Abbot of Buckfast receives honorary degree from Newman University
The Right Reverend David Charlesworth, abbot of Buckfast Abbey in Devon, has been recognised with an honorary Doctor of Education degree from Newman University.
He received the award during the university’s annual graduation ceremony at Symphony Hall, Birmingham. The honorary degree was awarded in recognition of his commitment to providing valuable educational opportunities for school children.
Professor Peter Lutzeier, vice chancellor at Newman University, said: “We’re delighted that Reverend Charlesworth was able to join us for these landmark celebrations.
“An alumnus of Newman from its days as Newman College, he runs a long-established education department at Buckfast that has won many national awards and is used as a model by many cathedrals and monasteries for their own visitor centres.”
The ceremony also saw over 1,000 students become the first students to graduate from Newman since it received full university status earlier this year.
Leading English playwright Edward Bond, whose play ‘Saved’ was instrumental in the abolition of theatre censorship in Britain in 1969, was also recognised for his work and engagement with education with an honorary Doctor of Letters during the ceremony.
His works have been performed in over 60 countries, with the Abbey Theatre in Dublin describing him as ‘One of the most influential dramatists of all time’.