Ampleforth Abbey

13/10/2026

The sun is shining again so it seems the perfect time to share this beautiful photo from Fr Xavier, taken earlier this year.

13/10/2026

St Edward (c.1003-1066) is the only King of England to be canonised and was patron saint of England until about 1350.

In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI prayed at the tomb of King Edward in Westminster Abbey: "I come here today as a pilgrim from Rome, to pray before the tomb of Saint Edward the Confessor and to join you in imploring the gift of Christian unity. I thank the Lord for allowing me, as the Successor of Saint Peter in the See of Rome, to make this pilgrimage to the tomb of Saint Edward the Confessor. Edward, King of England, remains a model of Christian witness and an example of that true grandeur to which the Lord summons his disciples in the Scriptures: the grandeur of a humility and obedience grounded in Christ's own example (cf. Phil 2:6-8), the grandeur of a fidelity which does not hesitate to embrace the mystery of the Cross out of undying love for the divine Master and unfailing hope in his promises (cf. Mk 10:43-44)" (Pope Benedict XVI, 17 September 2010)

12/10/2026

The entry for this date in The Oxford Book of Days notes that Wilfrid, who was born in Northumbria in 634, was "abbot of Ripon, bishop of York, after 705 of Hexham, d. 709. His is still a popular name in Yorkshire, where strong-mindedness is much admired".

Wilfrid's life was marked by quarrels with kings and bishops. He travelled to France to be consecrated bishop of York, but when he returned to England in 666 he found that the See of York had been given to St Chad instead. He was deposed in 669, and Wilfrid became Bishop of Northumbria, with York as its focus. He built a number of churches, including those at Ripon and Hexham, and rebuilt York Minster. Wilfrid died at the age of seventy-six at the monastery of Oundle, in present-day Northamptonshire, and was buried in Ripon.

11/10/2026

Here you can find peace 🕊️

10/10/2026

Are you a local artisan food trader looking to showcase your business at a local Christmas Market? 🎄

We are still looking for food vendors for our Christmas Craft Market, set in the atmospheric surroundings of Alban Roe House from Saturday 28 - Sunday 29 November.

📩 To register for a stall, please email: [email protected]

10/10/2026

This week's Home Retreat is now live on YouTube.

'Fr Christopher - 'We Live in Each Other's Shadow'

Download the text for this Home Retreat: https://drive.google.com/f...

09/10/2026

Changes to food service times in our Tea Room 📢☕

From tomorrow, our full Tea Room menu will be served from 10am to 3pm, Wednesday - Sunday.

We will remain open 10am to 5pm Monday - Sunday in October, serving homemade grab-and-go sandwiches, our selection of delicious cakes and hot drinks to be enjoyed in the Tea Room or taken away.

09/10/2026

On 1 November 2025, Pope Leo XIV declared Saint John Henry Newman (1801-1890) a Doctor of the Church and co-patron of Catholic Education, alongside St Thomas Aquinas.

In his homily in St Peter's Square last year, Pope Leo XIV quoted one of St John Henry Newman's best-known texts, the hymn 'Lead, Kindly Light': "In the beautiful prayer," the Pope said, "we come to realize that we are far from home, our feet are unsteady, we cannot interpret clearly the way ahead. Yet none of this impedes us, since we have found our Guide: "Lead, Kindly Light, amid th'encircling gloom, Lead Thou me on;" "Lead, Kindly Light, The night is dark, and I am far from home, Lead Thou me on." The task of education is precisely to offer this Kindly Light to those who might otherwise remain imprisoned by the particularly insidious shadows of pessimism and fear"

08/10/2026

The beautiful dusk light over the Abbey Church 🌄✨

08/10/2026

In this latest video by Christian art specialist Fr Patrick van der Vorst (former Director of Sotheby's Europe), Fr Henry talks about the parallels between his monastic life at Ampleforth and that of the monks living at nearby Rievaulx Abbey 800 years ago.

Watch the full film now at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpZMALX9Wfk