Placid was somehow the 'grandfather' among the leaders of the religious congregations. He came year after year to our annual meetings, and yet still retained a fresh and insightful humour. His 'impromptu' speeches during our closing dinner were famous. In a mischievous, yet kindly way, he could dismantle the grandest. Yet he was self mocking too, and his messages revealed his wisdom, his understanding of people, and his joy in life.
Mark Raper SJ, immediate past President, CRA
Placid was a member of Catholic Religious Australia for some 25 years. At the annual conferences he always brought a wisdom from his years of experience as Abbot, along with a great dose of common sense. In his after - dinner speeches his quick and insightful wit penetrated some topical aspect of church or society. His presence amongst the religious of Australia as truly a "man of God" will be greatly missed.
Clare Condon SGS, President, CRA
Australia's only monastic town, New Norcia, and its monastery were in crisis when Dom Placid Spearritt OSB first visited there in 1983 as the Prior of Ampleforth Abbey, England. Twenty-five years later, he was buried in the New Norcia cemetery on October 21, 2008, having led the community into a new and unexpected future.
Although Selwyn Spearritt was born in Bundaberg, Queensland, the fifth and youngest boy of Anglican family, his introduction to New Norcia came through a stronghold of English Catholicism.
"He came at our invitation to do a special job for us - to facilitate a community discussion about the future of our college. In those days the college was in its death throes and running an operating deficit that threatened to ruin the Community and New Norcia,"
New Norcia Prior Dom Christopher Power OSB told those gathered at Abbot Placid's Requiem Mass at Subiaco, Perth, WA, on October 21.
"We needed to make a decision and hopefully one that would not leave us murdering each other for the rest of our lives.
"We didn't know Placid Spearritt from Adam. His name was simply number two on a short list of English monks who had been recommended to us as able to do the job.
"Number 1 couldn't come and Placid could. And, of course, he so impressed us that at the next visitation we asked our Abbot President if this virtual stranger could be made our Prior Administrator - our temporary superior for the next three years.
"He was appointed in 1983 and then reappointed at regular intervals until 1997 when he eventually secured a two-thirds majority of votes of the solemnly professed monks and was elected Abbot.
"In all, he was our superior for almost 25 years: 13 years as Prior Administrator and almost 12 years as the sixth Abbot of New Norcia."
In describing Abbot Placid as a "rare bird", Dom Christopher said: "He would have been hard to place comfortably just about anywhere, but at Ampleforth, in many ways a bastion of English Catholic privilege, he must have been a thorn in the side of many a community member and have often felt like an outsider.
"However, I like to think that by the early 1980s Providence, by nature and grace, had turned him into an excellent fit for New Norcia. He was 50 when he came full of energy and ready for work."
Dom Placid set up committees and "always wary of enthusiastic amateurs", he sought good advice.
"When the college finally closed in 1991 and 200 people left the town and 30 buildings were emptied, he had the faith and courage to wait, to live with the tension to see what New Norcia's eclectic mix of factors might produce," Dom Christopher said.
"For someone who had so many ideas himself, who was vigorous in opposition, when he was in government he consciously strove not to throw his weight around.
"A lesser man would have acted quickly, but doing so would have cut off possibilities. And so over time he encouraged, tempered, and guided the many-layered work of hospitality which has gradually become our central activity, reusing the buildings and bringing new life to the town.
"He delighted in the cross-section of people who visit New Norcia.
"He was especially pleased to see school students return to the site, and thought the establishment of the New Norcia Education Centre and its reconnection with the Aboriginal community one of the most significant developments in his time.
"He loved the ecumenical flavour of the monastery guesthouse, and more recently, the opportunities for interfaith dialogue that reached out to the wider community. He saw no inconsistencies with the breadth of New Norcia's interests so long as we didn't forget our priorities."
Dom Christopher said that while Dom Placid's work outside the walls of the monastery was important and essential, in his role as Abbot he was first and foremost father to his monastic community.
"Despite a certain aloofness with us, we always knew that there was no greater priority for him than us, his community.
"From the outset, as father to his monks he set out to teach us and to teach us his kind of religion.
"He was not in favour of popular Mediterranean-style Catholicism, but instead took as his focus the essentials of classic monasticism: the Divine Office and the liturgy in general; private prayer and the slow, meditative reading of Scripture, the Church fathers and other classic spiritual texts.
"For 25 years he gave us fortnightly conferences and extolled the virtues of such little-heard-of values as silence, solitude and obedience. And true to his thoroughness in just about everything he did, he then printed the conferences off in hard copy so that today we each have almost 1000 pages of his reflections."
Dom Christopher said that in his dealings with the monks individually, he "followed the Rule faithfully and tried to adapt himself of each one in order to help him grow and develop".
In conclusion, he said: "When you (Placid) came to New Norcia the place had reached a crisis. The model of town that it was, rotating around a dying secondary school, was coming to an end after over 80 years. And the community was unable to reform itself from within.
