Recent Events at Douai Abbey

An exhibit at the Flower Festival in May.

June 29 - 30

Fr Gervase attended the celebrations in Cromer, Norfolk, for Oblate Ron O'Toole's silver jubilee of ordination to the diaconate.

Fr Peter flew to Germany to take part in the International St Anselm Conference organised by the University of Tubingen and the International Anselm Society, in Stuttgart.
Fr Dermot led a seminar at St Mary's Convent School, Wantage, on business ethics

Fr Dermot directed a Spirituality-in-the-Workplace retreat/workshop, organised by the Pastoral Programme

End of the Centenary Year.
The Douai Society held its AGM and annual luncheon with the monastic community at the Abbey.

Fr Abbot attended the priestly ordination by Cardinal Cormac O'Connor at Westminster Cathedral of Michael Dunne who was an English teacher at Douai School 1990-1.

Six people attended a silent retreat organised by the Pastoral Programme to coincide with the National Quiet Day.

Sr Stella brought a group of pupils from St Bernard's School, Slough, for a Day of Retreat, staying in the Cottage.

The last group of Year 9 pupils from Bl Hugh Faringdon School came for their Day of Retreat today.
Fr Dermot gave a Conference at Rye St Antony School, for senior pupils and staff on the Christian approach to society and work.

Fr Peter attended a Consultation at Mirfield, Yorkshire, between Christian and Buddhist monastics on 'Conversion of the Heart'.

Douai Oblate Newsletter no 22 is now published.

A large audience attended a concert given by The King's Singers in the Abbey Church; their programme consisted of religious music from the XVIth to the XXIst centuries.

Twenty three people are taking part in Myers Briggs Workshop The Walk of Life, Journey of the Heart in the Conference Centre.

Frs Abbot, Oliver, and Alban travelled by Eurostar to Douai (France) where they were joined by Br Christopher from Leuven, to take part in the town's celebrations for the anniversary of the miraculous host.

We held a Corpus Christi procession after Mass, the first time for many years. We processed around the church to the Blessed Sacramaent Chapel where benediction was given. Fr Abbot then went with the novices to join in the Corpus Christi procession at Mapledurham House, Oxon.

Fr Benedict gave a Day of Recollection for Claretians at Cold Ash Centre.
The first group of Year 9 students of Bl Hugh Faringdon School, Reading, came today for their annual retreat. There will be four more groups coming during the next two weeks.

Fr Gervase gave a Lectio Divina retreat for twenty religious sisters at the neighbouring Cold Ash Centre, run by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary.

CHRONICLE - MAY 2004

May 30 PENTECOST

At Mass today the Douai Singers with orchestra sang Mozart's Credo Mass and Veni Sancte Spiritus at Communion. The motet at the preparation of the gifts was Confirma hoc Deus by Byrd. The opening Hymn was Veni Creator with fauxbourdon by George Malcolm.

Thirteen diaconate ordinands from Wonersh College, Surrey, arrived for their pre-ordination retreat which is being given by various member of the community.

Fr Alban gave a Pentecost Retreat here organised by the Pastoral Programme, and Fr Gervase went to Campion House, Osterley, to give a retreat on Benedictine Spirituality.

Fr Boniface is accompanying as chaplain a pilgrimage to Lourdes from St Benedict's High School, Alcester, Warks. 44 pupils. mostly from Year 9 and four staff members are going.

The Diocese of Portsmouth is holding its retreat for the Bishop, priests and deacons here; this is the first time for several years. There are 43 taking part. The retreat giver is Fr Tony Philpot from the English College in Rome.

Our second Newbury Spring Festival Concert this year was an organ recital by Thomas Trotter give this evening. It had been intended as a joint recital with royal harpist Catrin Finch, but she was unable to come because of illness.

Fr Terence attended the Benedictine Bursars meeting at Stanbrook Abbey, Worcs.

A dayschool organised by the University of Reading jointly with our Pastoral Programme on Benedictine Monasticism Today was given in the Conference Centre by Fr Gervase.

A Newbury Spring Festival concert in the Abbey Church, with a capacity audience of 500, was given by a choral group called Tenebrae. The programme included plainchant, renaissance polyphony, Russian orthodox music and modern religious music. Most significant was a composition by the conductor Nigel Short, The Dream of Herod a highly dramatic work to a text by Richard McDonald.

For the second year running there is an exhibition of paintings in the Abbey Church. The paintings were created as part of a joint project between the artist, Paul Forsey, the Bible Reading Fellowship and the Anglican Diocese of Oxford, to create a new Bible for children and adults, that looked at the events surrounding the life of Jesus in a fresh way and without preconceptions. The picture illustrated here is entitled Visitors from the east, a modern interpretation of the visit of the Magi.

