Return to Belmont of Bishop Mark
Abbot Brendan Thomas • August 9, 2020
We are delighted to have Bishop Mark, Bishop Emeritus of Menevia, back home in the community.
After more than 20 years away from Belmont, we are very pleased that Bishop Mark Jabalé has returned to the community, having been taken away to be Bishop of Menevia.
He was always an important figure in the life of Belmont, as Headmaster of the School from 1969 until 1983 and later as Abbot from 1993 to 2000.
He was sent to Peru to build the monastery of the Incarnation in Sullana which Belmont was founding in the north of the country. He returned to be Prior and then was Elected Abbot.
Pope John Paul appointed him bishop of Menevia (West Wales – the see of St David), with his cathedral in Swansea. When the time came for him to retire as Bishop, he still felt he had plenty of energy so took the unusual step of becoming parish priest of Chipping Norton. Since then he has helped Cardinal Vincent Nicholls, taking on various commitments such as Confirmations in the Archdiocese. In the latter period he lived at Archbishop's House, Westminster.
One of his particular interests that developed in the School years was rowing. For several years he coached the Oxford University crew for the Boat Race and was entrusted with the lightweight coxless four for Great Britain which won a Gold medal at the World Championships in 1979.
Born in Alexandria, Bishop Mark was a boy at Belmont Abbey School. Finally retiring, he is delighted to be back at Belmont as we are to have him.
The above photos are from the 60th Ordination Anniversary Mass of Bishop Mark held at Westminster Cathedral on 13th July 2018.
Click to enlarge.
At a solemn Mass, the feast of St Basil and St Gregory, Br Alban makes his promises as a claustral oblate.
Belmont Abbey Organ is the second largest organ in the County of Herefordshire. It has 3 manuals (keyboards) and 54 stops and is second only to the organ of Hereford Cathedral (4 Manuals and 67 stops) - Belmont has the largest organ in our Catholic Diocese.