Conrad Pepler O.P. (5 May 1908 – 10 November 1993) was an English Dominican

Dominican Order

The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...

 priest, writer, editor, and publisher. He founded Warden of the first Roman Catholic conference centre in the UK, at Spode House, Staffordshire

Staffordshire

Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...

.

Life

He was born Stephen Pepler in Hammersmith

Hammersmith

Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...

, west London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, where his father Hilary Pepler was running a working-men's club. In 1916 the family moved to Ditchling

Ditchling

Ditchling is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. The village is contained within the boundaries of the South Downs National Park; the order confirming the establishment of the park was signed in Ditchling....

 in Sussex

Sussex

Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...

, where Hilary, Eric Gill

Eric Gill

Arthur Eric Rowton Gill was a British sculptor, typeface designer, stonecutter and printmaker, who was associated with the Arts and Crafts movement...

 and Desmond Chute

Desmond Chute

Father Desmond Macready Chute was an English artist, who became a Catholic priest in 1927. He was born in Bristol, where his father James Macready Chute ran the family theatre...

 set up the Guild of St Joseph and St Dominic, a community of Catholic artist-craftsmen. Hilary was the community's printer. Stephen was received into the Catholic Church in 1916, and sent to the Dominican boarding school at Hawkesyard Priory, Staffordshire.

On leaving school he worked for his father in the printing shop until, in 1927, he entered the Dominican order, taking the name of Conrad

Conrad

- Other uses :* Conrad Editora, Brazilian publisher* Conrad Hotels, global luxury brand of Hilton Hotels* Conrad * Conrad , German manufacturer of diecast toys and promotional models...

.

Writings

• The English religious heritage. St Louis, MO: B. Herder, 1958.
• Sacramental prayer. St Louis, MO: B. Herder, 1959.
• The three degrees: A study of Christian mysticism. London: Blackfriars Publications, 1957.
• Riches despised: A study of the roots of religion. St Louis, MO: B. Herder, 1957.
• Lent, a liturgical commentary on the lessons and gospels. St Louis, MO: B. Herder, 1944.

Sources