At Conventual Mass today, during an oblates retreat, Fr Abbot received the final oblation of Marie-Louise Bland, who took the name, Frances (of Rome) and Renata Clayton who took the name, Mechtilde. This was the first time oblations had taken place at Mass, a sign of the higher profile that oblates are to have.

Fr Nicholas and Fr Benjamin took part in the Mass of Thanksgiving at Westminster Cathedral and the celebrations at Osterley to commemorate the closing in July of Campion House, Osterley. They are both alumni of the College, as is Fr Leo who was unable to attend.

Fr Abbot, accompanied by Br Hugh, visited Douai for the AGM of the William Allen Association.

Thirty people took part in a Pastoral Programme workshop Christians reading the Hindu scriptures led by Swami Ambikananda Saraswati & Fr Peter Bowe, and ten people attended a Healing Workshop follow up session led by Fr Nicholas Broadbridge

A large number of people, many of whom had never been to Douai Abbey before, visited the Flower Festival in the Abbey Church.

CHRONICLE - APRIL 2004

April 30 - May 3

Fr Nicholas gave a retreat for Chemin Neuf in Somerset. Fr Gervase gave a Lectio Divina retreat here, part of the Pastoral Programme.
A flower festival was held in the Abbey Church as part of our Centenary Programme to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.

Fr Alban went to Ampleforth Abbey, Yorkshire, to give one of the community retreats.

Fr Gervase went to Minster Priory, Kent, to give a retreat for their oblates.

Fr Edmund, Prior of Sant' Anselmo, Rome, gave a lecture as part of the centenary celebrations entitled Monks in flux

Fr Peter went to Turvey Monastery, Bedfordshire, for a meeting of the Monastic Interfaith Commission.

The EBC History Commission met in the Conference Centre.

Fr Bernard went to Ampleforth Abbey, Yorkshire, for a meeting of monastic child protection officers.

The EBC Monastic & Liturgical Theology Commission met in the Conference Centre. The subject was Monastic Spirituality and the Arts.

A Centenary Lecture was given by Mr John Trigg Woolhampton in 1903. John Trigg is the author of several volumes of Woolhampton history.

The music at Mass included part of John Sanders' alternatim setting of Missa Beata Maria Virgine, Haec dies by Palestrina and at Communion Since by man came death and Hallelujah from Messiah by Handel. A large number took part in the celebration.

A record number of people took part in the Easter Vigil celebration. The music included part of Bartolucci's alternatim setting of Miss de Angelis and motets Dextera Domini by Lassus and Jubilate Deo by Handl.

A record number of people attended the Service of Music and Reflections at 8pm, extra chairs had to be put out. The order of service was

  Organ Prelude: Herzliebster Jesu - J.C.Oley

  Hymn: There in God's garden stands a tree

  Introduction: Fr Abbot

  Christus factus est - A Bruckner

  Reading from Isaiah

  Drop, drop, slow tears - K Leighton

  The Reproaches - John Sanders

  Reflection: Fr Prior

  Stabat Mater - M.A. Charpentier

  Reflection: Fr Nicholas

  Jesus Christ the Apple Tree - Colin Mawby

  Reflection: Br Hugh

  Vexilla regis - A Bruckner

  Hymn: There in God's garden stands a tree

  Prayer & Blessing

  Organ Postlude: Vexilla regis - F Peeters

The Liturgy of the Passion was held at 3pm. The music included The Reproaches to settings by Victoria and Colin Hope, O vos omnes by Victoria and Ecce quomodo by J. Handl.

The Mass of the Lord's Supper took place at 8pm. The music included the Kyrie & Agnus Dei from Missa ferialis composed for us by Merion Wynn Jones, Ubi caritas by Durufle, Ave Verum by Byrd and Pange linqua alternatim by Palestrina. Watching continued until Midnight.
Our retreatants arrived in time for supper, the talks are being given by Fr Benedict.

Although there were heavy showers and squalls during the day, the weather was fine and sunny at Mass time, so that we were able to have our procession as usual from the Parish Church to the Abbey Church and so enter into the Great Week. The music included Pueri Hebraeorum by Victoria, Caligaverunt oculu mei by Croce, Agnus Dei by Bruckner and Adoramus te Christe by Lassus.
Fr Nicholas led a day on the Holy Spirit for Maidenhead Alpha Group in the Conference Centre.

Fr Nicholas led a Healing Workshop for 15 people, part of the Pastoral Programme.

Br Petroc Kimm left this morning to pursue his calling elsewhere. He had been with us for nearly two years on this occasion, his second period here.

The Douai Magazine no 166 was published today, also Douai Abbey Newsletter no 19, and Douai Oblate Newsletter no 21.

