The Monastery Guesthouse: The Year in Review 2
Dom Brendan Thomas • December 31, 2020
New Guests for Hedley Lodge
We were all thrown into confusion with the arrival and spread of the coronavirus at the beginning of the year. In March, almost as soon as the crisis started, we were approached by Herefordshire Council to ask if we would take the homeless in to Hedley Lodge.
It immediately seemed the right thing we should do. Our guesthouse is usually put to a different use for those coming on retreat or as a convenient place to stay in the locality. We have quite a mix of people through our doors at the best of times. But while St Benedict calls us to welcome all as Christ, he says “great care and concern are to be shown in receiving poor people and pilgrims, because in them more particularly Christ is received; our very awe of the rich guarantees them special respect.” It seemed absolutely the right thing to do to help at a moment of crisis even if we were not sure how it would work out.
From the beginning it was clear that we would not be required to provide food, but all our rooms were made available as accommodation. Sadly, we have had to reduce our regular staff, having supported them during the summer, but we have had two full time staff, Dawn and Maxine looking after our new guests, with occasional help from others. The whole project has worked very well. The increased stability it has given some has helped them get back into work.
Many of them were away with family over Christmas, but those who remained had a beautiful Christmas lunch prepared by our cook, Sue.
It seems probable that the current arrangement will continue until March, and then we will look at refurbishing the guesthouse ready to receive our regular guests whom we know are waiting to return. The Council are looking into a long-term solution to housing the homeless. There is still much uncertainty so we cannot give a definite date to the reopening of Hedley or future plans.

Visit from our MP
In October, the Abbot welcomed Jesse Norman, MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire, to Hedley Lodge, to see for himself our accommodation for the homeless and to see this Government-funded scheme in action. It has led to a big reduction in the number of rough sleepers.
After a tour of Hedley Lodge and conversations with some of the guests, who praised the efforts made on their behalf and the support offered by the staff, Jesse, who is Financial Secretary to the Treasury in the Government, said:
“I am so pleased to see for myself the benefits this Government programme has brought, both to the people it has helped directly, many now comfortably housed in Hedley Lodge, and to the wider local community, in our great national effort to limit the spread and the effect of Coronavirus. "It is particularly fitting that Belmont Abbey, in keeping with its Benedictine tradition of welcoming all guests, has made this accommodation available and I am most grateful to the Abbot, the Community and the Abbey’s staff for welcoming me to Hedley Lodge and for providing me with the opportunity to meet some of the guests and the staff, and to find out more about the delivery of the project, both from them and from the supporting teams from Herefordshire Council and the local police.”
From Francis to Leo: A special event with Christopher Lamb of CNN in conversation with Austin Ivereigh who commentated for the BBC on the transition from Pope Francis to Pope Leo.
On 12th June an Ecumenical Service was held at Hereford Cathedral to celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea.
Archbishop Mark O'Toole, of Cardiff-Menevia presided at the Requiem Mass for Bishop Mark, while Abbot Brendan conducted his burial. Cardinal Vincent Nichols preached a homily full of warmth and affection for Bishop Mark which is reproduced below.
Bishop Mark Jabalé OSB RIP Given at his funeral by Dom Alexander Kenyon Baby Jean Pierre (Mark) Jabale was born on October 16th, 1933, in Alexandria, Egypt. As he said, himself, his background could be considered “cosmopolitan”: his father was Lebanese / French and his Mother, British / Greek / French. He also reminded people that he wasn’t Egyptian. Through his mother, Arlette, he was related to St. Jean Vianney, so it was, perhaps, no surprise that he followed in his priestly footsteps. His father, Jean, was MD of Fiat and Simca cars Europe and, maybe surprisingly or not, he did love a car – not, however, Italian cars, but German; he loved his Audis. Perhaps we should begin today by remembering his mother and father, his brothers Christian and Paul and his nieces, here today, Aline and Nathalie and Isabelle and their families – they were so dear to him and he to them and I know they miss him enormously. Young Jean wanted to join the Navy and came to England, to Belmont Abbey school but the Lord had other ideas – he ended up joining the rather land locked monastery, our dear, late Fr. Raymund opining that he wouldn’t last a month. After a rather uninspiring course of priestly studies (his words, not mine) he studied for a Licentiate in French literature in Fribourg, then a Dip Ed at Strawberry Hill and played Rugby there – the Papist Witch Doctor as he was affectionately known. Teaching followed, at Belmont, Housemaster, acting Headmaster, then to Alderwasley, our prep school in Derbyshire as Headmaster, and then back to Belmont soon after as Headmaster. In 1983 he went to Peru to build our first monastery there only to realise there was little money. So, he returned to the UK to put in a stint of fundraising with his usual zeal and determination. With his mission accomplished he was asked by Abbot Alan to return to Belmont as his prior in 1986 – Peru remained close to his heart. In 1993 he was elected Abbot. In his time as Abbot, he had to preside over the closure of the school, necessary but no less painful for him. In 2000 he was appointed coadjutor Bishop of Menevia and succeeded Bishop Mullins in 2001. He retired as Ordinary in 2008 and “retired” to Chipping Norton as parish priest, then Hendon, saying Mass for the nuns and helping with confirmations. After a spell at Archbishop’s House, Westminster, living with his great friend Cardinal Nichols, he came home to Belmont – it was as though he had never been away and he loved being back in the monastery, particularly praying the Office with the community. That’s the list, of sorts, but it doesn’t really say “who” he was. I haven’t mentioned his outstanding contribution to rowing – the 1979 coxless, lightweight four gold medal at the world championships in Bled, which almost didn’t happen as, at the last minute, he was told there was no money to send the crew. He begged, cajoled and got them there – the video footage of the final is compelling. He transformed Henley Royal Regatta, writing a computer programme for the race results – he was well ahead of his time. He coached the Oxford Boat, ran the Heads of the River Schools Regatta, and more. What an achievement from someone who had never sat in a boat but learned on the job, as he said, “from books, mainly”. It was his determination, his commitment, his love of people and his drive to share what he had that is, perhaps, one of the key things to celebrate about him. And it was underpinned by his rock-solid faith – nothing overly pious, nothing showy, but a faith and a love of the Lord built on granite. Even his occasional lack of patience (sorry Mark) extended to that faith; ‘why won’t God call me?”. At the risk of being irreverent my response was always “would you want you?”. But God did want him, and he knew it. God had a purpose for his Apostle during his life and he now rests with Him in eternity. His purpose was, simply, to bring the joy of the Lord into the lives of others, in many and varied ways. A few weeks before Mark died, Pope Francis died. When the late Pope was seriously ill the son of friends of mine who entertained Mark and I to lunch regularly, was distraught at overhearing mum and dad say the Pope may die. He couldn’t stop crying. “But darling”, they said, “you don’t know the Pope, why so very sad?”. “We do know him” came the reply, “it’s Mark”. “No, Mark isn’t the Pope”. “Oh, so when the Pope does die will Mark be Pope then?”. Mark loved that one. When Mark himself did die said son would only be pacified by picking flowers from the garden and bringing them to church for him. He wanted to show how much Mark meant to him and wanted to give a little something back. That is the real biography – a man loved, respected, a man who shared what he had, above all his faith, a man who touched so many lives and made them better.  Rest in peace our dear friend.
Our brethren in Peru were delighted with the election of Pope Leo.
