Hi there!
Well after a hectic time in the guest house, we welcomed 3 visitors from Chile, for the day. They are currently staying at one of our houses (Downside), and are part of the Manquehue Community, (don’t think i spelt this right). They talked to us over their way of life and what they do which includes helping out in schools…

If you are able to read spanish to find out more on this community their website is: (the link doesn’t work yet so i’ll get back to you)

Also, at the moment we have a student from Denmark here visiting us for a fornight and again i will follow up later with more details…..

Well friends here i am at last! Better late than never…………….

It seems ages since i last did a post but here i am after our annual retreat and lots of other things happening in between times. So what happened on the last day of the weekend for ‘COME & SEE’? To be honest not alot, you may well be asking yourself  what do i mean by not alot —  but it was SUNDAY! It was really great because of a number of things…. 1st it was the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady, 2nd it was the 3rd sunday of the month which meant that we had Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, and 3rd our dear friend Peter was here so we had wonderful music (as ever). After a lovely mass with new and old time favourites of the ‘Colwich Summer School’ (as we call it for a week in August). So there was plenty of time available for ‘private adoration’ if that was what people wanted to place all their questions/doubts etc… After midday office and lunch we all said our goodbyes and hoped that we could all keep in touch in one way or another………i do hope we will see them all again at some point even if its just a quick visit…

Any how here is some feed back of what people thought…….this is just a start and i will add further comments (FAIRLY SOON – I PROMISE) this is just to wet your appetite!!!!!!!

1/     I’d never been to a discernment weekend before, in fact, I’d never been on a retreat of any kind. So as a recent convert to Catholicism it might seem a little odd that I would choose to go to such an event so soon. That said, it was one of the most enlightening weekends I have ever spent. I was extremely nervous beforehand and it took the four of us who were visiting the abbey a while to get talking to each other.

I suppose what struck me the most in the short time we were there, even more than the monastic life itself, was the people who were living it. There was nothing austere, nothing forbidding about them. Rather, they were proof that prayerfulness and happiness go hand-in-hand. The sisters were the life. I was really moved by their hospitality and kindness. Their openness gave me the confidence to be myself and to ask whatever questions came to mind, however mundane they might be. Sitting in Choir alongside the sisters to share in the Divine Office (while hopefully not ruining it too much with my terrible singing) was a great privilege. And of course meeting Chelsea (and being copiously licked by her) was a highlight!

Whatever decisions the other visitors come to about their lives, I truly hope they’ll be happy in their choices. I won’t be making any decision about my own life in the near future but when I do, it will be much more informed.

Here is an abbreviated version of another person:

2) Everything was helpful, because i’d never done anything like this before. There’s a world of difference between meeting someone for a chat for an hour or two, and actually living there for a few days. There’s a world of difference between thinking about five times of prayer per day, and actually doing it in community – not just once, but over several days again. It helped me so much to experience  it, because abstractions and thinking about things can never compare. For me, to se and learn how i felt about everything as i experienced it was key. It’s like learning to cycle, you can read and think about it all you like but unless you try it and experience it you won’t be able to do it. Having said that about the overall experience the most helpful parts of the weekend wasn’t just being included in the offices but i also found the short “sessions” on history, Benedictine life etc…tremendously helpful. I think the way it was set up was absolutely perfect. It was long enough to “look in”, but not so long as to feel ‘trapped’ if you hated it (which i didn’t). You made us feel so welcome i would love to come back later and spend some time there again.

HI Everyone!
Just a quick word to say that the community have ben in retreat over the last week or so, so that is why there has been a bit of a silence from me, but i will hopefully be able to ‘catch up’ with comments and things over the next week or two and posting those final few words of the come and see weekend, which i hoped to have been able to do a few weeks ago but haven’t managed.

Also, there will be an addition to the pets page as there is a 5 month old kitten around, but again, more details will be posted in due course.

Thank you for being so patient with me……

God bless you all
Sr. Davina
x

Hi Folks! Its me again – this time about a small community pilgrimage to Birmingham!