CHRONICLE - MARCH 2004

March 29 - 31

Fr Alban Hood, novice master, and Fr Peter Bowe, junior master, between them attended the meeting of novicie masters and mistresses at Worth Abbey, Sussex.

Some of the community and all the employees attended a fire safety training session.

Fr Dermot flew to Italy to teach a Business Ethics module at the Catholic University, Piacenza.

The Clerks of Christ Church, Oxford, gave a concert: the first part in the Abbey Church consisted of music by Byrd, Sheppard, Morales and Poulenc's Quatre Petites Prieres de Saint Francois d'Assise and the second half in the refectory consisted of madrigals, and arrangements of folk and popular songs.

Twenty two oblated took part in a retreat.

Fr Dermot Tredget OSB is taking part in a conference Virtues of Business at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, at which he is to present a paper.

The pharmecutical company, Boehringer Ingelheim, held a training day in the Conference Centre: also the Diocese of Portsmouth Spirituality Group met there.

The Diocese of Oxford Schools Advisory Group held a training day in the Conference Centre.

Fr Oliver directed a Day of Recollection for Ministers, part of the Pastoral Programme.

Two groups came for an overnight retreat, seminarians from Oscott College, Birmingham, and Maidenhead Mens' Group.

Fr Gervase led a Lectio Divina Retreat at Campion House, Osterley.

Three diaconal candidates from the Birmingham Archdiocese came for a pre-ordination retreat, including oblate novice Peter Griffiths.

A concert by the Arion Orchestra, conductor Brien Stait, was given in the Abbey Church. The programme was: Bach's Keyboard Concerto no 5; Poulenc's Concerto for organ, stings and trimpani, the organist in both these being Dame Gillian Weir; Arvo Part's Fratres for strings and percussion; Shostakovich's Prelude & Scherzo op 11; Dvorak's Seranade for strings, op22 and Tchaikovsky's transcription from string quartet no 1 for cello and string orchestra, the soloist being Heather Harrison.

Fr Benjamin gave a retreat for the Catholic Women's League, Wantage branch in the Conference Centre.

Fr Nicholas gave a retreat to Chemin Neuf at Bridport.

Fr Dermot led a Spirituality in the Workplace retreat/workshop, part of our Pastoral Programme.

Fr Gervase attended the Diocesan Church Unity Committee aand Forum of which he is chairman.

A meeting of the Historic Churches Committee for the southern dioceses took place in the Conferencxe Centre

We are hosting a Myers Briggs course in the Conference Centre.

Fr Abbot flew to Edinburgh for the funeral of Abbot Mark Dilworth, the last abbot of the now closed Fort Augustus Abbey.

Fr Abbot took the novices and juniors to the celebration of the 900th anniversary of the death of Abbot Serlo, first Norman abbot of Gloucester Abbey. Gloucester was one of the six abbeys whose churches became Cathedrals in 1541 after the dissolution of the monasteries.

Fr Benedict took the novices to visit Farnborough Abbey.

CHRONICLE - FEBRUARY 2004

February 29

In the evening, a cold and frosty one, the inaugural concert of a new orchestra, the Ella Chamber Orchestra took place in the Abbey Church. The programme was Symphony no 29 by Mozart, Les Illuminations by Benjamin Britten, Romance for Bassoon and Orchestra by Elgar, Symphony no 5 by Schubert and Impromptu for Strings by Sibelius. The orchestra was founded and conducted by Nick Beach, who had visited Douai many times before when he was Director of the West Berks Music School.

First Sunday of Lent. the Douai Abbey Singers sang at Conventual Mass. They sang the Kyrie & Agnus from the Douai Missa Brevis by Roxanna Panufnik, Ave Regina Caelorum by Soriano and Sicut cervus by Palestrina

Fr Nicholas led a Day of Recollection on our parish at Alcester, Warks.

The novices attended a dayschool at Birbeck College of the University of London on St Edmund, our patron.

The Anglican Parish of St Mary, Wargrave, Berks. held a Lent Retreat day in the Conference Centre.

The Pastoral Programme Lent Retreat was given by Fr Oliver.

The Douai Abbey Singers, under their conductor Dr John Rowntree, were invited to sing at the Saturday evening Mass in Westminster Cathedral. They sang Kyrie & Sanctus from Bartolucci's alternatim arrangement of plainsong Mass VIII, Gloria & Agnus Dei from Bardos' fourth Mass, William Byrd's setting of Confirma hoc and Saint-Saens Ave Verum.

We have two groups on retreat this weekend, a men's group from Our Lady of Victories parish, Kensington, London, and a group of young adults belonging to the Notre Dame de Vie secular institiute & Youth 2000.

