Dear Friends,
The month of May found me in Rome, where I spent three days at the Maria Mater Ecclesiae international
seminary. It is from this college, owned and administered by the Legionaries of Christ, that many of the
student priests who spend their summers with us have come in the last years. By happy coincidence, or by
Divine Providence, my visit included the ordination to the diaconate of Augustine Okoth. Deacon Augustine
is from Kenya and is one of those students who has benefited from the assistance given by those of you who
have contributed to our vocations fund. From this fund we were able to provide him with the books of the
Divine Office, the daily prayer of the Church which is central to his life as a cleric. I was honoured to
be invited by Augustine to invest him with the stole and dalmatic of a deacon during the ordination
ceremony.
Providence also arranged that some of the nuns of Tyburn should be in Rome at the same time, so I was able
to visit a few tourist sites, a restaurant or two, and the Wednesday papal audience with Mothers Xavier,
Claudia, Simeon and Aelred.
On the Feast of the Ascension I visited, for the first time, Monte Cassino, the foundation of St Benedict
himself. The chapel in which I said Mass is built with its altar supported by the summit of the mountain.
Where better to celebrate the Lord’s glorious ascension into heaven than at the top of a mountain? I also
managed to visit the fascinating excavations under St Peter’s, and paid visits to Florence and Orvieto.
In the course of the month we were pleased to welcome the ‘Co-workers of Mother Teresa’ to the Abbey for a
day of prayer and recollection in the South Lodge. We also welcomed the Chaplain to the University of
Cambridge, Fr Alban McCoy for luncheon.
In the Abbey Press we have been working away at our various proposed publications. We are intending to
publish at least three new books this summer and autumn, and to increase and print our range of Christmas
cards in the course. The bees have been extremely active in the last weeks. This augurs well for the honey
harvest.
With all our good wishes and blessings
Sincerely in the Lord,
rchived 
ews