As pilgrimages are an ancient tradition of the church, and in normal circumstances a person will make that pilgrimage to a Holy place, to visit a sacred site where God has chosen to reveal himself, or birth place of a saint or walking in the footsteps of a saint, but in this case to coincide with the year of Priests the patron saint of missions – St. Thérèse is herself making a pilgrimage. She, who prayed for priests and wrote to them comes to help us.

With the visit of St. Therese’s relics to England and Wales between Sept 16th and Oct 16^th, they were at Birmingham, firstly at St. Chad’s Cathedral from sat 19^th Oct till Monday 21st  then got transferred to a parish in Coleshill in Birmingham from mon – tues morning. So it was with great privilege to have been able to go and venerate St. Thérèse. This is because mother abbess gave permission for us to do so. We set off as a community – just after 10am on Monday morning in two cars and arrived at just after 11am, so once we found our way to the entrance of the door of the church of The Sacred Heart and St. Theresa, there was a queue of people and we joined them. We were quickly led to some seating – which we didn’t let go of as the church was quickly filling – and had 40 minutes to wait until mass started. During this time confessions were going on and private veneration of St. Thérèse was in process. The church was absolutely packed with at least 7 people in a pew, and two rows of people standing at the side of the church isles, also people were standing outside the church itself and the numbers far surpassed what they were expecting. The church itself was decorated and scented with all types of flowers ranging from red roses, chrysanthemums, lilies, carnations etc…. On arriving (apparently there was a notice which i did not see), which ran with Thérèse’s quote of herself, ‘i shall spend my heaven doing good on earth’. This was picked up by Bishop McGough regarding the packed church, as she was drawing people by her little way to God. Also, he remarked that ‘it was the 1^st time he had to find his way to the pulpit to deliver his homily due to the amount of people’, this, as was expected, raised a laugh. One of the things the bishop asked us to do after we left the church was to find something which was individual to us and make it a part of ‘our little way’ eg, a smile, or a good deed to someone else, and to do it lovingly – for God. After mass was over we then went up to venerate the relics, people were taking photos so i did myself – we also spotted St. Thérèse’s side chapel in which there was a relic which people could go up to and kiss – we did – as it was pointed out to us by the parish priest, it was an awesome occasion! After this we then went and found a quiet spot and had our sandwiches, i tried to slip round quickly and take a few photos of the church etc…. and that was all i got – a few photos!!!  During this free moment we also met up with two Carmelites and these were 2 of 7 people who were ‘custodians’ and going round with the relics.

It is always amazing that when you go out of the monastery you think you will never see anyone you know – and what happens????? There was loads of people we knew, and if someone took a photo of us then we found more people coming and taking photos…. so there was a quick photo session… all in all – a good day!!!! We had a short time there and had to leave at 3pm and i would have liked to have longer there as there was holy hour followed by benediction, but it was a grand occasion and a great privilege to have made this small pilgrimage to Birmingham………something to remember in future years and will go down in our history…….

All i can say is : St. Thérèse – pray for us    

And now we look forward greatly for the Holy Father’s visit to Britain next year!

By Sr. Davina

  Click on the following link to see some of our photos of the occasion:

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/novblog/StTherese?authkey=Gv1sRgCLLr6dTKh7yVNQ&feat=directlink

Hello again!   So what do you think of it all so far???? After a night’s sleep – again – morning office was the first thing on the program ~~(and of course the time table doesn’t alter). So after Mass and breakfast Sr. Benedict provided a great display of items and talks about ‘OUR HISTORY’. Of how we were founded in Paris in 1651 (or so), our life during the French Revolution and how we came back over to England and eventually setting our feet upon this blessed land here at Colwich in 1836. I say blessed, because we are indeed very fourtunat to have such wonderful surroundings and the land to grow what we can in the circumstance that we live in. But for more info on our full history check out our main website on the blogroll….it is very interesting indeed!! Sr. Benedict also described how we could ‘change offices’ each year (as was st. benedict’s custom when he wrote his rule).