Fr Dermot directed a Work/Life Seminar at Ely Cathedral, Bishop Woodford House for Cambridge Chaplaincy to People at Work. He preached at the Sung Eucharist in Ely Cathedral on Sunday morning.

Boelinger Ingelheim held another study day in the Conference Centre.

The Kingsley Centre, an organisation caring for people with disabilites, held an initiation day in the Conference Centre.

This afternoon we had our annual prize organ recital given by a winner from the Oundle International Summer School for Young Organists. This year it was given by Martin Ford who played Bach's 'Dorian' Toccata, Mendelssohn's Second Sonata and works by Vierne, Yon, Howells and Hammond. There was an audience of about a hundred.

Br Petroc went to Stanbrook Abbey to play the trumpet at the Mass celebrating Dame Julian Falkus's silver jubilee of profession. The photograph was taken at the tea in the parlour afterwards.

A new page has been added to the website listing our books and CDs.
Fr Nicholas directed a Pastoral Programme workshop 'Healing Families'.

The pre-seminarians of the Northampton diocese are holding a conference in the Conference Centre.

Aldershot parish RCIA group came for a talk from Fr Benjamin and Compline.

Today we hosted two groups in the Conference Centre, the Confirmation candidiates from English Martyrs Parish, Reading, who came for a day of retreat, and a group from the Anglican parish of St Mary & St George, High Wycombe, who came for a Day of Recollection. This was in addition to the two residential retreats being held.

This weekend the Pastoral Programme held a silent retreat.

The parish we serve at Alcester has a re-designed website.

The annual Conventual Chapter was held in the Conference Centre.

Mike Hughes gave a presentation to the community on genetically modified crops. A lively discussion followed.

Five Comboni students came for a retreat.

The United Bible Societies Translation Management Committee met in the Conference Centre.

CHRONICLE - JANUARY 2004

January 31

This evening the annual concert given by the West & Central Berkshire Music Centres took place in the Abbey Church. These young musicians get together every Saturday morning in either Reading or Newbury to study and make music together. All the performers were under 19 and their enthusiasm and enjoyment, together with their dedication and hard work and that of their tutors, helped create and maintain a very high standard.

A group of young business people associated with the church of St Mary Moorfield in the City of London came for a retreat on business ethics.

This morning there was a covering of crisp snow after last night's fall and a heavy frost. Below are some views of the monastery garden.
January 28

This evening we had the first snow the winter.
Fr Gervase spoke to the Bournemouth Deanery Maranatha Prayer Group about Lectio Divina

January 24

The Confirmation Group from St Joseph's parish, Tilehurst, held a retreat in the Conference Centre.
Before Midday Prayer George FitzGerald and Barnaby Hughes were clothed as novices being given the names, Br Theodore and Br Placid.

Fr Abbot clothes Br Theodore (left) and Br Placid (right)

January 23

Crossroads Retreats, a part of the Waverley Group held a meeting in the Conference Centre.

January 22

The Spirituality in the Workplace Network held a meeting in the Conference Centre.

January 20

The Diocese of Oxford School RE Advisory Committee held the first of a series of meetings they have planned for the Conference Centre.

January 19 - 21

Fr Oliver attended a meeting of guestmasters at Worth Abbey, Sussex.

January 17

Fr Nicholas held a 'follow up' Healing Workshop.

January 16 - 18

Fr Dermot held the third of the current series of Spirituality in the Workplace Workshops

January 15

Fr Gervase began teaching a course in the School of Further Education of the University of Reading on Wisdom Literature of the Bible.
The Anglican Ordinands at Wycliffe, Cuddesdon and St Stephen's in the Univerity of Oxford came for a day led by Fr Dermot on Spirituality in the Workplace.

January 14

Br Simon Hill departed today to continue his vocation with the Cistercians at Nunraw Abbey in Scotland.

January 13 - 14

Fr Peter travelled to Liege, Belgium, to attend a meeting of DIM, the monastic interfaith organisation; he was joined by Br Christopher from the University of Louvain.

January 6 - 11

The School of Mission, based at St Patrck's Church, Soho, London, who work with the homeless, held an intensive retreat here.

January 4

At Mass today the Douai Abbey Singers the Mass and Motet O magnum mysterium by Victoria and Dies sanctifcatus by Palestrina. Afterwards the community had a reception for the choir.

January 2

Five monks from Elmore Abbey and three monastics from Burford Abbey joined us for Vespers and Supper.

January 1

Some thirty parishioners joined us for Mass at Midday.

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Registered Charity No.236962
revised 01/07/04 by GH

Gervase Holdaway OSB, Douai Abbey, Upper Woolhampton, Reading, Berks. RG7 5TQ
e-mail: info@douaiabbey.org.uk