Exits and Entrances: The Year in Review 1

Dom Brendan Thomas • December 31, 2020

We could probably all agree that this is one of the worst years in living memory. The sadness and suffering that the coronavirus has brought is not over yet. I think of our health care workers who are stretched and exhausted after a long year, facing this intense new wave.


And yet we going into the New Year with hope given the magnificent work of our scientists producing and testing a vaccine in such a short space of time. Yesterday two of our community went to receive their first jabs, Fr Stephen and Bishop Mark. It is a start.  Let’s hope that the vaccinations can be speeded up for all.


Exits

It is also a poignant year for us at Belmont. Fr David died a year ago today. Little did we expect to lose three more members of our community in such a short space of time. Fr David dedicated a large part of his life to our mission in Peru, on parishes and then in the monastery. He was also a gifted theologian and wrote a couple of books and kept a lively blog. I will miss his creative thinking, and his love of Christian tradition East and West. 

To lose Br Raphael was another great sadness. He had lived a full life and was slowing down, but the virus hastened his end. He was a craftsman and our regular organist. At Christmas he would decorate the Refectory, even into his eighties and produce a bottle of Sloe or Damson Gin that he had been making. He always had a twinkle in his eye and a bon mot to brighten up your day (sometimes on the level of groaning Christmas cracker jokes, sometimes more refined). He was that combination of a free-thinker who was at the same time a traditional Catholic. 

Fr Alistair’s sudden death came as shock to us all. A late vocation, but it was an idea that he had nurtured since his youth when he had spent two years at Taizé in Burgundy. In between he had been a respected teacher and assistant head. He loved his studies at Belmont and Rome and was thoroughly enjoying helping on the Belmont Parish. God has his own purposes, and at least he had celebrated a full liturgical year as a priest before he was taken.

Br Bernard’s death also took us by surprise. Although his health had been declining it seems certain that the coronavirus precipitated his end. His out-going character made him the heart and soul of Belmont. For years he looked after our Oblates, who held him in great affection, and managed the shop. But he was also creative and practical. He brought joy and laughter to the community as well as a great faith and love of religious life. He was a walking encyclopaedia on many aspects of English Monastic history.

A different loss this year was Fr Nicholas, who, after two years as their Prior-Administrator, the community at Downside elected as their Abbot. He is sadly missed by many at Belmont but we are happy that he is able to help another community in its need.

Entrances

Amongst the sadness of loss there are many things we can be thankful for this year.

The monastic life is like an ever-rolling stream, and as it bears its sons away a new generation of monks come to the fore. Despite the restricted circumstances of the lockdown we had the joyous occasion of the priestly ordination of Fr Augustine. His studies in Rome were cut short because of the virus (he completed them with online teaching) but he excelled in his results. Amongst other things he has been helping on the parish, making things covid-secure, and has taken over from Fr Alistair as Retreat Secretary.

On 7th December Br John was clothed in the habit, meaning he has begun his year-long Novitiate. He is already well-used to the monastic life having lived for nine years in an Anglican community. He seems very much at home with us. He has worked a lot in the Kitchen since the covid crisis and is a good reliable cook. For a number of years he had been a manager in the care sector. 

Also in December we have welcomed a new aspirant who has settled in well, and is seeking to try his vocation with us. Please keep them both in your prayers. 


Other Community News

We are also delighted to have Bishop Mark back with us in the resident community, having served the church in West Wales and in London in recent years. He is enjoying a well-deserved retirement, but fully engaged in the life and prayer of Belmont. Yesterday he was busy making marmalade for the community with Br John. But he is happy to do more formal duties. It was good to have a bishop at hand for the ordination of Fr Augustine, when it might otherwise have been restricted!


Our other retired or semi-retired monks are doing well, including Fr Stephen, who although suffering from memory loss is settled in the monastic routine and has a good rapport with Fr Joseph, who keeps active, but misses his time in Peru. 


As Infirmarian Br Dunstan keeps an eye on Fr Stephen and any of us when we are in need. He has also looked after Fr Alexander who spent several months in the infirmary recovering from a serious operation. Thankfully he is much recovered and participating in our daily life again.


We have had less frequent contact this year with our brethren outside the community, given the restrictions, but we have seen them when possible. We have seen more of those local than those further away.  Fr Simon at Weobley, Fr Michael and Fr Andrew in Hereford and Fr Matthew at Abergavenny are nearby, while Fr Richard and Fr Cenydd are at Whitehaven and Fr Thomas is chaplain at the nursing home at the Oulton Abbey Care Home. Fr Patrick has been kept busy as hospital chaplain, and since the summer has been saying Mass regularly at Little Malvern, when permitted.


