Each year, Mass is celebrated at Fountains Abbey. Our Clergy Correspondent ‘View from the Valley’ was there and sends this report, with photographs taken by Patrick Sice:
Fountains Abbey must surely rank as one of the most atmospheric ‘holy places’ in our diocese. Nestled in a valley to the south-west of Ripon this former Cistercian Monastery was once the centre of both evangelisation and wool production for that part of Yorkshire. Each year the Fountains Abbey Chaplaincy, working with the National Trust, organises the celebration of Mass which is always well attended. Year by year the celebrations alternate between August and July – the first to celebrate St Bernard (an early Cistercian) and the second to celebrate St Benedict, founder of western monasticism.
Mass is held in the ‘Cellarium’, the basement space of the magnificent ruins. This keeps the rain off, though the wind still has access through the unglazed windows. This year’s principal celebrant and preacher was Fr Michael Hall, who had made the pilgrimage with some members of his parishes in the Calder Valley. His homily reflected on a phrase from the Entrance Antiphon of Mass – how Benedict ‘sought out the habit of holy living’.
Sir John Battle
Mass was enlivened by a wonderful choir and music group from St John Fisher Catholic Academy in Harrogate. It was a truly diocesan affair, with the first reading being read by Sir John Battle, a stalwart activist both for the Faith and for the Common Good. Particularly in evidence were members of the Catenian Association and their wives (the Huddersfield and Harrogate Circles were both well represented). In fact, the Mass itself is organised by John Tweddle, Provincial President of the Association, and a member of the Fountains Abbey chaplaincy group.
John Tweddle
The ‘view from the valley’ would be to encourage you to mark off 20 August when you get your diary for 2025, and to visit this very special place as a Pilgrim of Hope during the Jubilee Year!
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