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Events at Douai Abbey July - 2001

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DECEMBER 2001

Dec 24
A large crowd attended the Christmas Vigil and Mass at 9pm
Dec 23
At Mass today the choir sang a delightful short Mass by Bruckner which we had not heard here before.
The Winter edition of the Douai Abbey Newsletter is available on line.
Dec 21-23
Seven people attended a Pre-Christmas Retreat led by Fr Gervase.
Dec 19
A fire was discovered in the sacristy of the House Chapel at 10.15am. The fire brigade were called and four fire engines arrived within twenty minutes. Meanwhile Fr Dermot and Br Hugh sought to contain the blaze with hoses. The fire was extinquished by 11am. Nobody was hurt although the room was seriously damaged. The House Chapel itself was undamaged. The smell of smoke will linger for some time.
Fr Vincent had to be taken to Fairmile Hospital.
Dec 17
Pupils from local Primary Schools came for the annual Schools Carol Service in the Abbey Church.
The following schools took part
Aldermaston CE Primary School
Basildon Primary School
Beenham Primary School
Brimpton CE Primary School
Brookfields Special School
Bucklebury CE Primary School
Churchend Primary School
Downsway Primary School
Englefield Primary School
Hampstead Norreys CE Primary School
Hermitage Primary School
John Rankin Primary School
Pangbourne County Junior School
Presentation Prep School
St Finian's RC Primary School
Spurcroft County Primary School
Sulhampstead & Ufton CE Primary School
Theale Primary School
Woolhampton CE Primary School
An article by Fr Dermot about the Spirituality in the Workplace programme has been put on the web site.
Dec 16
The annual service of Music and Reflections for Advent took place in the Abbey Church.
The music sung and played by the Douai Abbey Singers was: Organ Prelude: Veni Emmanuel - Flor Peeters
Processional: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - 15th Cent. Parisian Processional
Adam lay y-bounden - Boris Ord
Rorate Caeli - Palestrina
Virga Jesse - Bruckner
Gaude et Laetare - Sweelinck
Ave Maris Stella - Bardos
Magnificat - Pergolesi
Alma Redemptoris - Palestrina
Organ Postlude: Ave Maris Stella - Flor Peeters

Fr Abbot gave the welcome, opening prayer and final blessing. The reflections were given by Frs Nicholas, Bernard and Oliver. The music was conducted by John Rowntree.
There was a large congregation coming from many denominations.
Dec 15
Fr Peter left for Belgium to take part in an Interfaith Monastic Dialogue meeting.
Twenty-two people took part in a Day of Recollection for those in Parish Ministry led by Fr Romuald.
Dec 14-16
Twelve people took part in a 'Transitions' Retreat.
Dec 12
Elstree School, our near neighbour, held their end of term Carol Service in the Abbey Church.
Dec 7-9
Twenty-two took part in an Oblates Retreat.
Dec 1
The choir of St Mary's Convent School, Wantage, Berks, gave a concert in the Abbey Church in aid of the NSPCC.

NOVEMBER 2001

Nov 28 - 29
Fr Nicholas attended a meeting of Diocesan Vicars for Relgious in Leeds. Fr Nicholas is Vicar for Religious in the County of Berkshire.
Nov 28
Twenty members of the University of the Third Age came from Farnham to listen to and play our three organs. It was part of their organ music appreciation course.
Nov 27-28
A group from the Bankers Trust came for a twenty-four hour retreat on Benedictine spirituality directed by Fr Oliver.
Nov 26
Work began digging with A JCB to construct a new French drain to convey the water, which has been flooding the area in front of the garages and workshops since the new car park was built two years ago, down to the pond in the monastery garden. It seems that with increased rain fall in recent years a long forgotten spring has come to life under the car park.
Nov 24
The third biennial 'Sing for the Homeless' Concert was held in the Abbey Church. Bach's Christmas Oratorio parts 4-6 were performed. (parts 1-3 had been given at the last concert in 1999). Sir David Willcocks was the conductor again: this was, we were told, the 73rd year of his public performances! There were about 450 singers and 150 audience. Fr Abbot welcomed everyone and said the opening prayer, Richard Owen, Chairman of the Cardinal Hume Centre Trust for whose benefit the concert was given spoke of the Trust's work during the first interval and Fr Oliver, Abbey Church Administrator, thanked the performers, the audience and the organisers during the second interval before giving the final blessing.

Two views of Sir David Willcocks conducting the Christmas Oratorio in the Abbey Church.

