Chronicle
July - 2008

Eight people came to take part ina Pastoral Programme Transitions retreat.

The bishop of Oxford, met in the Conference Centre with his suffragan bishops and archdeacons for a senior staff meeting.

We awoke to the first snow of the winter; this is the first time anyone can remember snow here in October.

The booklaunch of The Oblate Life, a handbook for Oblates, took place in the guest refectory. It is co-published by Canterbury Press and Liturgical Press, Minnesota and edited by Fr Gervase. In the picture, Fr Prior is introducing the event and welcoming the visitors, in the absence of Fr Abbot on his way back from Spain. Click to see more photographs.

Fr Alban is leading a pilgrimage to Assisi and Norcia in Italy.

The refurbishment of the ground floor of the Cottage has been completed. A new damp course has been installed, new kitchen and bathroom equipment has been fitted. The work has taken three months.

		Left: Builders equipment still on the ground outside the cottage. Right: The kitchen, showing the new combined gas/electric stove.
		Left:The dining room showing the old kitchen range still in position. Right: The sitting room

The cottage is used for self-catering groups, mostly young people. The sleeping accommodation upstairs, will be refurbished next summer. The furniture was stored in the hired container on the right while the work was taking place.

Fr Abbot has flown to Spain to give a lecture at the Royal English College in Valladolid on the thirty seminarians who left the college to become Benedictine monks in the seventeenth century.

23 people are taking part in a silent Zen retreat in the guesthouse and conference centre.

Fr Boniface taught a dayschool on The Greek tragedians for the University of Reading School of Continuing Education in conjunction with the Pastoral Programme in the Hugh Faringdon Conference Centre.

The chaplains and a few students from the Uinversity of Reading Chaplaincy held a retreat in the Benet Biscop guesthouse building.

Fr Dermot attended a meeting at University of Wales, Bangor, to plan the 2009 Conference of the British Association for the Study of Religions.

The Fernham Trust met in the Hugh Faringdon Conference Centre. This is the body which administers the funds of the former Fernham Priory.

The spirituality-in-the-Workplace Network met in the guesthouse.

Fr Hugh has gone to the Emmaus Centre, West Wickham, Kent, to give the annual retreat to the Jospehite Fathers.

At Mass today the Douai Singers led the liturgy with alternatim Missa Beata Maria Virgine Plainchant X - John Sanders. The offertory was Oculi omnium Byrd, and the Communion Cibavit eos! Exsultate Deo also by Byrd.

The Cecilia Consort and Canzona gave performance of Monteverdi's Vespers in the Abbey Church directed by Janet Coxwell. There was a capacity audience of around 500.

The parish of All Saints High Wycombe came for a day of retreat and Fr Nicholas led a Pastoral Programme Healing Workshop in the Conference Centre.

The first session of a weekly 4 year advanced diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy given by the Bridge Pastoral Foundation was held in the Conference Centre today.

Twenty Daughters of Charity came for an eight-day Ignatian Retreat.

Fr Peter Brady OSB, prior of Belmont Abbey, Hereford, led a Pastoral Programme Plainchant workshop in the Bl Hugh Faringdon Conference Centre.

Fr Dermot led a Spirituality-in-the Workplace workshop in the St Alban Roe Conference Room.

A Pastoral Programme retreat on Julian of Norwich was given by Br Christopher in the guest house.

Our internet access has been restored today after a breakdown of a week. Apologies for not undating the website or replying to emails during this time.

A Pastoral Programme Individually Guided Retreat took place led by Br Christopher and Fr Gervase.

An Anglican cell group of ex-Cuddesdon students met in the guest house.

A concert in memory of Mary Ticehurst was given in the Abbey Church by three choirs, Psallite, Friends' Choir and CanZona conducted by JanJoost van Elburg. The programme included movements from Brahms' Requiem, Howells' Requiem, motets by Bruckner, music by Parry. Tippett, Guerrero and Morales.

An oblate retreat was held in the guesthouse.

The diocese of Oxford held a training session 'Post of First Responsibility' for those holding their first appointments.

Diocese of Oxford STEM met in the Conference Centre.

