The Portsmouth Abbey Monastic community gathers with its newly elected Abbot, The Right Rev. Dom Caedmon Holmes, O.S. B. (front row, third from left), at the entrance to the Church of St. Gregory the Great.  

The Portsmouth Abbey Monastic community has elected The Right Rev. Dom Caedmon Holmes, O.S.B., to be its third Abbot.  The abbatial election took place on August 22, 2007, in the Church of St. Gregory the Great, in the presence of The Right Rev. Richard Yeo, Abbot President.

Born in New York City and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Abbot Caedmon joined the Portsmouth community as a lay teacher of Classics in 1965.  He entered the Monastery in 1969, made his first profession of monastic vows in 1970, and continued to teach Classics for several years.  He later began teaching Christian Doctrine, and from 1979 taught primarily CD.  He served as head of the Christian Doctrine Department from 1992 until 1997, when he took over as head of the Classics Department at the retirement of Peter Harris.  Abbot Caedmon then resumed teaching Classics full-time until he was named Prior Administrator in March 2005 and served in that capacity until his appointment as Abbot.      

"The two-and-one-half years of being Administrator have eased the transition for me," said Abbot Caedmon of his election. "I must rely completely on the mercy of God, and the prayers of our Blessed Mother and all the saints (including so many kind people connected with Portsmouth Abbey) to keep us sailing on."

Abbot Caedmon will be blessed in a special ceremony by The Most Rev. Thomas J. Tobin, Bishop of Providence, on October 11, 2007, during a Mass to be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. in the Church of St. Gregory the Great.

The entire Portsmouth Abbey School community extends its congratulations and best wishes to Abbot Caedmon!