twin objectives of tradition and renewal. A monk's perpetual return to the heart of his spiritual quest must always contain an openness to new - and perhaps surprising life - as well as an awareness of the great tradition to which all English Benedictines are heirs.

The patron of this community, Edmund, King of the East Angles, died in 869 and this year, 1998, sees the eighth centenary of the translation of his relics to a new and resplendent shrine at Bury. Edmund is an appropriate patron for Douai and for Geoffrey: very English, heroic (and anyone who has been a head teacher of an English Catholic School in the 1990s descries this epithet) and with a clear vision which is prepared to put ideals above and before expediency. I am not wishing martyrdom on Geoffrey but it cannot be forgotten that today also is the feast of Hugh Faringdon, abbot of Reading, one of the victims of Henry VIII's frenzied dissolution of the monasteries in the late 1530s.

Geoffrey can learn too, from many of his predecessors: Prior Henry Parker, in Paris for the duration of the French Revolution, keeping his head and maintaining the continuity of his community; Abbot Sylvester Mooney, the last survivor of old Douai, centenarian and devoted father of this community for so many years; Abbot Gregory Freeman, like Geoffrey an Oxford historian and scholar; Abbot Finbar Kealy, Geoffrey's immediate predecessor, who kept the community together in difficult years. The tradition these men encapsulate is one which has the life of prayer and community at its heart, but also a life of ministry to the wider church. This is a mission to which Geoffrey has had particular devotion, a mission of parishes and chaplaincies; the life of scholarship, learning and teaching; and the spiritual direction of others - an art in which Abbot Geoffrey's years as chaplain at Stanbrook will have given him a rare experience.

But I am not here to write an obituary or an entry for the Dictionary of National Biography. I am here with his brethren, family, fellow abbots, monks and friends on this day of his blessing to pray for him and his community in what is now for all religious euphemistically called 'challenging' times.

The great medieval abbot of St Edmund's, Bury, Sampson, was a notable builder and administrator. Unless Douai needs an even more beautiful church than this - which would be difficult to imagine - I suspect Geoffrey's years of office will be more about building up the community and its life of prayer than about bricks and mortar, people rather than things. An abbot has been chosen by his community - and this in itself is a great sign of support and good will - not to be set apart but to be a strong sign of the indwelling of Christ in the heart of the community - not the presence of a chilling prelatical eminence but one of loving service: the superior, as the Rule puts it, 'is to be for them not over them'.

A Benedictine monastic community attempts to live out the Gospel. The abbot is the keystone of the community and his relationship with them is one based on love. The abbot's task, never an easy one, is to love everyone in his community, not with the clenched teeth of duty but with an open heart which must take in all his brothers - and most communities contain one or two who are not easily lovable. In return the community must love and cherish its abbot so that he can carry out his tasks as a monastic superior, to teach, to arrange and to command. An abbot can only do these things if the anger and fear which can beset any family are eliminated from the common life.

Geoffrey is a most experienced teacher and it will be his first task as abbot to be a spiritual guide, teacher and mentor to his fellow monks - and by extension, to the wider Edmundian family. In order that he can make full use of his talents I hope he will be given the chance by his community to have the time to reflect on the Gospel and the monastic masters in particular.

In his roles as arranger and commander he must not be the dictator or the control freak, but the living father, the enabler, not the manipulator, who provides the order and peace within 'the school of the Lord's Service' which will allow the continuing search for God to deepen and flourish.

It ill becomes me, a simple monk of another house, to tell an abbot what to do - the new abbot, is not, I know, easily bossed about - but he asked me to speak to him in my words today. At weddings the words meant for the couple and at funerals the words about the corpse are rarely shown much attention by the parties involved. A monk is vowed to listening and this is perhaps why deafness is so common a monastic problem. Learning to listen is an important part of an abbot's life - listening to the Gospel, to the Holy Rule, to the brethren. We, his family, brethren and friends - in our turn will look forward to listening to him - and hearing what he has to say - as he unfolds 'new things and old'.

