The Manquehue way in the valley

Here's Vicente's words on his time here. 

For a period of five weeks during January 2026, a group of us from Manquehue were able to share the life and rhythm of the Ampleforth Valley, joining the monastic community for most prayers and Mass, and helping in the school chaplaincy. The group consisted of five of us: Javier and Vicente (oblates and core members of Manquehue) plus Max, Thomas, and Alex—that is four chileans and Alex an Old Student from Downside School. This visit comes in the context of a longstanding link with the Ampleforth family ever since our founder, José Manuel Eguiguren, first visited in 1981.

This time we were able to spend time with the monastic community as a whole in different prayers, and also share life with individual monks who came and spoke to us about different aspects of Ampleforth’s monastic life. Regarding the school, we joined the students and staff for the different breaks, tea & toast, lunchtime, deanery meetings in houses, house Mass, and house prayers, and we were especially glad to help by visiting all the houses for their weekly moment of lectio. In that same area, we were able to offer a lectio training session for the group of lectio leaders from each boarding house. We also joined different moments of lectio with members of staff and chaplaincy periods with different year groups. In addition to all of this, we were able to connect with young people in the country through the network that has been developing throughout the years called The Weave of Manquehue Prayer, which strives to support young people in their prayer life, sharing with them the Benedictine charism that underpins all that we do as a Movement.

It was very fulfilling to renew this friendship with the Ampleforth family, and we look forward to continuing to develop this bond in the years to come.

God bless,

Vicente