Alton Abbey

Alton Abbey The Anglican, Benedictine Community of Our Lady & St John This is the Facebook place page of Alton Abbey. We also use it as our principal internet photo gallery.

Here you will find an informal history of the community in the timeline. We have a second *personal* page on Facebook. We use that principally to publicise updates to our website and to post more light-hearted content. At the moment the community does not access either Facebook account, with all administration left in the hands of our webmaster, who is an oblate, under the direction of the Abbot.

Therefore, if you want to contact the community directly then please use the email directory on the contacts page of our website. As a courtesy, the webmaster will still forward any FB messages on your behalf. Thanks, and enjoy...

On 6 September 2023, Abbot Giles Hill was re-elected on a five year mandate as Superior of the Community of Our Lady & S...
08/09/2023

On 6 September 2023, Abbot Giles Hill was re-elected on a five year mandate as Superior of the Community of Our Lady & St. John (he has held this position since 1990, with the exception of the years 2010-2013). The photograph was taken in 2011 during the Abbot's holiday in South Africa.

Give thanks with the brethren, and the family, of Abbot Giles: today is his 80th birthday. Ad multos annos, dear Father.
01/09/2023

Give thanks with the brethren, and the family, of Abbot Giles: today is his 80th birthday. Ad multos annos, dear Father.

We are saddened to pass on to our Oblates, Friends, and others interested in the Community, that one of our much loved f...
27/07/2023

We are saddened to pass on to our Oblates, Friends, and others interested in the Community, that one of our much loved former members has died.
Paul Towson, who was known among us as Brother John, died on Monday night/Tuesday morning this week. It is thought that he suffered a fatal heart attack.
After leaving us at the end of his First Vows, he became a member of the Roman Catholic Church, tried his vocation in a Catholic Benedictine house, and latterly has been manager of a public house in Wiltshire.
The Abbot and the Prior have each celebrated a Requiem Mass for him; he and his family remain in our prayers, and we invite you to join us in praying for him.
The picture of Brother John during his time with us was taken at the Abbey, in our kitchen.

06/05/2023

Of your charity, please pray for the repose of the soul of our Oblate Daniel Smith, who lived in Swanage. He died in hospital, after some years of failing health, on 28 April 2023.

21/12/2022

We have been notified this morning of the demise of Father David Lewis Dix aged 89, who tried his vocation at Alton Abbey in the late 60s. Only Abbot Giles among the current brethren remembers him. He lived in the US, and was a member of the Anglican Catholic Church; he suffered a severe stroke on 26-7 November. May he rest in peace, and his loved ones be comforted in their loss by our prayers for them.

On 8 August this year, a regular member of our congregation died. Alison Lees had her funeral service in the Church of S...
17/09/2022

On 8 August this year, a regular member of our congregation died. Alison Lees had her funeral service in the Church of St Laurence in Alton on Thursday 15th September, followed by the interment of her remains in the Abbey cemetery. The picture is of Alison with her three beloved sons.

In this rather warm weather, the Prior thought he would make a dish of cafe granita for dessert. Served with a scoop of ...
19/07/2022

In this rather warm weather, the Prior thought he would make a dish of cafe granita for dessert. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it was delicious and cooling . . . and there is some left for later.

In 2018, his family presented Abbot Giles with some rose bushes to celebrate his 50th anniversary of profession. At the ...
03/06/2022

In 2018, his family presented Abbot Giles with some rose bushes to celebrate his 50th anniversary of profession. At the beginning of this week there seemed not to be many buds on the bushes, and only one bud near to opening. This morning, however, buds and opening flowers galore. P.S. the Abbot's profession anniversary is in December.

We received a message to inform us of the death after cancer of a Czech monk who visited Alton Abbey about 15 years ago....
28/05/2022

We received a message to inform us of the death after cancer of a Czech monk who visited Alton Abbey about 15 years ago. Father Alexius Vandrovec was a priest and monk of Brevnov Abbey and is fondly remembered by us. Born on 8 May 1975, he died on 18 May 2022. May the Lord have mercy on him.

We are praying for the repose of Lou Scott-Joynt, the widow of our former diocesan bishop and bishop visitor. Lou died p...
08/04/2022

We are praying for the repose of Lou Scott-Joynt, the widow of our former diocesan bishop and bishop visitor. Lou died peacefully in hospice care on 2 April 2022.

Many of you will be aware that Abbot Giles has been away from the monastery for health reasons since March 2021 with car...
14/03/2022

Many of you will be aware that Abbot Giles has been away from the monastery for health reasons since March 2021 with cardiac problems. He has been staying with his family while he was assessed and began a new regime of medications. In recent months he has undergone a procedure which has helped greatly, although he remains with his family for the time being. He comes in to the Abbey regularly to assist with some administrative matters, and last week resumed his attendance at Cardiac Rehab Gym (alongside Prior Andrew and Dom Anselm who have been attending the gym for some time already). We are sure you will be pleased to know Abbot Giles’s condition is being stabilised, and ask that you will continue to pray for him and for those at the Abbey.

A MESSAGE FROM DOM TIMOTHY BAVIN O.S.B.You will have seen a recent announcement from the Abbot and Community concerning ...
26/02/2022

A MESSAGE FROM DOM TIMOTHY BAVIN O.S.B.
You will have seen a recent announcement from the Abbot and Community concerning our current situation at the Abbey. So now I want to let you know that I am shortly to move to an Almshouse associated with the Cathedral in Chichester.

Having recently retired from all public ministry, at the age of 86, and as part of the Community’s decisions for the future, I am moving (after 26 years) to a less active way of life. I shall nevertheless remain part of the Community as a separated monk, and will still live by the Rule of St Benedict, with a continuing commitment to prayer.

I hope not to be overwhelmed by correspondence as I prepare to move and whilst settling into my new home, and I trust you will forgive me if I am slow – or fail - to respond (then and thereafter). But your prayer would be much appreciated, both for the Brethren whom I will have left at Alton and for me.

With all good wishes; God bless you always.

(Photo credit: Stephen Wikner)

Address

Abbey Road
Alton
GU344AP

Opening Hours

Monday 6:30am - 8:45pm
Tuesday 6:30am - 8:45pm
Wednesday 6:30am - 8:45pm
Thursday 6:30am - 8:45pm
Friday 6:30am - 8:45pm
Saturday 6:30am - 8:45pm
Sunday 6:30am - 8:45pm

Telephone

+441420562145

Website

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