Community Retreat November 2025

The Community retreat, 10-15 November, was preached this year by Fr. George Bowen C.O., a member of the London Oratory. Fr. George has many years of experience of work as a school and prison Chaplain. But very notably he has been acting recently as Postulator for the Cause of promoting St. John Henry Newman to be a Doctor of the Universal Church.

Homily for Sunday 33C, 16 November 2025

Homily for Sunday 33C, 16 November 2025: Luke 21:5-19

According to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, in Jerusalem in the days immediately preceding his Passion, our Lord spoke about terrible things to come. This is often referred to as his Eschatological Discourse. We always hear some part of it read at Mass at this time of year. The language our Lord used here was that of Jewish prophecy, and of inter-testamental Jewish apocalyptic. So sometimes it’s not easy to be sure, in any particular place, whether he’s being poetic or literal.

Homily for the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, Sunday 9 November 2025

Ezk 47:1-2,8-9,12; 1 Cor 3:9c-11,16-17; Jn 2:13-22

Chapter 10 of St. John’s Gospel records the presence of Our Lord in the Jerusalem Temple during its solemn Dedication Feast (10:22). That annual celebration had been decreed by Judas Maccabeus, following his purification of the Temple in 164 B.C., after its pollution by the wicked King Antiochus Epiphanes. Jewish congregations also celebrated that Dedication feast in the synagogues of the diaspora.

Homily for the Solemnity of the Dedication of the Pluscarden Church

Haggai 1:15-2:9; 1 Peter 2:4-9; John 2:13-22: 5 November 2025

Ten years ago today our former Abbot and current Bishop Hugh consecrated, or re-dedicated our Abbey Church. The memory of that great event remains fresh in the mind of many of us: so rich and glorious was the liturgy; so fraught with multi-layered symbolism.

Report on the Pluscarden Bees: October 2025

Surely never before have we had so many days of warm or hot sunshine! Throughout the year, to date, 2025 has been marked by low or barely existent rainfall, and long long stretches of fine weather. This all seemed like the best possible news for bees, up to mid-Spring.

Report on the Pluscarden Garden: October 2025

By Br. Thomas Cole OSB, chief gardener

Farewell to a glorious and incredibly warm summer, and welcome to the bounteous and beneficial harvest of autumn! The waning of the daylight and the contraction of plant life in the polytunnels can give a slightly mournful air to this season, yet one cannot but praise God for the glorious bounty of the garden this past year. Also, of course, for the consoling colour of the fruits and leaves all about us.