Dear Friends,
In February we heard of the unexpected death of Dom Robert Gough, the Prior of Quarr Abbey on the Isle of
Wight. Fr Robert was a much-loved and kindly man who was often to be found manning the shop till and
Porter’s Lodge at Quarr. He would boast that he was one of the few men in the world who had had three hip
replacements. I travelled over to the island to attend his funeral, at which the diocesan clergy of
Portsmouth were well represented.
Straight from Quarr I drove to St Dominic’s Convent at Lymington, on the edge of the New Forest. There is
there a vibrant and increasingly young house of Dominican Sisters who live the traditional Dominican mix of
contemplation and action. They have recently elected a new superior and have completed a beautiful chapel
in the style of an old-fashioned Hampshire barn.
Abbot Cuthbert of Quarr and I drove together to Buckfast to attend the blessing of their newly-elected
Abbot, Philip Manahan. We were able to catch up with news from other Benedictine houses of monks and nuns
from around the country.
Dr Mary Berry, of Cambridge, came to visit us for a weekend. She led an extremely successful intensive
course in Gregorian Chant for the Schola Gregoriana Sancti Nicolai. This culminated in a Missa Cantata in
the Abbey Crypt in the traditional rite, which her pupils sang beautifully.
Wishing you a Blessed Lent,
Sincerely in the Lord,
rchived 
ews
