NEWS
INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT
FOR BENEDICTINE OBLATES ESTABLISHED
An International Secretariat for Benedictine oblates worldwide has been established. For the time being, the secretariat is called the “Secretariatus Internationalis Oblatorum Benedictinorum” (SIOB).
This follows on from the Abbot Primate Jeremias’ announcement that a World Congress of Oblates will take place in Rome in 2030. (Please see ‘Congresses’ section for his letter).
The initial task of the Secretariat will be to organise the Congress. The Secretariat will be led by Dr. Roberto Lomolino, an Oblate of Saint Anselm in Rome, as its Secretary General and Fr. Jean-Pierre Longeat, Abbot Delegate of the Abbot Primate for Oblates.
The Secretariat will also include 3 oblate assistants responsible for Communications and the Media, Finance and Document Archiving as well as 5 Zone Representatives who will liaise with national coordinators in Western and Eastern Europe, South and North America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. The national co-ordinators themselves will meet next year in Rome to begin planning for the Congress.
The establishment of the Secretariat is an important formal acknowledgement of the presence and dedication of oblates in the international Benedictine family and of the growth of the oblate movement and, as the first letter of the Secretariat indicates, it will hopefully be an instrument to foster greater fraternal communion among oblates worldwide.
The UK Oblate Team have invited Abbot Longeat and Dr Lomolino to our next online meeting in July and look forward to meeting them then.
Please see the full letter from the Secretariat below.
To read Secretariat letter click here.
Neil Zoladkiewicz
Chair of the UK Oblate Team
Oblate of Ealing Abbey
ST BENEDICT’S WEEK IN NORWICH: 17 AND 18 JULY 2026: EXHIBITION AND STUDY DAY ‘LIVING BY A RULE’ SEE BELOW.
NEW WORLD CONGRESS OF OBLATES ANNOUNCED!
The Abbot Primate Jeremias Schröder has announced that a World Congress of Oblates will take place in 2030.
This will be a year after the Benedictine Jubilee in 2029.
Oblate National Coordinators will meet next year as a first stage of preparations.
To read Abbot Primate Jeremias Schröder’s letter click here
NEW RESIDENTIAL RETREAT FOR MAY 2026
New Book Review in Books Section
Un Psaume, une Abbaye. One Psalm, One Abbey
By photographer and author Marie-Line Burguiere
UK OBLATES’ 12th RESIDENTIAL RETREAT
Douai Abbey: Tuesday 13 – Thursday 15 May 2025
15 Oblates from nine different communities attended the 12th Residential Retreat organised by the members of UKOT. (Pluscarden, Douai, Prinknash, Alton, Belmont, Ealing, Quarr, Downside, St Cecilia and WCCM).
Bishop Richard Moth (of Arundel & Brighton Diocese), himself an oblate of Pluscarden Abbey, led our retreat and all participants gave most grateful and appreciative thanks to him. His six talks focussed on different aspects of the oblate life, so enriching our understanding of it, offering challenges, and giving general advice. All sessions were characterised by his lively presentation aided by interesting and relevant anecdotes.
The first session appropriately focussed on listening – the very first word of the rule being LISTEN. We were charged to listen with the “ear of the heart” and so to spread PEACE, a key Benedictine concept. Moving on, we thought around the concept of ENCOUNTER in which God speaks to us in our place of dwelling. It was natural then to link these key concepts: listening and doing are co-joined and OBEDIENCE becomes a natural activity.
LECTIO DIVINA grew out of this and it should form a regular practice in the oblate’s life. Practical advice included reading the text slowly aloud so as to listen to the words and so to help us ruminate upon them. Rushing through scrolling on a mobile phone is not an aid to listening and prayer in this context.
The Narrow gate, FAITH and REASON featured during the fifth talk. It seems that, sadly, the human race frequently does not learn from its own history. A useful warning was that heresy begins with truth but then excludes all others; the crucial guideline is “no listening, no truth.”
In the final session, we explored the concept of JUBILEE. It was interesting to learn of its Hebrew derivation – the ram that yielded up its horn for the trumpet blast to announce the festival. We regularly have Jubilee years, as now, and it is wise to focus on what is being announced, what is being celebrated. The conclusion to all this was to have HOPE in God – God’s light shines in our darkness. We must be disciples of hope.
