International party at Ealing Abbey

Guests enjoying the warm summer evening

The abbot of Ealing and the monastic community celebrated their European and Atlantic collaboration with an evening barbecue and bonfire last night. The Benedictine Study and Arts Centre, established and sponsored by Ealing Abbey in 1992 and the Institutum Liturgicum, established and sponsored by Ealing Abbey and St Michael's Abbey Farnborough in 2011, organised the event which drew European, Transatlantic and Antipodean participants.

Bernd Leygraf, German co-director of Naos Institute, London, acted as chief chef, preparing Bratwurst, other sausages and veggie options whilst Fr Daniel McCarthy, visiting professor at Catholic University of Leuven, from the USA and co-founder of the Liturgy Institute, barbecued chicken. Belgium was represented by Catherine Pepinster, editor of The Tablet, whilst Jaap Westerbos, co-director of the Naos Institute and volunteer Counsellor at Ealing Abbey Counselling Service and Duco Vollebregt and student at the Liturgy Institute, represented The Netherlands. Mgr Michal Balaz from Diocese of Žilinská, student at the Liturgy Institute came from Slovakia. Professor Thomas Quartier a German teaching Monastic Spirituality and Ritual at the University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands provided another European link. Also from the USA, there was Professor Ephrem Carr OSB. emeritus Dean of the Pontifical Institute of Liturgy, now professor at Catholic University of Leuven, Sr Rebecca Abel OSB and emerita librarian at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Ms Medody Mazuk from Resource leadership International; Melody Mazuk. Melody has served as librarian at the International Baptist Theological Seminary, Ruschlikon, Switzerland, now in Prague, Czech Republic, and remains on faculty at Palmer while also taking over direct oversight of each of the resource library-related projects.)

From Ireland there was: Br Ambrose McCambridge OSB of Ealing Abbey (student at Naos Institute). From Scotland and New Zealand: Br Thomas Cole OSB of Pluscarden abbey) From Australia: Fr Alban Nunn a monk of Ealing, Michael Dyer a student at KU Leuven) and two representatives of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal

From the friendships established and renewed that evening participants were inspired to innovate in their attitudes to personal and vocational collaboration. Ideas for offering continuing and accredited adult education in Theology and Religious Studies, Liturgy, Sacred Music and Spiritual and Monastic leadership, and for serving the whole community of London and the south East were all presented to Abbot Martin Shipperlee OSB for his further consideration.

Photo: Daniel McCarthy OSM