Br Simon gave a Pastoral Programme Day of Recollection for people engaged in liturgical ministries.

Fr Nicholas gave a Pastoral Programme Retreat, Healing Grief.

Fr Abbot is in Rome attending the quadriennial meetings of abbots worldwide.

The music at Mass was

• Missa Quarti toni - Victoria
• Vexilla Regis - Plainchant/Wingham
• O crux Benedicta - Guerrero.

Fr Nicholas gave Pastoral Programme Healing Workshop in the Bl Hugh Faringdon Conference Centre.

A Pastoral Programme retreat To God through Music was led by Fr Gervase in the Conference Centre. There were 24 participants.

Fr Abbot attended the English Benedictine Historu Meeting at Ampleforth Abbey, Yorkshire.

Fr Dermot is attending the Catholic Theological Conference at Ushaw College, Co Durham; Fr Alban is at the Novice Masters' Meeting at Downside Abbey and Fr Gervase is attending the Monastic Musicians Meeeting at Quarr Abbey in the Isle of Wight.

This evening and for the next two Mondays training sessions for Ministers of the Word from the local Pastoral Area are being held in the Bl Hugh Faringdon Conference Centre and St Mary's Church.

The local Methodists held a service in the Abbey Church at 4pm for the induction of two Ministers to serve neighbouring Methodist churches.

A concert was given in the Abbey Church by Concerto delle Donne, a group of ten ladies directed from the organ by Alastair Ross. The programme consisted of French seventeenth century music in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary which was written for convents.

• Queen of Heaven
  • Prelude du cinquieme ton (C major) - Lebegue
  • Antiphon Ave Regina caelorum - Charpentier
• The Birth of the Virgin
  • Motet Sicut spina rosam - Chapentier
  • Antiphon Gaude felix Anne - Charpentier
• The annunciation
  • Tierce en taille du deuxieme ton (G minor) - Lebegue
  • Antiphon Gabriel Angelus - plainsong
  • Magnificat pout le Port Royal - Charpentier
  • Antiphon Alma redemptoris mater - Charpentier
• The Nativity of Christ
  Motet Frigidae noctis umbra totum - Charpentier
  • Noel: Ou s'en vont ses gays bergers? - Lebegue
• A Prayer to the Virgin
  • Antiphon Salve Regina - Lully
• The Passion
  • Recit de tierce du troisieme ton (A minor) - Nivers
  • Sequence Stabat Mater - - Charpentier
• The Resurrection
  • Dialogue a deau choeurs du sixieme tone (F major) - Nivers
  • Antiphon Regina caeli laetare - CharpentierThe Coronation of the Virgin
    • Hymn Gaudia Virginis Mariae - Charpentier
    • Plein Jeu de huitieme ton (G major) - Lebegue
  • Conclusion
    • Hymn Te lucis ante terminum - plainsong
  This music had a special connection with us, as Chaprentier played our organ in Paris, and some of the music was written for the nuns of Port Royal and the Carmelite convent in the rue St-Jacques, Paris which would have been heard by some of our monks.

We are hosting a Men's Retreat this weekend in the guesthouse and conference centre.

Fr Dermot attended the Society of Christian Ethics Postgraduate Conference at Westcott House Cambridge.

The autumn Pastoral Programme brochure is now available on line.

Fr Dermot is attending the annual conference of the British Assocation for the Study of Religions in York.

A Pastoral Promgramme Silent Retreat was held this weekend.

Paper copies of Douai Abbey Newsletter and The Douai Magazine are now available

Community Retreat

Monastic Families Day. Families of the monks were invited to Mass and lunch.

Fr Dermot directed a Spirituality-in-the-Workplace workshop in the Bl Hugh Faringdon Conference Centre.

Now available Douai Abbey Newsletter 32, July 2008 and The Douai Magazine 170 2008.
(Paper copies will be available shortly.)

The annual meeting of Consecrated Women is taking place in the Guesthouse and Conference Centre.

