John Chapman

John Chapman (born Henry Palmer Chapman; 25 April 1865 – 7 November 1933) was an English Roman Catholic abbot of Downside Abbey of the English Benedictine Congregation from 1929 until his death, and a New Testament and patristics scholar.

He is best known for having founded Worth, in West Sussex, a private school in Britain.

Anglican background Henry Palmer Chapman was born in Ashfield, Suffolk, the son of an Anglican canon of Ely Cathedral. Because of delicate health, Henry was, at first, educated privately at home, and then later at Christ Church, Oxford (1883–1886), where he received a first-class degree in Classical Greats. He stayed for a subsequent year at Oxford studying theology, in which he took a third (cf. the "gentleman's C" in the U.S.). It was an important year for him, however, because in this time he decided to be ordained in the Church of England.

Having trained at Cuddesdon near Oxford, Chapman was ordained as a deacon in the Church of England in 1889 and began a curacy in the parish of St Pancras, London. He found himself increasingly troubled during this time about the position of the Church of England and left the parish soon after Trinity Sunday.

Conversion to Catholicism In December 1890, Chapman was conditionally baptized in the Catholic Church at Brompton Oratory. In April 1891 he entered the Jesuit novitiate at Manresa House, Roehampton (now Parkstead House), but decided to leave after eight months.

He subsequently entered the Benedictine Maredsous Abbey in Belgium, where he had been preceded by a friend from Cuddesdon, Bede Camm. Chapman was given the religious name of "John", and professed simple vows on 25 March 1893. He made his solemn vows on Whitsuntide 1895. After his priestly ordination in 1895, he went to Erdington Abbey, near Birmingham, where he stayed until 1912, serving the community as novice master and later as prior.

Having spent nine months at Maredsous, in February 1913 Chapman was made temporary superior of the Caldey island community (now based at Prinknash Abbey), when it was received into the Roman Catholic Church in 1913–14.

St Irenaeus and the Dates of the Gospels, JTS 6 (1904-5): 563–9. Bishop Gore and the Catholic Claims, (London, 1905). The Condemnation of Pope Honorius (London, Catholic Truth Society, 1907). Notes on the Early History of the Vulgate Gospels, (Oxford, 1908). John the Presbyter, (Oxford, 1911). St Paul and the Revelation to St Peter, Rev. Ben. 29 (1912): 133–47. Studies on the Early Papacy, (London, 1928; repr. 1971). Saint Benedict and the Sixth Century, (London, 1929). Spiritual Letters, posthumously, (London, 1935). Matthew, Mark, and Luke, posthumously (ed. J. M. T. Barton), (London, 1937).