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The Community - Mucknell Abbey
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The Community

The Community with our Visitor, Bishop Anne of Aston, at the Solemn Profession of Br Jonathan

‘How good and pleasant it is

when people live together in unity’

The Society of the Salutation of Mary the Virgin at Mucknell Abbey is an Anglican Benedictine community of monks and nuns based in Worcestershire.

Through the one Spirit all Christians are members of the Body of Christ. As in a human body different parts perform different functions, so as Benedictines we make our own particular contribution to its growth and well-being. We do this primarily through our commitment to daily liturgical prayer, hospitality, and the living-out of a life in common. Our hope is to be a sign of God’s abiding presence in the world; a city set on a (modest) hill.

At our foundation in 1941 we were given the particular task of interceding for the unity of the Church, and for the coming of God’s kingdom here on earth. Today we maintain a deeply held commitment to ecumenism, and in more recent times have sought to address in whatever ways we can the ecological crisis facing our world. For without a habitable planet, there will be no future kingdom.

Our day-to-day life is a holistic balance of prayer and manual work (in Latin ora et labora), which includes everything from mopping the floors and baking bread, to chopping firewood and growing courgettes. We also run a small guesthouse and incense-making business, “write” icons, and provide pastoral support to our guests and visitors.

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Who’s Who

The Community currently comprises nine members in Solemn Vows, two in Simple Vows, and one Alongsider.

Rt Rev’d Br Thomas (Abbot; elected 2017)

Very Rev’d Br Philip (Prior)

Rt Rev’d Br Stuart

Br Anthony

Rev’d Br Ian

Rev’d Sr Alison (Novice Guardian)

Br Michäel

Br Jonathan (Guest Brother)

Br Adrian

Sr Jessica

Latest articles on our community

Welcome back to another month here at Mucknell Abbey. As I write, we’re being treated to one of those beautifully...

25/11/2023

Welcome back to Mucknell Abbey, in what has been a changeable month weather-wise. We’re definitely into Autumn now, as leaves...

27/10/2023

Autumnal greetings from Mucknell Abbey; despite some high temperatures earlier in the month, we’ve all noticed a ‘turn’ these last...

03/10/2023

Welcome back to a (currently!) sunny Mucknell Abbey. We’ve had a very busy month, as you’ll see – visits out,...

28/08/2023

Welcome back to a very busy Mucknell Abbey; the garden is producing in abundance, most notably tomatoes and beans. The...

01/08/2023

Greetings from Mucknell Abbey! We’ve “enjoyed” a full range of weather this month, from crashing thunderstorms and torrential rain, to...

28/06/2023

A month full of celebrations, along with a week of painting and decoration: catch up with the latest news from Mucknell Abbey.

29/05/2023

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Much of our energy this month has been taken up with Holy Week and Easter. Walking...

02/05/2023

We've been enjoying the signs of Spring around us: plentiful daffodils, blossom just about ready to show itself on the plum and pear trees in the Orchard, and sowing the first seeds in the Kitchen Garden.

01/04/2023

You are welcome to join us as we observe Holy Week and Easter. If you are planning to join us...

30/03/2023

Welcome back to Mucknell Abbey. As we continue towards the Spring Equinox next month, we’ve all been enjoying the gradual...

28/02/2023

Happy New Year! It’s been a busy start to the year here at Mucknell Abbey, with some varied weather alongside....

01/02/2023

Merry Christmas! We’ve been enjoying our celebrations here at Mucknell; the week after Christmas is kept as community ‘holiday’, giving...

31/12/2022

One of the delights of living here at Mucknell Abbey is being so surrounded by the natural world, and its...

30/11/2022

It’s felt like a fairly quiet month here at Mucknell, even as the natural world around us is making a...

31/10/2022

On Wednesday 28th September, the Community, along with friends, family and visiting Religious from a number of communities, joined together...

20/10/2022

This month has been full of changes: summer has very definitely given way to autumn. As I write, I can...

01/10/2022

As I sit here typing away, I can hear the swallows chirping outside my window. Their beautiful swooping flight has...

30/08/2022

It’s been a lovely sunny month here in our corner of Worcestershire, which we’ve been enjoying. We were however very...

31/07/2022

As Spring has given way to Summer over the past month, there has been plenty going on here at Mucknell....

30/06/2022

It’s been a very busy month here at Mucknell Abbey, with various comings and goings. We’ve all been enjoying the...

31/05/2022

Last Saturday we bid our farewells to Enock, a member ecumenical Community of St Anselm (CoSA). For several years now...

24/05/2022

Welcome back to another month’s news here at Mucknell. After the enforced ‘pause’ in March due to our covid outbreak,...

30/04/2022

We welcome you to join us for the Church’s observance of Holy Week & Easter. If you would like to...

02/04/2022

It’s very much been a month of two halves here at Mucknell Abbey. All was running as usual until Tuesday...

29/03/2022

As anyone who has visited Mucknell will know, windy conditions are nothing unusual; the recent spate of storms may have...

23/02/2022

The observant among you will have noticed that both this post and the previous one were written by Sr. Jessica,...

27/01/2022

On Saturday 4th December, under a clear blue sky, the Community – together with her friends, family and visiting Religious...

14/12/2021

The Community are pleased to announce that Novice Sr Jessica has been elected to First Vows. Sr Jessica has been...

08/11/2021

Sunday 5th Sr Jessica preached this morning. She warned some of us before hand it would be aimed more at...

05/09/2021

Half way through July I received an email thanking me for my ‘faithfulness’ in maintaining this blog. The more perceptive...

03/08/2021

Public worship We are happy to once again welcome visitors to our daily Eucharist, None or Vespers. No prior notice...

16/07/2021

Above: Br Stuart’s Pentecost cactus, given to him in 1975 8th May – For the last few weeks Br Michael...

09/05/2021

Happy Easter Christ is Risen! Alleluia! Easter Monday – Several months ago Abbot Thomas created a small working group to...

05/04/2021

7th February – This last week has been a very full one. On Monday we had two Community meetings to...

07/02/2021

Above: The Epiphany crib at Burford Priory in 1970 2 January – A very happy New Year to everyone reading...

02/01/2021

1 December – I promised myself I wouldn’t be quite so tardy this month, so here we are: day one....

01/12/2020

On 8th November we celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of Br Stuart’s profession in monastic life. From the 10th to the...

07/11/2020

Saturday 3rd October – From page one of Tolstoy’s Diaries, ed. by R.F Christian: ‘It is easier to produce ten...

03/10/2020

Friday 4th – This piece of news strictly belongs in last month’s mlog (monastic blog), but I didn’t want it...

04/09/2020

Tuesday, 4th – A few days ago Chapter voted in favour of allowing me to renew my Simple Vows for...

04/08/2020

Sunday 5th – I thought I would share this extract from a homily on today’s gospel from John Chrysostom, which...

05/07/2020

Above: The wagtail, which has recently been making an aviary of our greenhouse Trinity Sunday – There is so little...

06/06/2020

Sunday 3rd – Our last mealtime book was Sr Joan Chittister’s Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, in which she reflects...

03/05/2020

Press Release 31/03/20RUMOURS OF HOPE 2020: A VIGIL FOR OUR TIMES More than 50 priests, bishops, lay leaders and ordinands...

05/04/2020

The Community at Mucknell Abbey are inviting you to join with us at home in holding a Quiet Day on...

02/04/2020

Thursday 2nd – We would like to express our deepest thanks to our greengrocer Ken from Pershore, who is going...

01/04/2020

Sunday 1st – If you’re looking for a shot of pure gospel then go no further. Click here and download...

01/03/2020

The Community at Mucknell is asking for your support in helping one of the UK’s many asylum seekers. Hassan’s story...

14/02/2020

Feast of the Presentation (Candlemas) – Candlemas, in which we remember the presentation of the child Jesus in the Temple...

02/02/2020

Wednesday 1st, Feast of the Naming of Jesus – A Happy (non-liturgical) New Year to you all. Today is the...

01/01/2020

Wednesday 4th – Br Stuart sent me this reflection yesterday, which seems very appropriate for the start of our Advent...

04/12/2019

  Sunday 10th – I’m afraid I’ve been away again. So much for stability. In my unavoidable absence I’m sorry...

10/11/2019

Welcome to October’s digest. As Br. Aidan is away for a couple of weeks, Sr. Jessica is looking after the...

06/10/2019

  Tuesday 3rd, Feast of St Gregory the Great – At a short ceremony during the Eucharist Br Patrick renewed...

01/09/2019

  Wednesday 8th, Feast of St Dominic – A week’s retreat and a stint as lunch cook hasn’t left much...

03/08/2019

Tuesday 2nd – Lunch and supper cooks are being invited to ‘nab and squirrel’ the first fruits of the kitchen...

30/06/2019

Saturday 1st – Yesterday, as part of our involvement in the Thy Kingdom Come call to prayer, we began using...

06/06/2019

“The greatest honor we can give Almighty God is to live gladly because of the knowledge of his love” –...

31/05/2019

“Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song” – St. John Paul...

29/04/2019

“Before I was humiliated I was like a stone that lies in deep mud, and he who is mighty came...

28/03/2019

“Teach me, my God and King, In all things Thee to see, And what I do in anything To do...

27/02/2019

A happy New Year to everyone reading this. Christmas already feels like a very distant memory, but celebrations went on...

28/01/2019

A Happy Christmas to everyone – yes, it’s still Christmas! We hope you are having a joyful and peaceful holiday...

31/12/2018

‘Travelling Light’ in the run up to Christmas Christmas can be a really stressful time. Many of us would like...

28/11/2018

“So dull and dark are the November days. The lazy mist high up the evening curled, And now the morn...

26/11/2018

The month began with our week-long Community Retreat. During this time the guesthouse is closed and we observe silence at...

30/10/2018

When one of our guests recently asked a Sister “Where is Br Stuart?”, she answered “Who?” In recent weeks, it...

29/09/2018

Good morning on this sunny Feast of St Michael and All Angels. Our patience-making internet connection notwithstanding, here is our...

29/09/2018

In a simple rite of reception on 7th our Alongsider Jessica was clothed in the habit and became our latest...

28/08/2018

Nothing hidden from its heat… It feels like it’s been a slow, quiet month here at Mucknell – not least...

28/07/2018

30/06/2018

30/06/2018

We kicked off June with our patronal Feast of the Visitation. The Community was founded as the Society of the...

30/06/2018

A year ago exactly (well, more or less) I had the privilege of attending a week-long Icon course led by...

29/06/2018

In March 2018 a small group of leaders of new monastic and emerging communities met with the Mucknell Abbey Community...

20/06/2018

Br Michaël made his monthly trip to Canterbury for the third week of his icon writing course.   On Monday...

30/05/2018

After all the excitement of Easter the Community enjoyed a relaxing Octave together. Some of the highlights included a few late mornings...

26/04/2018

A leading figure in the British Baptist Church and a close friend of Mucknell Abbey, Sr Margaret Jarman CPP BD...

16/04/2018

Br Michäel has finished writing a new icon of St Benedict (pictured). The icon has been commissioned by St Mary’s...

29/03/2018

At the February meeting of the Church of England’s General Synod a motion was passed which paves the way for...

28/03/2018

On Tuesday 13th March we were privileged to have Professor Susan Gillingham join us for the day to give the...

11/01/2018