Douai Abbey is a delightful venue. Accommodation is very comfortable and yet still gives a suitably monastic ambience. We were well looked after and our material needs were well catered for in some tasty, nourishing meals. The spirt of Benedict’s “welcome” was very apparent.
Andrew Munn
Bishop Richard Moth’s talks given at Douai in May
talk-1-douai-oblate-retreat-may-2025
talk-2-douai-oblate-retreat-may-2025
talk-3-douai-oblate-retreat-may-2025
talk-4-douai-oblate-retreat-may-2025
PRAYING FOR PEACE
Dear Oblate Sisters and Brothers,
In my website article for January this year, ‘Peace On Earth’, I reflected upon the Newsletter of our Abbot Primate Jeremias Schroeder which was published after the Congress of Abbots in September 2024. In the newsletter, he encourages monastics to pray daily for world peace. I suggested that perhaps, as oblates, we could also engage in a short period of silent prayer each day for peace in our world. Alternatively, here is a prayer you may wish to use.
Neil Zoladkiewicz
Oblate of Ealing Abbey
AN OBLATE’S PRAYER FOR PEACE
Dear Lord.
Our Holy Father Benedict encourages us to seek peace and pursue it.
We fervently seek peace in these times of trouble, fear and sorrow
and in our despair at the violence that seems to fill our world.
God of all peace,
Have mercy on our broken and divided world,
and on all your people who cry out to you for healing.
Grant your peace which the world cannot give
to the victims of war and terrorism everywhere on earth;
to the vulnerable and defenceless in war zones,
especially children, the elderly, the disabled and the sick;
to all who are traumatised by the loss of their loved ones and their homes
and those who are severely wounded and injured, especially children;
to all rescue teams and medical and aid workers
treating those in any kind of need in places of conflict;
and to all who have friends and family involved in areas of conflict and disaster.
Grant patience, understanding, forbearance and wisdom
to leaders of all nations
that they may look for ways to work together beyond fear and suspicion.
Lord have mercy on our broken world, we implore you.
Through Christ Our Lord
Amen.
(Adapted from a Litany for Peace from St James’ Church, New York)
Women in the Bible
A Study Retreat at Buckfast Abbey, Devon
14th – 18th May 2025
Join us on a Study Retreat where we will learn about the Women of the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments, led by Dr Rosalie Moloney and Dr Sean Ryan, of the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology, Cambridge.
We will study a selection of women characters and discover how the different ways they are interpreted may inform our own understanding. Based at the beautiful Buckfast Abbey in Devon there will be opportunities to join Mass and liturgical services and enjoy the peaceful surrounds of the gardens and grounds.
Dr Sean Ryan is the Vice Principal and Acting Director of Studies at the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology, Cambridge. He was a Senior Lecturer in Biblical Studies, and Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Heythrop College, University of London. Sean’s specialism is New Testament studies, but he teaches and studies anything biblical related, including prophetic and apocalyptic literature, the Gospels and Pauline epistles, as well as patristic and medieval reception of Scripture.
Dr Rosalie Moloney is a visiting lecturer at the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology. The theme of many of her courses has been Women in the Old Testament. Her Cambridge PhD dissertation was on Tamar in the Book of Genesis. Rosalie also lectures on biblical topics in her native Ireland. She is particularly interested in encouraging people to read the Bible and in making the study of the Bible accessible and enjoyable.
This is a residential retreat. For those living locally or wishing to stay off site, it is possible to attend each day for lectures only.
For further details please e.mail: info@pilgrimagepeople.org
UKOT 10th National Retreat, Ampleforth Abbey.10 – 12 May 2024
Walking in the Spirit: The Pilgrimage of Oblation
Fr Chad Boulton OSB, Ampleforth Oblate Director, welcomed us on Friday afternoon to Ampleforth Abbey. As oblates we are members of various monasteries whose monks seek “to walk in God’s paths, guided by the gospel, taking the narrow road that leads to life. As our hearts expand, we will run the way of God’s commandments with the unspeakable sweetness of love.” St Benedict wrote his little rule for beginners who are hastening to their heavenly home.
Fr Chad informed us that we are called to walk humbly with God, like Micah, to walk whole-heartedly before God, like Hezekiah. Jesus sent out his disciples to walk in simplicity – take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money. As God promised in Leviticus I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect, and as the psalmist declared I shall walk in the path of freedom for I seek your precepts.