Nov 20
Our Patronal Festival of St Edmund, King and Martyr. Mass was at 12noon to allow several members of St Benet's Hall, Oxford to be present.
Nov 19
At community recreation after supper the EBC President, Abbot Richard Yeo of Downside, announced that he had appointed Fr Romuald Simpson OSB to be Cathedral Prior of Coventry, in recognition for his work for the Congregation and the Free Association of Benedictine nuns
left Fr Romauld wearing his insignia as Cathedral Prior of Coventry
The EBC Regimen held their meeting here in the afternoon, so the Abbot President and the Abbot Stephen Ortiger of Worth were present for Pontifical first Vespers of St Edmund as well as the Anglican Benedictine Community of Elmore. The EBC Internet Commission also held a meeting here.
The Executive Committee for Christian Unity of Portsmouth Diocese met here; Fr Gervase is the chairman of the committee.

Nov 17
A group of staff members of Bl Hugh Faringdon School came for a half day of prayer led by Fr Oliver.
Nov 16 - 18
Nineteen people took part in a 'Spirituality-in-the-Workplace' retreat/workshop led by Fr Prior.
Nov 10
Cambridge Voices with organist, Anne Page, gave a concert in the Abbey Church under the title 'Music for Remembrance', it being the eve of Remembrance Day. The Programme included the 'Funeral Music for Queen Mary' by Purcell, a recently composed work 'The Life Everlasting' by the choir's conductor, Ian de Massini, works by Pizzetti, Durufle, Stanford, Thalban-Ball, Parry, Bach, as well as the first complete performance of a Mass by de Massini, written for the Abbey Church. The choir made good use of the Abbey's spaciousness, by singing from various positions and in various groupings, and by using both organs, depending on the music being sung or played.
Nov 9 - 10
Thirty-nine people attended a Myers-Briggs Workshop at our Conference Centre.
Nov 9
Prior Dermot attended the first meeting of the re-constituted EBC Theology Commission at Belmont Abbey, Hereford.
Nov 8
Prior Dermot gave a seminar on Spirituality in the Workplace for L'Arche.
Nov 7
Fr Abbot and Br Benjamin represented the comunity at the celebrations for the 350th anniversary of the founding of Colwich Abbey, Staffs. The community of nuns was founded in Paris very close to our first monastery.
Nov 6
At our weekly Tuesday evening community meeting today we watched a video "The Cross and the Bodhi Tree", which narrates the encounters of two Christian religious with Buddhism. We found it most enlightening.
Nov 5 - 6
Fr Dermot has travelled to Cranfield University to lecture on Spirituality in the Workplace.
Nov 4
Douai Oblate Newsletter no 14 has been published on line.
Nov 3 - 4
The Emmanuel Community, a Catholic lay community from London, are using the Guest House and the Cottage as a venue for their retreat week-end.
Nov 3
Fr Gervase travelled to our parish at Studley, Warkwickshire, to lead a Day of Recollection for parish ministers. Fr Paul is the Parish Priest there.

OCTOBER 2001
Oct 28 - Nov 3
Three Dutch scholars came to work with Abbot Geoffrey on the reseach for a forthcoming book on Catholic Recusants.
Oct 28
At Conventual Mass today the Douai Abbey Singers sang Vittoria's Mass and Motet, O quam gloriosum and Saint-Saens' Tollite hostias.
Oct 27
The choir of St James' Anglican Church, Finchampstead, sang Evensong in the Abbey Church.
Oct 26
The priests of the Reading Catholic Deanery held a Day of Recollection here.
Oct 20 - 26
Fr Abbot led a party from the Catholic Archivists Association to visit the achives in Douai, France.
Oct 20
At a concert in the Abbey Church the Cecilia Consort performed Mozart's Vesperae solennes de confessore K 339 and Durufle's Requiem.
Oct 19 - 20
Fr Gervase attended the Diocesan Church Unity Committee Meeting, of which he is chairman, at Park Place Pastoral Centre, Wickham, Hants.
Oct 16
Fr Denis Minn OP, Prior of Blackfriars, Oxford, gave a community lecture on the theology of St Irenaeus.
Oct 13
A large number attended a Workshop: Christians Meeting Buddhism, organised as part of the Pastoral Programme.
Oct 12
A group of participants in Spirituality in the Workplace during the previous two years came for a follow-up weekend directed by Fr Dermot.
Fr Gervase travelled to Broadway, Worcs. to give a Day of Recollection for the Ministers in the parish there, where Fr Richard is Parish Priest.
Oct 11
Mass of Christian Burial for Fr Matthew was celebrated at 2.30pm followed by internment in the Monastery Cemetary. His body had been received into the church the previous day immediately before Vespers of the Dead.
Oct 7
At 2pm Fr Matthew Hulley OSB passed into eternal life in the monastery infirmary.
Oct 6
Fr Gervase led a Day of Recollection for Parish Ministers.Thirty three attended. Oct 5 - 7
Fr Nicholas led a retreat for recently bereaved people.
Oct 2
Fr Abbot announced in our weekly chapter meeting that Fr Peter has been appointed Junior Master, in succession to Fr Romuald. The Junior Master is reposible for the ongoing formation of the simply professed monks after they have left the novitiate. He also announced that from Oct 8 weekday Vespers would be at 6.15pm, so as to allow more time for those involved in the preparation of supper.
Oct 1 - 4
Fr Peter went to attend the religious bursar's meeting at Hoddesdon, Herts.

