The Pluscarden Community has been delighted to host Dom Columba Jennesson for a month this early summer.

Dom Columba is a monk of En Calcat, a famous and beautiful monastery in South West France.

The monastery of En Calcat belongs to the French Province of our Subiaco-Cassinese Benedictine Congregation. Because En Calcat has more ample guest facilities than any monastery in our own English Province, our last Provincial Chapter was held there.

En Calcat has not been without its troubles in recent years: especially in its leadership. One Abbot was elected Abbot President of the Congregation, so had to resign and go to live in Rome. His second successor developed cancer, and so had to retire. His successor suffered a heart attack and died, after only a year in Office, and aged only 50. After that the community felt it needed time to settle down, so our Dom Columba was appointed to lead the community, on a temporary basis, as Prior Administrator. After his period of 4 years in Office, another Abbatial election was held, and another relatively youthful monk, Dom Maximilien Pietrzak was elected.

Following the Abbatial Blessing, as is usual in such cases, Dom Columba was granted some months of Sabbatical leave. His month with us is part of that: his choice of Scotland prompted partly by his particular interest in the history of Celtic monasticism; also by his desire to improve his English.

Dom Columba has also acted as Choir Master of his Community. Their Office Chant these days is mostly in French, but they retain a strong tradition of Gregorian Chant in the Mass: so here also Dom Columba is able to feel entirely at ease and at home.