David Charlesworth
David Charlesworth | |
|---|---|
| Abbot of Buckfast Abbey | |
| Church | Catholic Church |
| Elected | 9 April 2021 |
| Predecessor | Richard Yeo (Abbot Administrator) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 24 June 1984 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 October 1951 |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Newman College of Higher Education, St Benet's Hall, Oxford |
David Charlesworth, OSB (born 6 October 1951) is the Abbot of Buckfast Abbey in Devon, England. A British Benedictine monk, he has been elected abbot three times. He has initiated significant restorations, educational expansions, liturgical renewals, and sustainability initiatives at the Abbey. Recognised for his open-minded approach, Charlesworth has fostered ecumenical dialogue, vocational formation, and environmental stewardship whilst embodying the Benedictine ethos of ora et labora (prayer and work). Buckfast Abbey attracts nearly 300,000 visitors annually, serving as a global hub for pilgrimage and general visitors.