Portsmouth Abbey’s abbot resigns, citing ‘personal struggles’

Board of Regents: Not aware Abbot Caedmon’s conduct affected any students

Jim McGaw
Posted 5/12/16

PORTSMOUTH — Portsmouth Abbey’s abbot, The Right Rev. Dom Caedmon Holmes, has resigned his positions at the school and has left the campus.

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Portsmouth Abbey’s abbot resigns, citing ‘personal struggles’

Board of Regents: Not aware Abbot Caedmon’s conduct affected any students

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — Portsmouth Abbey’s abbot, The Right Rev. Dom Caedmon Holmes, has resigned his positions at the school and has left the campus, according to a letter sent out Thursday by the school’s Board of Regents.

John Perreira, the school’s assistant headmaster, confirmed the news in a phone interview Thursday, but declined to discuss the specific reasons for the resignation.

“I really can’t comment on that,” said Mr. Perreira.

When asked if the Abbey asked for the resignation, he responded, “No, not to my knowledge.”

Mr. Perreira also said “no” when asked if the matter involved an improper relationship between Abbot Caedmon and a student or faculty member.

“We have no reason to believe he’s done that, and there were no accusations of that. It’s a personal struggle,” he said.

The board’s letter would only say that Abbot Caedmon resigned his positions following “his acknowledgement of personal struggles involving conduct inconsistent with our expectations and with Benedictine ideals.”

Students were informed of the news during a school assembly Thursday afternoon. “Whenever someone leaves the school, it’s tradition” to inform the student body and faculty, Mr. Perreira said.

Most references to Abbot Caedmon had been scrubbed from the school’s website as of Thursday.

Compete letter

Here’s the complete letter sent out from the Abbey’s Board of Regents. It was signed by its chairman, W. Christopher Behnke, as well as Headmaster Daniel McDonough.

May 12, 2016

Dear Portsmouth Abbey Community,

We write to inform you that Abbot Caedmon has resigned his positions at the School and Abbey and has left the campus. This followed his acknowledgement of personal struggles involving conduct inconsistent with our expectations and with Benedictine ideals.    

We want to stress that we have no knowledge that Abbot Caedmon’s conduct affected any students. However, as the safety and security of our students is paramount, consistent with best practices we have retained an independent law firm to review the situation and serve as a contact, should you have information about which we should be aware.

The firm, Debevoise & Plimpton, and its two partners working with us, Mary Beth Hogan and Helen Cantwell, have significant experience with schools, Boards of Trustees and school-related matters. If you have anything that you believe should be communicated to us or them, we encourage you to call them at 212-909-6996.

As Prior of the Monastery, Abbot Matthew is now its leader on a temporary basis. The English Benedictine Congregation will provide support to the Monastery over the coming months as it moves to replace Abbot Caedmon.

Ours is a wonderful School and community. We are committed to keeping it that way. Thank you for your prayers, understanding, compassion and patience.

Re-elected last year

In August 2015, Abbot Caedmon was elected to a second eight-year term as abbot — basically the religious head of the monastery — during the feast of Saint Pius X. 

In a video recorded seven months ago to seek support for the construction of a new science building on campus, Abbot Caedmon said he first came to Portsmouth Priory — the former name of the school — in 1965 as a lay teacher, and four years later asked to join the monastery. The monks elected him abbot in 2007.

Portsmouth Abbey

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Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.