Fr James looks after the library, and after some ill-health these past years is improving. Fr Jonathan has not been able to welcome guests to the monastery but is occupied with other things including writing and teaching. 


The rest of us in the community are glad to see the end of this challenging year, living in hope for a better 2021 for all of us. 


Keep the community in your prayers including our brethren in Peru who are managing to keep safe and well despite the awful situation there too.

By Abbot Brendan Thomas May 17, 2025
Bishop Mark Jabalé OSB Bishop Mark died peacefully on 9th May. Reception of Body and Mass of Remembrance Friday 30th May, 11am, St Joseph’s Co-Cathedral, Swansea Requiem Mass & Burial Thursday 5th June, 12 noon, Belmont Abbey John Peter Jabale was born on 16th October 1933 in Alexandria, Egypt of mainly European heritage. His father was Lebanese/French, and his mother British/Greek/French. He attended the Lycée Français in Alexandria until 1948, when he was sent to England, having expressed a desire to join the Navy. He enrolled at Belmont Abbey School and, upon leaving school, joined the Abbey, taking the religious name Mark. He was ordained to the priesthood on 13 July 1958. He was then sent to the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, where he obtained a Licentiate in French Literature, writing his thesis on Joseph de Maistre, the French counter-revolutionary. He later completed a Diploma in Education at St Mary’s, Strawberry Hill, where he also played rugby for the University. From 1964, he taught sport and served as a housemaster at the school. In 1969, he was appointed Headmaster of Alderwasley School in Derbyshire, though he held that post for only half a term before being recalled to Belmont to serve as Headmaster there, a role he held—apart from a sabbatical—until 1983. From 1964 he was teaching sport and then was a housemaster in the School. In 1969 he was appointed Headmaster of Alderwasley School, Derbyshire, but filled that post for only half a term. He was called back to Belmont to be Headmaster where he served, apart from a sabbatical, until 1983. Fr Mark was a rowing coach of considerable repute. During his sabbatical in 1979, he assisted Dan Topolski in coaching the Oxford crew for the Boat Race. His greatest coaching triumph came when he led a lightweight coxless four to a gold medal at the World Rowing Championships in Bled, Yugoslavia — the only gold medal won by Great Britain that year. The following year, he was invited to coach for the Olympics, but he declined in order to remain committed to Belmont. He was a steward of Henley Royal Regatta and was responsible for setting up and programming its first computerised systems. He was ahead of may in seeing the potential of new technology. In 1983, he was sent to Peru to purchase land and build a new monastery, which included raising funds in the UK. The new monastery was blessed, and the first Mass was celebrated there by the Archbishop of Piura, Oscar Cantuarias Pastor, in June 1986 together with Abbot Jerome, Fr Paul, Fr Luke, Fr David as well as Fr Mark. Dom Mark returned to Belmont as Prior and was elected the 10th Abbot of Belmont in 1993. He later wrote: “My first and most painful task proved to be the overseeing of the closure of the school.” Together with the bursar, John Hubert, he negotiated with the local NHS for the 4 houses to be leased to them. In 2000, he was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Menevia by Pope John Paul II and was ordained bishop in St Joseph’s Cathedral, Swansea, on 7 December 2000. He succeeded Bishop Daniel Mullins as the 10th Bishop of Menevia on 12 June 2001. During his episcopate, he held several important offices: Chairman of the Department for Christian Life and Worship, Trustee and Visitator of the three foreign seminaries — the Venerable English College (Rome), the Beda College (Rome), and the Royal English College (Valladolid). He was also Bishop-in-Charge of on-going formation for diocesan priests. Upon reaching the age of 75, Bishop Jabale submitted his resignation to the Holy Father on 16 October 2008 and was succeeded by Bishop Tom Burns. He then moved to Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, and was inducted as Parish Priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in March 2009, a post he held until 2014. At the age of 81, he retired to Hendon in London, where he celebrated daily Mass at a local convent, assisted in various parishes, and continued to help with confirmations in the diocese. In October 2019, he moved to Archbishop’s House, Westminster, for nine months. Finally, he returned to Belmont in 2020 as a much-cherished member of the community. He described himself as “very happy.” He remained there until his death in Hereford County Hospital on 9 May 2025, aged 91. He had been a monk of Belmont for 73 years, a priest for 67 years and a bishop for 24 years. Please pray for the eternal happiness of Rt. Rev. Dom Mark Jabalé 10th Bishop of Menevia 10th Abbot of Belmont who died 9th May 2025 in the 92nd year of his age, the 73rd year of his monastic life and the 67th year of his priesthood. May he rest in peace
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