Saints Dunstan, Ethelwold and Oswald
Fr Brendan Thomas • May 19, 2020
Monastic History in Glass and Stone (5)
Today is the feast of Saints Dunstan, Ethelwold and Oswald. It has been said that no period in English history is more unfairly neglected than the tenth century. It is easy to forget the significance of the people and events of this time in the 'birth of the English nation'.
Three Remarkable Men
The glory days of Anglo-Saxon monasticism were cut short by incessant foreign raids. There was almost nothing left of it after the Danish invasions of the 9th Century. In the 10th century, however, there emerged three remarkable and determined figures who were to bring about a revival: St Dunstan (c.909-988), St Ethelwold (c.910-984) and St Oswald (c.925-992).
Dunstan is probably the most well known. According to legend he had a number of encounters with the devil. He is portrayed in the rose window of St Benedict's Chapel with the blacksmith's pincers with which he is said to have pulled the devil’s nose and made him run down the street shouting! As a folk-tale puts it:
St Dunstan, as the story goes,
St Dunstan, as the story goes,
Once pull'd the devil by the nose
With red-hot tongs, which made him roar,
That he was heard three miles or more.
Charles Dickens refers to the story in A Christmas Carol: "Foggier yet, and colder! Piercing, searching, biting cold. If the good Saint Dunstan had but nipped the Evil Spirit's nose with a touch of such weather as that, instead of using his familiar weapons, then, indeed, he would have roared to lusty purpose."
Another story tells of how Dunstan nailed a horseshoe to the Devil’s hoof when he was asked to re-shoe the Devil’s horse. This caused the Devil great pain, and Dunstan only agreed to remove it after the Devil promised never to enter a place where a horseshoe is over the door. This is claimed as the origin of the lucky horseshoe.
Greatly influenced by continental reforms, the initial monastic zeal of the these three great saints suffered many setbacks. However, when King Edgar came to the throne they found him to be an enthusiastic patron. Dunstan was made bishop of Worcester but was soon transferred: first to London and then Canterbury. Ethelwold was made bishop of Winchester and Oswald was appointed to Worcester.
Cathedral Priories
In 964 Ethelwold made the extraordinary move of expelling the married secular canons from Winchester Cathedral and installing monks from Abingdon to make it a liturgical centre staffed by men living an edifying monastic life. Thus the peculiar English institution of the cathedral priory was brought into existence. Within a few years Winchester would be followed by Worcester and Canterbury and others both before and after the Norman Conquest. In all, seven of the great mediaeval cathedrals were served by Benedictines: Canterbury, Durham, Ely, Norwich, Rochester, Winchester, Worcester. (In addition Bath and Coventry were the monastic parts of double chapters with the Cathedrals of Wells and Lichfield respectively).
The restored abbeys of Glastonbury, Abingdon and Westbury-on-Trym became centres of a reform that succeeded in restoring ruined houses and founding new ones. Some forty monasteries were founded, among them some of the most celebrated of the Middle Ages. The desire for a single uniform observance amongst the houses led to a meeting at Winchester in 970 that produced the remarkable Regularis Concordia (Monastic Agreement), which has been called the ‘Magna Carta of English Monasticism.’ The programme of reform is that of the Synods of Aachen and drew on Dunstan and Ethelwold’s own experience of continental monasticism. The King was now patron and protector of the whole Benedictine enterprise and monasteries became a vital part of the national life of England. We only need to think of the part Westminster Abbey has played in the life of the nation.
The Belmont Connection
The corbels in Belmont’s Sacristy are decorated with the coats of arms of the Cathedral Priories and are a reminder of the unique way Belmont inherited this peculiarly English ecclesiastical arrangement. When Belmont Cathedral Priory was founded in 1859, the institution of the Cathedral Priory was restored in England after a lapse of more than 300 years. Once again, and for forty years to come it would be the only Cathedral in the English-speaking world in which the canons (who were monks) publicly celebrated the Divine Office.
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.