Music at the Abbatial Blessing - The French Connection

THE early days of the Douai community in 17th and 18th century Paris were recalled at the Blessing of Abbot Geoffrey. As processions swept into the Abbey Church the processional music was by 17th and 18th century composers known to the community. There was music by two of the nine members of the Couperin family (one of whom, Armand, was an assessor for the new organ built for the community at St Edmund's Paris in 1763) and whose Parisian connection lasted from early in the 16th century to the middle of the 19th century. Also there were sections of the Organ Masses of François Couperin (le Grand) (1688-1733), a Chaconne by his uncle Louis Couperin (1626-1661) and movements from the Suites of Clérambault (1676-1749).

The later years at Douai were reflected in the music at communion, Ave Verum by Saint-Saëns(1835-1921) and Piéce Cinq for Violin and Organ by Franck (1822-1890). The French connection was rounded out with Duruflé's Ubi Caritas and Poulenc's Salve Regina, from the present century.

England was not neglected, the Bishop being greeted by Elgar's Ecce Sacerdos, written for a visit of Benedictine Bishop Ullathorne to Worcester, and the final hymn being Newman's Praise to the Holiest, to the tune Billing by Richard Terry (1865-1938), organist and choirmaster at Downside and later Westminster Cathedral. The recessional music were Voluntaries for Trumpet and Organ by 18th century composers Croft and Stanley.
John Rowntree 

Douai relinquishes the Parish of Cheltenham

AT the end of September the Douai community sadly had to relinquish the parish of St Gregory in Cheltenham to the care of the diocese of Clifton because of declining numbers of monks.

The parish had been in the care of the English Benedictines since 1809, and had been one of the Douai parishes ever since the parishes were apportioned to the individual monasteries in 1899. It was a sad day when the monks departed, although the break has not been a total one yet as Fr Paul Gunter OSB is staying there until next summer to help the new pastor take over. There were many letters from parishoners appreciating the work the Douai community had done there and regretting that we were leaving. Fr Timothy Kelly OSB the last Benedictine pastor has moved to the nearby parish of Kemerton.

During the eighteenth century Cheltenham became a fashionable watering place, and the number of Catholics gradually increased. They were served by the priest from Gloucester. The first priest to come to the town was Fr James Calderbank OSB who was sent in the summer of 1805 and stayed a few months. Then in 1807 a Frenchman, Alexandre César Robin, who had escaped from the Revolution, arrived in the town to teach French. He said Mass and administered the sacraments, at first in the Town Hall, then in the York Hotel.

In 1809 another Benedictine priest, Fr Augustine Birdsall, was sent from Bath, where the Southern Provincal had his residence, to establish a parish. He had been a monk of Lambspring Abbey which the Prussian government had suppresssed in 1803. He had been given a pension by that government, from the sale of which, together with financial help from his family, he bought a site and erected a small chapel, where the present tower and spire stand, which was opened on Sunday June 3, 1810. He then built a presbytery and a vestry with two school rooms above it.

The chapel soon became too small for the growing congregation. In 1854 Fr Ambrose Cotham OSB laid the foundation stone of the present church, the east end of which was opened by Bishop Clifford of Clifton on May 26, 1857; Cardinal Wiseman preached the sermon. The tower was built in 1864 and the spire completed in 1871, at first unconnected to the main church until the nave was completed joining the two sections in 1876. The whole building was consecrated by Bishop Clifford on November 7, 1877. The street on which the church stands is called Ambrose Street in commemoration of Fr Ambrose Cotham.

The church is in the English early decorated style of the 13th century. It is cruciform. The tower and octagonal spire at the west end rise to a height of 202 feet, making it the tallest building in Cheltenham when it was built. The architect was Charles Hansom.

The present presbytery, a house standing to the east of the church, had been the home of the poet Tennyson; later it was used as a convent before becoming the presbytery. The previous presbytery, joined to the north of the church, is now used as the Catholic club.

ON Thursday, November 5, Lord Alton of Liverpool delivered the 2nd annual Douai Lecture. It was entitled 'Human Rights fifty years on' and it covered a broad excursus into different areas of human rights and showed how practices and attitudes had changed, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse in the past fifty years. Lord Alton summarized the areas with which he was dealing under the headings of different kinds of rights: the right to life, the right to the basic essentials of life, the right to religious freedom, the right to freedom of expression, the right to political freedom, the right to privacy, and the duties which inevitably accompany these rights.

His talk covered the dangers posed to the right to life by the current practice of abortion and the potential threat of legal euthanasia. He also dealt with the rights of third world country citizens to freedom to live decent lives with a proper income and standards of living, citing acutely the corruption and neglect whereby a small fraction of the world possesses and consumes the vast majority of its resources, while huge numbers are living below the poverty line and worse. He dealt with the problem that those in public life face regarding intrusion of privacy, and also the responsibility which public office brings in this respect.

After the main address Lord Alton took a number of questions from the audience. As always he proved to be an excellent speaker, weighing carfeully what he said within the context of history and ethics. Boniface Moran OSB

FR Joachim Gunter OSB who has been assistant pastor at Cheltenham for the past six years, has decided to revert to his baptismal name, Paul.

Fr Gervase Holdaway OSB has been appointed Chairman of the Diocesan Ecumenical Commission by Bishop Crispian Hollis. He is Catholic Ecumenical Officer for Berkshire, in which capacity he has been involved in several reviews of Local Ecumenical Projects, including Reading University Chaplaincy, and St Andrew's Shared Church, Cippenham, the first shared Catholic-Anglican church in the country. Fr Gervase was invited to preach on the patronal festival, November 30, the church's twenty eighth anniversary.
Fr Gervase and Dr John Rowntree, Abbey organist and Director of the Douai Singers, both gave papers to the Catholic Organists Forum on November 21 at Brompton Oratory, London. Fr Gervase spoke on the role of the organist in the post conciliar liturgy, and Dr Rowntree on conservation of historic organs in Catholic churches.

Br Benedict Thompson OSB is taking a Counselling Course at Westminster Pastoral Foundation, London.

Fr Francis Hughes OSB has been appointed Parish Priest of Scarisbrick, Lancs. He continues to live at Ormskirk, where Fr Alban Hood OSB is Parish Priest and Fr Peter Morgan OSB, a monk of Buckfast Abbey, is assistant pastor.

Br Benjamin Standish OSB, who left the monastic life several years ago, and has been caring for elderly relatives, has returned to the community.
Br Benjamin has charge of the Cottage which various groups use for retreats and other gatherings. He is also responsible for the 'men of the road', the homeless people who come to us for meals, and a night's lodging.

Fr Boniface Moran OSB is to go as assistant pastor to our parish of Stratford upon Avon in January. Fr Romuald Simpson OSB is the pastor there.

Abbot Geoffrey celebrated St Edmund's Day in the parish of Ormskirk, with our monks serving the northern parishes, as well as Ampleforth monks from nearby parishes and the Abbot of Buckfast. On the following day he celebrated the annual Mass for parishoners who had died during the year.
On December 1 Abbot Geoffrey, presided and preached at the Mass of the Douai Martyrs in the seminary chapel at Wonersh.

Fr Prior Bernard Swinhoe OSB is studying bookbinding at evening classes in Thatcham with the aim of resurrecting the monastic bookbindery. Fr Dermot Tredget OSB is also attending evening classes in painting.

Abbot Finbar Kealy OSB, having completed his eight year tenure as abbot, is having a sabbatical year following a Pastoral Theology course in Dublin.

Fr Nicholas Broadbridge OSB has on six occasions given a series of three talks on the Holy Spirit for parish Alpha Courses. He has incorporated these three talks, together with a fourth on the Jubilee, into retreats that he has given to sisters, priests and lay people. He has been invited to give the Holy Spirit talks again in February and March for parish Alpha courses. This is the year of the Holy Spirit in preparation for the Millennium Jubilee.
During December Fr Nicholas went for two weeks as chaplain to Stanbrook Abbey.