"Without any great strategic plan, without any great stash of ready cash, you have led us forward into a new and unexpected future.
"You have given us monks a sharper understanding of our monastic vocation, unified us, and engendered new growth.
"You have turned the monastery into the centre piece of the town and encouraged its culture to be expressed in all its works. And for so many thousands of people you have made New Norcia a place of Catholicism at its best: open and welcoming; engaged with the community; intelligent but not dogmatic; a place of God and a place of peace; a home."
Mr Gordon Spearritt said that Selwyn had been brought up in a happy family in which the prevailing ethos was cooperation and mutual support. Music and faith as expressed through the Church of England were strong early influences. In 1952, Selwyn enrolled as an Arts student at the University of Brisbane focusing on English literature and philosophy. An interest in scholastic philosophy grew.
As the connection between religion and philosophy began to exercise his mind more constantly, he came to the conclusion that he should convert to Catholicism - which he did in 1956.
"He loved his books and he loved music, but he was dedicated first of all to his faith and to his love of learning," Mr Spearritt said. "When we farewelled him on Hamilton wharf ... in September 1958 departing for England and Ampleforth, we were very sorry to see him go but realised that he was doing what he most wanted to do with his life ... We welcomed his return to Australia in 1983 ...
"If he had known he was going to die anywhere other than at New Norcia, he would have been happy to die at Ampleforth. Apart from its being the place where he served his novitiate and where he was ultimately to become a Prior, the Spearritt forebears came from Yorkshire, as Selwyn's research into the family history established when he was at Ampleforth.
"Selwyn was a 'gentle' man, in the true sense of that word, who lived his life according to his convictions and who thought of others more often than of himself.
"He was much loved by his family and his friends; we find some consolation in knowing that he did not suffer a long-drawn-out illness, and that he died in the presence of fellow monks."
Dom Placid died at Ampleforth Monastery, Yorkshire, on Saturday, October 4, in the early afternoon. His death was sudden and unexpected. He had been in Europe and the United Kingdom for about four weeks, attending Benedictine meetings and visiting friends and relatives.
Following the return of his body to Australia, a vigil was held on Monday, October 21, at the Abbey Church at New Norcia, during the community's Evening Prayer. The Office for the Dead was prayed.
On the morning of Tuesday, October 21, a Requiem Mass was held at St Joseph's Church, Subiaco, in Perth. Among those present were Archbishop Barry Hickey, of Perth; Bishop Justin Bianchini, Geraldton; Bishop Chris Saunders, Broome; Bishop Don Sproxton, Perth Auxiliary; Bishop Myles McKeon, retired, Bunbury; and many of the priests of the Archdiocese of Perth, representatives from the other monasteries around Australia that follow the Benedictine Rule and the Sisters of the Good Samaritan.
Bishop David Murray represented the Anglican Archbishop of Perth, while the Rev Ken Williams, Moderator of the Uniting Church in WA and Ajhan Brahm, Abbot of the Buddhist Monastery at Serpentine also attended.
Dom Placid's family - his older brothers, Don, Gordon, Bob and Clyde; his sisters-in-law Jean and Robina; his niece Sue; nephews Andrew and Peter; and grandnephew Benno - attended from Queensland and New South Wales.
Then, on the Tuesday evening the burial was held at New Norcia cemetery.
Dom Christopher since has expressed the thanks of the monks to those who have expressed sympathy.
"On behalf of the monks of New Norcia, let me thank all those who have sent cards, emails and flowers expressing their sympathy at this most difficult time. Your love and thoughtfulness have been a great comfort to us."
Since the death of Abbot Placid, Dom Christopher has taken over as temporary leader until the next visitation.
A visitation will occur for the New Norcia community in mid-January 2009 and will be conducted by Abbot Bruno Marin, President of the Subiaco Congregation, and Abbot Hugh Gilbert of Pluscarden Abbey, Scotland.
The visitors will interview each monk individually to ascertain whether there is a candidate who has the support of a sufficient majority of the solemnly professed members of the community. If there is, there would be an election and a new Abbot installed.
In the absence of a clear candidate the Constitution and Ordinances of the Subiaco Congregation prescribe the steps that will be followed to appoint a new Superior of the community.
Among the possibilities is the appointment of a Prior Administrator for a fixed period, or the appointment of a monk from another community to lead the New Norcia community.
During this interim period the monks will continue to live their daily round of prayer, work and community living. At the visitation they will participate in the process in the belief that the right person will emerge to serve the New Norcia community as leader.
They ask for on-going support through prayer during these coming months.
editor's note: Thanks to the community at New Norcia for making available the texts, information and the main photo used in these articles.
Abbot Placid Spearritt after dinner at the Catholic Religious Australian national assembly in Perth, 2007, left, and in Melbourne earlier this year.
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