Dom Cadfan Williams RIP

Belmont Webmaster • September 19, 2018

The community were joined by a large congregation on 19th September 2018 for the Requiem Mass and burial of Fr Cadfan (David Williams) who died unexpectedly at the age of 81. Among the mourners, Bishop Mark Jabalé, former Abbot of Belmont was present and the current Bishop of Hereford, Richard Frith representing the Dean Michael and Cathedral community at Hereford and the Reverend Sue Adeney representing Dean Peter and the Cathedral community at Worcester. After the Requiem Mass, the mourners attended the burial in the monastic cemetery.

Abbot Paul preached the homily which is reproduced below.

Eternal rest, grant unto him O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace.

“Unless a wheat grain fall on the ground and die, it remains a single grain; but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest.” These are the words of Jesus proclaimed in today’s Gospel. In the next few weeks, in churches throughout the land, Christians will be giving thanks to God for his many gifts bestowed on us in the harvest. Jesus loved to compare his own life and that of his disciples to the cycle of nature, the smallest seed producing the greatest shrub, a wheat grain falling to the earth and dying in order to produce a great harvest. The last judgment and eternal life are often compared to the harvest, when God will reward with the marriage feast of the Lamb those who have used their talents well and have lived by faith in his word. The seed we bury today is Fr Cadfan and we do so knowing that his life of faith in his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has produced a rich harvest. We commend his body and soul to God at this Requiem Mass, offering the Sacrifice of Christ for the forgiveness of his sins and asking that he may rest in the peace of God’s Kingdom together with St Cadfan and the vast company of Saints of Bardsey Island, his spiritual companions on his journey through life.

David George Williams was born on 1st March 1937, hence David, at Warrington, the only child of Bernie and Charles. Warrington had traditionally been part of Lancashire and Cadfan was proud to be a Lancastrian, albeit of Welsh descent. He was also proud to be Welsh. His parents had him baptised at Christ Church, Latchford, when only six weeks’ old. He was educated locally and took his O levels at Lymm Grammar School, after which he studied at Manchester College of Building where he gained an Advanced Professional Diploma. Armed with that qualification, he worked as an architectural draughtsman with a private firm of architects from leaving school in 1954 until 1959. He then worked at the Borough Architect’s Department at Widnes for 10 years and a further 10 years at the City Architect’s Department in Liverpool. All this time, he practised his Anglican faith fervently, being confirmed at St Thomas’ church, Stockton Heath, in May 1954, where he was a server and subsequently a member of the P.C.C. From 1960 to 1979 he attended All Hallows, Orford, assisting there as sacristan, head server, member of the P.C.C., and as a caller and general factotum at bingo. As a child, his parents considered him to be a bit of a scamp and a rascal. You can picture him, can’t you?

For some time, David had been considering the possibility of a vocation to the monastic life, so In June 1979, he visited the Anglican Benedictine community at Nashdom Abbey. In February 1980, he entered as a novice, taking his Simple Vows on 13th February 1982. He was given the name of Brother Timothy. At Nashdom, he served, almost simultaneously, as sacristan, guest master and monk in charge of the incense factory, but he left the community in January 1985. He retained a great affection for his first monastic home and, in recent years, was able to visit a number of times with Fr Andrew. His last visit was just three weeks’ ago. On leaving Nashsdom, he moved to Colwyn Bay, attending Eglwys Dewi Sant and picking up a smattering of Welsh. He was unemployed but, for two summers, found seasonal employment as a part-time tour guide at Conway Castle. From November 1986 to February 1989, he worked as assistant warden at St Francis Retreat House in Cambridgeshire. On 11th February 1989, he was clothed again as a Benedictine novice, this time at Alton Abbey, ultimately being solemnly professed on 23rd June 1993. Here he was in charge of the altar bread department, but, yet again, he did not persevere and left the community on 27th August 1994. For some time, he had been mulling over the possibility of becoming a Catholic.

The very day he left Alton, he arrived at Belmont, where he hoped to become both a Catholic and a monk. He took instruction from Dom Timothy Ford, now a priest of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, and was received into the Catholic Church by Dom Michael Evans on 7th December 1994. On 20th March the following year, he was given the habit by Abbot Mark Jabalé, taking the name of Cadfan, because of his great devotion to his heavenly patron and the saints of Bardsey. It was an unusual name, which people would not forget, just as they would never forget Br Cadfan once they had met him. He made his Simple Profession on St Benedict’s Day 1996 and was solemnly professed on 22nd March 1999. By that time he had begun his priestly studies at the Beda College in Rome, whilst living at Sant’Anselmo. He was ordained a deacon by Bishop Mark on 8th September 2001 and ordained a priest by Archbishop Peter Smith on 26th September 2002. At Belmont we make neither incense nor altar bread, so he had to content himself with another job and became guest master, a post he held for 18 years with a just short break in the middle. It was a duty he performed with great love and care and, of course, it put him into contact with many, many people. In fact, with an energy that gave the lie to his age, he was very active in many ways, both as a monk and a priest. He loved celebrating Mass or presiding at Vespers and spent much time in preparation. He was always determined to get things right.

There are two types of convert: those who reject and are highly critical of the religion or church in which they grew up and those who see their conversion as a further stage in their spiritual journey, a special gift of grace, becoming Catholic while retaining a deep love for and appreciation of the church of their birth. Fr Cadfan was definitely one of the latter. He became a Catholic, and was thoroughly orthodox in his Catholic beliefs and obedient to the Magisterium of the Church, yet in many ways he remained an Anglican. As a result, he was very active in the world of ecumenism, forging a wonderful relationship with Worcester Cathedral, for example, and in recent years being the Catholic Ecumenical Companion at Hereford Cathedral. He saw friendship, respect and praying together as a gentle and more certain path to Christian Unity. It’s a joy to welcome Bishop Richard this afternoon representing Dean Michael and the cathedral community at Hereford and the Reverend Sue Adeney representing Dean Peter and the cathedral community at Worcester.

