Dear Friends,
The start of April found us as busy as ever in preparation for the ceremonies of Holy Week and Easter.
On the Saturday of Easter Week we welcomed Fr David Higham to celebrate Mass in the Abbey Church in
celebration of his Golden Jubilee of Ordination. Fr David was, for many years, a monk here and was ordained
in our church. His main celebration was held in his parish at Harvington Hall. His Mass at the Abbey was a
moving and prayerful thanksgiving for his many years as a priest.
We welcomed two Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul to our South Lodge guest house in April. Sr
Judith Greville, a friend of mine, brought her successor in their Provincial Archives at Mill Hill. They
spent four days learning the rudiments of book restoration from Mrs Christine Parkin and me.
During the last days of the month I travelled north to Scarborough to preach at the parish leaving Mass of
our friend Fr William Charlton. Fr Charlton spent some months with us four years ago and has asked to
return to the novitiate in our community. His parish church, exemplary in its performance of the liturgy
and sacred music, was packed to ‘standing-room only’. I preached the homily, acutely aware that I was the
culprit, taking their priest from them! I was, nonetheless, given a warm welcome by the local people and
clergy. The trip north allowed me to travel even further north to visit my parents and grandparents, as
well as the tomb of St Cuthbert in my native Durham.
Dom Alcuin, who collects Roman Curial cardinals in the way that others collect cigarette cards, was in Rome
in the course of the month, selling our publications to the bookshops once again. He also presented his
book The Organic Development of the Liturgy to Cardinal Arinze, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine
Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, during a brief audience.
On Low Sunday the choir of the Holy Redeemer and St Thomas More, Brian Lloyd-Wilson (baroque violin) and
Laurie Ann Macleod (baroque cello) performed a well-attended concert of music by JS Bach along with our own
organist, Neil Wright, in the Abbey Church.
With all our good wishes and blessings
Sincerely in the Lord,
rchived 
ews
