Modern History 2

The first candidate wishing to join the community was sent to our sisters at St. Walburga's in Boulder (now Virginia Dale), Colorado, since Minster had as yet no formation programme. She later re-joined Minster as Sister John Baptist Florescu. In 1953 Mother Emmanuel was asked to help another American foundation at Holy Cross Abbey in the States. She was replaced in Minster by Mother Walburga von Waldburg-Zeil who was to lead the community of St. Mildred's Priory for thirty years. Under Mother Walburga the Noviciate was formally opened in 1954. The first postulant to enter, in the same year, was Caroline Scott, later Sister Concordia. In 1954 the community was also faced by one of its greatest challenges: the entire roof of the Saxon Wing was found to be riddled with rot and woodworm and was in instant need of repair. The Sisters possessed a bank-balance of barely £30 to tackle a project costing many thousands. Since 1954 happened to be the 1200th year of the death of St. Boniface, the Apostle of Germany (d. 754) Mother Walburga appealed to the German Bishops' Conference for help – with a reminder of the assistance granted to the great missionary by Minster's third Abbess, Edburga. She also approached the Pilgrim Trust. With their help the roof repairs could be undertaken and at the same time new cells were built into the attic space. From the remaining funds the Sisters bought a small second-hand tractor which was to transform their work on the farm. In the 1960s the small Victorian Gatehouse was extended to cater for the growing demand for guest accommodation. This project was followed by the building of a wooden Chapel, dedicated to Our Lady of Peace, in the Abbey garden.

While a few of the German founding sisters eventually returned to the mother-house, the community also received new candidates, seeking to live the monastic life of prayer, work and hospitality, each bringing her own gifts and skills. The new members came from Britain as well as abroad and this 'internationality' has remained one of the characteristics of the community.

Mother Walburga retired as Prioress in 1984 and the Community elected Mother Concordia Scott to succeed her. Already well known in the British Isles and abroad as a sculptress, she continued her art work while leading the community for the next fifteen years.

In 1987, the Golden Jubilee Year of foundation, the Patronal Feast of Saint Mildred in July was celebrated with great solemnity and marked by a number of special events, among them a magnificent pageant by the local school children, displaying the history of Minster Abbey through the centuries. Then, in August, a fire destroyed the monastic Chapel – on the feast of its dedication! In October a hurricane swept the South East of England. The Abbey sustained some damage and, more seriously, lost a number of very ancient trees in the grounds. While the monastic life of prayer went steadily on, plans for a new Chapel were made. With very few resources the community recognised once again an invitation to trust in God's loving care. Over a six-year period of fund-raising with the help of many generous friends the project finally came to fruition in the simple and beautiful Chapel of Our Lady and St. Andrew which was dedicated on 4th June 1993. Here the community continues to gather seven times a day for the celebration of Mass and the Divine Office. The Chapel houses relics of St Mildred and also a bronze statue of Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, which is the work of Mother Concordia.

On the Feast of All Saints in November 1996 the community was granted independence by the mother-house in Eichstatt and the house was raised to the status of a Conventual Priory. The Minster Community continues to have close links with the founding Abbey of St. Walburga's to whom we owe a great debt of gratitude for our monastic heritage, faithfully handed on in a thousand-year-old Benedictine Tradition.

In 1997, the 1400th anniversary of St. Augustine's mission to England, Minster Abbey welcomed pilgrims retracing the route of the missionaries from Rome, hosted ecumenical events and joined in the special celebrations taking place in St Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury, and in Canterbury Cathedral, (in medieval times the home of a Benedictine community) In the summer the Abbey provided the setting for a magnificent Son et Lumiere organized by the village community to celebrate the jubilee.

On 1st January 1998 our Community was formally welcomed as a member of the Subiaco Congregation of the Order of Saint Benedict, an association of monasteries spanning five continents. St. Mildred's Priory is part of the English Province which includes houses in the United States, Mexico and Ghana. Our links with communities of such varied cultural background, living the monastic ideal in widely different and often difficult situations are an inspiration to us and a call to live our own monastic life authentically. We have been blessed with many enriching encounters.

On Mother Concordia's retirement in 1999 the Community elected Mother Nikola Proksch as the sixth Prioress of Minster. In the Great Jubilee Year of the Millennium the Minster Community took part in the celebrations of the local Christian Churches and of the Benedictine Order. We also continued our East-West Monastic Meetings, begun in 1996 in response to Pope John Paul's encyclical letter 'Orientale Lumen', in which the Holy Father encourages monastic communities to foster dialogue with the Orthodox Churches. Studying and praying together has born fruit for us in greater understanding of the Eastern Christian Tradition and many personal friendships. In 2005, and again in 2007, Minster welcomed large groups of Christians of the Syriac Tradition, both Orthodox and Catholic, many of whom had to flee from Iraq, to enjoy the beauty and peace of the Abbey with their families and to celebrate together.

In 2006 we were able, with the help of many generous and dedicated friends, to open the new Bethany Wing of our Guesthouse. This extension provides full access and accommodation for guests with a disability, and allows us to welcome the growing number of day and residential groups.

Today, in the 70th year since our monastic re-foundation, our Community numbers thirteen members from eight different countries. We continue to strive to serve God in prayer and praise, to work in harmony with each other and with God's creation, and to welcome each person as Christ, “so that in all things God may be glorified” (Rule of St. Benedict).

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