U.K. OBLATES RESIDENTIAL RETREAT MAY 2023 (PLACES STLL AVAILABLE)
‘Abba Pater – the Benedictine Tradition’
GUEST SPEAKER: REV FR MARTIN BIRRELL O.S.B.
(PLUSCARDEN ABBEY)
Tuesday 9th May 2023 (Evening) to Thursday 11th May (After lunch)
Douai Abbey, Upper Woolhampton, Reading RG7 5TQ
COST: £240
FOR FURTHER DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT
NEIL ZOLADKIEWICZ (U.K. Oblates Team Treasurer)
OUR FIRST IN PERSON RETREAT SINCE OCTOBER 2019!
Two books by Richard Frost
Finding Stability in Times of Change
With a Foreword by Andrew Nunn, Dean of Southwark, “Finding Stability in Times of Change” considers how the winds and waves of a storm symbolises periods of change, transition and difficulty and how we might find calmer waters. The book includes stories and insights from others and practical and achievable suggestions for readers to consider in their own life.
David Runcorn, writer, speaker and spiritual director wrote ‘This is a timely and helpful book. It is about change. Life is full of it of course… It leaves us de-stabilised. Off balance. For many, quite a lot of life feels like that right now.’
I’m delighted that the book is the very first publication of a new, traditional, publishing house Endulini Publishing and builds on some of themes that underpinned Life with St Benedict.
Click here for more details, a video interview and to read the first chapter.
An eBook and paperback are available on Amazon. The paperback is also available direct from Richard
Richard Frost
The Vicarage, 3 Moors Park, Bishopsteignton, Teignmouth TQ14 9RH
Looking to Move On
Published today, Richard’s debut novel, “Looking to Move On” is a contemporary story of loss and love, conflict and resolution, tears and laughter. The title reflects the message of the book which is one of hope over adversity and that moving on, rebuilding life, is always possible. In the course of hiswork and personal life, he has had the privilege of meeting many people who experience difficulties. Their stories have inspired much of this one.
Click here for more details, a video interview and to read the first chapter.
Published by the award-winning, Chronos Publishing, the paperback is available from Waterstones or directly from Richard(£9 plus p&p). An eBook is available on Amazon.
Richard’s also written a special blog post to celebrate this occasion.
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: