Library Appeal

Douai Abbey, an English Benedictine monastery in Berkshire will be exhibiting a rare collection of Roman Catholic books, religious artifacts and portraits at the Imagination Building on the 12th December. The event, which is being held to launch the appeal for a new Abbey library, will contains some objects, never to have been seen by members of the public before. Treasures include the early fourteenth century Guisborough Psalter, a medieval fragment of music from nearby Reading Abbey and letters from Bonnie Prince Charlie. The atrium of the Imagination building will be filled with portraits of monks and other church figures from the 16th to the 20th century and vestments containing exquisite embroidery from the 17th and the 19th century. Full details of the exhibits are to be found in the accompanying catalogue.

Douai Abbey, whose origins go back to its foundation in Paris in 1615, is involved in an extensive re-development program, which includes new refectories, kitchen and guest accommodation. This first phase of the development is near completion and the community is now launching an appeal to build a library, which will also be designed by the award-winning architects, David Richmond & Partners.

At present the important historical collection of books, manuscripts, archives and portraits which the Abbey hold, have no suitable accommodation for the collection nor adequate facilities in which the monks and their guests can undertake study and research. The Abbey also hopes that the library will offer other religious communities the opportunity to deposit their archives where these are at risk.

The Library Appeal is to be launched at a high profile event at the Imagination Building in Store Street, off Tottenham Court Road in London on 12th December 2006. There will be a presentation for the press at 6.30 pm and a reception will begin at 7.30 pm. The reception will begin and end with monks from Douai singing plainsong. The Abbot of Douai, the Right Reverend Geoffrey Scott MA PhD FSA FRHistS will introduce the evening; as well as being the abbot of the community (the elected superior), Abbot Geoffrey is also the librarian and archivist. The architect, David Richmond, will give a presentation of the plans for the library which aim to include the latest techniques in energy conservation and environmental control for the rare and delicate treasures and archives. The President of the Appeal, Professor Henry Mayr-Harting will conclude the speeches.

More details can be found on the following websites:

• Douai Abbey http://www.douaiabbey.org.uk
• Imagination http://www.imagination.com
• David Richmond Architects http://www.dr-p.co.uk
• For more details or queries, please contact Fr Oliver Holt at Douai Abbey 0118 971 5319 or oliver@douaiabbey.org.uk

The President of the Appeal is Professor Henry Mayr-Harting (Emeritus Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History, Oxford and a former pupil of Douai School) Other distinguished people have given their support by agreeing to be vice-presidents

• Nicolas Barker (Editor of The Book Collector)
• Cherie Booth QC
• Professor Peter Brown (Philip and Beulah Rollins Professor of History, Princeton University)
• Dr. A. I. Doyle (Emeritus Reader in Bibliography, Durham University)
• Dr Christopher de Hamel (Fellow and Librarian, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge)
• Bishop Crispian Hollis (Bishop of Portsmouth)
• Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor (Archbishop of Westminster)
• Edward, 18th Duke of Norfolk
• Lord William Rees-Mogg (Past editor of The Times)
• Jacques Vernier (Mayor of Douai, France)
• Archbishop Rowan Williams (Archbishop of Canterbury)
• Abbot Notker Wolf (Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Confederation)

Back to Library page, and Launch of Library Appeal