RETREATS & COURSES

2018

The Benedictine monks of DOUAI ABBEY invite you to enter into quiet
and reflection in their monastery.
 DOUAI ABBEY RETREATS & COURSES PROGRAMME 2018

INTRODUCTION
We are delighted to introduce some new developments in the 2018 Retreat & Courses
programme, while continuing to offer some retreats that have been popular in the past.
Events will be led either by a member of the monastic community or an outside
speaker with expertise in their field and previous experience of leading retreats.
In order to create the right dynamic for discussion and comfortable use of conference
facilities, the numbers will be limited, in most cases to 15, with 11 being the usual
limit for Lectio Divina retreats. The retreat offer is a weekend, residential package.
We regret that we can not as a rule accept day participants (unless advertised as such),
as, from experience, this has been found to affect the dynamic of the retreat
experience for the residential group.
Bookings should be made by completing the booking form enclosed with the
programme, or available through the Guestmaster, Fr Finbar. The Guest House asks
that retreats are booked no later than 3 weeks before each event, so that we can
maintain availability of rooms for other guests.
From January 2018 our retreat prices will increase moderately, in line with the price
increases in the guest house, as it has been several years since we have reviewed our
prices.

ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE TIMES

Guests for retreats should arrive at Reception between 16.00 17.30 hrs on the first
day, departing after lunch on the last day, except for Lectio Divina retreats which
finish after breakfast. Rooms should be vacated by 09.30 am on the last day. The first
session is usually after Compline (Night Prayer) on the first evening (at about
8.20pm).
If you are likely to be late arriving, or are unexpectedly delayed beyond 17.30, please
inform us as soon as possible.
0118 971 5310 (Fr Gabriel) pastoral@douaiabbey.org.uk
0118 971 5300 (Fr Finbar) guestmaster@douaiabbey.org.uk

TRAVEL
Douai Abbey is one mile north of the A4 at Woolhampton, Berkshire, about halfway
between Reading and Newbury.
By train stop at Midgham, served from London, Paddington, Reading & Newbury.
The local bus is No 1 Reading Newbury, alighting at Woolhampton (The Angel
Pub).
National Express buses used to stop at Calcot which was convenient, but now stop off
Junction 11 of the M4, which is not so near.
There is an affordable and regular taxi service to bring guests up the hill from
Midgham Station:
Jennie's Taxis 0796 77 66 970 or Kennet & Avon taxis 01635 847853
INDIVIDUALLY GUIDED RETREATS
These are available under the guidance of a monk, by appointment, and normally run
from Tuesday (after lunch) to Friday morning, ending after breakfast (Cost 300).
We will try to accommodate suitable times for guests, subject to the availability of a
monk and the demand for IGRs.
Individuals are also welcome to spend time in the Guest House, making their own
silent retreat, or we have one group silent retreat in the programme for those who
might benefit from the silent support of others making such a retreat.
To make an individual silent retreat at a time of your own choice, please contact Fr
Gabriel (pastoral@douaiabbey.org.uk) who will advise about the best time to make
such a retreat so as to avoid resident groups that may be a little noisier.

SILENCE
Our guests have different expectations when they come on retreat. During retreats
offered in this brochure silence is normally kept at meal times, but occasionally other
groups will be present who have not opted for silence.

The Rule of St Benedict treats silence as a charity to others' inner silence so that we
might be always attentive to God. The real enclosure in which silence is preserved is
the enclosure of the heart. The monastery enclosure and periods of observed silence
in the monastic day are ordered towards the preservation of this inner enclosure of the
heart, and charity towards others.

Silence, however, is not an absolute value, and we have to be careful not to become
fundamentalist about it. While absolute silence around us is difficult to achieve all the
time, due to natural noises, and environmental noises beyond our control, this does
not mean that inner silence can not be achieved, at least for some of the time, even if
we do encounter uncongenial noise. Conversely, we might find ourselves in total
blissful silence, only to become aware that our inner silence is disturbed by anger or
distractions, or some other response to something in our lives.

