Message of Abbot Paul - Friday 10th March 2023
Abbot Paul • March 10, 2023
I apologise for there being no message as such today. Yesterday, after Mass at 4am, we set out for Paracas, arriving around 8.30. We said office in the car and had a full Peruvian fisherman’s breakfast on the pavement on arrival. After much negotiating, we hired a small boat and crew to visit the Ballesteros Islands, home to the guano producing birds, of which there are hundreds of thousands, and countless fairly tame sea lions. Afterwards we went back the the port and had the most spectacular lunch at one on the restaurants, the very best, spotlessly clean, perfect food and exceptionally polite staff. Eventually, we took the car to the museum, a few miles away, and spent a couple of hours there, learning all about the local pre-Inca cultures that populated that part of the coast, one of the windiest and most arid parts of the Peruvian coast. After an ice cream, we made our back slowly to the monastery, stopping only for an ice-cold beer on the way. We got back around 10pm, worn out but happy. It was an unexpectedly wonderful day.
Br Meinrad and Br Gildas attend a special service with the Benedictine community of St Paul's Outside the Walls with King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Honesty and Love Before God: Pharisee and Tax Collector; Pope and King - a homily by Abbot Brendan for the 30th Sunday of the Year.
We are sad to announce that Fr Stephen died on Monday 21st October 2055. He was 94. He died peacefully in hospital, having recently fractured his shoulder. He was a beloved member of the monastic community, who had settled back at Belmont after many years on Belmont parishes, including in Abergavenny, Swansea, Hereford and Weobley. He will be much missed. His Requiem Mass will be at Belmont on Wednesday, 5th November at 11.30am followed by burial in the monastic cemetery. The Reception of his Body into the Abbey Church will take place on Tuesday, 4th November, at 5.45pm.
With honoured guests we were delighted to open our doors again of our new guesthouse and conference centre: The Chapterhouse.
"A hymn to the human body." Abbot Brendan's Homily at the annual Mass celebrated at Rotherwas Chapel in Hereford that dates from the 1580s on the feast of the Assumption.
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.