SEPTEMBER 2001
September 28 - 30
Fr Peter Bowe OSB went to lead a Meditation Retreat for the Otheney Community at Bridport, Dorset.
September 15
Fr Romuald Simpson OSB has been appointed Parish Priest of the local Woolhampton parish, comprising the area around the abbey, in succession to Fr Terence FitzPatrick OSB.
September 5-6
CAFOD South are holding their regional meeting here.

AUGUST 2001
August 30
On the penultimate day of the retreat the community celebrated the 70th anniversary of the clothing of Fr Matthew Hulley OSB and Fr Robert Richardson OSB.
August 27
The summer edition of the Douai Abbey Newsletter has been published.
August 26-31
Our annual retreat is led this year by Mgr Graham Leonard, former Bishop of London.
August 24
Fr Edmund Power OSB went to give the annual retreat to the community at Stanbrook Abbey, Worcestershire.
August 14
Fr Edmund Power OSB, who is Prior of Sant' Anselmo in Rome, returned for the summer break. At General Chapter last month, he was appointed Procurator in Curia, the representative of the English Benedictine Congregation at the Vatican.
August 13
Prior Dermot Tredget OSB represented the community at the funeral of Abbot Nicholas Holman, former Abbot of Fort Augustus, at Downside Abbey.

August 6 - 7
The gardener cut down a dead cypressus tree. This was one of the few remaining from those planted by Fr Oswald Dorman OSB on either side of the former drive from the road to the abbey church shortly after the first part of the church was opened in 1933.

JULY 2001
July 27 - Aug 2
Fr Gervase went to give the annual retreat to the community of Fernham Priory, Oxfordshire.
July 20 - 22
The sixth and last of the second series of Pastoral Programme Spirituality in the Workplace retreat/workshops led by Fr Dermot was held with eighteen participants.
July 20
We welcomed Abbot Thomas Ferkin OSB and Fr Gregory Mohrman OSB of St Louis' Abbey, who are spending a few days with us, whilst in England for the General Chapter.
July 19
Fr Wilfrid sent this picture from the monastic webweavers course at Worth.

July 18 - 20
Fr Abbot attended the annual meeting of the Ecclesiastical History Association in Chester. The theme this year was 'Mary'. The chairman was Henry Mayr-Harting, a former pupil of Douai School.
July 16
Eighteen sixth form theologians from Cardinal Vaughan School, London, came for a three days retreat. They will have talks from Fr Gervase, a former pupil of the school, Br Christopher, Fr Oliver and Fr Peter.
Abbot Francis of Prinknash Abbey came for Midday Prayer and lunch. He took Fr Wilfrid to the webweavers conference at Worth Abbey.
July 15
Churches-Together-in-Pershore came on a visit. They had talks from Fr Oliver and Fr Peter and stayed for Vespers.
July 14
Fr Nicholas led a 'Healing Workshop' as part of the Pastoral Programme
Shinfield Anglican PCC held a retreat day here.
July 13 - 15
Fr Gervase went to Churches-Together-in-England Forum at Swanwick, as representative of the diocese of Portsmouth.
An 'Inner Healing' Retreat was held here as part of the Pastoral Programme.
July 12
A 'Child Protection' Training Day for priests of the Portsmouth Diocese was held here.
July 9
Fr Abbot and Fr Prior, who is the Inspector of Accounts for the Congregation departed for General Chapter at Ampleforth.
Brs Christopher & Simon led a vocations workshop at a school in Wednesbury.
July 8
Choral First Vespers of the Feast of the Anniversary of the Dedication of the Abbey Church was celebrated at 8pm. The first psalm, Dixit Dominus, and the Magnificat were to a setting that Mozart wrote for Sunday Vespers at Salzburg Cathedral, when he was music director there. The other psalms were to plainchant, the last, Lauda Jerusalem, being with fauxbourdon. The Responsory was Locus Iste by Bruckner and the Magnificat Antiphon, O Quam Metuendum, was by Vittoria. The office concluded with Salve Regina by Poulenc. The Douai Singers and Musicians joined the monks for this act of worship. It was the first time that we have celebrated Vespers with such musical splendour, and there was the largest congregation that we can ever remember for Vespers, coming from many different Christian churches.
Fr Christopher Wyvil OSB arrived from Washington, USA, en route to General Chapter.
July 6-8
Seventeen Oblates were here on retreat.
July 1
The Douai Society attended their annual Mass in the Abbey Church and held their AGM in the afternoon. A photo of the Society members can be seen on the Society's web page.

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revised 03/01/02 by GH

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