A balanced and sensible approach to silence is needed by monks and those who come
to stay at a monastery. The backdrop of the world is noise, while the backdrop of a
monastery is silence, which means we all have to take seriously the prophetic role of
silence in our lives and in a place like Douai Abbey. Silence is prophetic because it is
a witness to our attentiveness to God in a world that can not or will not listen to God.
On the other hand, we also have to live in the real world where communication with
others is necessary, where owls hoot at night, cockerels crow during the day and
lawnmowers have to cut the grass in our grounds..

During your time at Douai Abbey we invite you to help us foster a spirit of peace and
recollection by observing silence as far as you are able and by speaking quietly if the
need arises. In particular, we ask guests to observe silence in the Abbey Church and
the Great Silence after Compline until breakfast the following morning.
We hope that all our guests find the community friendly and welcoming, but we ask
that you communicate as far as possible during your stay with the Guest Master (Fr
Finbar) or the Pastoral Programme Director (Fr Gabriel) or a monk assigned to look
after you or to lead your retreat while you are here.

2018 PROGRAMME OF EVENTS - FULL YEAR

FEBRUARY
16 - 18 Retreat for the Beginning of Lent Alban Hood OSB
'Return, Relent and Repent'
MARCH
9 - 11 Group Silent Retreat
29 1 April Easter Triduum Retreat Euan Tait
(Waiting and Welcome)
APRIL
24 -27 Apocalypse Study Course Peter Bowe OSB
27 - 29 Mindfulness II Retreat Martin Zetter &
Christopher Green
OSB
MAY
46 Trust in God's Promises retreat Gabriel Wilson OSB
Inner Healing as part of the Christian & Paul Marsden
Journey
25 - 27 Ecological Retreat Paul Maiteney
Living in the Earth as our Common Home
JUNE
8 - 10 First Steps in Contemplation Retreat David Cole
14 - 17 Lectio Divina Retreat Gervase Holdaway
OSB
15 17 Monastic Experience Weekend Gabriel Wilson OSB
Come and See
22 24 Church History Course Part II Abbot Geoffrey Scott
(Reformation to Present Day) OSB
JULY
20 - 22 You Are Beloved Retreat Anthea Bailey
27 - 29 Psalms Retreat Oliver Holt OSB

SEPTEMBER
14 - 16 Incarnation Retreat Christopher Greener
Meditations on the Incarnation OSB & John
Newland
21 23 The Secret Life of The Bee-keeper Gabriel Wilson OSB
A year in Douai Abbey's Apiary
OCTOBER
57 Christian Poetry Retreat Oliver Holt OSB
Sounding the Deep
26 - 28 Writing to God Retreat Euan Tait
NOVEMBER
24 Mindfulness Retreat Martin Zetter &
A Christian Approach Christopher Greener
OSB
16 - 18 The Mayfly Mass Hugh Somerville-
The Lost Liturgy of Vatican II Knapman OSB
30 2 December Advent Retreat Alban Hood OSB
By His Gift We Already Rejoice!
DECEMBER
79 Pre Christmas Retreat Christopher Greener
A Time of Transition OSB
&
John Newland
18 - 21 Lectio Divina Retreat Gervase Holdaway
OSB
 RETREAT FOR
THE BEGINNING OF LENT
'Return, Relent and Repent'

Led by Alban Hood OSB

Fri 16 Sun 18 February

A retreat offering a gentle introduction to the Season of Lent by reflecting

upon some of its major themes.

There will be a particular focus upon the Sacrament of Penance

(Reconciliation), with some helpful guidance on prayerful preparation for
receiving the sacrament.

Cost: 145 (All our rooms are now fully en suite)

116 per person for those who are willing to share.
 GROUP SILENT WEEKEND RETREAT

Fri 9 - Sun 11 March

This weekend is an invitation to enjoy a time of silence and recollection,

with the support of others who desire silence and prayer.

If the back drop of the world is noise, the backdrop of a monastery is

silence, and it is an important ingredient of the prophetic role of
monasticism in the modern world. It is also an essential part of the
Christian life of prayer. Learning to embrace silence is especially
important if we are to understand and become comfortable with the
solitude in which God seeks to find us.

