Our Fr. Matthew took his first vows as a Benedictine monk at Quarr Abbey on the Feast of Our Lady's birthday, 8 September 1962.
Here we keep that day as the anniversary of the resumption of monastic observance at Pluscarden, which officially took place on 8 September 1948.
So this year we celebrated not only our own 74th anniversary, but also dear Fr. Matthew's Diamond Jubilee.
A nice leaflet was produced for the celebration Mass, adorned with reproductions of Fr. Matthew's water colour paintings. All the monks of the community together renewed their vows at the Offertory, in solidarity with the Jubilarian, who is now quite infirm: although habitually smiling, content, grateful, and never complaining!
In the evening Fr. Matthew joined in with a festive community recreation. He is particularly partial these days to corn on the cob, which our garden has been producing these days in abundance. He was much enjoying a selection of such corn, suitably roasted, while surrounded by his admirers, when a phone call informed us that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth had just died.
So our recreation was brought to an early end. We recited a de Profundis, and went in for Compline.
How touching it is that, just a few days beforehand, a card had arrived, sent from Buckingham Palace, and addressed to Fr. Abbot and the Community! It was a message of thanks from Queen Elizabeth - not indeed quite individually hand written, but still very nice, with two colour photographs - graciously acknowledging our message of congratulation, sent on the occasion of her Platinum Jubilee earlier this year.
The community had celebrated a Mass for the Queen on that day, and also enrolled her on the PKER - the "Pluscarden Kalendar of Everlasting Remembrance". A special Mass is offered here once every week for all those whose names are so enrolled.
Surely it was fitting that, what we hope is the day of our Queen's birthday into heaven, should have occurred on the Feast of the Birthday of the Queen of Heaven.
The following day our flag flew at half mast; our Bell tolled for half an hour from midday, as has been done in many other Churches nation-wide, and the "Subvenite" was sung. A full Office and Mass for the dead is to be offered for Queen Elizabeth here at an appropriate time in the near future.
