The French history of the Abbey means that we often are asked to welcome French visitors and groups. This weekend we welcomed a French scout troop who came to our Sunday Mass, renewed their scout promises and braved the English weather. A few years ago Fr Abbot performed the marriage of Nicolas Métivier to his wife Jeanne-Marie in the cathedral at Sees. Nicolas first came to Farnborough as a scout. This year sees the ordination to the priesthood, at Notre Dame de Paris, of Paul-Marie de Brunhoff, a scout of the same troop who is an old friend of the Farnborough community. It is a great encouragement to us that such fine young men as these have remained such faithful friends of our monastery across so many years. God bless them, and God bless this weekend’s scouts as they make promises which will help shape their future !