MONOS, a centre for the study of monastic culture and spirituality, in assocation with the University of Wales Lampeter held their second annual conference at Douai. The guesthouse was filled to capacity. The principle lectures were

• Esther de Waal  Recovering the mystical side of St Benedict. A protest at making the Rule too accessible.
• Anthony Grimley  The Journey: A motif for a secular monasticism.
• Abbot Joseph Delargy OSCO (Mount St Bernard)  Inside our: Monastic Spirituality in the World
• Sr Elizabeth Rees  The Desert Fathers and Mothers.
• Revd Dr Robin Gibbons  New woneskins? Sketes and Solitaries.
• Dr David Rorvesll   Learning from the sangha: How Buddhism might shed light on the role of Christian monasticism today.

Greenspirit held a meeting in the Conference Centre

Reading Borough Council held a meeting in the Hugh faringdon Conference Centre>

A second lamb was born this morning. Pictures taken shortly after birth.

A Zen seminar is taking place this weekend.

Fr Paul represented the community at the blessing of the new abbot of Ramsgate, Paulinus Greenwood OSB.

The leavers classes from the Catholic Primary Schools of the locality who will be going to Bl Hugh Faringdon School, Reading, next term had a Mass in the Abbey Church, followed by a picnic in the grounds.

The children gathered in the church.	Some of the buses in which they came in the car park.
Picnic & games on the lawn.

Reading University Chaplaincy postgraduates came for an afternoon retreat with the chaplains in the Bl Hugh Faringdon Conference Centre.

Our maintenance team began work on refurbishing the cottages used for self-catering guests. The first task is to install a new damp course.

Robin Baird-Smith, publishimng director of Continuum, spoke to the community about Catholic publishing.

Sr Elizabeth Rees OCV & Fr Benedict led a Pastoral Programme Individually Guided Retreat for ten people.

The Pangbourne Conference of the S.V.P. organised a Day of Retreat in the Conference Centre, given by Fr Romuald.

The UK oblates Team preparing for the 2009 International Congress of Oblates now has a website with Congress information.

The cottages used for self-catering guests, school groups and the like, have been closed for repairs. A container was delivered to its garden today in which the furniture can be stored while the work is being carried out.

The first lamb has been born to one of the Jacob sheep in the monastery meadow.

Sixteenth anniversary of the dedication of the Abbey Church, Fr Abbot presided at Mass and Vespers.

A Spirituality-in-the-workplace Network meeting took place in the Bl Hugh Faringdon Centre, and a Diocese of Oxford Schools Advisory meeting was held in the St Alban Roe building.

The New Club, an ecumenical group from Ascot came for a visit and tour of the Abbey Church.

A training day was held for successful teachers in the Bl Hugh Faringdon Conference Centre.

At Mass today the Douai Singers sang Missa Quarta by L Bardos, Locus iste by Bruckner and O quam metudendus est by Victoria.

The Douai Society were present at Mass and held their AGM and lunch afterwards in the Conference Centre.

The Reading Festival Chorus gave a concert of 19th and 20th century French and English liturgical music in the Abbey Church. The first half was devoted to the French: Faure's Tu es Petrus, Ave Verum, Cantique de Jean Racine, Jehan Alain Variations on a theme of Jannequin played on the organ by Hilary Norris, and Messe Solennelle by Louis Vierne. The second half was English: The Lord is my Shepherd by Stanford, Frank Bridge's Adagio in E major and Elgar's Give unto the Lord, Psalm 29. The final piece after the blessing was In pace in idipsum by Thomas Tallis.

Two retreat groups this weekend: Ormskirk Knights of St Columba and Young Catholic Adults from Cheltenham.

Elstree School held their end of academic year service in the Abbey Church.

The teaching staff of Bl Hugh Faringdon gathered for a Day of Recollection in the Conference Centre and Abbey Church.

Fr Francis brought a group of seven parishioners from Kemerton, Glos., to visit the Abbey. They came to Midday Prayer and had lunch in the guiest refectory.

Br Placid Hughes, having discerned that he is not called to monastic life, left the community this afternoon.

Fr Abbot attended a celebration at St Gregory's Cheltenham to commemorate 150 years since the church's opening. For many years Douai monks served the parish.

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