Cost: 145 (All our rooms are now fully en suite)

116 per person for those who are willing to share
 EASTER TRIDUUM RETREAT
Waiting & Welcome

Led by Euan Tait

Thurs 29 March Sun 1 April

To walk with Jesus through love, sharing his way to the cross; to wait for
Jesus on the Easter Saturday, listening to the Holy Spirit stir our hearts; to
welcome the resurrected Christ on Easter Sunday with a 'living, rushing
water' of joy. The new gift of each year's Triduum is the freshness of its
grace, and in how we open our being anew to the life of Christ.
This year Douai Abbey offers a new way to experience this holy time: a
pilgrimage through great music (Handel's Messiah), prefaced by reflective
talks to help us live this pilgrimage more fully. The time will, as ever, be
infused by the liturgies of the monastic community in the great Abbey
Church.

Euan Tait is an experienced retreat leader and has led some of our retreats in
the past couple of years. We are delighted to welcome him back to lead the
Easter Triduum retreat.
Euan runs music retreats, quiet days and training events across the country, is
an experienced college lecturer and a professional librettist with a growing
international reputation. He has recently had major premieres in the United
States and Europe, and has further projects in development.
More information about Euan may be found on his website http://euantait.com

Cost: 250 (All our rooms are now fully en suite)

200 per person for those who are willing to share.
 APOCALYPSE COURSE
Uncovering the Mystery of the Apocalypse

Led by Peter Bowe OSB

Tues 24 - Fri 27 April

The Book of Revelation is one of the least read books of the New
Testament in all Christian Churches, and is much misunderstood and
shunned. Yet it holds an unexpected treasure which can enrich our faith
and inspire us deeply.

In this study course we shall read and explore the Apocalypse in 9 sessions.
We shall discover how its author invites us to use our imagination to view
the world and ourselves from an eternal perspective, and to accept Christ
as the key to history and Lord.

Participants are asked to bring with them a copy of the Bible (any version).
If required, prior advice may be given on versions to purchase (contact:
peter@douaiabbey.org.uk)

Fr Peter is Parish Priest of our Woolhampton Parish of St Mary's.

Cost: 200 (All our rooms are now fully en suite)

160 per person for those who are willing to share
 MINDFULNESS II
Deeper into Mindful Christianity

Led by Christopher Greener OSB & Martin Zetter

Fri 27 Sun 29 April

Following on from the success and popularity of this over-subscribed

retreat in 2017, we are delighted to run this second event that builds upon
the foundations of the previous Mindfulness retreat in 2017.

This retreat will be for those with experience either of Mindfulness or

Christian meditation. Meditation programmes will include: insight,
centring prayer, the John Main mantra, together with formal and informal
mindfulness practices. There will be opportunities for some group focuses;
one group concentrating on different aspects of mindfulness teaching and
the other on practice.

Martin Zetter learnt mindfulness practice under Dr Michael Sinclair. He is

a long-time meditator and curates the meditation site www.meditation.com
which presents routes into a variety of meditation traditions. He worked as
an economist in the City of London for 35 years, more latterly assisting
young people in starting their own small businesses.

Cost: 160 (All our rooms are now fully en suite)

128 per person for those who are willing to shar
 TRUST IN GOD'S PROMISES RETREAT
Inner Healing as Part
of the Christian Journey

Led by Gabriel Wilson OSB & Paul Marsden

Fri 4 Sun 6 May

To be a human being in a fallen world is to be wounded. The scriptures,

and especially the Gospels, tell time and again how God moves to heal his
people and give them new life.

Through prayer and the sacraments, the Church has always had the
resources to apply God's healing power to those in need, but this power has
to be rediscovered in the life of the Church and applied to the specific
circumstances of the individual.

This weekend will provide times of teaching, prayer and sacraments

(confession and anointing of the sick, in appropriate cases), to help us
understand our deepest wounds and to seek God's healing. This will take
place in the context of participation in the monastic office.

Limited to 12 participants. Residential only.

