I am very grateful to Fr Thomas Regan OSB for this fascinating information about
Belmont Abbey which he sent me in response to my mentioning that Bishop Fulton Sheen was the titular Bishop of Newport:
My monastery, Belmont Abbey, was the Pro-Cathedral for that Benedictine diocese, until 1916. Then Benedict XV raised Belmont to the rank of Abbey in 1920, and the Cathedral was transferred to Cardiff and the Secular Clergy. BUT... In his Bull 'Praeclara Gesta' he stated "The Holy See will gladly take care that there is never lacking among the Bishops of England and Wales one of the sons of St Benedict, as in former times, and to adorn it with his learning and virtue."
From 1859 to 1916, Belmont was the Common House of Studies for the English Benedictine Congregation. Monks from Douai, Downside and Ampleforth were sent there. The monasteries provided 'professors' who became Canons of the Diocesan Chapter - so they were both monks and canons!
At Belmont the habit was worn, hair was shorn, and Gregorian Chant sung. When Abbot Prosper Guéranger visited Belmont, he described it as 'the most observant monastery in Europe', being amazed by its full Choir of young monks observing the full round of monastic life. Once trained, the 'youngsters' then returned to their own monasteries to invigorate observance. This arrangement ended in 1916, and Belmont began to grow as an independent community.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen visited Belmont and preached at the centenary celebrations in 1959.
Last Wednesday, the monks re-elected Abbot Paul Stonham for a further eight year term.
I am looking forward to my first visit to Belmont Abbey in a couple of weeks' time for a clergy retreat to be given by Fr Ignatius Harrison.
I am very grateful to Fr Thomas Regan OSB for this fascinating information about Belmont Abbey which he sent me in response to my mentioning that Bishop Fulton Sheen was the titular Bishop of Newport:
8 comments:
I hope you also meet Fr Thomas. I knew him as guestmaster when one of my friends was a monk there. I have also visited Fr Thomas's parish at Abergavenny. He received another friend into the RC church. Do give him my best wishes.
Sir Edward Elgar used to attend mass at Belmont when he lived in Hereford.
Belmont is a beautiful place. I used to visit quite regularly when I lived in Cheltenham. From the abbey grounds, you can see the tower of Hereford Cathedral in the distance. However, it is a great shame that it lost its school.
I visited there several years ago and the monks were very hospitable. However, I think, Father Tim, that you'll find these days it is a bit less than what Prosper Gueranger described it as.
I stayed in Belmont's bed and breakfast earlier this year and can recommend it. They have a very good restaurant with an excellent cooked breakfast and I was served some wonderful ham hock while I was there. The abbey is within a minute's walk and the liturgy is very carefully celebrated.
From Belmont, you can drive easily down the Golden Valley, and the Wye Valley with Tintern Abbey ruins is not far away. Hereford is best avoided if you arrive from the north because the traffic is like Newbury used to be before the bypass, i.e. mostly stationary.
Hmm, none of that is very spiritual but it did me a lot of good in the summer!
Liz and I have also been there on a number of occasions. We have just returned from a wonderful two weeks in all parts of the Holy Land led by Fr Brendan, together with many other lovely people associated in some way with the monastery or parish.
I stayed in Belmont Abbey a few months ago at the invite of the Abbot.
I had a truly wonderful time! The Abbey Church is beautiful, although if you're going soon alas, you may not see the interior in its full beauty! As they're having restoration work done.
The Abbot and the community are very warm and welcoming and you should thoroughly enjoy it. If you get the chance, walk in the gardens!!
Dear fr. Tim, some more monastic news that might interest you: the german trappists at Mariawald will be doing its entire liturgy in the usus ant.! See here:
http://www.kloster-mariawald.de/view.php?nid=237
Thomas - many thanks for that great news.
Rob - I expect I will take a walk in the gardens. although with the weather as it is at the moment in England, I'll need my hat, scarf and gloves!
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