Chronicle July - Dec 2006

November evening mist rising over the meadow.

Our annual New Year's Eve concert was given this year by the Rodolphus Choir under their conductor, Ralph Allwood. There was an audience of over 550, with standing room only in the Abbey Church.

In the afternoon Frs Finbar and Peter arrived by car from France, Fr Louis had come a week earlier.

The day Mass was at 11am. The music was

• Processional O come all ye faithful
• Gloria Sussex Carol
• Responsorial Psalm Gelineau arr J Rowntree
• Alleluia Hodie Christus natus est Schutz
• Credo III with Et incaratus est John Sanders
• See amid the winter's snow Abbot Austin O'Neill
• There is no rose J Joubert
• Sanctus X alternatim John Sanders
• Acclamation & Amen Schubert
• Agnue Dei R Quidnard
• I saw a maiden
• En natus est Emmanuel Praetorius
• Ding dong, merrily on high
• Hark the herald angels sing
• Voluntary Noel (A la venue de Noel) D'Aquin

Vigils and first Mass of Christmas was held at 9pm. The order of service was

• Prelude Veni Emmanuel F Peeters
• Processional O come O come, Emmanuel
• Psalms 2, 84 & 96
• Gloria from Missa O magnum mysterium Victoria
• Alleluia Hodie Christus natus est Schutz
• Credo III with Et incaratus est John Sanders
• While Shephers watched their flocks
• I sing of a maiden L Berkley
• Sanctus X alternatim John Sanders
• Acclamation & Amen Schubert
• Agnus Dei from Missa O magnum mysterium Victoria
• Silent Night, Holy Night
• Motet: O magnum mysterium Victoria
• Love came down at Christmas M Archer
• Angels from the realms of glory
• Voluntary: Trumpet Tune in D J Stanley

The statue of Our Lady with the child Jesus by Jacqueline Herbert which used to stand inside the monastery cloister has been moved outside the enclosure entrance so that it can be seen by our visitors as well as the community.

The annual Advent service of music and mediatations was held this evening.

• Organ Prelude Veni Emmanuel - F Peeters
• Precessional O come, O come, Emmanuel
• I look from afar - A. Piccolo
• Rorate Coeli - Palestrina
• Gaude et laetare - Sweelinck
• Canite tuba in Sion - Palestrina
• Hymn Creator alme siderum - chant alternatim Henry Washington
• Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis (Gloucester Service) - David Bednall
• Alma Redemptoris - de Salazar
• Organ Postlude Rorate Coeli - J Demessieux

At Mass the Douai Abbey Singers sang

• Missa Tempore Adventus et Quadragesimae - Michael Haydn's
• Alma Redmeptoris - Palestrina's
• Ave gratia plena - Verdonck.

Fr Oliver led a Pastoral Programme Retreat Poetry & Art for Advent & Christmas.

At a meeting of the hospitality team today, it was decided to give names to the three distinct areas used by guests: the older guest house and conference centre would be called 'Bl Hugh Faringdon', the new building 'St Alban Roe', and the refurbished monastery block 'St Benet Biscop'.

Fr Nicholas travelled to the Isle of Wight to give the community retreat at Quarr Abbey

Elstree School, our near neighbour, held their carol service in the Abbey Church.
Boehringer Ingelheim held a training day in the Conference Center.

This evening an appeal to build a monastic library was launched at The Imagination Gallery, London. Fr Abbot and a number of the community were present.There were about a hundred invited guests. Press release.

The annual Carol service that we host for children from local village Primary Schools was held in the Abbey Church this afternoon. This year Aldermaston, Basildon, Beenham, Brimpton, Brookfields, Bucklebury, Compton, Curridge, Downsway, Englefield, Hampstead Norreys, Hermitage, St Finian's, Sulhamstead & Ufton, The Elvian, Theale, and Woolhampton schools took part. There were about 650 children in all.

The Knights and Dames of Malta came for a Day of Recollection led by Fr Alban.

Two parish groups came for a Day of Recollection: St Mary's Mortimer were led by Fr Dermot, and St Joseph the Worker, Banbury, were led by Fr Terence.

A group of Jamaican singers and dancers gave a concert in the Abbey Church Caribbean Christmas to raise money for Bethlehem Home, Kingston, Jamaica which is run by the Missionaries of the Poor.

Fr Nicholas gave a retreat for Chemin Neuf at Langport, Somerset

An oblate retreat was held, during which Patricia Ferguson made oblation at Saturday convential Mass.

Oratory Prep. School held their Carol Service in the Abbey Church.