Cost: 160 (All our rooms are now fully en suite)

128 per person for those who are willing to share
 ECO- SPIRITUAL RETREAT
Learning to live in Earth, Our Common Home

Led by Paul Maiteney

Fri 25 Sun 27 May

An exploration of our everyday living as an expression of our spiritual

lives. The retreat will focus on:
What we need, to live truly, materially and spiritually
What keeps us in our current ways of living, and how this affect us
What helps and hinders us from living as members of our planet
Using a framework based on the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises and selected
parts of the poetic and mystical writings of Teilhard de Chardin, these are
some of the areas of exploration in this retreat.
Drawing also on Pope Francis' ecological encyclical Laudato Si: On Care
for our Common Home, we will explore how we might put his guidance
into practice; how attention to living everyday life in an ecologically aware
way can help us participate in a deeper spiritual life.

Despite past censorship of some of his ideas, there has been a reassessment
of de Chardin's Cosmic Theology by the Church, with Pope John Paul II
and Pope Benedict XVI writing approvingly of his theology.

Paul Maiteney is a spiritual director, psychotherapist and anthropologist.

Cost: 160 (All our rooms are now fully en suite)

128 per person for those willing to share
 CONTEMPLATION RETREAT
First steps on the Contemplative Path

Led by David Cole

Fri 8 Sun 10 June

An invitation to come and learn about the Christian heritage of the

contemplative tradition, with techniques and practices that will help
deepen an awareness of our relationship with God.

David Cole is an award-winning author of books on Christian meditation.

He regularly leads retreats teaching on Contemplative Christian
Spirituality.

Cost: 160 (All our rooms are now fully en suite)

128 per person for those willing to share
 LECTIO DIVINA RETREAT
Take and Read

Led by Gervase Holdaway OSB

Thurs 14 Sun 17 June

Experience a way of praying with Scripture, an ancient art, at one time

practised by all Christians. It is a slow, contemplative prayer which
enables one to listen to God's word and to make a prayerful response.
There will be time in the retreat for sharing, solitude and reflection.

Limited to 11 participants.

Cost: 200 (All our rooms are now fully en suite)

160 per person for those willing to share
 MONASTIC EXPERIENCE WEEKEND
Come and See

Led by Gabriel Wilson OSB & Alban Hood OSB

Fri 15 Sun 17 June

An opportunity for men (18-40) to meet the monks and to explore our
Monastic Experience Programme. Candidates from this weekend may
apply to live and work alongside the community for up to 3 months, to
deepen their faith and draw from the rich Benedictine tradition before
returning to the world, or with a view to discerning their vocation.

No charge
 CHURCH HISTORY STUDY COURSE
Part II Reformation to Present Day

Led by Abbot Geoffrey Scott OSB

Fri 22 Sun 24 June

This is the second part of a study course. Part I covered 312 1065. Part II
will deal with the effects of the Norman Conquest, the new religious
orders (reformed Benedictines, Cistercians, and the Friars), scholarship
and the rise of the universities, the Becket controversy, the church in the
14th & 15th Centuries, the effects of the discovery of printing and early
humanism. This should bring us to King Henry VIII, ready for the
Reformation and beyond.

The course is designed for non-specialists who wish to have an overview

of the Church History of England, and who wish to trace the development
of key ideas and to have a working knowledge of important events and
individuals.

Abbot Geoffrey is a renowned Church historian and lecturer. He has

published books and articles on various aspects of English Church History,
and is the President of the Catholic Records Society.

Cost: 145 (All our rooms are now fully en suite)

116 per person for those who are willing to share
 YOU ARE BELOVED RETREAT

Led by Anthea Bailey

Fri 20 Sun 22 July

Brennan Manning says: 'Define yourself radically as one beloved by

God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion.'

Imagine God thinking about you. What do you assume God thinks when
you come to mind? This retreat aims to encourage each person's
understanding and experience of how beloved they are by God. The
weekend will also examine what may prevent us from living as loved by
God. Through scriptural reflection, creativity and meditation, the retreat
sets out to immerse us more profoundly in the truth of God's unconditional
love.

Anthea Bailey (MSc) is a Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist,

currently working for the Fire and Rescue Service as a mental Health
well-being advisor. She is the founder of Immerse in Christ Ministries.
Her retreats encourage individuals through Christian meditation and
reflection, centred on the compassionate love of God.