Then there was a period before midday office when all had the privilege to come and ‘clean and dust’ in the library and have a browse through the books – well after all this is a part of our life, we need to read various books both for spiritual growth and for relaxation. There is a great variety of books that we have here – both old and new!

After midday office and lunch various things were done and (Due to 3 of the visitors having the same initials i shall refer to them as S.K 1, 2, or 3,). So as i was saying after lunch S.K 3 came and helped me in the garden and we cleared round our little shrine area of our lady of walsingham and it was a good chance to answer any questions which i did gladly – and i think it was very helpful….just pretty basic stuff which all enquirers ask and that is how often do you see your parents/family? What made you choose this community? Other questions that i have come up against are like: what was the hardest thing that you encountered when you entered the monastery? What things do you miss? etc…etc…

In the afternoon the community gathered in the guest library to have recreation with our visitors so from 3.30pm till 4.30pm we were all chatting with each other (usually when we meet together in the workroom we do our needlework, knitting, embroidary etc….etc…. but this day we just chatted). Then at 4.30pm our chaplain came and gave a talk on Benedictine Spirituality and the 3 important areas of :   PRAYER, WORK, READING! And how these all inter-act with each other. Unfortunately i got called away from Fr. Luke’s talk so i don’t know what he said, but i have got some ideas from him which have been passed on to me so here they are…….PRAYER: The celebration of the Divine Office in common provides a framework into which the rest of the day is fitted, St. Benedict devotes 13 chapters of his Rule to the times and the manner in which the Office is to be celebrated. Under the heading of Prayer, as well as prayer in common, we must include personal prayer – sometimes referred to as meditation or mental prayer. St. Benedict doesn’t lay down a set time for this but our constitutions lay down at least one half an hour a day …(we have 2 periods of half an hour each day)……….READING:By this we don’t mean any sort of reading or study, we meand rather a meditative, prayerful reading of the bible or some work on the spiritual life, either ancient or modern. It is not so much what we read but the way we read, slowly and conscious of God’s presence, open to the Holy Spirit.This manner of reading is conducive to personal prayer and flows naturally into it – the word we give to this is spiritual reading or LECTIO DIVINA.  - WORK: Work is a human neccessity and St. Benedict does not allow for idleness less we fall into the ways of the devil. Daily manual labour deals also with the Horarium and the use of time and lectio, nowhere implies that manual labour is the only form of work for a monk. The nature of the work does not matter – it might be intellectual, artistic, educational, or purely manual work in house or the garden, or within the infirmary during sickness and infirmity. What is important is that  it is done in the sprirt of service to one’s community and following Christ who came to serve and not to be served.  To bring these points together there is the element of the community.

After supper our friend and organist Peter paid us a visit for a few days which meant that we had a full choir practice and lots of fun……there was great music lined up for the following day which was a great feast for ‘The Assumption of Our Lady’………….More of that in the next and possible final installment….

Sorry for the delay i hope its been worth it, so take care……god bless you all

Sr. D

x

Well folks here’s PART 2…….

I forgot to mention in the first edition that i opened up with a prayer to St. Benedict and privately offered up the whole weekend to Our Blessed Lady.

Well now…after a good nights sleep by all everyone was down for morning office at 7am – which usually lasts about 45mins perhaps a bit more on some days. Mass was at 8.30, so by the time everyone had their breakfast at various times at 9.30 we were raring to go! So off we all went to the library and had a session on the Holy Rule of St. Benedict, this was led by the Novice mistress and the Prologue was chosen. It runs as follows:

‘LISTEN, my son, to the teaching of your master and turn your heart to hear; willingly accept and effectively carry out the advice given by a loving father, so that you may come back to him by the toil of obedience, from whom you had gone astray through the sloth of disobedience. To you then my words are now addressed, who are renouncing your own desires and, on entering the service of Christ the Lord our true King, are taking up the strong and glorious arms of obedience’. 

