Belmont Abbey School, Hereford. which was started 25 years ago with 11 boys and is now one of the established Catholic public schools, celebrated its silver jubilee last week with a special blessing from the Holy Father, Abbots and representatives of all tins Benedictine communities in the country attended the celebrations, which began with High Mass sung by the Abbot of Belmont, Dom Anselm Lightbound, who was also the school's first headmaster.
Dom Urban Butler, of Downside, preached.
At a public luncheon in the school refectory the toast of the school was proposed by iDom Wilfred Passmore, headmaster of Downside. Dom Alphege GIceson, headmaster of Belmont. and Councillor A. I.. S. Hallinan. of Cardiff, also spoke.
Also present were the Bishop of Menevia, the Rectors of Stonyhurst and Beaumont the Prior of the Dominicans at Llanarth, and representatives of the ambassadors of France, Italy and Portugal, and of the Minister of Education.
Belmont Abbey was presented to the Benedictines by the late Mr. F. R. Wegg-Prosser and its first abbot. Abbot Kinderslev founded the present school in 1926.
A preparatory school for Belmont was opened last year at Alderwasley Hall, Derbyshire.