Dear Friends,
A Happy New Year to you! To this must be added our thanks for the considerable generosity shown to our
community over Christmas. We are grateful indeed for the many cards and gifts given us.
Christmas was, as usual, a particularly quiet time in the monastery. The guesthouse is closed over the
Christmas season and the community takes the opportunity to enjoy its own company and take an annual rest.
This year we were pleased to have Dom Bede Vela back with us. Dom Bede is a member of community who lives
in gentle retirement with the Benedictine sisters of Our Lady of Grace and Compassion in Heathfield,
Sussex. We found him to be in good spirits and he, for his part, much enjoyed being back with his brethren
and with our liturgy.
During the Christmas Octave we had the pleasure of a visit from Fr Peter Joseph. It is he who is
responsible for the revision of Sheehan’s Catholic Apologetics, extracts of which have appeared in
Laudetur. Fr Joseph has recently completed and defended his doctoral thesis in Rome.
On the Feast of the Holy Innocents I fell in the sacristy whilst preparing the church for Mass and
fractured my wrist and broke my elbow in three places. Just after the Epiphany I spent several days in
Frimley Park Hospital for reconstructive surgery on my elbow. This, needless to say, has delayed production
of Laudetur.
We intend to hold a number of organ recitals this year. A number of musicians have agreed to perform in the
first series which we plan for the afternoons of the first Sundays of May, June, July, August, September,
and October. The recitals will be free of charge (there will be a retiring collection). Details will
follow near the time. I urge you to note the dates in your diaries.
I should like to bring to your attention, once again, the subject of vocations to the religious life and to
the sacred priesthood. Last year, with the help of your generosity, we were able to give considerable
assistance to seminarians from the Third World in their studies to be priests. There will be a special
collection (or two!) for this purpose during Lent this year. May I also remind you that, through the year,
any envelopes marked ‘vocations’ may put into the collection basket at Mass or handed to a member of the
community. We ask not only your financial generosity but also the help of your prayers for those who are
taking their first steps in the religious life or in seminary. We particularly ask your prayers for those
in formation in our monastery and for those young men who have expressed interest in joining our own
community at Farnborough.
You will note that we have been obliged to raise the price of Laudetur for the first time since its
inception. We have included a subscription renewal form for those who receive the review by post. The new
price compares extremely favourably with publications of similar content and quality.
With all our good wishes and blessings
Sincerely in the Lord,
rchived 
ews
