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Douai

Oblate

April 2004

No 21

From the Oblate Director

THIS issue has been published rather later than I would have liked. I have been rather busier than usual this term, having to prepare a course for the University of Reading on Wisdom Literature of the Bible as well as edit The Douai Magazine and prepare it for the press, so time has been taken up.

Oblate Day 2005
At the retreat in December the suggestion was made that we should attempt to have an event at which all, or as many as possible, of our oblates could be present, so that they could get to meet one another. I circulated those who had not been present at that retreat by email or snail mail and the number of positive replies was most encouraging. I asked Jim OMara to head an organising committee, and his report is below.

Higher Profile
The abbot with the Council of Seniors has decided to give the oblates a higher profile in the community. He has suggested that in future final oblation should be made at the Conventual Mass, with the monastic community present. He had experienced this procedure when he had been chaplain at Stanbrook Abbey. Reception of oblate novices will continue to take place as heretofore. The reception of monastic novices is not allowed to take place at Mass.

Assitant Director
The abbot has also decided that with our growing number of oblates there should be an assistant oblate director, as is the case in many monasteries, indeed some have three or four. Prior Francis Hughes has been appointed assitant director and we had the pleasure of welcoming him during the oblate retreat at the end of March.

Br Laurence OCSO
During this retreat we also had a guest, Br Laurence Ezeilo OCSO, from Mount St Bernard Abbey, Leicestershire. Br Laurence is writing a thesis on monastic lay associates and oblates and he had compiled a most comprehensive questionnaire which formed the topic for one of our sessions. (We will use the same questionnaire at the retreat in May since nearly all the participants then will not have taken part in the March retreat.) Br Laurence found being present at the retreat and meeting a comprehensive group of oblates most helpful and he emailed a letter of thanks. I hope he will be able to join us for a future retreat.

World Congress of Oblates 2005
The World Congress of Benedictine Oblates will take place in Rome September 19 - 25, 2005. There will be only 350 places for oblates from all the monasteries in the world, so very few will be able to go from each community. Simon Bryden-Brooke has kindly agreed to be the national co-ordinator for Britain. The titles of the various sessions will be:-

In addition there will be a papal audience and a pilgrimage to Monte Cassino. Hopefully one or two of our oblates will be able to go and bring back information for the rest of us.

University Dayschool at Douai
On Saturday May 15 at 10am I am giving a dayschool for the University of Reading at Douai. The subject is Benedictine Monasticism Today. During the day I shall try to describe the whole range and influence of the Rule of St Benedict in the world today, within and ourside of monasteries. This will, of course, include the important role of oblates. If any of you would be interested in taking part in his dayschool, booking can be made only from: The School of Continuing Education, The University of Reading, London Road, Reading, RG1 5AQ, tel. 0118 971 8347, fax 0118 971 6539, email continuing-education@reading.ac.uk

Oblate Retreat at Minster
I am delighted to have been invited to give an oblates retreat at Minster Abbey in Kent the weekend after Easter. This will enable me to get to know another community of oblates and I am looking forward to meeting them.

Wishing you all a prayerful celebration of the Triduum and a happy Easter.
Gervase OSB 

The Psalms are for people today!

Review: Jonathan Aitken, Psalms for People under Pressure, (NY & London, Continuum, 2004) 7.99

IT is not totally unknown today for Morning Prayer or Evening Prayer occasionally to be recited or even sung in a Catholic church in this country. Forty years ago these daily offices, based on the Hebrew psalms, could be heard only in Latin and only in Westminster Cathedral or a religious house such as a monastery or convent. And of course we have been used now for some years to hearing a passage from the Hebrew scriptures and a psalm at mass.

"You send forth your Spirit and they are created - and you renew the face of the earth" we hear from Psalm 103 on Whitsunday and what a magnificent image of the Spirit it is! This year on Trinity Sunday we hear from Psalm 8, how the great Creator "made man little less than a god - with glory and honour you crowned him, gave him power over the works of your hand, put all things under his feet." The Church is saying in the Liturgy that what the psalmist and the writer of Proverbs is suggesting is that the mystery of the Trinity was foreshadowed from the very beginning of the Cosmos and has finally brought about the mystery of God made Human.

The psalms for some Catholics remain alien territory. Unlike Anglicans brought up to Sunday Matins and daily choral Evensong in our mediaeval cathedrals, they sometimes find it difficult to see how these ancient songs can be relevant today. This is why the disgraced former Tory ministers little work can be recommended. After prison, he went to study theology at Wycliffe Hall in Oxford and his 138 page book on the psalms is the fruit of his time after being knocked from his pedestal and losing almost all that he had valued. It brought him to appreciate his faith and in particular the psalms. Wycliffe was a 14th century English Catholic priest who translated the bible and was accused of heresy. Aitken has tried to emulate his commitment to the truth of our holy religion by bringing the psalms to life for ordinary Christian people today.

He examines 27 of the 150 Psalms in the psalter, giving a reflection and then a profoundly personal commentary on each of them, often explaining what they meant to him when he first used them and what they have meant to him as a result. There are a few technical comments on each psalm in addition to his commentaries, but these are brief and can easily be omitted. He ends each commentary with a short prayer showing admirably how we can use each psalm today.