We then had a discussion on; 1)  what ‘LISTEN’ meant to us, 2)  what Obedience meant, and 3) who the loving father was?………Some very interesting and different views were expressed. Then come mid-morning the weather held good for us so off we all went into the garden. Some went off with mother prioress to pick runner beans, and others came with me and we picked plums! YUMMY! First impression of the size of the enclosure was pure amazement, and one of awe at the beauty of the place too. After midday office and lunch ‘free-time’ was available, or a chat or work,. most opted this day for free time. At 4.30pm we then had a session on ‘SHARED LECTIO’ and took the passage on St. Lukes gospel which we have everyday at Vespers – Mary’s Canticle ‘The Magnificat’. We broke this down into small pieces and shared with each other what it meant for us in many personnal ways. It is a very enriching experience sharing thoughts of scripture and getting more ideas.

After supper, i decieded at the last moment to share some of my Solemn Profession photos and say a few words on that event (which sems only like yesterday but nonetheless was a few years ago now). 8pm there was privat prayer followed by Compline at 8.30pm then Bed-time! Got to gain strength for the following day……….. Well i guess that’s it for now until part 3 – so keep your eyes open………..

Sr. D

x

Hi Everyone!  As a beginning i was going to take some photo’s but i’m afaid i never got round to it…..the weekend went quickly……sorry!

THE COME AND SEE WEEKEND :  WENT AS FOLLOWS ~

Well its about time i tried to put down the events of the last few days and its not going to be easy! But saying that lets see how we go – shall we……At the beginning of the week (Mon) i was beginning to feel abit nervous, and apprehensive wondering ‘what have i let myself and everyone else in for?’ but then again that’s me all over. I get nervous quite easily and it doesn’t take much to get me going. Just before 4.30pm on the thursday afternoon i waited in the guest parlour (as i’m the guest mistress) with one lady who came the previous day and would be staying for a week. Then someone drove up and the nerves began to set in……i welcomed her in, then someone else arrived and i thought well here we go there are three will the others follow, and in the meantime i showed the girls their rooms. Well we waited for a few minutes as it was thurs and that is our early night and we had exposition all day. After offering drinks we went into church (choir) and i showed people their places, they had the priveleged to sit with us and it was alot easier to show them the office with the books we use. We came out of office and shortly after the front door bell rang again it was the 4th lady but the 5th did not arrive. From being a group of a possible 10 it went down to 4 – never mind the Lord knows best. So after a long wait and wondering how could i open this weekend,  the holy spirit prompted me with the words ‘COME AND SEE’ . We all had supper at 6.30pm and the introduction was held at 7.30pm in the upstairs library for the guests. All the talks and discussions were held up ther. In fact it was through Jesus’ own words in St. Johns Gospel – so i took this as a starting point. Here is the passage to remind you (Jn 1:35 -39)……’On the following day as John stood there again with two of his disciples, Jesus passed and John stared hard at him and said, ‘Look there is the lamb of God’. Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. Jesus turned round, saw them following and said, ‘What do you want?’ They answered, ‘Rabbi, (which means Teacher) ‘where do you live?’. ‘Come and see’ he replied; so they went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the rest of that day.

To follow this up, i then had a few words written down on paper which were as follows: …… ‘ Jesus always takes the Initiative. He’s always inviting us to go deeper into our lives, he asks ‘What do you want?’. He too asks us like the 2 disciples following ‘what do you want?’. So What is it that we want if nothing else but to follow Jesus. the disciples may have answered out of surprise when they said, ‘Where do you live?’ Its like us living the monastic life, Jesus asks us not once but countless times a day, ‘what do you want? This question precedes the next invitation, ‘Come and see’ and they stayed with him that day and so must we. We are inviting you to ‘Come and See’, to follow Jesus closely and at a deeper level over this weekend and hopefully to find answers to some of your questions. Finding Jesus isn’t always easy, it is hard but to take the 1st step makes it easier for the next. Just simply rest with him and take up St. Benedict’s very 1st word of his Rule in the Prologue, and that is to ‘LISTEN’.

