Rev Alban Boultwood OSB
(Henry Boultwood)
Henry Boultwood was born on August 11, 1911, in Stamford CT, to John and Grace Boultwood. His father was working as a carpenter, having been loaned to an American railroad company by an English railway firm. Soon after their son's birth the family returned to London, where Henry spent his early childhood years. For his secondary education, he was sent to the Abbey School, Fort Augustus, Inverness-shire, in St Benedict's Abbey, at that time experiencing a ferment of renewal under a dynamic new abbot, Andrew Joseph McDonald.
His leadership qualities soon became apparent. He was equable in temperament, a deep thinker but also keenly aware of the comic side of life. While committed to his studies he was also a fine sportsman – as captain of cricket he was a steely fast-bowler. He also took an active part in the school's theatrical activities, playing the challenging role of Hamlet with finesse. In 1928, he took his school certificates and entered the monastic novitiate at Fort Augustus as Brother Alban. He was clothed on September 29, 1929, making his simple profession as a Benedictine monk a year later. His former abbot had, by this time, become archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh and placed great emphasis on sending candidates for the priesthood such as Br Alban to secular universities. Accordingly, he was sent to Edinburgh University in 1933, graduating MA three years later. In autumn 1936, he made his solemn monastic profession, and after further studies in philosophy and theology at the Benedictine Colegio Sant'Anselmo in Rome, he was ordained a priest on July 30, 1939.
Following the outbreak of war he volunteered for service in 1940 as a military chaplain. In his contribution to The Priest among the Soldiers, Fr Alban wrote of his 12-month posting to an armoured brigade from June 1943 to July 1944 as "among the most satisfactory and happiest of my service as a chaplain". From an initial posting to the British Army at Algiers, he moved 20 miles inland to a little village near Robertville, saying Mass on the tailboard of a truck and later in a more grandiose chapel constructed from tubular supports cannibalised from six-ton lorries, using tarpaulin tank covers and fresh grass mats. His division moved to Italy in March 1944 and he took part in the offensive aimed at breaking open the defences of Cassino, liberating Rome and moving on up through central Italy. Fr Alban crossed over the River Rapido with a regiment of tanks supporting the infantry below the ruined Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino, a sight that, to a Benedictine monk, must have been poignant. His column then halted for two days north of Rome and he was able briefly to enter the city in a jeep and be present at an audience with Pope Pius XII, before revisiting his old college.
With the cessation of hostilities, he returned briefly to Fort Augustus and taught in the Abbey School. However, in 1946, he was sent as prior to St Anselm's Abbey, Washington DC, a foundation of Fort Augustus. When St Anselm's became independent of Fort Augustus in 1949, Fr Alban was elected by the community as conventual prior and re-elected in 1957. In 1961, the community became an abbey and he was elected its first abbot, a post he held until his retirement in 1975, when he was given the honorary title of abbot of Dunfermline on behalf of the English Benedictine Congregation. Abbot Alban steered St Anselm's through the challenging period after the Second Vatican Council, when radical changes affected religious life. He was elected to a second term of office in 1969, but decided in 1975 to step down.
Upon retirement in 1975, he worked as chaplain to various convents of sisters, notably 14 years at Ridgely MD. Although increasingly frail in his final years, he continued to take an active part in the life of the monastic community. He passed away peacefully in his sleep at St Anselm's on March 25, 2009, leaving behind a legacy of good counsel, much of it to be found in his books — "Alive to God" (1964), "Into His Splendid Light" (1968), and "Christ in Us" (1982). He was survived by his two sisters, Monica and Clare, along with six nieces, one nephew, six great-nephews and seven great-nieces.
Additional information about Fr Alban Boultwood can be found on pages 167-174 in the book "Wisdom of the Benedictine Elders: Thirty of America's Oldest Monks and Nuns Share Their Lives' Greatest Lessons" by Mark W McGinnis.
(Henry Boultwood)
Henry Boultwood was born on August 11, 1911, in Stamford CT, to John and Grace Boultwood. His father was working as a carpenter, having been loaned to an American railroad company by an English railway firm. Soon after their son's birth the family returned to London, where Henry spent his early childhood years. For his secondary education, he was sent to the Abbey School, Fort Augustus, Inverness-shire, in St Benedict's Abbey, at that time experiencing a ferment of renewal under a dynamic new abbot, Andrew Joseph McDonald.
His leadership qualities soon became apparent. He was equable in temperament, a deep thinker but also keenly aware of the comic side of life. While committed to his studies he was also a fine sportsman – as captain of cricket he was a steely fast-bowler. He also took an active part in the school's theatrical activities, playing the challenging role of Hamlet with finesse. In 1928, he took his school certificates and entered the monastic novitiate at Fort Augustus as Brother Alban. He was clothed on September 29, 1929, making his simple profession as a Benedictine monk a year later. His former abbot had, by this time, become archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh and placed great emphasis on sending candidates for the priesthood such as Br Alban to secular universities. Accordingly, he was sent to Edinburgh University in 1933, graduating MA three years later. In autumn 1936, he made his solemn monastic profession, and after further studies in philosophy and theology at the Benedictine Colegio Sant'Anselmo in Rome, he was ordained a priest on July 30, 1939.
