AMPLEFORTH DIARY | SPRING 2018 Ampleforth Diary Contents 1 Report of the Trustees Ampleforth Society 2 Welcome 4 Fr Francis Dobson OSB Report of the Trustees 6 FACE-FAW 8 My First Term in St Hugh’s House 10 Monks’ Bridge 12 Refectory Reading The Trustees of the Ampleforth surface weaknesses in leadership, Ampleforth Abbey Trust, the St 14 Paintings by Fr Martin Haigh OSB Society held their Spring organisation and communication Laurence Education Trust, and by meeting on 17th April, due to carrying too many friends in the Ampleforth Society. 18 Bursaries & Telethon attended by Fr Gabriel as Prior responsibilities which made the Fr Gabriel is already taking 19 Careers Administrator and Acting organisation vulnerable. Fr Gabriel remedial steps to ensure Superior of Ampleforth. acknowledged these and expressed Ampleforth has a sustainable 20 Announcements sincere regret at the consequences. future. He first shared out many The meeting provided an The Abbot is the duly elected of his responsibilities amongst 22 Photography Exhibition 2018 opportunity for the Trustees to leader and key to any Benedictine the brethren. Fr George is now communicate to Fr Gabriel the 26 Sport at Ampleforth community. For over a year and Sub-Prior dealing with the day- concerns expressed to the Trustees a half and without notice or to-day running of the Monastery, 28 Sports Weekend by many members of the Society preparation, it is Fr Gabriel’s view Fr Christopher looks after the about recent events at Ampleforth, that Fr Terence then Prior (whose Infirmary, Fr Kevin heads up 30 SHACworks and also to reassure him that the role is to be responsible for the Hospitality and other duties have Society and wider Ampleforth day-to-day care of the monastic also been delegated. 32 SHACK vs SHAC family still retains deep goodwill community), shouldered the burden This has enabled Fr Gabriel to 34 Ampleforth Society Weekend and loyalty to Ampleforth. and the challenges of leadership, focus on his three key priorities: Fr Gabriel acknowledged the with a patience, cheerfulness and spiritual leadership, safeguarding 35 My Vocation criticism with humility and the resilience of saintly proportion. and long-term strategic 36 goodwill with gratitude and kindly Fr Gabriel was appointed as development. Ampleforth Society Events 2018 took the time to discuss these the properly constituted Prior 37 Ampleforth Society & GDPR concerns and the remedies he is Administrator and Acting Superior seeking to enact. He asked the of Ampleforth on 13th February. As Trustees to pass his comments on the Abbot’s stand-in he is working to all members of the Society. with the monastic community The current crisis at Ampleforth, to provide spiritual leadership to Jeremy Deedes (W73) which started with the stepping Ampleforth. He is supported at the Managing Trustee aside of Fr Cuthbert as Abbot governance level by dedicated lay The Ampleforth Society in August 2016, brought to the professionals and advisers to the www.ampleforth.org.uk/society/ The Marketing & Communications Office Ampleforth Abbey & College, York YO62 4EY Tel: 01439 766777 Email: [email protected] Design: www.mercerdesign.co.uk AMPLEFORTH DIARY | SPRING 2018 | 1 WELCOME Welcome to the Spring 2018 edition testimony to what he himself wrote you can read a lot about sport, but of the Ampleforth Diary – and this in this very publication two years also the perhaps less well-known year winter certainly seems to have ago about the uncertainty, fear and SHACworks – an opportunity for been a longer one than in recent grace of the diagnosis of cancer students to undertake community years, with snow causing havoc and he had received: “Actually, it is to work in York: a clear encounter disruption well into what we usually … no longer seek to be important, with the joys, hopes, and anguish call ‘Spring’! to have nothing of the people of our time. The title of but the gifts Thank you for the one of the most of the Lord. St correspondence about refectory well-known Philip Neri said reading, about which there is documents of “A joyful heart another article in this edition of the Second is more easily the Ampleforth Diary. The Spirit Vatican Council made perfect is clearly at work, for on the day comes to mind than a downcast we finished the latest book in the at the moment, one.”” refectory the Holy See published ‘Gaudium And as we Pope Francis’ document Gaudete et Spes,’ and mourn the et Exsultate, On the Call to Holiness its opening death of Fr in Today’s World! More food for sentence gives Francis, and thought! plenty of food that of Francis Be assured that you will be for thought: Davidson, remembered