Just as Fr Cadfan was a good and loyal monk, so he was a good and loyal friend. The large gathering here today bears witness to the love and esteem so many felt for him and he for them. He was a befriender, who looked after his friends, visited them and prayed for them. If we list the places he visited regularly, then we will have some idea of the magnitude of his love. We have already mentioned the cathedrals of Hereford and Worcester. Quarr Abbey on the Isle of Wight, his second monastic home, Whitehaven and the Parish of St Begh, where he was honorary curate and kept a key to the front door, Lourdes, where he led an annual pilgrimage from Neath in South Wales, Walsingham, and Our Lady of Walsingham to whom he had a very special devotion, Llantarnam and Curzon Park with their communities of nuns, Tintern Abbey and the annual celebration of Vespers there, Venice and the Abbazia San Giorgio, the Welsh National Eisteddfod. The list goes on and on. Then there was the Belmont Parish. He had loved serving Broad Oak and Ewyas Harold until they closed and he enjoyed greeting the congregation as people emerged from Mass on a Sunday morning. He reveled in such parish events as Quiz Night and the Fete. He could be the life and soul of a party.

He particularly loved families and family life, for in some way they made up for his being an only child with practically no family of his own. For many years he helped our retreat programme, taking charge of the Kemble Room and making sure people paid their dues. He looked forward particularly to leading the annual Llandrindod Wells parish retreat. He never forgot a name or a face, even though for a number of years now he has been certified both blind and deaf. Small in stature he may have been, but what a giant he was in wisdom, loyalty, empathy, prayerfulness, patience, humility and fun. He could be cantankerous at times, but he was also kindness itself. If you asked for a volunteer, he would always be first to sign up and he never ever complained that he was too busy or had too much work to do, that he was getting older or was in pain or was now too frail to do manual work or say another Mass or hear more confessions. He was game for anything. In fact, we were planning to go together to Peru at the end of January. He wanted to see the community there “in situ,” as he said, before he got too old to travel. He had a saying based of the Rule of St Benedict, “Let nothing be preferred to a trip!” There will never be another one like him!

The Lord rewarded him with a swift and painless death. As the Book of Wisdom puts it, “their hope was rich with immortality, slight was their affliction, great will their blessings be.” Fr Cadfan always made light of his afflictions, indeed turned them to his advantage with that mischievous sense of humour with which God had blessed him. Now we pray for his soul, that it may rest in peace, for “those who are faithful will live with God in love; grace and mercy await those he has chosen.” Eternal rest give unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.

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
By Abbot Brendan Thomas May 15, 2025
Abbot Brendan's Homily on the Gospel of the Visitation
May 15, 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 Bishop Mark served this community well for many years, not least Abbot and before that Headmaster of the School. He was then asked to serve the wider church as Bishop of Menevia. May he know eternal happiness with God whom he served. 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
By Abbot Brendan Thomas May 11, 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 Bishop Mark served this community well for many years, not least Abbot and before that Headmaster of the School. He was then asked to serve the wider church as Bishop of Menevia. May he know eternal happiness with God whom he served. 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
By Abbot Brendan Thomas May 6, 2025
A homily by Abbot Brendan at a special Easter Mass for Pope Francis, attended by Catholics from across the Deanery.
By Abbot Brendan Thomas April 24, 2025
New Title
By Abbot Brendan Thomas April 21, 2025
Pope Francis RIP Pope 2013-2025 Born 1936, Died 2025 We are deeply saddened at the passing of Pope Francis. As the successor of St Peter he has been a spiritual father and shepherd to the church in our day, challenging us, and calling as to reach out to those on the peripheries. He was the first Jesuit Pope, but took the name Francis after the Poor Man of Assisi who modelled for him a closeness to the poor, a concern for those on the margins of society and a care for all of creation In his preaching Pope Francis always spoke of the joy of the Gospel and encouraged us to reflect the joy of our faith in our lives. He showed the compassion of Jesus to everyone. He worked tirelessly for the unity of the church and travelled even to non-Christian countries promoting a message of peace. He has left a great legacy. With the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio with the community over Easter we were able to express our closeness to the Holy Father in his final suffering. There will be a special Mass at Belmont this Thursday 24th April at 11am to pray for Pope Francis as he makes his final journey to the house of the Father. On the day of his funeral, the Office of the Dead will be sung, and Mass that day will be a Requiem. May the angels lead him into paradise; may the martyrs receive him at his arrival and lead him to the holy city Jerusalem. May choirs of angels receive him and with Lazarus, the poor man grant him eternal rest." (The In Paradisum, words from the Funeral Liturgy)
By Abbot Paul April 21, 2025
We were were honoured and delighted to be joined by the Apostolic Nuncio to celebrate Easter. His Excellency Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía is the representative of the Holy See in Great Britain, and therefore of the Holy Father. His presence on Easter Sunday morning brought us more consciously in communion with Pope Francis, the successor of St Peter, as we heard the Gospel story of Peter running to the tomb. His patron saint is St Michael, so afterwards, at a festive lunch we were able to present him with some Belmont cufflinks with the monastery coat of arms - very similar to his as Archbishop. We were able to pray for him and his work in this country.
By Abbot Brendan Thomas April 20, 2025
"He is not here, for he is risen." Homily by Abbot Brendan
More Posts