Silver Jubilee of Fr Brendan

Belmont Webmaster • September 11, 2018

Feast of the Dedication, September 4th 2018

On the feast of the Dedication of the Abbey Church, 4th September, Fr Brendan celebrated his Silver Jubilee as a priest. It is always such a lovely day in the Church, with the original consecration candles lit around the walls. The Community were joined by friends and family, parishioners and retreatants, but Fr Brendan also remembered those who could not be present including those monks and nuns he had met through his work in Rome.

At the end of Mass Fr Brendan said a few words to those gathered.

"Thank you all for being here today to help me celebrate my Silver Jubilee of Ordination. It means a lot to me that you have come. It is traditional on these occasions to ask someone else to preach, and I thank Fr Michael who was my novice master for doing so. Pray also for Fr Matthew and Fr Martin fellow novices who are having separate celebrations.

My father was an architect, and one of the wonderful things we did when I was a child was to travel and to see places, wonderful cities, cathedrals, churches and works of art. He gave me a love of the beautiful things in the world that the Church has always celebrated, like this beautiful Abbey Church, full of light on the anniversary of its dedication.

I didn’t really know what picture to choose for a card to mark my Silver Jubilee of Ordination, but in the end, I went for two beautiful Madonnas by Duccio of Siena which I saw with my Father many years ago and have used on a number of retreats.

But something wonderful and unexpected happened recently when I went to say Mass in Abergavenny, after I had chosen that card. A lady came up to me and said: “I want to thank you for the retreat you gave on Duccio three years ago. That retreat awakened me to something beautiful and I took the step of going through RCIA and becoming a Catholic.”

If I had not met that lady by chance a few weeks ago I might never have known how it has stirred something up within her.

It is delightful as a priest to unexpectedly discover the way in our ministry we have touched people’s lives and help them grow towards God. That we have been able support and strengthen and encourage one another in the journey of faith. That is what we hope to do as priests. So too as monks, through our prayer in this beautiful church we hope to lift people up to God, the source of all beauty.

We never fully know how much we touch each other in our lives, help them grow in love and be what they were made to be. Today is an opportunity to thank you for how much you have touched me and supported me. I also remember so many that cannot be here, most particularly my mother, family and friends, and especially including the many monks and nuns I have worked with in Rome and abroad who have been a wonderful enriching part of my monastic life. Thank you all for being part of this celebration, and most of all for being part of my life and my service as a priest and as a monk.

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
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