Cost: 160 (All our rooms are now fully en suite)

128 per person for those who are willing to share.
 PSALMS RETREAT

Led by Oliver Holt OSB

Fri 27 Sun 29 July

How can this Jewish hymn book, compiled before the birth of Christ,
possibly be absolutely central to Christian spirituality and worship?
Four interactive talks and discussions on the value and place of the Psalms
in Christian prayer and spirituality comprise this weekend retreat. Each
participant, should they wish, is invited to prepare a short presentation on a
psalm that has proved meaningful to them, to share with the group.

Fr Oliver is a member of the Douai community. After some years of

teaching English in our former school, he is now the bursar of the
monastery

Cost: 145 (All our rooms are now fully en suite)

116 per person for those who are willing to share
 INCARNATION RETREAT
Meditations upon the Incarnation

Led by Christopher Greener OSB & John Newland

Fri 14 Sun 16 September

The Incarnation is the manifestation of Christ living in the World and in

each person who accepts Him. This retreat will look at how this
manifestation of Jesus, as an actuality, is experienced, both in life and in
ourselves.

The weekend will use a template given us by St Thomas Aquinas, the

Medieval Theologian and Doctor of the Church, who argued that Christ is
given to us through the Incarnation in 'Nine Ways'. These ways he defined
as various means by which Jesus pours out His love to each of us
individually. In some circumstances He acts as brother, in others as
shepherd, and always as food in the Eucharist.

Through this prism of Aquinas' Nine Ways, the weekend will include
readings, film clips and discussion to focus on the different aspects of the
Incarnation. By the end of the retreat participants will have gained a
deeper sense of what the Incarnation means.

John Newland is an Historian with a Master's Degree in History and in

Film.

Cost: 160 (All our rooms are now fully en suite)

128 per person for those willing to
 THE SECRET LIFE OF A BEEKEEPER
A Year In Douai Abbey's Apiary

Led by Gabriel Wilson OSB

Fr 21 Sun 23 September

This weekend offers an entertaining insight into the bee-keeper's year, with
Fr Gabriel, who has looked after the monastery's apiary since 2015.
Through photographs, Fr Gabriel will explain the craft of the bee-keeper
from March (when hive inspections begin) to the honey harvest in late
summer and preparations to close down the apiary for the winter.
Participants will learn the basic anatomy of the beehive, some methods of
swarm-prevention, how a colony makes a new queen, and the process of
harvesting and extracting honey.
The weekend will appeal to anyone who has an interest in bees, those who
are thinking of starting bee-keeping, and for all who have a capacity for
wonder at the natural world.

Fr Gabriel is the Director of the Pastoral Programme at Douai Abbey, the

Vocations Promoter, the poulterer and the apiarist. He has a keen interest
in Natural History and ecology and is passionate about sharing his
enthusiasm for the honey bee.

Cost: 145 (All our rooms are now fully en suite)

116 per person for those who are willing to share.
 CHRISTIAN POETRY RETREAT
Sounding the Deeps

Fri 5 Sun 7 October

Led by Oliver Holt OSB

This retreat will explore poems from different centuries, all of which show
the poet trying to grapple with eternal truths and seeking to find the right
words to express his or her religious faith.

Fr Oliver, who taught English in our former school, has given similar talks
and retreats before, but the poems selected for this retreat will all be new.
Participants will be invited to bring along their own favourite poems.

Cost: 145 (All our rooms are now fully en suite)

116 per person for those who are willing to share.
 WRITING TO GOD RETREAT
Creating our own prayers, psalms,
journals and poems

Led by Euan Tait

Fri 26 Sun 28 October

The beauty of relating to God is that we are called to speak freely and with
utter honesty to Jesus, to open our hearts fully, without fear. Our creative
written responses help open us up to this life-giving relationship.
During this weekend we will be exploring how to write prayers,, our own
versions of psalms, short poems and journal entries: an exciting creative
journey that aims to greatly enrich our own work. It is recommended that
participants bring an exercise book or laptop, as they prefer.

