New book reveals intimate letters of Buckfast Abbey abbot shaped by shipwreck tragedy

A newly published book is shedding fresh light on the life, faith and leadership of Abbot Anscar Vonier, one of the most influential figures in the modern history of Buckfast Abbey, through a collection of personal letters published together for the first time.

Echo of a Loved Voice brings together letters written by Vonier, Abbot of Buckfast Abbey from 1906 until his death in 1938, translated from the original French and presented with historical commentary. The correspondence offers a rare and deeply personal perspective on a man better known publicly as a theologian, preacher and the guiding force behind the revival of Buckfast Abbey in the early 20th century.

Born in Germany, Vonier joined the Benedictine community that would eventually re-establish Buckfast Abbey in Devon after its dissolution in the 16th century. His letters trace his early life and formation, his arrival in England, and the experiences that shaped his spiritual outlook long before he became abbot.

At the centre of the collection is a defining event that would alter the course of his life: the catastrophic shipwreck of the Italian liner Sirio off the coast of Spain in August 1906. Vonier was travelling to Argentina with Abbot Boniface Natter when the ship ran aground near Cape Palos, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of passengers and crew. Abbot Boniface was among those lost, his body never recovered.

In a letter written just days after the disaster, Vonier described the ordeal in stark and restrained terms:

‘Our vessel was well and truly shipwrecked off the coast of Spain last Saturday. Given that I’m announcing this news to you, you’ll conclude that I survived. But a terrible doubt hangs over the fate of Abbot Boniface. A Brazilian Bishop, himself thrown into the sea before being fished out, told me that he saw Abbot Boniface a quarter of an hour after the disaster struck, clinging to a plank of wood. Several steamboats were gathering around the disaster zone, and they might have saved him. May God’s will be done. I’m going back to Barcelona, where I’ll wait for news and for orders about what to do next.’

The letter was written in Cartagena on 8 August 1906, four days after the wreck. The “orders” Vonier referred to would soon direct him back to Devon, where the monks of Buckfast Abbey were preparing to choose a successor to their late abbot.

Vonier returned to the monastery at the end of August and, on 14 September 1906, less than three weeks later and just short of his 31st birthday, he was elected Abbot of Buckfast. The book places this moment in context as an extraordinary responsibility for a young monk still recovering from trauma and grief, suddenly entrusted with leading a bereaved community.

From there, the letters chart Vonier’s role in rebuilding Buckfast Abbey from near ruin, overseeing the construction of the abbey church that stands today and guiding the monastic community through the upheaval of the First World War. They also document his emergence as a prominent Catholic thinker, whose theological writings and preaching gained international respect.

Each chapter of Echo of a Loved Voice is introduced with explanatory notes to help readers understand the historical, political and personal background of the correspondence. The book is illustrated with photographs of Vonier and his contemporaries, extracts from the Buckfast Annals, selections from his published works and personal recollections from a lifelong friend.

Together, the letters and supporting material create a portrait of a leader whose public achievements were rooted in private struggle, resilience and faith. The editors argue that the trauma Vonier experienced during the Sirio disaster left a lasting mark on his spirituality and leadership, influencing the way he guided Buckfast Abbey through some of the most turbulent decades of the 20th century.

Echo of a Loved Voice is being released alongside a selection of historical images related to Abbot Anscar Vonier and Buckfast Abbey, offering readers a visual as well as written window into a life shaped by survival, service and conviction.