Hospitality 3

May They All Be One- An Ecumenical Welcome

A great concern that we carry in our prayer is the division within the Christian family. “Monasteries have always been places of healing in the Church. Pope John Paul II recognized this special gift when in 1996, he published his Apostolic Letter Orientale Lumen. Expressing his deep desire for the healing between the Churches of the East and the West, he proposed that monasteries should be places of reconciliation. He saw that the common heritage of the eastern and western monastic traditions could be an opportunity for real ecumenical dialogue.

Over the past ten years we have tried to respond to this invitation by hosting monastic meetings and dialogue days. We feel blessed and encouraged by the response of so many others who value this opportunity, and we have gained many new friends from the Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches. It has been a great joy to establish contacts with several of the Christian Churches in Aleppo in Syria, where the ecumenical dialogue is flourishing It is our hope that this initiative may bear fruit and that one day the Church may once again ‘breathe with both lungs’.

Of course not all who come to a monastery have deep roots in faith. Many of those who have little contact with the Church frequently experience a profound awareness of the presence of God, during the time of silent adoration following Compline. It is often when the community is feeling most tired and useless that God uses our prayer in unexpected ways.

The Earth entrusted to our Care

Our life at Minster is lived in harmony with all God’s creation. The work of the community, whether in the gardens, in the kitchens, in the guest house or on the farm expresses the responsibility for the earth entrusted to our care. We invite our guests and visitors to share with us our concern for environmental issues, and issues of justice and peace. This includes our support of Fairtrade, which guarantees producers a fair and stable price for their products and which can transform the lives of some of the poorest people in the world. It seems important as well to welcome those from the caring professions, counsellors, prison-chaplains, assistants from L’Arche, parish priests and sisters, people who give so much and are in need of support, refreshment and solitude.

Sr. Aelred

A Monastery - A Powerful counter-witness in our society

Sr. Scholastica shares from her own experience of Hospitality and Young People - from both sides. “The first time I came to Minster Abbey it was as a member of the Pilgrims Community. I expected a group of nuns who were totally unaware of what was going on ‘outside’. The reality was for me quite the opposite. It became clear as we talked that whether evangelizing in schools and on the streets, or living a hidden life of prayer, we were in fact on the same wave-length as we served the same Lord. Each of us came away inspired that afternoon. Now, some 8 years later, and myself a member of the Minster community, I like to think that when we receive young people, they feel something of that same welcome. Monastic life with its continuous rhythm of prayer and work (as well as the lack of any designer-label attire) stands as a powerful counter-witness to a fast moving consumer society. We too are inspired and even challenged by the young people who come to our monastery and their enthusiastic and often courageous witness to Christ.

Sr. Scholastica

One of our friends reflects “I have been visiting the Abbey for many years. One of the sisters accompanies me on my journey through life. I value her listening ear and her wisdom; she helps me to discover what God is calling me to be - to do -at various stages of my life. In the silence of the garden and the chapel I soak up the peace and beauty of God. I simply love praying there with the sisters and have a sense of God’s closeness and unfailing love for me.”

Marie Clare Renn

A Microcosm of Society

Mother Nikola shares some of her reflections on hospitality. “Our community of thirteen sisters is enriched by the variety of our national, cultural and family backgrounds.

We hail from eight different countries! We treasure each others’ immediate and extended families and love to receive their latest news or welcome them here. In a very real sense they have become part of our lives.

Our small community is like a microcosm of the multicultural society in which we live. Each day brings opportunities and challenges as we strive to live faithfully and peacefully together in the monastic family, welcoming and accepting each sister who has been specially called. As we support each other in our weakness and rejoice in each others’ gifts we pray that our life may be a sign of hope in our often fragmented world.” Mother Nikola

Welcoming Jesus in One another

As I reflect on the years of welcoming people to Minster, it seems to me that each person in their own unique way has brought a blessing to us. Often it is through the most unlikely – those who are most broken and vulnerable - Christ comes to us in the most hidden of ways. In our work of hospitality, we continue to experience the loving mercy of God and receive a glimpse of the face of Christ, in each person whom we welcome.

Sr. Aelred

Click to go back