The Jubilee River Group of Anglican clergy came for a quiet day.

A group of parishioners from St Mary's Streatley,came for an Advent Day of Recollection.

Wokingham Catenians are holding a Day of Recollection in the Conference Centre led by Fr Dermot.

The Pastoral ProgrammeAdvent Retreat Come, Lord Jesus was given by Fr Alban.

The Douai abbey Newsletter 27, December 2006 is published today.

Local primary schools held a service in the Abbey Church which included liturgical dance.

Fr Abbot attended a meeting of the Patrimony Committee of the Bishops of England and Wales, which included the book launch of A Glimpse of Heaven, a photographic survey of the Catholic Churches of England and Wales.

West Berkshire Education Authority held an in-service training day for local sports teachers in the Conference Centre.

Br Hugh Somerville-Knapman was ordained deacon by Bishop Crispian Hollis of Portsmouth during conventual Mass which was at 11am.

Royal Holloway College, London University, gave a concert in the Abbey Church consisting of J.S. Bach's Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden, Bruckner's Locus iste, Os Justi & Christus factus est and Brahms Warum ist das Licht gegeben, Geistliches Lied & Ein Deutsches Requiem.

Fr Nicholas gave a Pastoral Programme Healing Workshop in the Conference Centre.

Fr Gervase gave a Day of Recollection using music for the musicians of the Diocese of Northampton at Milton Keynes.

Coach House Consulting held a Workshop 'Being Enough' in the Conference Centre and Guesthouse.

The staff of Bishop Challoner School, Basingstoke, came for a Day of Recollection in the Conference Centre.

Anglican Monks and nuns from Elmore Abbey, Burford Abbey and St Mary's, Wantage, came to join us for First Vespers of St Edmund, our patronal festival and supper.

The Guesthouse was full for a Pastoral Programme retreat Praying the Psalms led by Fr Gervase.

Br Christopher was instituted as acolyte at Conventual Mass by Fr Abbot.

Feast of St Edmund Rich, Archbishop of Canterbury. A group of monks were invited to Abingdon, St Edmund's birthplace, to sing Vespers in St Nicolas's Church and Compline in the School Chapel, to celebrate the 750th anniversary of the establishment of Abingdon School,by the monks of Abingdon Abbey..

The Diocese of Oxford Industrial Mission Chaplains met in the Conference Centre.

Singscape directed by Sarah Tenant-Flowers gave a concert in the Abbey Church for Remembrance Day. The programme was adventurous and is worth noting in full.

• For the Fallen - Douglas Guest
• Seek Him that Maketh the Seven Stars - Jonathan Dove
• Movements from Panihida - Pavel Chesnokov first British performance
• Cherubic Hymn - Sergei Rachmaninov
• And in the Morning ... - Cameron Sinclair first performance
• Nunc Dimittis - Gustav Holst
• Song of Farwell - Charles Hubert Parry
• Ciaconna from second violin partita BWV 1004 - J.S.Bach
• I think you God for this most amazing day - Eric Whitacre
• Alleluia - Cameron Sinclair
• Ich liege und schlafa - Max Reger

And in the morning ... by Cameron Sinclair was commissioned by Singscape for the Abbey Church. It uses texts from Binyon's poem For the Fallen and Psalm 102, sung in Scots Gaelic to the melody Martyrs from the Scottish Psalter of 1615. The composer explained that he conceived the work for performance within the architectural space of the Abbey Church. Five choirs were positioned around the edge of the nave with two soloists and a violinist at the front. The effect was dramatic. The Ciaccona from Bach's second violin partita was performed with the vocal realisation by Dr Helga Thoene, using the various choral themes Bach incorporated into the music, all of which relate to Easter with themes of death and resurrection. The whole concert was performed to a very high standard and there was a large audience.

Fr Abbot and Fr Alban attended the blessing of Abbot Aidan Belliger at Downside Abbey.

Boehringer Ingelheim held a training meeting in the Conference Centre.

The executive committee of the National Council of Priests met in the Guesthouse and Conference Centre.

The new monastery buildings were blessed by Fr Abbot. There were about a hundred guests.

The guests gather in the Abbey Church.	After the blessing refreshments were served in the monastic refectory.

The Kyrie, Sanctus & Agnus of a new Mass setting composed for Douai Abbey by David Bednall were sung today at Mass for the furst time. The Gloria was from Victoria's Missa O quam gloriosum; at the preparation Ubi Caritas by Durufle and at the communion Cibavit eos by Byrd were used. The Gloria of the new Mass will be added later.

