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The Community

‘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.

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.

Community pilgrimage to St Albans
The Community on pilgrimage to St Albans with Rev Berkeley Zych
Edible community
Marzipan community, featuring Br Philip and Bertie the cat

Who’s Who

The Community currently comprises seven members in Solemn Vows, three in Simple Vows, two Novices and an 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

Sr Sally

Rev’d Sr Alison (Novice Guardian)

Br Patrick

Br Michäel

Br Aidan

Br Adrian

Sr Jessica (Novice)

Lydia (Alongsider)

Some Frequently Asked Questions…

What do you do all day?

Daily life in a Benedictine monastery is structured around prayer and work (Latin: ora et labora). Click here to see our Summer timetable.

What is your work?

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!

Are you a silent Order?

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!

Do you ever get out?

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.

Latest articles on our community

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

Although we mostly provide for individual retreats, this year some of the brothers and sisters at Mucknell are offering four...

22/03/2019

This year we are pleased to be able to offer three Prayer & Gardening days at the monastery. The dates...

21/03/2019

“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