AMPLEFORTH DIARY WINTER 2019 Ampleforth Diary WELCOME I am struck by a message House into the refurbished but a path along which he recorded by Pope Francis monastery; to the College accompanies us, just as Christ Contents for Italian pilgrims walking pilgrimage to the Holy Land accompanied the disciples on to Loreto some years ago: led by Fr Henry in April the road to Emmaus. In the 1 Welcome “Pilgrimage is a symbol of and the Ampleforth Society many twists and turns along life”, the Pope pilgrimages that path, each of us has to 2 Fr Leo Obituary said. “It makes project; make certain choices as we 4 Ampleforth Society Report us think that and the respond to God’s call in our 6 Introduction from the Head life is to walk, changes and own personal and professional it is a path. If developments journeys. In reading about 8 Trustee Appointments to SLET a person does in our schools. the journeys, the choices that 11 Newman not walk and people may have made, let us stays still, it’s One of the pray that the voice of God 12 Monastery Move no good; it pilgrimage may be heard, particularly 14 Monastery Blessing and Dinner accomplishes ‘highlights’ for as we draw close to the start 16 nothing. A Ampleforth of the year devoted by our Oblates soul that does and one of bishops to the Bible and ‘The 18 The God Who Speaks not walk in life the most God Who Speaks’, a year of 20 doing good, important sharing, living and celebrating The Gift of a Bursary doing the works of the God’s Word, beginning on 21 Head’s Lecture Programme many things community 1st December 2019. that must be done for society, is the Ampleforth Lourdes 22 Holy Land Pilgrimage to help others, or who does Pilgrimage, which this summer Finally, may I beg your 24 Careers not walk through life seeking saw 400 pilgrims travel to Our prayers for vocations to, and 26 New Director of Music God moved by the Holy Spirit Lady’s shrine to experience, as for the life of, our monastic from within, is a soul that ends one pilgrim noted, “a peaceful Community, that the voice of 28 Lourdes in mediocrity and spiritual pilgrimage alive to the spiritual the Lord calling young people 30 News from St Martin’s Ampleforth misery. Please: do not stand needs of all pilgrims, young to a life of prayer and service still in life!” and old”. In recording our may be heard; and be assured 32 Remembering Kit Mangles gratitude to all those involved, that you will be remembered 34 Spring/Summer Event Summary 2019 There is little ‘standing still’ we pray that all those who were in our prayers here at 38 in this edition of the Diary! in Lourdes may benefit from Ampleforth. Upcoming Events Here you can read about the grace of their time in that 39 OA news many aspects of the journeys, holy place. 42 pilgrimages, undertaken by Sport those connected with the In faith we believe that it is 46 Ampleforth Global Ampleforth family: from the God who is calling us through monks moving back from their life, inviting us to set out Fr Gabriel Everitt OSB 47 Great Taste temporary home in Bolton on a path which is not easy, Prior Administrator 48 Announcements 50 Shop Move AS ONE PILGRIM NOTED, The Development Office, “A PEACEFUL PILGRIMAGE ALIVE TO THE SPIRITUAL Ampleforth Abbey & College, York YO62 4EY NEEDS OF ALL PILGRIMS, YOUNG AND OLD” Cover image by Clare Moses Tel: 01439 766884 Email: [email protected] Design: www.mercerdesign.co.uk AMPLEFORTH DIARY | WINTER 2019 | 1 RIP Fr Leo Chamberlain, OSB 1940 - 2019 r Leo Chamberlain OSB, Benedictine Fr Leo retired from the school in December 2003 monk of Ampleforth Abbey and former at the age of 63, and in September 2004 was FHeadmaster of Ampleforth College, died appointed Master of St Benet’s Hall, a Permanent in the monastery infirmary at Ampleforth Abbey Private Hall in the University of Oxford. In the on 23rd November 2019, at the age of 79. three years in post, he led the administrative reform of the Hall and co-operation with other He was born in Tonbridge in August 1940 and Catholic institutions in Oxford. educated at Gilling Castle and Ampleforth College. He joined the monastic community in In 2008, Fr Leo was appointed Cathedral Prior September 1961 and was ordained priest on of Gloucester Cathedral, a title dating from 7th July 1967. pre-Reformation times, when Benedictines formed the chapters of nine of the cathedrals For forty years Fr Leo worked in the school of England. Although today such titles carry in a variety of roles: in 1972 he became no jurisdiction, they have been traditionally Housemaster of St Dunstan’s boarding House bestowed on Benedictine monks since 1633. and a year later he was also appointed Senior History Master. Throughout