Dear Friends,
In May we welcomed a new member to the commmunity. Fr William Charlton, a priest of the Middlesbrough
Diocese and parish priest in Scarborough, spent some months with us in the year 2000, and has returned to
enter the novitiate here as Fr ‘Aidan’. Those of us from north of the Humber are pleased that the community
now boasts a Cuthbert, an Aidan, a Bede, and an Alcuin of York. We ask you to join your prayers to ours for
him in this period of transition.
We welcomed the 'Day with Mary' pilgrimage from Westminster. A full church celebrated a packed day of
devotions, including three sermons on Our Lady preached by members of the community. For the first time in
many years we were able to hold a procession of the Blessed Sacrament around our fields. Once again we were
pleased to welcome three of the Friars of the Immaculate who assisted with the hearing of confessions and
serving the liturgical ceremonies.
The 8th Farnborough Cub Scouts came to see the church for an evening visit and to learn about the monastic
life.
A number of pilgrims on their way to the annual Paris-Chartres pilgrimage stayed with us. One American and
a group of Australians led by Fr Michael Rowe of Perth, Western Australia, had their last moments of
relaxation here before trekking from Notre Dame de Paris to Notre Dame de Chartres on foot over the three
days of the Pentecost weekend.
Earlier this year I gave the annual retreat to the junior sisters of Blessed Mother Theresa’s Missionaries
of Charity. They returned the compliment by coming to visit us. A large group of sisters spent a day with
us. We celebrated Mass in the Abbey Church and then they used the South Lodge for a day of rest and to
spend some community time together. This visit coincided with the visit of a small group of religious
superiors who meet from time to time to share their thoughts, experience, and the challenges facing their
communities. We welcomed two Franciscans Friars of the Renewal, the Prioress of the Dominican Sisters of
St Joseph from Lymington, and the Prior of the Praemonstratensian Canons from Manchester. We have a number
of projects of mutual assistance planned for the next year.
The Fathers of the London Oratory brought a group of their converts to us on the eve of Pentecost. Fr Sean
Finnegan and Br Michael Lang guided a day of recollection in the South Lodge which concluded with
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament in the Abbey Church. The members of this group were received into the
Church that very evening in the London Oratory.
With all our good wishes and blessings
Sincerely in the Lord,
rchived 
ews
