Abbey News

28 May 2020

DOWNSIDE AT DUNKIRK: A WAR CHAPLAIN’S DIARY

The life of military chaplains during war has received more prominence in the past few years. Last weekend Downside Abbey’s Director of Heritage, Dr Simon Johnson, was interviewed on Radio 4’s ‘Sunday’ programme about the diary of Dom Gervase Hobson Matthews, a monk of Downside who became an army chaplain during the Second World War […]

21 May 2020

OFFERING A MASS STIPEND

Many people do not realise that it is still possible to ask a priest to say Mass for a particular intention. Catholics believe that the Mass is a particularly powerful form of prayer and that it can be offered for a particular person or purpose. The Mass is a special way of presenting our needs […]

08 May 2020

MONASTERIES AND SOCIAL MEDIA

As people will probably know, Downside Abbey has increased its use of social media during this time of ‘lockdown’, in an attempt to help people remain connected with their faith, the Church and the monastic community. It has been interesting to note how much engagement with our social media channels (and even listening to the […]

01 May 2020

DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS

The Fourth Sunday of Easter is called “Good Shepherd Sunday”, and is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations to the priesthood and religious life. It is easy to take the need for vocations for granted and to think that “it has nothing to do with me”, or “It’s a great life, but not for […]