the 1980s Fr Leo In April 2008, Fr Leo was appointed parish launched a number of initiatives providing priest of St John’s, Easingwold. In a ten-year support for persecuted Christians in Eastern period he was responsible for the extensive Europe, working with the Catholic charity Aid refurbishment of the church and priory. to the Church in Need and Keston College, on whose Council of Management he was a Increasing ill health and lack of mobility forced member from 1986-2003. In 1990 Fr Leo set Fr Leo to return to the monastery infirmary up the first major international conference on in Ampleforth in April 2018. On 8th July that Believers, Society & State in Central and Eastern year he returned to the parish to celebrate Europe hosted by Ampleforth. From 1992- the Golden Jubilee of his ordination and the 2000 he was also a member of the Bishops’ completion of the church refurbishment. Conference Advisory Committee on Europe. In November 2019 his health deteriorated In September 1992, Fr Leo was appointed significantly and he was admitted to York Hospital, Acting Headmaster of Ampleforth College, and but returned to the monastery infirmary where he Headmaster from January 1993 – December died peacefully on 23rd November 2019. 2003. That eleven-year period was one of major change as the school responded to the conditions Fr Leo’s body was into the Abbey Church at of the time and prepared for the 21st century Ampleforth on Thursday 5th December. His with a comprehensive £20m redevelopment funeral Mass was celebrated on Friday 6th programme. Many of the achievements were December in the Abbey Church, followed by listed by Fr Leo in his final Exhibition speech burial in the Abbey crypt. A Memorial Mass in May 2003: the refurbishment of the kitchens will be arranged in 2020, further details to be and refectories in the Upper Building, the confirmed shortly. refurbishment of all teaching facilities, the extension of the curriculum and improvement If you would like to make a donation in in academic performance. Fr Leo also guided the memory of Fr Leo to support the works school’s move towards co-education, with girls of Ampleforth Abbey and College introduced into the Sixth Form in 2001, and their please contact the Development Office – introduction at 13+ starting in September 2004. [email protected] 2 | WINTER 2019 | AMPLEFORTH DIARY AMPLEFORTH DIARY | WINTER 2019 | 3 Ampleforth Society Report of the Trustees Ampleforth is always on the Education Trust as they take Ampleforth and the members We visited Wellington College pursuit of our aspiration Finally, it is with real pleasure move these days. Many of on their new challenging of the Society. in September at Wellington’s to become more outward- that I thank my fellow the Ampleforth family have offices. kind invitation to learn from looking, we continue to Trustees and the staff in the been on global journeys, Secondly, we would like their successful experience in strengthen our relationship Development Department and including to Lourdes, the The Society’s journey the Ampleforth Society to running alumni and parents with the Catholic Union. Our the Marketing and Admissions Holy Land and on tour continues. As we approach become more integrated with organisations. Representatives very successful May Ethics Department for their help in with the Old Amplefordian our 150th Anniversary, the Monastery and College, of the Development Forum was a joint venture running the Society. Nothing sports clubs. The monastic we need to be sure of our supporting, advising and Department and the between the Society, St Benet’s we have done or will do could Community has completed role and direction in these facilitating Ampleforth’s plans Marketing and Admissions Hall and the Catholic Union. have been achieved without its journey from the original changing times. and developments. Department were with us, so We aim to hold our next their hard work, enthusiasm Monastery building to we could all learn from the forum at Ampleforth in the and commitment. Thank you. Bolton House and back. We have established that the Finally, we recognise our experience of another school. Autumn of 2020. Meanwhile, Ampleforth’s Society is a 16,000 strong apostolic intentions and leaders continue to travel global community of all those would aspire to become One of the best ways we The Ampleforth Schola was their professional and for whom Ampleforth has increasingly outward-looking can build and strengthen the founded in 1970. Schola vocational paths. been a significant part of their in service to the Church and Society is to arrange journeys membership has been a lives. We are fortunate that Society at large.