Euan Tait is an experienced retreat leader and has led some of our
retreats in the past couple of years.
Euan runs music retreats, quiet days and training events across the
country, is an experienced college lecturer and a professional librettist
with a growing international reputation. He has recently had major
premieres in the United States and Europe, and has further projects in
development.
More information about Euan may be found on his website
http://euantait.com

Cost: 160 (All our rooms are now fully en suite)

128 per person for those who are willing to share.
 MINDFULNESS I
A Christian Approach to Mindfulness

Led by Christopher Greener OSB

& Martin Zetter
Fri 2 Sun 4 November

Following on from the success and popularity of this over-subscribed

retreat in 2017, we are delighted to run this retreat again for those who
were unable to secure a place last time.

The retreat will draw upon both the lived experience of western
monasticism and contemporary mindfulness. It will explore practical
methods of using mindfulness, together with several approaches to
meditation, to develop mindfulness and to deepen the daily practice of our
faith. The course aims to help those with little or no knowledge of the
practice of mindfulness and will suit the beginner and those with some
experience of meditation.

Martin Zetter learnt mindfulness practice under Dr Michael Sinclair. He is

a long-time meditator and curates the meditation site www.meditation.com
which presents routes into a variety of meditation traditions. He worked as
an economist in the City of London for 35 years, more latterly assisting
young people in starting their own small businesses.

Cost: 160 (All our rooms are now fully en suite)

128 per person for those who are willing to share
 THE MAYFLY MASS WEEKEND COURSE
The Lost Liturgy of Vatican II

Led by Hugh Somerville Knapman OSB

Fri 16 Sun 18 November

It was in use for barely two years, but the 1964/5 interim Roman Missal
the first reform of the mass prompted by Vatican II embodied, more than
any of the subsequent reforms, the teachings of the Council.

As well as examining the interim missal, the weekend will examine the
aims of the classic Liturgical Movement that informed the Council's
liturgical decrees. In the light of this, the interim missal will be used as a
lens through which to assess the modern liturgy and to understand the
essence of liturgical worship.

The weekend will comprise a number of talks, Sung Mass for the
Memorial of St Hugh of Lincoln on the Saturday, and time for Questions
& Answers.

Cost: Residential: 145 (All our rooms are now fully en suite)
116 per person for those who are willing to share.

Day Guest with Lunch 19 (donations from students)

Day Guest without Lunch 10
 BEGINNING OF ADVENT RETREAT
By His Gift We Already Rejoice!

Led by Alban Hood OSB

30 November 2 December

A prayerful exploration of the Advent season, with particular focus on the

scriptural and liturgical texts for the four Sundays of the season.

Cost: 145 (All our rooms are now fully en suite)

116 per person for those who are willing to share.
 PRE CHRISTMAS RETREAT
A Time of Transition

Led by Christopher Greener OSB & John Newland

Fri 7 Sun 9 December

The time before Christmas has always been special. It has always been
about the ending of an old order and an engaging with the new. For Pagans
this was the Winter Solstice. From this point onwards, after months of
increasing darkness, once more daylight began to take back the world with
the renewed promise of fresh life springing from the earth. For Christians
this time was the start of the Church's year, with Advent and a looking
forward to the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day.

The retreat will explore the fullness of this sense of transition of the season
in both the wider culture and the Church. Using a mixture of sacred and
cultural readings, film clips and discussion, the weekend aims to show
how (and why) the wider culture and the spiritual dimension are connected
and are fulfilled in the Nativity.

By the end of the retreat participants will have a greater appreciation of

how this period of time approaching Christmas might draw us more
fruitfully into the coming of Christ.

John Newland is an Historian with a Master's Degree in History and in

Film.

Cost: 160 (All our rooms are now fully en suite)

128 per person for those who are willing to share
 LECTIO DIVINA RETREAT
Take and Read

Led by Gervase Holdaway OSB

Tues 18 Fri 21 December

Experience a way of praying with Scripture, an ancient art, at one time

practised by all Christians. It is a slow, contemplative prayer which
enables one to listen to God's word and to make a prayerful response.
There will be time in the retreat for sharing, solitude and reflection.

NB This retreat finishes after breakfast on Friday.

Limited to 11 participants

Cost: 200 (All our rooms are now fully en suite)

160 per person for those willing to share