Fr Alban gave a Pastoral Programme Day of Recollection for Ministers of Communion, Readers, Musicians. There were almost fifty participants. The day had been fully booked two months ago.

Br Christopher led a Pastoral Programme retreat The Cloud of Unknowing. There were nineteen participants. This was the first time the new guest rooms were used.

The community ate supper in the new monastic refectory for the first time.

Br Christopher was interviewed near the Houses of Parliament by Sky TV,as a 'man in the street' on the issue of surveillance.

Cursillo group for the south of England held a ruby jubilee celebration in the Conference Centre and Abbey Church today.

Fr Dermot and Fr Boniface gave lectures for a University of Reading Dayschool Maintaining your life-work balance in the Conference Centre. There were ten students.

Also Fr Nicholas gave a Pastoral Programme Healing Workshop in the Conference Centre.There were twenty-four participants.

A group of Knights of St Columba from our parish at Ormskirk, Lancs, are having a priavte retreat in the Guesthouse.

Fr Peter has come from France for a few days.

Fr Oliver has flown to Derry, Ireland, to give a conference at the Derry Catechetical Centre on Benedictine Spirituality.

Br Christopher is leading a Pastoral Programme retreat Benedictine Spirituality for Beginners. The number of participants has had to be limited to ten as the builders have not finished the new guest rooms which should have been ready by now.

Br Christopher was given the ministry of Reader by Fr Abbot at Mass today.

The large crane on the site of the former school development was dismantled today.

The Douai Abbey Singers under their director, Dr John Rowntree, sang Mass and Vespers in Westminster Cathedral today, while the Cathedral Choir was away on tour.

Eighteen people attended a Pastoral Programme Workshop Healing Families led by Fr Nicholas.

The Cecilia Consort gave a concert in the Abbey Church of miscellaneous liturgical music of the XVIth &XVIIth centuries.

The guesthouse is fully booked for a Pastoral Programme retreat To God through Music led by Fr Gervase.

Beckett Telecom organised Vistage Training Conference in the Conference Centre.

Fr Dermot gave a lecture at the Catholic University of Milan entitled Benedictines in Business and Business as a Vocation.

A small Pastoral Programme week long retreat, Touching God with your Fingertips is being held in the Guesthouse and Conference Centre, led by Sr Annie Bromham IBVM

The Mass of Christian Burial for Fr Timothy was celebrated at 11.15am in the Abbey Church. After lunch the coffin was taken to Kemerton, Glos. for burial. This is the first time for almost thirty years that one of the community has been buried in the parish he served.

Fr Dermot attended The Good Company a conference on Corporate Responsibility & Catholic Social Teaching, held at the Angelicum in Rome and organised jointly with The University of St Thomas, Minneapolis.

We had three groups in the Conference Centre today, Spirituality-in-the-Workplace Network, Boehringer Ingelheim and Ordinary Heroes; also in the evening the Faringdon Oblate Chapter met here.

Prior Boniface Moran has gone to Maison St-Benoit, Douai, France, for a few days.
A team from Wargrave Parish came for a quiet day.

Fr Alban has gone to give the annual retreat to the Benedictine nuns at Colwich Abbey, Staffs.

We heard that Fr Timothy Kelly OSB had died during the night in Cheltenham hospital.

Sept 29 - Oct 1

Fr Boniface led a retreat for the Oblates; only a few were able to attend because we only have seven guestrooms temporarily.

Ministers from Goring, Oxon, parish came for a Quiet Day in the Guesthouse.

Ministers from the Riverside group of churches from Marlow, Bucks, came for a Quiet Day in the Conference Centre

The Douai Abbey Singers sang Sanders' alternatim plainsong Mass X and Byrd's Exsultavit Deo & Cibavit eos.

Fr Nicholas led a Pastoral Programme Healing workshop.

A group of parishioners from St Alban's Winslow, Bucks, came for a Day of Recollection in the Parish Church; they ate in the new guest refectory.

Cantores Gaudentes gave a concert in the Abbey Church, singing Taverner's Missa Gloria Tibi Trintas, Sheppard's Hymn Beata Nobis Gaudia and Vivaldi's Gloria with organ accompaniment by Matthew Dixon.

Br Christopher gave a paper on the Prologue to the Rule of St Benedict at The Lotus and the Cross Interfaith Conference at Sarum College, Wilts.
The community left the poracabin refectory which had been in use since last November, and ate lunch in the new guest refectory for the first time.

