Pluscarden Abbey

We are a community of Catholic Benedictine monks living in the only medieval British monastery still being used for its original purpose.

Situated in north-east Scotland, six miles south-west of Elgin in Moray, the monastery enjoys the peace and stillness of a secluded glen, but is easily reached by road from the town. The atmosphere of quiet reflection and of work dedicated to the glory of God is the same now as it was in the thirteenth century, when a community of monks first came to this part of Moray.

If you visit the Abbey today, you can enjoy not only the beauty of its architecture and its setting but also something of the restful atmosphere of devotion that has so deeply permeated this little corner of Scotland. The Mass and full Divine Office are sung by the monks each day in the Abbey church, using Gregorian Chant.

Guests are received in the two guest houses: men and women of all faiths are welcome to make a retreat here and to share in the prayer and work of the community, or simply rest and renew their focus on what is most important.

RESIGNATION OF THE ABBATIAL OFFICE 

BY FR. ABBOT ANSELM

After twenty-one years as local Superior of St. Mary’s Monastery, Petersham, (thirteen years as Novicemaster),

Sixteen years as Abbot Visitor of the English Province of the Subiaco-Cassinese Congregation and

Member of the Abbot President’s Council of Visitors,

and

Thirteen years as Abbot of Pluscarden,

Abbot Anselm Atkinson O.S.B.’s resignation

has been confirmed by

Abbot President Guillermo L. Arboleda T., O.S.B.

of the Subiaco-Cassinese Congregation

of the Order of St. Benedict,

who thanks him for

“long and faithful service both as superior of Pluscarden and as visitor, praying the Lord to reward him in full.”

We give thanks to God for his gift to us of Abbot Anselm, and to Abbot Anselm for his many years of love and service to our Community. May he reap the rewards he has earned, here and hereafter.

Prior and Community,

Pluscarden Abbey,

Elgin, Moray IV30 8UA

1st July 2024

Latest news
Homily for 7 July 2024, Sunday 14B: Ezk 2:2-5, 2 Cor 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6 DJC

In today’s first reading we meet Ezekiel at the beginning of his prophetic ministry. The year is 592 BC. He is one of the many inhabitants of Jerusalem taken in the first wave of the deportations to Babylon. It is by one of the rivers of Babylon that we find Ezekiel. He has been commissioned by God to be a prophet to the Israelites in captivity.

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Oblate residential Retreat July 2024

A very successful and happy residential retreat for our oblates took place at the Abbey this year from Monday 1st - Thursday 4th July. Officially the retreat was in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Pluscarden being raised to Abbatial Status…

Pluscarden Benedictines No. 206 - Summer 2024

The quarterly magazine which generally includes a letter from Fr Abbot, a diary of recent activity at the Abbey, book reviews and articles by monks, oblates or visitors.

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Annual Aberdeen Diocesan Pilgrimage to Pluscarden: Sunday 30 July 2024; the transferred Feast of SS. Peter and Paul

Once again this year our Bishop and Brother Hugh led the annual Aberdeen Diocesan Pilgrimage to Pluscarden. The weather was kind to us: a fair day, without either hot sunshine or rain, enabling many to picnic in our grounds before the Mass, in festive atmosphere.

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RESIGNATION OF THE ABBATIAL OFFICE BY FR. ABBOT ANSELM

After twenty-one years as local Superior of St. Mary’s Monastery, Petersham, (thirteen years as Novicemaster),

Sixteen years as Abbot Visitor of the English Province of the Subiaco-Cassinese Congregation and

Member of the Abbot President’s Council of Visitors,…..

Homily for the 8 o’clock Mass, 9 June 2024: 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1

The 1960s compilers of our current lectionary offer us a series of readings these Sundays from 2 Corinthians. There are 7 little snippets or extracts, given for the second reading at Mass, for Sundays 7 to 14. We missed the first 3 in the series because of Pentecost, then Trinity Sunday, then Corpus Christi. So we’re starting now today, on the 10th Sunday, with a little passage from the end of 2 Corinthians Chapter 4.

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The Roof goes on, and Sleeping Joseph is completed

Work on our new ladies' Guest House, St. Joseph's, is progressing quite rapidly.

In one of our pictures given below you see 9 men working at once, not untypically, on the roof.

At the time of writing this news post, the roof's skeleton frame is covered by planks and a membrane, and the 5 North-facing Dormer Window frames are in place. The slaters are at work in a shed to the side, sorting out their slates, ready to start going on.

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The 2024 Pentecost Lectures

As every year since 1994 (with a single gap in 2022 because of covid) 4 public lectures were given at Pluscarden over the Tuesday to Thursday after Pentecost: 21 - 23 May.

Our speaker this year was Dr. Linden Bicket, lecturer in Literature and Religion in the School of Divinity at Edinburgh University. Her subject was "Scottish Catholic Literature and the Transfiguration of the Commonplace."

Homily for the Feast of the Holy Trinity, 26 May 2024: DJC

Heavenly Father, You so loved the world that You sent Your only Begotten Son to be one of us, not to condemn the world but to redeem the world. Before Your Son went to the Cross to destroy the power of sin and death, he prayed to You. And in this prayer he said that before the foundation of the world, before anything was ever made, he shared Your glory as Your only begotten Son. This love You have for Your Son, this glory You give to Him, is the Holy Spirit. This same love and glory Jesus gives to us so that we may be one, as You and the Son are One.

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St Joseph's Guest House: The first roof timbers go on! 

On Thursday 16 May, in lovely warm Spring sunshine, our builders began installing the roof of our new ladies' Guest House, St. Joseph's.

Homily for the 8 o’clock Mass, Easter 7B, Sunday 12 May 2024, on John 17:11-16

On this last Sunday of Eastertide before Pentecost, we reach the climax of the Last Discourse of Jesus, given in St. John’s Gospel. This is the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus: Chapter 17. This year we read the central section of this prayer, which is concerned above all with the 11 disciples sitting there with Jesus at the Last Supper.

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Annual Rogation Procession

The Pluscarden community continues to maintain the tradition of a rogation procession on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before the Ascension.

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