Jesuits on BBC's Great British Railway Journeys

January 26, 2022

In Barmouth, Michael Portillo encounters a different group of holidaymakers also drawn to the Welsh coast.

Trainee Jesuits, members of the largest male order of the Roman Catholic Church, flocked to Barmouth during the interwar years to take a break from their strict regime of studies.

Michael Portillo met with two present-day Jesuit scholastics, Chris and Richard, outside the George Inn, where Gerard Manley Hopkins reputedly wrote his poem, Penmaenpool, in his visitors' book.

Michael also spoke with Brother Ken Vance. His initial question was that he was surprised to find Jesuits in Wales. Brother Ken assured him that the Jesuits have been in Wales since the Tudor times and were custodians of the Shrine of Winefride, Holywell for several centuries.

An article about Jesuits in Barmouth written by the Archives team can be accessed by clicking here

The programme originally aired on Thursday 13th May 2021 and was recently repeated on BBC4. It is available to watch on BBC iPlayer here

To find out more about the Jesuits in Britain, sign-up to our e-newsletter here

Photo by Sugden Guy sugden on Unsplash

The lot fell to Matthias

May 13, 2021

We can feel ourselves summoned by Jesus, out of the blue, from the substitutes’ bench.

Jesuit priest working in Syria shares news of ongoing earthquake impact

February 6, 2024

In this interview with the BBC, Fr Tony O'Riordan speaks from Aleppo

Barmouth to honour Gerard Manley Hopkins with blue plaque unveiling on 31 May 2025

May 19, 2025

The Jesuit priest and poet stayed in the Welsh seaside town

We are recruiting a podcast producer

December 23, 2022

This is a new opportunity to produce two pilot podcasts which will engage a younger audience