Nancy Reeves led three Pastoral Programme Workshops, Grief & Spirituality, Spiritual Discernment and The God Detectives, a session of strory telling for children.

A Pastoral Programme workshop, Spiritual Renovations for religious sisters was held, led by Nancy Reeves; twenty five sisters attended.

Work began on refurbishing the north block of the monastery.

Fr Gervase led a Workshop for Ministers of the Word at St Edmund's parish, Calne, Wilts.

Workmen have begun moving kitchen equipment from the temporary portacabin kitchen to the new building. A sign that the end of the construction work is in sight.

Fr Francis Hughes OSB moved from the resident community to take charge of the parish of Kemerton, Glos. The previous parish priest, Fr Timothy, has had to relinquish the position owing to ill health.

Fourteen are taking part in a Men's Retreat being held here this weekend. These will be the last guests to use the north block of the monastery before builders move in to begin refurbishment work.

Sun 27 - Fri Sept 1

The community retreat was given by Bishop Robert Le Gall OSB, Bishop of Mende, France, and former abbot of Kergonan. He has been appointed Archbishop of Toulouse, where he will be installed on September 10. His retreat gave many fresh insights into the Rule of St Benedict. The photo shows Archbishop LeGall standing next to the bas-relief of ST Benedict at the main entrance of the monastery.

Douai Abbey Newsletter no 26 is available 'on line'.

Bernard Kilroy and Pam Lee led a 'Transitions' retreat in the Conference Centre and Guesthouse.

Fr Benedict Thompson went to Belmont Abbey to take part in making a CD of the liturgical music of the late Abbot Alan Rees.

Abbot Geoffey Scott was re-elected for a second eight year term of office. Abbot President, Richard Yeo presided at the election. All the community were present except Fr Timothy Kelly who is seriously ill in hospital and Abbot Edmund Power, who being abbot of another monastery, St Pauls outside-the-Walls in Rome, did not have a vote.

An organ recital was given in the Abbey Church in aid of the Nicholas Danby Trust. The recitalist was Peter Wright, organist of southwark Anglican Cathedral and chairman of the Royal College of Organists. The programme was

• Symphony no 5 op 42 1st Movement Allegro vivace - Charles-Marie Widor
• Recit de tierce en taille - Niolas de Grigny
• Piece d'Orgue (Fantasia in G) - J.S.Bach
• Prelude, Fugue and Variation - Cesar Franck
• Toccata cromaticha per l'Elevatione & Canzon post il commune
  from Messa della Domenica (Fiori musicali) - Girolamo Frescobaldi (played on the Tamburini Organ)
• Sonata no 6 - Chorale and Variations - Felix Mendelssohn
• Scerzo in A flat - Edward Bairstow
• Menuet & Gigue (Suite de danses) (with side drum: Stephen Disley) - Pierre Cochereau
  

Fr Nicholas led a Day of Healing for members of Marlborough parish.

Fr Paul returned from Rome today.

Fr Abbot attended a meeting of the Ecclesiastical History Society in Cardiff, Wales.

The Berkshire Youth Choirs gave a concert in the Abbey Church this evening.One of the items in the programme was a song Birdsong by former Douai School pupil, Paul Read.

The leavers classes from the local Catholic Primary Schools had Mass in the Abbey Church, followed by a picnic in the grounds. Most of these pupils will be going to Bl Hugh Faringdon Comprehensive School next academic year.

The Historic Churches Committee for the southern dioceses met in the Conference Centre.

Fr Abbot presided at Mass and Vespers. The music at Mass included Missa Sancti Josephi by Flor Peeters, Locus iste by Bruckner and O quam metuendus est by Victoria.

A number of our oblates arrived for a weekend retreat.
Elstree School, our near neighbour, held their end of year service in the Abbey Church.

Abbot Laurence O'Keeffe of Ramsgate Abbey gave a talk to the community on the role of an abbot, in preparation for our forthcoming abbatial election.

The Thatcham Primary School Leavers came for a day of celebration and worship. They were blessed with hot weather and so were able to engage in outdoor activities when not in the Abbey Church. Pupils came from Brimpton CE, Bucklebury CE, Francis Baily, Parsons Down, Spurcroft, St Finians RC, Thatcham Park CE & Whitelands Park Primary Schools.

Bishop Crispian Hollis celebrated the sacrament of Confirmation in the Abbey Church for nine parishioners this morning.
The alumni of the IESE Business School, Barcelona held a reunion in the Conference Centre. Fr Dermot presented a seminar on Trust and Leadership.

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