Colwich Novitiate

28 JULY 2007

This is a first for Colwich – another step in our illustrious history!

We – the novitiate at Colwich Abbey in Staffordshire, UK – are eager to share something of our life with those who might be interested. So we asked, and our Novice Mistress gave us permission to set up a blog so that we can share with you a bit about the day-to-day life in our monastery.

Currently there are ten of us in our community:- 7 solemn professed sisters, 1 junior, 1 novice and 1 postulant. We also have several women interested in our life and one solemn professed sister in a nursing home where she is very happy and well cared for. Joan entered as a postulant on 12th November so we are now 11 here .

You can contact us via the blog or by emailing us at novblog@googlemail.com or contact our novice mistress  more personally at mbromwich@btinternet.com and writing to Mother Anne.

MONDAY 30TH JULY 2007

Today our aspirant went home after three weeks living alongside us. She will be missed in choir and recreation where she joined in wholeheartedly. She enjoyed jigsaws - her uncompleted project still sits on the novitiate table – and played the violin for us with gusto giving us great pleasure. We had many long walks and chats in the garden. We wish her well, keep her in our prayers and hope to see her again soon – now we are two!

What would bloggers like to see in this section – we are underusing it?

Friday 14th February 2008

As you can see we are underusing this section so i thought it was time to try to put something more into it – briefly for now but to be expanded.

I realized recently that there is a big difference between communities – even of the same spirituality- in the amount of time sisters spend alone. Some communities seem to spend a lot of time together having more than one period of recreation, working together and praying together. Others do some or all  of these alone and have only one period of recreation. This aspect of community life is very important because some need more time alone, whilst others like to spend a lot of time together – if the balance is not right for us it can be hard to stay.

Here is some idea of how things are here at Colwich – bearing in mind that these things differ slightly for each sister.

On our timetable in About Us you will see that it says Lectio. Lectio is a very old monastic practice which Benedictines in particular are known for. We have a minimum of two half hours of Lectio – one half hour we use the bible and the other we use a spiritual book of our choice and we do both in private, choosing our own time and space – in Lent we have an extra half hour which we all do at 9.30 am using a book given to us by Mother Abbess – this follows our Rule.

We also have at least two half hours of private prayer – one period is before Morning Office and the other after 4.30pm – for these we go into chapel – there may be other sisters in there but it is not communal prayer, we enter and leave as we choose, and we sit where we please, so it is very private.

As well as these we have half hour rest after lunch – again this is private time – we can spend it resting in our cells, reading, walking, doing crafts, studying – something quiet.

Work – at the moment we are a small community so we usually work alone but come together for larger jobs such as spring cleaning, when we all get together. We also do some of the gardening together – such as fruit picking – but sisters are free to do these alone if they choose to. Some sisters grow fruit and vegetables, others look after an  area where they grow flowers, create prayer places and quiet walks, some weed and prune all over the garden as they are walking or keep the paths clear – there is lots to do and lots of choice in what to do.

Personally there is a good balance for me here. I do need some hours alone – working, reading, praying, resting – but i also love living in community so i enjoy the hours we are together – Office, recreation, informal walks and get togethers,noviceship classes and choir practice.

The Benedictine way is one of balance – prayer, work and study – which form a rhythm. The rhythm of the Rule supports us, guides us, gives us a frame work, a helping hand, a pathway to God and by living it fully we are saturated in God. The Divine Office and Lectio form the basis of our private prayer and fill us as we work which in itself becomes prayer. For Benedictines prayer and work are not seperate, work doesnot take us away from prayer but becomes another way of living and expressing it – in  service to our brethren, so forming part of the whole.The day becomes infused and there are no real breaks between one thing and the other.

I admit, my mind wanders, i am not as focussed as i would like to be and sometimes things do seem choppy and all over the place but i hang on to the Rule and it brings me back.

Pax Sr Marie-Therese.