I then said a few brief words of my own vocation so instead of boring you to pieces i just say - look back to my written text – ‘Vocation part1, 2, and 3′.

SAT NIGHT AUG 22nd -  Just trying out how to have access for you all with some photos -not too sure how this will go but i think i have it!!!  Please try the link out below and let me know what you think (either way – if you like the photos or are having trouble looking at them) 

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/lh/sredir?uname=novblog&target=ALBUM&id=5372471610159427793&authkey=Gv1sRgCL2sjoKyy5qjaQ&feat=email

         THIS IS CHELSEA BEFORE SHE HAD A HAIR CUT  – BEAUTY TREATMENT IS ESSENTIAL WHEN   

         HAVING TO ENTERTAIN GUESTS!

            CHELSEA’S HAIRDRESSER – DURING THE CLIPPING SESSION IN THE GUEST DINING ROOM!

             AFTER THE HAIR CUT – SHE IS NOW LOOKING CUTE AND FEELS ALOT COOLER! SHE IS READY FOR

             THURSDAY.  SHE WAS CLIPPED THIS AFTERNOON.

              FOR MORE TALES OF WHAT CHELSEA IS UP TO SEE PETS PAGE!

I WILL BE BACK MAYBE SOMETIME THIS WEEK WITH A 1ST INSTALLMENT OF HOW THINGS ARE GOING THIS WEEKEND! PLEASE KEEP UP THE PRAYERS AND FEEL FREE TO JOIN IN WITH PRAYER DURING THE TIMES WE ARE IN PRAYER AT THE DIVINE OFFICE! HOPEFULLY I CAN PROVIDE A FEW PHOTOS OF THE WEEKEND TOO…….

GOD BLESS

SR. DAVINA

X

Part 5 (the last) of my vocation story

Posted today, the Feast of the Transfiguration 2009

I arrive at Colwich

The day I arrived Mother Abbess said: “In a year you can make your Solemn Profession”! I thought: “That’s a bit quick, first let me transfer my stability and get used to being here!” I was afraid because I had made one mistake, I might make another. They always seemed to be in a rush to get you in for life!

By this time I was in my 40^th year and, as our forebears delicately put it, entering my critical time of life. I also began to notice premature deafness in one ear.

I would not recommend anyone to start their monastic life at forty, but if the Lord calls, he will make it possible. Yet as St Benedict says, don’t pretend to them that it’s easy!

The Nuns

After a few months came four elderly nuns from a community that had closed down. There were 19 nuns plus me: a junior with her stability in another house, wanting to transfer. I felt insecure because they could have pulled me back there.

In the community there were some characters. For instance, Sister Agnes, a former lay Sister, who came to Mass and worked, but seemed otherwise almost a recluse. She met me soon after I arrived, in the sewing room. She caressed the back of her hand across my face and said in her strong Lancashire accent: “I hope you will be very happy here”. I hardly had another word from her, but I knew she was praying for me.

Transfer of Stability

After what seemed a long delay, I was allowed to transfer my stability. Dame Michael (Bursar) and I spent a happy morning messing about with sealing wax. Then after dinner the Abbess, Dame Michael and I signed the document in private, while on our knees (a tricky procedure now no longer used!) Then we sealed it, the only time I’ve ever known a document to be sealed here! At Chapter that afternoon the Abbess announced that I was now a member of the community, and would be known as Sister Benedict. They were all pleased, and it was one of the happiest days of my life.

Solemn Profession

As soon as I was safely a junior of Colwich, there was more talk of my Solemn Profession. I had to say I wasn’t ready, and I renewed my temporary vows for a year. (As I was only a novice for one year, I really had the same time to Solemn Profession).

