Christmas In A Stable And Easter In A Shearing Shed…
The community of Notre Dame Priory got a taste of what it was like for the Holy Family to spend the first Christmas in a stable — due to our distance from Colebrook and the difficulty involved in going back and forth, we decided to spend Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday in a shearing shed […]
Christopher Dawson Lecture
Lecture delivered today at the Christopher Dawson Centre for Cultural Studies, Hobart, Tasmania. The Benedictine Contribution to Western Christianity First of all, I am no historian. So, when Dr Daintree was so kind as to ask me to deliver this lecture, after giving it some thought, I suggested having a look at the Benedictine contribution […]
The Dawson Lecture
This evening Father Prior was invited to deliver a lecture for the Christopher Dawson Centre for Cultural Studies in Hobart. The topic was The Benedictine Contribution to Western Christianity. The aspirants joined Father for this talk at which among others, were present His Grace Archbishop Porteous and the president of the Centre, Doctor David Daintree. […]
Passion Sunday: Hodie, Si Vocem Eius Audieritis — Today, If You Hear His Voice…
Today if you hear His voice, harden not your hearts. This verse from psalm 94 which is recited everyday at the beginning of Matins, takes on new significance during Passiontide. Our Holy Mother the Church, by making of this verse the invitatory during this holy season, seems to be wanting to evoke two sentiments in us. […]
Fiat, From Annunciation To Calvary
According to Tradition, 25 March is both the beginning and the end of the earthly existence of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Conceived on this day in the immaculate womb of Mary, He also expired on the cross on Good Friday some 33 years later (that’s why it’s also the feast day today of the good […]
High Tea With His Grace
Today our small community was delighted to welcome our beloved Archbishop for “High Tea”. This is the first time His Grace was able to come and spend a good amount of time with us since our installation here in Lindisfarne. After a brief tour of the recently renovated house, our temporary home, we treated our […]
Scienter Nescius Et Sapienter Indoctus.
Today is for all Benedictine monks and nuns around the world a day of joy and celebration, it being the “transitus” or passing of our holy Father St Benedict to the joys of Heaven. Standing in the oratory, surrounded by his brethren, having received the Sacred Body of His Lord, St Benedict gave back his […]
From The Isle Of St Joseph
As Fr Julian Tennyson Woods called it, Tasmania is the “Isle of St Joseph”. An extra reason for us, who have St Joseph as secondary patron of the Priory of which his Immaculate Spouse is the principal patroness, to invoke this extraordinary man on his feast day. From my 32 years at St Joseph Abbey […]
Of Pilgrimages And Vineyards
Over the weekend aspirants David and Matt were privileged to take part in the first pilgrimage organised by Archbishop Porteous from the historic church of St John’s in Richmond to the equally historic church of St Patrick’s in Colebrook. A good group of pilgrims joined the archbishop, including several religious sisters from the diocese. We […]