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.
Bread Alone
Recently during lunch times the Pluscarden community has listened to a book about Ultra-Processed Food.
The conclusions of this book are rather alarming.
It seems that a lot of what we eat contains ultra-processed ingredients which are, or may be, by and large, harmful. That is: these ingredients are (or may be) harmful to health, to the environment, to the global economy, to the poor.
The War in Ukraine Comes to Pluscarden
The war in Ukraine was brought somehow more immediately close to the Pluscarden community recently through the moving testimony of a Ukranian guest.
Anastasia Rozdolska is a 28 year old medical doctor who was with us in late May this year: enjoying a Scottish and Pilgrim break from her work on the front line of the war.
Habemus Papam!
Visit of Br. Guy Consolmagno S.J.
The Pluscarden community was pleased to have the honour of welcoming Br. Guy Consolmagno S.J. recently. Br. Guy is a prolific writer, and the famous Director of the Vatican Observatory. Some years ago we read in the refectory his book (published 2000) "Brother Astronomer: Adventures of a Vatican Scientist."
VE Day at Pluscarden
As everyone knows, Thursday 8 May 2025 was the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe.
Churches around the land were encouraged to ring their bells for the event, at 6.30 p.m. Since this is just the time we normally come out of Church after our Vespers and silent prayer time, we were more than happy to add our small contribuition to this National celebration.
Conclave of Cardinals
Funeral of Fr. Peter Kelly RIP
Fr. Peter Kelly had been a very good friend of our community for over 40 years.
On his diaconal Ordination retreat in 1982, he served as Mitre-bearer to Bishop Mario Conti, as he was ordaining our Frs. Hugh and Anselm to the sacred Priesthood. His fellow Crozier-bearer for that occasion was a youthful Peter de Klerk, staying in the monastery to enquire about vocational prospects. That crozier-bearer entered the monastery soon afterwards, and remains now as our Br. Michael.