MINDING THE BEES - A Vision For Apiculture at Douai Abbey

Gabriel Wilson is originally from Harrow, North London. Before entering Douai Abbey he was a secondary school teacher of English for sixteen years. As Head of Department and an Advanced Skills Teacher he was also involved in training student teachers.

In 2008 he entered the community at Douai Abbey, beginning his novitiate in 2009 and studying at Blackfriars Oxford. He was ordained Priest in 2014. Since then he has worked as Vocations Director for the Abbey, Director of the retreat programme and Parish Priest of Woolhampton Parish. In 2022 he was appointed Prior and Novice Master.

In 2015 he was invited to become the monastery beekeeper, as he is a gardener with a keen interest in natural history. In his spare time Gabriel now pursues his interest in gardening alongside a passion for beekeeping. He is particularly interested in locally adapted bees and a treatment-free approach to beekeeping.