in our prayers, and “The joys and too, who died please pray that the voice of the hopes, the grief recently, we are Lord calling young people to a and anguish joyful and give life of prayer and service may be of the people thanks to God heard and that vocations to the of our time … are the joys and for the Solemn Profession of priesthood and religious life may hopes, the grief and anguish of Br Benedict, due to take place in continue. the followers of Christ as well.” the Abbey Church at the beginning The Ampleforth Diary is, I believe, a of May. Please pray that God may wonderful reflection of the joys and bless Br Benedict on that day, and hopes of much of what goes on at fill him with the grace and strength Ampleforth. The moving tributes to respond daily to His call. to Fr Francis Dobson – and the The Ampleforth Diary, too, offers ones contained herein are just a a snapshot of some of the activities Fr Gabriel Everitt OSB tiny portion of those received – are in the school, and in this edition Prior Administrator “THE AMPLEFORTH DIARY IS, I BELIEVE, A WONDERFUL REFLECTION OF THE JOYS AND HOPES OF MUCH OF WHAT GOES ON AT AMPLEFORTH.” 2 | SPRING 2018 | AMPLEFORTH DIARY AMPLEFORTH DIARY | SPRING 2018 | 3 Fr Francis Dobson OSB (D57) Fr Francis Dobson died peacefully teaching and to run the stationery and his enthusiasm was infectious. in the Monastery Infirmary at shop. He used to be the regular Fr Francis made over 80 Ampleforth on 9th January 2018, stand-in for all the Housemasters, pilgrimages to Lourdes and 20 to at the age of 78. He had known and then was a House Chaplain in Medjugorje. In 1989 he was made a for 18 months that he was dying St Aidan’s, St Dunstan’s, St Edward’s Titular member of the Hospitalité from cancer of the prostate, which and finally St Cuthbert’s for most of de Notre Dame de Lourdes, and in had begun to spread to his bones. the last 25 years. July 2009 the Bishop of Lourdes and Writing about his diagnosis, he Fr Francis managed to combine Tarbes appointed him an Honorary wrote in the last Ampleforth Diary: teaching and deputising for Chaplain of the Lourdes Grotto. “On 14th June 2016, I learnt of Housemasters with a bewildering For a long time Fr Francis illness; a stunning uncertainty, fear array of other jobs: Assistant Novice occupied the small classroom right and beautiful grace, that I had Master, Business Manager of the at the top of the clocktower, but nothing and could be at Peace. Journal, in charge of boys going eventually he moved to the new Actually, it is to…no longer seek to to Lourdes, Chaplain of Duke Bamford Centre when it was built, be important, to have nothing but of Edinburgh Award activities, and then finally he was normally to the gifts of the Lord. St Philip Neri accompanying various expeditions be found in the FACE-FAW office said ‘A joyful heart is more easily including to the Lake District. just off the Main Hall, where he made perfect than a downcast one.’” He was in charge of the School continued to pursue all his interests In that article in the Ampleforth Shop, in charge simultaneously. Diary he summarised his life story. of preparation “HE WAS DEDICATED Even right at He was born in Nottinghamshire in for Confirmation, the end in his 1939 and was a life-long supporter coordinator of TO CARING FOR THE sick room in the of Nottinghamshire County Cricket 19 Medjugorje POOR, AND HE WAS Infirmary, he Club. He came to Gilling in 1947, pilgrimages, was quite capable at the age of eight. He carried on Chaplain to the ALWAYS LOOKING of having his through Junior House and then School Infirmary, FOR NEW AND computer showing into St Dunstan’s House where his Assistant Head of BETTER WAYS TO the live feed Housemaster was the redoubtable Religious Studies, from Medjugorie Fr Oswald Vanheems. Vice President of SPREAD THE GOSPEL” or Walsingham After leaving the school he Common Room, and at the same trained as a chartered accountant Second Guest Master, organiser of time the TV broadcasting the latest and eventually went to work for the Headmaster’s Lectures, Hon disasters from the Test Match from Price Waterhouse in London and Gen Secretary or the Ampleforth Australia. then in Johannesburg. He joined Society, coach 3rd XI cricket, and He was a warm and lovable man, the monastery in 1967 with most memorably, the coordinator of though he could also be frustrating. Br Christopher and two others who Ampleforth FACE-FAW (Friendship He would start a conversation half- did not persevere. He took solemn and Aid to Central & Eastern Europe way through, his driving was frankly vows in 1971 and from 1970 to 1972 and Friendship and Aid World).