Following the outbreak of war he volunteered for service in 1940 as a military chaplain. In his contribution to The Priest among the Soldiers, Fr Alban wrote of his 12-month posting to an armoured brigade from June 1943 to July 1944 as "among the most satisfactory and happiest of my service as a chaplain". From an initial posting to the British Army at Algiers, he moved 20 miles inland to a little village near Robertville, saying Mass on the tailboard of a truck and later in a more grandiose chapel constructed from tubular supports cannibalised from six-ton lorries, using tarpaulin tank covers and fresh grass mats. His division moved to Italy in March 1944 and he took part in the offensive aimed at breaking open the defences of Cassino, liberating Rome and moving on up through central Italy. Fr Alban crossed over the River Rapido with a regiment of tanks supporting the infantry below the ruined Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino, a sight that, to a Benedictine monk, must have been poignant. His column then halted for two days north of Rome and he was able briefly to enter the city in a jeep and be present at an audience with Pope Pius XII, before revisiting his old college.
With the cessation of hostilities, he returned briefly to Fort Augustus and taught in the Abbey School. However, in 1946, he was sent as prior to St Anselm's Abbey, Washington DC, a foundation of Fort Augustus. When St Anselm's became independent of Fort Augustus in 1949, Fr Alban was elected by the community as conventual prior and re-elected in 1957. In 1961, the community became an abbey and he was elected its first abbot, a post he held until his retirement in 1975, when he was given the honorary title of abbot of Dunfermline on behalf of the English Benedictine Congregation. Abbot Alban steered St Anselm's through the challenging period after the Second Vatican Council, when radical changes affected religious life. He was elected to a second term of office in 1969, but decided in 1975 to step down.
Upon retirement in 1975, he worked as chaplain to various convents of sisters, notably 14 years at Ridgely MD. Although increasingly frail in his final years, he continued to take an active part in the life of the monastic community. He passed away peacefully in his sleep at St Anselm's on March 25, 2009, leaving behind a legacy of good counsel, much of it to be found in his books — "Alive to God" (1964), "Into His Splendid Light" (1968), and "Christ in Us" (1982). He was survived by his two sisters, Monica and Clare, along with six nieces, one nephew, six great-nephews and seven great-nieces.
Additional information about Fr Alban Boultwood can be found on pages 167-174 in the book "Wisdom of the Benedictine Elders: Thirty of America's Oldest Monks and Nuns Share Their Lives' Greatest Lessons" by Mark W McGinnis.
Rev Alban Boultwood OSB
(Henry Boultwood)
Henry Boultwood was born on August 11, 1911, in Stamford CT, to John and Grace Boultwood. His father was working as a carpenter, having been loaned to an American railroad company by an English railway firm. Soon after their son's birth the family returned to London, where Henry spent his early childhood years. For his secondary education, he was sent to the Abbey School, Fort Augustus, Inverness-shire, in St Benedict's Abbey, at that time experiencing a ferment of renewal under a dynamic new abbot, Andrew Joseph McDonald.
His leadership qualities soon became apparent. He was equable in temperament, a deep thinker but also keenly aware of the comic side of life. While committed to his studies he was also a fine sportsman – as captain of cricket he was a steely fast-bowler. He also took an active part in the school's theatrical activities, playing the challenging role of Hamlet with finesse. In 1928, he took his school certificates and entered the monastic novitiate at Fort Augustus as Brother Alban. He was clothed on September 29, 1929, making his simple profession as a Benedictine monk a year later. His former abbot had, by this time, become archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh and placed great emphasis on sending candidates for the priesthood such as Br Alban to secular universities. Accordingly, he was sent to Edinburgh University in 1933, graduating MA three years later. In autumn 1936, he made his solemn monastic profession, and after further studies in philosophy and theology at the Benedictine Colegio Sant'Anselmo in Rome, he was ordained a priest on July 30, 1939.
Following the outbreak of war he volunteered for service in 1940 as a military chaplain. In his contribution to The Priest among the Soldiers, Fr Alban wrote of his 12-month posting to an armoured brigade from June 1943 to July 1944 as "among the most satisfactory and happiest of my service as a chaplain". From an initial posting to the British Army at Algiers, he moved 20 miles inland to a little village near Robertville, saying Mass on the tailboard of a truck and later in a more grandiose chapel constructed from tubular supports cannibalised from six-ton lorries, using tarpaulin tank covers and fresh grass mats. His division moved to Italy in March 1944 and he took part in the offensive aimed at breaking open the defences of Cassino, liberating Rome and moving on up through central Italy. Fr Alban crossed over the River Rapido with a regiment of tanks supporting the infantry below the ruined Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino, a sight that, to a Benedictine monk, must have been poignant. His column then halted for two days north of Rome and he was able briefly to enter the city in a jeep and be present at an audience with Pope Pius XII, before revisiting his old college.
