David Charlesworth, OSB (born 6 October 1951) is the Abbot of

Buckfast Abbey Buckfast Abbey forms part of an active Benedictine monastery at Buckfast, near Buckfastleigh, Devon, England. Buckfast first became home to an abbey in 1018. The first Benedictine abbey was followed by a Savignac (later Cistercian) abbey cons ...

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

, England. He is a member of the

Order of Saint Benedict The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict ( la, Ordo Sancti Benedicti, abbreviated as OSB), are a Christian monasticism, monastic Religious order (Catholic), religious order of the Catholic Church following the Rule of Saint Benedic ...

Biography

In September 1970, Charlesworth joined

and the

as a

novice A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession A profession is a field of work that has ...

. From 1974 to 1977, he studied at Newman College of Higher Education, a Catholic

teacher training college A normal school or normal college is an institution created to Teacher education, train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high s ...

. From 1977, he taught maths and science at Buckfast Abbey Preparatory School. He was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...

to the priesthood in 1984 and became

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The fem ...

of Buckfast in 1992. Charlesworth commissioned Torbay-based theater-company Unleashed Productions to adapt the stories in

Philip Yancey Philip Yancey (born November 4, 1949) is an American author who writes primarily about spiritual issues. His books have sold more than 15 million copies in English and have been translated into 40 languages, making him one of the best-selling con ...

's book ''

What's So Amazing About Grace? ''What's So Amazing About Grace?'' is a 1997 book by Philip Yancey, an American journalist and editor-at-large for ''Christianity Today''. The book examines grace in Christianity, contending that people crave grace and that it is central to the ...

'' into a play, which they did and then performed at the abbey in 2010. Charlesworth commissioned a 79-year-old nun, Mother Joanna, to paint an 18 x 26 ft

acrylic Acrylic may refer to: Chemicals and materials * Acrylic acid, the simplest acrylic compound * Acrylate polymer, a group of polymers (plastics) noted for transparency and elasticity * Acrylic resin, a group of related thermoplastic or thermosett ...

mural on twenty wooden panels for the abbey's restaurant, the Grange. When the mural was unveiled in April 2014, Charlesworth called it "a monumental effort by Mother Joanna depicting the extraordinary work of a handful of monks who built the present church on the 12th century foundations in only 32 years". In 2013, Alex Neil,

Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport The Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care ( gd, Rùnaire a’ Chaibineit airson Slànachadh SNS, Slàinte agus Cùram Sòisealta), commonly referred to as the Health Secretary ( gd, Rùnaire na Slàinte), is a cabinet position ...

, contacted Buckfast Abbey and said that they should stop making

Buckfast Tonic Wine Buckfast Tonic Wine is a caffeinated alcoholic drink consisting of pure caffeine added to fortified wine, originally made by monks at Buckfast Abbey in Devon, England, now made under a licence granted by the monastery, and distributed by J. Ch ...

. Charlesworth later said to the media, "If you ban Buckfast, ban Scottish whisky. It's alcohol, much stronger. But oh no they wouldn't do that. So they are picking on a particular thing as a conscience salver." In response,

Member of the Scottish Parliament Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP; gd, Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, BPA; sco, Memmer o the Scots Pairliament, MSP) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament. Electoral system The ad ...

Elaine Smith said that Buckfast Tonic Wine is more problematic than

Scotch whisky Scotch whisky (; sco, Scots whisky/whiskie, whusk(e)y; often simply called whisky or Scotch) is malt whisky or grain whisky (or a blend of the two), made in Scotland. All Scotch whisky was originally made from malted barley. Commercial distil ...

because of Buckfast's

caffeine Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine class. It is mainly used recreationally as a cognitive enhancer, increasing alertness and attentional performance. Caffeine acts by blocking binding of adenosine t ...

content. Charlesworth said that blaming Buckfast Tonic Wine for

alcohol-related crime Alcohol-related crime refers to criminal activities that involve alcohol use as well as violations of regulations covering the sale or use of alcohol; in other words, activities violating the alcohol laws. Underage drinking and drunk driving a ...

, violence, and anti-social behaviour within the "Buckfast Triangle" of Scotland is "not fair", as the tonic wine is legal and "not made to be abused". Charlesworth is one of the founders of the School of the Annunciation. In 2014, Charlesworth invited Robert Atwell, the new

Bishop of Exeter The Bishop of Exeter is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. Since 30 April 2014 the ordinary has been Robert Atwell.

, to spend some time in reflection with Buckfast Abbey's monks, and Atwell accepted. On 9 April 2021 Charlesworth was re-elected Abbot of Buckfast.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charlesworth, David 1951 births Living people English abbots English Benedictines Clergy from Devon People associated with Newman University, Birmingham