Benedictine Monk and Cathedral Prior of Gloucester, UK
The son of Edward and Concetta née Muscat, Tancred Agius was born in London. After two years at St Leonard School, he continued his education at Downside Abbey. On obtaining his higher school certificates he followed in the steps of his uncle, Archibishop Ambrose Agius (monk of the Benedictine Congregation of Subiaco), Apostolic delegate to the Philippines and joined the English Benedictine Congregation. Clothed by Abbot Butler he entered the Novitaite at Downside Abbey in October 1908, and was given the name of Ambrose.
Dom Agius was professed on October 1909. Abbott Butler gave him the minor orders on July 1910 and then he was sent to read classics at Benet House Cambridge, Christ’s College. In the same year he won the classical Scholarship and Skeat Prize (1911-1912), and made his Solemn Monastic Profession in June 1913, and graduated BA. On being ordained subdeacon by Bishop Burton on September 1913, Agius was sent to Collegio Sant Anselmo, Rome, to further his studies for the following year.
On his return to Downside Abbey he was ordained deacon by Bishop Burton and on September 1915, he was ordained priest. During the Second World War he distinguished himself as a chaplain to the British Forces. His promising military career was suddenly terminated after being wounded while serving on French and Belgian fronts. His brave act and the high esteem he enjoyed amongst the troops were mentioned in several war despatches.
While being a priest in charge at Radstock (1918-1932), he founded new parishes at Peasedown and Norton St Philip. Then he became parish priest at Whitehaven (1932-1934), and St Mary’s at Liverpool (1934-1935 and 1939-1945).
Agius was amongst the Downside monks who volunteered to run the new foundation at Ealing giving help in the Parish and in the School and serving as chaplain at St David’s Homes until 1957. Back to Ealing in 1945 he served as prior for two consecutive years. In September 1947 Agius transferred his monastic stability to Ealing Priory on its becoming independent priory. As curate in charge of the parish he founded the parish magazine (1948-1957), and after a year as junior master at Ealing, (1956-1957), he was sent to Fort Augustus Abbey in Scotland for the following year.
He was sent to the United States where he helped a lot in raising funds for Abbey Building Fund in 1958. In Spring 1958, before he went to the States, Agius stopped in Malta and was operated successfully for duodenal ulcer. In 1968 he was recalled to Ealing as Cathedral prior of Gloucester in May 1971, and celebrated his diamond jubilee of the priesthood in September 1975.
On 17 February, 1978 Agius collapsed in his room and was rushed to hospital, where he died fourteen days later. Dom Ambrose Agius was a pioneer of the National Catholic Society for Animal Welfare. For many years he edited the society’s magazine The Ark.
He was a poet and was regarded as one of the best British Benedictine poets. He wrote poems in a very high style and of the level of the British mystic poets Richard Crashaw and Francis Thompson.
This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.