Dear Friends,
At the beginning of May, Fr Aidan and I set out on a day’s pilgrimage
to Paris. Since May 5th is the anniversary of the death of Napoleon
I, there is always, on or near that day, a Requiem Mass offered for the
repose of his soul near his tomb at Les Invalides.
Saint Louis des Invalides is an impressive sight on the skyline of
Paris. It has a gilded dome which acts as a huge reliquary over the
tomb of England’s great enemy, Napoleon I. Various crises at the airports
meant that we arrived a little late for the Mass. The Master of
Ceremonies spotted our habits down the length of the church and summoned
us to the sanctuary, where we sat ourselves on a large, velvet
cushioned bench. The Mass was celebrated by the Bishop of the Armed
Forces in France. As ever, the choir and organist were superb.
After the Mass we lunched with the Princess Napoleon. Her grandson,
the present head of the family, had to rush off for an exam, but
we were able to catch up with his news from his mother who was with
us. A day trip like this is tiring, but well worthwhile. Our contacts
with the various Napoleonic organisations in France help us, not only
on the level of friendship, but in many practical ways. We have, for
example, received considerable financial help from France in the past
for the restoration of the Abbey Church. Also, whenever the question
of the return of the bodies of the Imperial Family to France raises its
head, our friendship with the present-day Napoleon family is a great
help to us.
The Summer work has begun in earnest on the farm. The bees seem
particularly active. I am hoping that we will significantly increase the
size of the apiary over the next few years. A local retired beekeeper
gave us a lot of hives, so we certainly have plenty of room to increase
our stock. The transformation of the estate in these last years has been
tremendous. This is largely due to the unrelenting work of Fr Aidan
and, more recently, Brother Kevin. It is no mean work to keep the farm
going and the full daily round of the monastic offices, especially in a
small community.
I visited the monastery of Kaisersberg, Louvain in Belgium for a
meeting of the English Provincial Superiors. This was my first visit to
Belgium. The monastery there is central to the history of the Liturgical
Movement and has a very small and friendly community.
We welcomed Sr Margaret Funk for a week’s exploration of the
writings and teachings of St John Cassian. Monks joined us from Ramsgate,
Pluscarden, and Prinknash for this very enjoyable and interesting
conference. The increased numbers in our choir made for a full
sound at Mass and Office.
Soon the usual batch of Roman seminarians will begin to arrive
to help us with our work in return for help with their English. As the
years pass, the intake becomes increasingly exotic. We have, in the
last years, welcomed seminarians from some of the eastern Churches
in communion with Rome. The Maronite Church of the Lebanon and
the Coptic Catholic Church of Egypt have been particularly well-represented.
The month of May saw the start of our Summer Organ Recital
Series. These concerts take place on the first Sunday of the month right
through the Summer. Please mark your diaries accordingly.
Yours sincerely in the Lord,
rchived 
ews