The popular press has accused Aitken of hypocrisy and pious posturing. I found his book compelling, not only because one knows his story of a great fall from high status, of prison, bankruptcy and divorce as a result of perjury, but also because he has had the courage to tell his story and link it to the great joys Christian faith can bring us. This is a personal not an academic book. I am not too proud to say that I learnt from it and shall use often.

Simon Bryden-Brook 

OBLATE DAY 2005 by Jim OMara

AT last Decembers Oblate Retreat it was proposed that we should consider having an Oblate Day sometime in the Spring or Summer of 2005 so that as many oblates as possible should have the opportunity of gathering together at Douai and getting to know one another.

This proposal has received a very encouraging response from a large number of oblates, with over 30 written replies, offering both support and a large number of helpful suggestions.

As our oblate membership is widely dispersed, the opportunity of all coming together will further a sense of belonging to a Benedictine community of lay and monastic people.

We will all wear name tags for this event so that we will be able put a name to the face of all fellow oblates that we meet. There will also be an opportunity to have a group photograph taken as a visual record of the day.

A committee is to be responsible for organising the event and one of their first tasks is to determine a theme for this Oblate Day. Some themes already proposed are:-

There are of course many more, but once a theme has been decided upon then a decision can be made regarding speakers who could be approached to address us on subjects related to the theme.

Constructing a timetable for the day is expected to be a difficult task as so many aspects will have to be considered. For instance, many people will have considerable travelling time getting to Douai, so an early start will be impossible unless they can have overnight accommodation. This is a difficult problem, particularly for female oblates as the number of rooms in the monastery Guest House is limited. If anyone living near to the Abbey could put up a fellow oblate for the night, do please let the committee know.

Determining the catering requirements will, to a large extent, depend on how long the day is going to be. For some a self-provided shared lunch will be sufficient: some might prefer a finger buffet: others might need a sit down lunch. All these catering options, along with the provision of coffee and tea breaks will be investigated.

Of course, staging an event like this will incur costs, though every effort will be made to ensure that they are be kept to a minimum. The committee will monitor these costs and see that they are apportioned fairly to those attending.

Jim OMara (james.omara@virgin.net 16 Oakmount Avenue, Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh, Hants, SO53 3AB, phone 01703 269732) is to lead a small organising committee of oblates tasked to consider all aspects of this proposal and to ultimately organise the event. The following have agreed to become members of this organising committee:- Simon Bryden-Brook, Mary Macauley, Zina Neagle and Ron OToole.

Throughout the planning stage the committee will keep oblates informed of the progress of the planning. Please support the committee as much as you can, and help them in their deliberations by sending them any ideas and suggestions that you think might contribute to making this event a most worthwhile day. 

This and That

Oblations and Receptions

AFTER Compline on December 13 during a retreat Dan and Helen OConnor, cousins of Fr Godric, made final oblation and before Midday Prayer on March 28, also during a retreat, Patricia Ferguson was received as an oblate novice.

Oblate novices who wish to make oblation and people wishing to become novices are asked to apply to the oblate director during the previous retreat at the latest so that everything can be planned well in advance.

Retreats

Mid-week retreats are becoming more popular, so we have planned an extra one for this year, Oct 26 - 28. The dates of future retreats are:

2004   Tu 11 - Th 13 May (OB204)
Fr 9 - Su 11 July (OB304)
Fr 1 - Su 3 Oct (OB404)
Tu 26 - Th 28 Oct (OB504)
Tu 7 - Th 9 Dec (OB604)
Fr 10 - Su 12 Dec (OB704)
2005   Fr 8 - Su 10 Apr (OL105)
Tu 10 - Th 12 May (OL205)
Fr 8 - Su 10 July (OL305)
Fr 30 Sept - Su 2 Oct (OL405)
Tu 25 - Th 27 Oct (OL505)
Fr 9 - Su 11 Dec (OL605)

Introduction for New Oblates
A booklet has been produced by a small group of oblates, after consultation, which gives a brief explantion of oblates and of practices at Douai for the benfit of those who are new. This booklet will be available at Douai, if anyone would like a copy please let the Oblate Director know.

Please pray for:

oblate Teresa Maurus Vaughan who has very painful feet,
Anthony Ryan, brother of oblate Katherine Ryan who is seriously ill,
William Sheerin, father of oblate Helen OConnor who has had a stroke which has left him paralysed and speechless,
Mia Nye, grandaughter of Oblate Joy Nye who has a life threatening skin disease,
Ann Burke, sister of oblate Dick Donnison who died recently,
and give thanks to God for the recovery of oblate June Bartlett and Sarah Morris, niece of oblate novice Sylvia Head. 

From the Rule of St Benedict

WE intend to establish a school for the Lords service. In drawing up its regulations, we hope to set down nothing harsh, nothing burdensome. The good of all concerned, however, may prompt us to a little strictness in order to amend faults and to safeguard love. Do not be daunted immediately by fear and run away from the road that leads to salvation. (Prol 45-48) 

Douai Oblate is the Newsletter for the Oblates of Douai Abbey. It is published at Douai Abbey, Upper Woolhampton, Reading, Berks, RG7 5TQ, phone 0118 971 5338, fax 0118 971 5303, e-mail oblate@douaiabbey.org.uk April 1, 2004

Go to Oblates Page  : To Douai Oblate October 2003.
Douai Abbey Registered Charity No. 236962

01/04/04(GH)

Gervase Holdaway OSB, Douai Abbey, Upper Woolhampton, Reading, Berks. RG7 5TQ