ALL SAINTS A spectacular sunrise marked today’s celebration of All Saints, the day we remember and give thanks for all those who have gone before us, witnessing with lives of holiness to the holiness of God to which we are all called. As the sun rose into a low band of stratus cloud, it shone […]

JUBILEE STUDY DAY    12 October 2024 This year we wanted our annual study day with oblates and friends to reflect the 400th Jubilee. So we were delighted when Dr Jacob Riyeff, who teaches at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, accepted our invitation to speak to us on the writings of Dame Gertrude More (1606-33), our […]

Faithfulness shall spring from the earth, And justice look down from heaven. Psalm 84(85) Sr Stephen has been gathering in the apple harvest – a good crop this year, including the Lord Lambournes shown in the photograph. Rather than one large orchard, we have several micro-orchards in the monastery grounds in sheltered, well-drained spots which […]

On 1 October Sr Laurentia led a webinar on Benedictine prayer. This was part of CAFOD’s series of webinars from different traditions during the Year of Prayer (2024) in preparation for the Church’s Jubilee in 2025, ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. Participants engaged thoughtfully with the story of the prophet Elijah and the call to us to […]

Celebration Mass at Colwich Abbey On Sunday 22 September Mother Abbess Anna, Dame Theresa Mary, Dame Benedict and Dame Davina attended a Mass at St Mary’s Abbey, Colwich to mark with thanksgiving the one hundred and eighty-six years the Benedictine community of Our Lady of Good Hope lived at Colwich. The Mass was celebrated by […]

JUBILEE PILGRIMAGE to FOUNTAINS ABBEY Ist party: Weds 18 Sept 2nd party: Mon 23 Sept Fountains Abbey, near Ripon, had long been on our list of desirable places to visit, and, through the generous offices of the National Trust we have at last been able to make a pilgrimage to the world-famous site during our […]

This year, for the first time, we will celebrate Our Lady of Walsingham as a liturgical feast; previously it has been a memoria, but Rome has granted permission for the elevation of the celebration, partly because of the importance of this national shrine to the English people. The shrine was established in 1061, following the […]

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross 2024 Numbers 21 – 4 -9; Philippians 2:6 -11; John 3:13-17   All three of the readings for this feast focus our eyes on the Cross or its foreshadowing and our minds on life-giving paradox. First, Moses’ standard, which has become the symbol of the medical profession, […]

I entered our abbey church for Compline, a little early, and found several sisters already sitting in the dimly-lit space. It was the evening before the Solemnity of the Dedication of the Church. As part of the celebrations a candle is lit at each of the twelve dedication crosses on the wall, giving a unique […]

Over the Bank Holiday weekend six of the Stanbrook community participated in the Youth 2000 Summer Festival at Ampleforth Abbey. On Saturday 24th August Sisters Julian, M. Peter, Marian and Laurentia attended the afternoon session for women and later led a workshop on ‘Praying with the Scriptures’. Participants engaged enthusiastically with the story of Elijah […]

For our Jubilee Year we wanted the community’s annual retreat to be particularly inspiring and were delighted when Fr Michael Casey OCSO accepted Mother Abbess’ invitation to lead the eight days of spiritual renewal 22-30 July. Fr Michael is a monk of the Cistercian abbey of Tarrawarra in Victoria, Australia, and a renowned author and […]

5 July 2024, 400th Anniversary Celebration with Monastic Communities and Local Religious Having celebrated with our families, friends, oblates, neighbours and ecumenical friends, we wanted to complete this round of Jubilee festivities with our fellow monastic brothers and sisters and religious. To do so we chose 5 July when we honour Mary under the title […]