With the cessation of hostilities, he returned briefly to Fort Augustus and taught in the Abbey School. However, in 1946, he was sent as prior to St Anselm's Abbey, Washington DC, a foundation of Fort Augustus. When St Anselm's became independent of Fort Augustus in 1949, Fr Alban was elected by the community as conventual prior and re-elected in 1957. In 1961, the community became an abbey and he was elected its first abbot, a post he held until his retirement in 1975, when he was given the honorary title of abbot of Dunfermline on behalf of the English Benedictine Congregation. Abbot Alban steered St Anselm's through the challenging period after the Second Vatican Council, when radical changes affected religious life. He was elected to a second term of office in 1969, but decided in 1975 to step down.
Upon retirement in 1975, he worked as chaplain to various convents of sisters, notably 14 years at Ridgely MD. Although increasingly frail in his final years, he continued to take an active part in the life of the monastic community. He passed away peacefully in his sleep at St Anselm's on March 25, 2009, leaving behind a legacy of good counsel, much of it to be found in his books — "Alive to God" (1964), "Into His Splendid Light" (1968), and "Christ in Us" (1982). He was survived by his two sisters, Monica and Clare, along with six nieces, one nephew, six great-nephews and seven great-nieces.
Additional information about Fr Alban Boultwood can be found on pages 167-174 in the book "Wisdom of the Benedictine Elders: Thirty of America's Oldest Monks and Nuns Share Their Lives' Greatest Lessons" by Mark W McGinnis.
(Henry Boultwood)
Henry Boultwood was born on August 11, 1911, in Stamford CT, to John and Grace Boultwood. His father was working as a carpenter, having been loaned to an American railroad company by an English railway firm. Soon after their son's birth the family returned to London, where Henry spent his early childhood years. For his secondary education, he was sent to the Abbey School, Fort Augustus, Inverness-shire, in St Benedict's Abbey, at that time experiencing a ferment of renewal under a dynamic new abbot, Andrew Joseph McDonald.
His leadership qualities soon became apparent. He was equable in temperament, a deep thinker but also keenly aware of the comic side of life. While committed to his studies he was also a fine sportsman – as captain of cricket he was a steely fast-bowler. He also took an active part in the school's theatrical activities, playing the challenging role of Hamlet with finesse. In 1928, he took his school certificates and entered the monastic novitiate at Fort Augustus as Brother Alban. He was clothed on September 29, 1929, making his simple profession as a Benedictine monk a year later. His former abbot had, by this time, become archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh and placed great emphasis on sending candidates for the priesthood such as Br Alban to secular universities. Accordingly, he was sent to Edinburgh University in 1933, graduating MA three years later. In autumn 1936, he made his solemn monastic profession, and after further studies in philosophy and theology at the Benedictine Colegio Sant'Anselmo in Rome, he was ordained a priest on July 30, 1939.
Following the outbreak of war he volunteered for service in 1940 as a military chaplain. In his contribution to The Priest among the Soldiers, Fr Alban wrote of his 12-month posting to an armoured brigade from June 1943 to July 1944 as "among the most satisfactory and happiest of my service as a chaplain". From an initial posting to the British Army at Algiers, he moved 20 miles inland to a little village near Robertville, saying Mass on the tailboard of a truck and later in a more grandiose chapel constructed from tubular supports cannibalised from six-ton lorries, using tarpaulin tank covers and fresh grass mats. His division moved to Italy in March 1944 and he took part in the offensive aimed at breaking open the defences of Cassino, liberating Rome and moving on up through central Italy. Fr Alban crossed over the River Rapido with a regiment of tanks supporting the infantry below the ruined Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino, a sight that, to a Benedictine monk, must have been poignant. His column then halted for two days north of Rome and he was able briefly to enter the city in a jeep and be present at an audience with Pope Pius XII, before revisiting his old college.
With the cessation of hostilities, he returned briefly to Fort Augustus and taught in the Abbey School. However, in 1946, he was sent as prior to St Anselm's Abbey, Washington DC, a foundation of Fort Augustus. When St Anselm's became independent of Fort Augustus in 1949, Fr Alban was elected by the community as conventual prior and re-elected in 1957. In 1961, the community became an abbey and he was elected its first abbot, a post he held until his retirement in 1975, when he was given the honorary title of abbot of Dunfermline on behalf of the English Benedictine Congregation. Abbot Alban steered St Anselm's through the challenging period after the Second Vatican Council, when radical changes affected religious life. He was elected to a second term of office in 1969, but decided in 1975 to step down.
Upon retirement in 1975, he worked as chaplain to various convents of sisters, notably 14 years at Ridgely MD. Although increasingly frail in his final years, he continued to take an active part in the life of the monastic community. He passed away peacefully in his sleep at St Anselm's on March 25, 2009, leaving behind a legacy of good counsel, much of it to be found in his books — "Alive to God" (1964), "Into His Splendid Light" (1968), and "Christ in Us" (1982). He was survived by his two sisters, Monica and Clare, along with six nieces, one nephew, six great-nephews and seven great-nieces.
Additional information about Fr Alban Boultwood can be found on pages 167-174 in the book "Wisdom of the Benedictine Elders: Thirty of America's Oldest Monks and Nuns Share Their Lives' Greatest Lessons" by Mark W McGinnis.
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