And so we set off on the Saturday afternoon to walk the Scriptural Stations of the Cross, carrying the cross through Monks Wood above the Abbey, each one of us, as oblates, bearing the weight of the cross, and praying together, Station by Station.
These were marked by a simple wooden cross affixed to a tree at intervals. At each one we read a Gospel account, a suitable quote from the Rule of St Benedict and a short bidding prayer. What a wonderful experience and so memorable, with glorious weather, and the beauty of nature all around – forget-me-nots, and glorious verdant trees.
For one session, we explored the five verses of the Pentecost Sequence: Veni sancte spiritus, Come, holy spirit. Fr Chad asked us to divide into pairs and speak to a companion about the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, which led to a lively exchange.
Our programme allowed us to join with the community in praying the Divine Office together, and for the daily celebration of Mass, sung beautifully in Gregorian chant.
Sunday’s highlight was the recitation of the rosary in the newly constructed Marian Prayer Garden, praying together as a group of Benedictine oblates, so spiritually uplifting!
We enjoyed excellent meals, and resided in newly furnished en-suite rooms, overlooking the Abbey grounds.
All in all a truly memorable and spiritually uplifting retreat.
We trust that our retreat of next year will prove as inspiring.
John McKinlay Pluscarden Oblate
ONLINE DAY OF RECOLLECTION:
‘THE BENEDICTINE OBLATE IN THE 21ST CENTURY’
On Saturday March 23 2024, an online Day of Recollection took place via zoom, which was attended by 25 oblates from around the UK. The Day sought to share, explore and further develop ideas from the conferences and discussions at the International Oblates Congress, which took place last September in Rome.
The Day was led by Fr Chad Boulton, Oblate Director of Ampleforth Abbey and Fr Sam Helkvist (oblate of Prinknash Abbey) who had both attended the Congress. Fr Sam was one of the Congress organisers.
Fr Chad’s talk centred on the Mission of the Oblate and the challenges to that Mission posed by contemporary society, particularly social media. His talk highlighted themes from the three conferences at the Congress. He spoke of our individual responsibility to be open to learn. Our oblation is a life-long formation, a continual transformation. This involves following a life of ‘evangelical ordinariness’ by being unassuming and inconspicuous. This humility gives us an inner and outer personal freedom. Our oblation requires the cherishing of silence against the superficiality as promoted by social media which threatens to dissipate our spirit.
Fr Sam’s talk summarised the workshops on Silence at the Congress. It explored Silence itself and how our modern world of noise attempts to erode silence. However, he explained that our fallen state reacts against silence itself. Yet silence is within all of us. Silence is sound, is part of creation. Like Fr Chad, he urged us to choose to be silent, to seek God in the silence; to put ourselves aside to enjoy the present moment where God Is. There is a time to pick up and to put down. Silent contemplation is about putting down our thoughts and laying them aside.
Overall, the Day not only provided an opportunity for those who took part to engage with some the themes of the Congress but also to explore these in valuable discussions as also happened at Rome.
It is hoped that there will be another online retreat in the late autumn for Advent.
Neil Zoladkiewicz (Ealing Abbey)
U.K. OBLATES RESIDENTIAL RETREAT 9th – 11th MAY 2023
‘Abba Pater – the Benedictine Tradition’
14 oblates attended the retreat which was led by Fr Martin Birrell, Oblate Master of Pluscarden Abbey, Elgin, Scotland. It was wonderful to meet with other oblates person to person at last at our first residential retreat since October 2019!
After a dramatic start with a thunderstorm spiralling around the Abbey church at our first Vespers, we settled into our first talk with Fr Martin, who accompanied us throughout the three days including for our two communal Lectio Divina sessions.
Proceeding from an outline of his circuitous personal journey towards becoming a monk at Pluscarden in his first talk, Fr Martin talked in detail about the role of the Abbot, various biblical models for the monastic life, and in his final talk, he explained how God fills our personal void through monasticism. He also linked the monastic life to Our Lady’s silent witness to the gospel. Fr Martin’s expansive and often lively talks can be read verbatim in the following four linked PDF documents.
The group photo is below
We look forward to holding another residential retreat next year and hopefully an online one later this year.
Neil Zoladkiewicz (Ealing).