My health had previously been strong but was affected by all this coming and going. Also I was still hoping the gaps in my instruction in Benedictine monastic life would be plugged. But it never happened. I was not in the Noviceship. Mother Abbess was instructing me herself, but of course she kept getting called away to the parlour and all the things Abbesses have to do. I again resorted to reading, and so am largely self-taught. No wonder if others find me “singular”! I read the inspiring history of the community and the writings of Father Augustine Baker.

The anniversary of my arrival at Colwich came round, and as I came out of choir one morning after making my prayer, the thought came spontaneously: Well, at least one thing is clear, I could make Solemn Profession. That same day, the Abbess called me in to ask if I had thought any more about making my Solemn Profession!

The day I got the votes in Chapter was another of the happiest days of my life. As I went round the nuns to give the sign of peace I saw some of them had tears in their eyes!

The actual Solemn Profession was an ordeal. I just had to learn the whole text and music off by heart. I made sure I did what was necessary for the validity of my vows, but I was glad when it was over.

I felt I never wanted to sing again! They tried making me a Chantress, but it didn’t work. It was years and years before I could take Hebdom and be a Chantress.

Offices

They also tried making me an Infirmarian, and that didn’t work either! I was a person who fainted at the smallest amount of b-l-o-o-d, and it seemed to gush forth frequently. I did look after the aforementioned Sister Agnes, who was not a recluse at all, in fact very sociable by nature, but deaf and almost totally blind and near 80 when I came to look after her. It was a challenge trying to find a way to communicate, and a meaningful occupation for her. She was highly intelligent, very spiritual, felt her dependence very much but knew how to offer it up. It was a very hard time, with the Abbess and my fellow Infirmarian ill, nuns dying every now and then, and three postulants who at length all proved not to have a vocation.

The End of the Beginning

It is 30 years since I entered monastic life and I am now 65. For half my monastic life I have been Cellerere (Bursar), which is according to my training and experience but can be quite distracting.

Silver Jubilee

The day when I celebrated 25 years since my Clothing was another one of the happiest days of my life. It was great to be able to say:

I confirm with my whole heart, before God and his saints,

my vows of stability, conversion of life and obedience

according to the Rule of our holy father Benedict,

and I humbly ask God to renew me in spirit

according to the commitment I made on the day of my profession.

Sister Benedict

Hi Folks….

Just to let you know that there is a Youth 2000 prayer festival at Walsingham from 27th – 31st August and it is their largest annual event. It is a must if you find that you want to get closer to God and make friends and have a lot of fun at the same time. How can you get closer to God and have fun at the same time??? Well go and find out!

The thing is i have had experience of Youth 2000 Retreats and they are fab…I was invited to go to one at Birmingham about 8 years ago and i was absolutely nervous. Not knowing what to expect and not being out of the enclosure overnight since i entered – it was a bit daunting not to mention being in touch with young catholics. Well, i got permission and to cut a long story short it was great. There were various talks from different priests and religious, lots of music and prayers, workshops, etc…. The main focus is of course this ‘arrangement’ in the centre of the hall. It seems queer until you understand the meaning of it. Trying to describe it is something – well here goes – - – its a kind of wooden frame in the shape of a triangle with small stands around were lighted candles are placed on, (these are in fact Sanctuary lights) and on top in the middle is The Blessed Sacrament. This is in fact known as ‘The Burning bush’  The main feature of a youth 2000 retreat is the eucharistic adoration. Talks revolve round this and short discussions take place in small groups, everything is basic and the people kip down at night on the floor of the tents with sleeping bags. 

Well like i said if you want to go and experience this it is well worth it. I have had the pleasure and priviledge to have had youth 2000 here at the abbey for the very 1st Formation weekend – that was about 7 years ago now, but what an atmosphere the Holy Spirit really moved the hearts of people and it had a profound effect on me in many ways!!!!

There is also another new CTS booklet out which is brill and its called ‘A way of life for young catholics’ take a peek at their website…….

Also for further info on youth 2000 see their website – i’ve put a link from here onto the blogroll…..

God bless you all

Sr. D