St Edmund et al
Published in News · 22 November 2020
» Last Friday was St Edmund's day, the community's patronal feast which, despite the restrictions, was ceebrated with pretty much the customary festivity at Solemn Mass and festal meal. Also commemorated was St Alban Roe, a monk of our community martyred at Tyburn in 1642. This year marks the 50th anniversary of his canonisation among the Forty Martyrs of England Wales. Though he died a monk of our community, he began his monastic life as a monk of Ampleforth, and we had planned to host a celebration here with the brethren from Ampleforth. Sadly, Covid put paid to that. May St Edmund and St Alban Roe pray for us.
» The day before the abbot led the funeral of Caroline Mayr-Harting, wife of Henry, Old Dowegian and Emeritus Regius Professor of History at Oxford. The funeral was held, in accordance with the restrictions currently in place, at the chapel of Oxford University's Catholic chaplaincy, with the Requiem Mass being live-streamed. May she rest in peace,
» Also last week, the abbot conferred Confraternity on Greg and Celia Primavesi, who have both served the community faithfully over many years. Greg has been de facto clerk of works since the passing of Fr Wilfrid in 2003, and Celia served for many years as the sacristan at the monastery's church of St Luke in Theale. Ad multos annos!
St Edmund's statue in the abbey church on his feast day in 2016