UK Oblates National Online Retreat
‘ St Irenaeus of Lyons: Scripture, Unity and Synodality’
How can the newest Doctor of the Church help Oblates with 21st-century challenges?
UKOT online Day of Reflection 30 April 2022 was led by Dame Laurentia Johns OSB, Oblate Director (Stanbrook Abbey).
This was a most enjoyable and uplifting day in the company of friends and St Irenaeus. Our thanks go to Neil for the gracious hosting, Roddy for all the technological help, Angela with Julia of WCCM for the most prayerful Sext and the 14 oblates who attended including one from France.
The day included two deeply informative illustrated talks on the key subject: St Irenaeus of Lyons, declared a Doctor of the Church in January 2022 by Pope Francis. Breakout rooms provided lively discussion, followed by the essence of Christian Meditation, and the pursuit of Lectio Divina.
Overall we were given a rich tapestry of many tones and textures, for which we are in debt to Dame Laurentia.
Recommended books for those interested in St Irenaeus of Lyons:
Primary works
St Irenaeus On The Apostolic Preaching, trans and ed. John Behr. This is probably the most accessible way into Irenaeus’ own writings in 100 very short chapters – about the length of the Rule of Benedict
Against the Heresies Book 3, Ancient Christian Writers series.
Secondary work
Irenaeus: an Introduction by Denis Minns OP.
UK Oblates National Online Retreat
‘ Mutual Longing:God and His Creation’
UKOT Oblates National Advent Online Retreat/Day of Reflection Saturday 4th December 2021.
Led by Father Stuart Chalmers, Spiritual Director of Scots College, Salamanca.
The day was well attended by 22 oblates from all over the country including Guernsey, with one from France. Neil Zoladkiewicz was the host with Roddy Maddocks providing technical assistance. Father Stuart’s talks from Spain were rich in content and finely presented, drawing from a wealth of sources that included The Rule, Scripture, Teresa of Avila, St Catherine of Siena, Cistercian monk Michael Casey and Pope Benedict XV1, giving oblates plenty to discuss in the break-out rooms, with lectio divina, meditation and prayer filling in the day.
NEIL ZOLADKIEWICZ, Oblate of Ealing Abbey and Treasurer of the U.K. Oblate Team, has recently published a new blog on the Oblate life. It will be an occasional series of short reflections. Details and the link are here:
OBLATE: A Benedictine In The World – Oblate Neil Zoladkiewicz reflects upon trying to live a Benedictine lifestyle in our world.
UK Oblates National Online Retreat
‘ Walking with St Benedict’
Wednesday, 19th May 2021
Led by The Rt Rev Richard Moth, Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, Oblate of Pluscarden Abbey.
We had a rewarding day of reflection, underpinned by the dedicated team. About 32 oblates attended and it was good to ‘meet’ them. The programme featured two challenging talks, a silence and a question time with Bishop Richard and included a Christian Meditation and a Lectio Divina. Small breakout rooms gave us all the valuable chance to converse at close quarters over questions such as: ‘What brought me to the monastery in the first place?’ ‘What challenges do we face in our oblate way of life?’ ‘What does the oblate bring into the market place?’
Bishop Moth gave generously from his rich seam of Benedictine wisdom. Building on the walking theme of the title: ‘It is a journey of listening. We shall get lost if we do not listen. The Rule is the workshop of our oblate life. We are given a big bag of tools, to avoid losing our way to sin. It is like a guidebook, a map and compass. Humility is like a rope ladder, which we haul up with us, concentrating on one rung at a time. We have a burden, which the Lord will help us to carry. When the road is steepest, with our energies gone, we grow and develop and rely on Christ. Our walk with St Benedict is a run. It may not be easy at first, but then we shall run.’ In the second half, he enumerated a formation that begins with Baptism and takes us to the high pastures.
Our gratitude goes to Bishop Moth, who left us with a great deal upon which to reflect, to the oblates who made the journey to our screens and to the skillful team that made it all work.
Frances Bailess
UKOT Chair
The text of the two talks given by Bishop Moth are available as PDF files using the links below:
Jane Coll, a member of the UKOT Team and an oblate of Pluscarden Abbey, is involved with a project to re-establish the medieval pilgrimage route between St Duthac’s, Tain in the Scottish Highlands and St Magnus, Kirkwall in Orkney.
For more information on this project see their website:
