December 2020
1 December – I promised myself I wouldn’t be quite so tardy this month, so here we are: day one....
We live a contemplative life under the Rule of St Benedict, our primary work being the Opus Dei, or the praise of God in liturgical worship. The community gather together seven times a day to say or chant the traditional monastic Office and to celebrate the Eucharist. The rest of our day is spent in work, study, private prayer, pastoral support, and in offering hospitality to those looking to share in our life here at Mucknell.
As a community we seek to respond openly to the challenge of a changing world and the promptings of the Spirit. Founded to pray for the Unity of the Church, we continue to be deeply committed to ecumenism. We also hope to witness to our unity in Christ through being, uniquely, a mixed community of women and men. In more recent times we have also sought to respond to the growing ecological crisis in our world with an on-going commitment to living sustainably.
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
Sr Sally
Rev’d Sr Alison (Novice Guardian)
Br Patrick
Br Michäel
Br Jonathan (formerly Br Aidan)
Br Adrian
Sr Jessica (Novice)
Sr Gregory (Novice)
Daily life in a Benedictine monastery is structured around prayer and work (Latin: ora et labora). Click here to see our Summer timetable.
Most of our daily work is made up of normal domestic tasks, only on a larger scale: laundry, cooking, cleaning, shopping etc. Members of the community are assigned tasks on a weekly rota. In addition to this most members of the Community have some specific, stable responsibilities, such as infirmarian, sacristan, beekeeper or webmaster. Click here for some random facts!
No, although our day is punctuated by formal periods of silence. Greater Silence, as it is called, runs from the end of Compline through to the end of Terce on the following day. There are also periods of lesser silence in the morning, mid-day and afternoon. Once a month we have a Quiet Day, in which the Community keeps a corporate silence throughout the day, and twice a year the Community has a silent retreat. But our aim is to maintain a quiet atmosphere throughout the day as an aid to developing a quiet mind – although these do not necessarily coincide!
Most of our life together is spent on-site, but we are not enclosed. Members of the Community might be asked to lead a retreat or attend an outside meeting, and then there is the normal business of living: visiting the doctor or taking the car to the garage. We are also given one Rest Day a month, which can be spent outside the monastery, as well as an allowance of holidays.
1 December – I promised myself I wouldn’t be quite so tardy this month, so here we are: day one....
On 8th November we celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of Br Stuart’s profession in monastic life. From the 10th to the...
2 November In light of the lockdown due to come into force in England on 5 November the Community regret...
Saturday 3rd October – From page one of Tolstoy’s Diaries, ed. by R.F Christian: ‘It is easier to produce ten...
Friday 4th – This piece of news strictly belongs in last month’s mlog (monastic blog), but I didn’t want it...
Tuesday, 4th – A few days ago Chapter voted in favour of allowing me to renew my Simple Vows for...
Sunday 5th – I thought I would share this extract from a homily on today’s gospel from John Chrysostom, which...
Above: The wagtail, which has recently been making an aviary of our greenhouse Trinity Sunday – There is so little...
Sunday 3rd – Our last mealtime book was Sr Joan Chittister’s Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, in which she reflects...
Press Release 31/03/20RUMOURS OF HOPE 2020: A VIGIL FOR OUR TIMES More than 50 priests, bishops, lay leaders and ordinands...
The Community at Mucknell Abbey are inviting you to join with us at home in holding a Quiet Day on...
Thursday 2nd – We would like to express our deepest thanks to our greengrocer Ken from Pershore, who is going...
Sunday 1st – If you’re looking for a shot of pure gospel then go no further. Click here and download...
The Community at Mucknell is asking for your support in helping one of the UK’s many asylum seekers. Hassan’s story...
Feast of the Presentation (Candlemas) – Candlemas, in which we remember the presentation of the child Jesus in the Temple...
Wednesday 1st, Feast of the Naming of Jesus – A Happy (non-liturgical) New Year to you all. Today is the...
Wednesday 4th – Br Stuart sent me this reflection yesterday, which seems very appropriate for the start of our Advent...
Sunday 10th – I’m afraid I’ve been away again. So much for stability. In my unavoidable absence I’m sorry...
Welcome to October’s digest. As Br. Aidan is away for a couple of weeks, Sr. Jessica is looking after the...
Tuesday 3rd, Feast of St Gregory the Great – At a short ceremony during the Eucharist Br Patrick renewed...
Wednesday 8th, Feast of St Dominic – A week’s retreat and a stint as lunch cook hasn’t left much...
Tuesday 2nd – Lunch and supper cooks are being invited to ‘nab and squirrel’ the first fruits of the kitchen...
Saturday 1st – Yesterday, as part of our involvement in the Thy Kingdom Come call to prayer, we began using...
“The greatest honor we can give Almighty God is to live gladly because of the knowledge of his love” –...
“Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song” – St. John Paul...
“Before I was humiliated I was like a stone that lies in deep mud, and he who is mighty came...
Although we mostly provide for individual retreats, this year some of the brothers and sisters at Mucknell are offering four...
“Teach me, my God and King, In all things Thee to see, And what I do in anything To do...
A happy New Year to everyone reading this. Christmas already feels like a very distant memory, but celebrations went on...
A Happy Christmas to everyone – yes, it’s still Christmas! We hope you are having a joyful and peaceful holiday...
‘Travelling Light’ in the run up to Christmas Christmas can be a really stressful time. Many of us would like...
“So dull and dark are the November days. The lazy mist high up the evening curled, And now the morn...
The month began with our week-long Community Retreat. During this time the guesthouse is closed and we observe silence at...
When one of our guests recently asked a Sister “Where is Br Stuart?”, she answered “Who?” In recent weeks, it...
Good morning on this sunny Feast of St Michael and All Angels. Our patience-making internet connection notwithstanding, here is our...
In a simple rite of reception on 7th our Alongsider Jessica was clothed in the habit and became our latest...
Nothing hidden from its heat… It feels like it’s been a slow, quiet month here at Mucknell – not least...
We kicked off June with our patronal Feast of the Visitation. The Community was founded as the Society of the...
A year ago exactly (well, more or less) I had the privilege of attending a week-long Icon course led by...
In March 2018 a small group of leaders of new monastic and emerging communities met with the Mucknell Abbey Community...
Br Michaël made his monthly trip to Canterbury for the third week of his icon writing course. On Monday...
After all the excitement of Easter the Community enjoyed a relaxing Octave together. Some of the highlights included a few late mornings...
A leading figure in the British Baptist Church and a close friend of Mucknell Abbey, Sr Margaret Jarman CPP BD...
Br Michäel has finished writing a new icon of St Benedict (pictured). The icon has been commissioned by St Mary’s...
At the February meeting of the Church of England’s General Synod a motion was passed which paves the way for...
On Tuesday 13th March we were privileged to have Professor Susan Gillingham join us for the day to give the...