We celebrated Her Majesty the Queen's Golden Jubilee in June with a Mass of Thanksgiving, much playing of the National Anthem, and four Recreation Days. We saw most of the special services and events live or on video, and feasted her royally.

Sister Teresa Mary
In July it was the turn of our own Sister Theresa Mary, who kept her Silver Jubilee with Mass on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.



Sister Theresa Mary and Family
Guest of honour was her mother, Mrs. Hutton, surrounded by numerous family members from Rotherham. Sadly, Sister Theresa Mary's grandmother had died earlier this year, and Mrs Hutton died on 27th August, having fulfilled her dream of being at her daughter's Silver Jubilee.

Let us not forget the other recent Silver Jubilarian. Sister Monica was fortunate to celebrate hers in the Year of the Great Jubilee 2000. But there was no Colwich Chronicle that year to record it!


Nuns Never Retire
Mother Edith and Dame Anselma continue to play their part in our community by bearing prayerfully the effects of age.

Lord in the Earthquake or Storm?
Some of us felt our beds shaken by the nocturnal earth tremor in September. Then for three days in October, we were without power after the great storm. With all the candles around, there was a party atmosphere, and we were able to keep up the Divine Office. However, we certainly appreciated our creature comforts when normal power was restored!

Website
Our website has some new pages thanks to Sister Benedict and Sister Davina.

Dame Felicitas Beechman died on 23rd February of bronchial pneumonia, three days after her 82nd birthday. Shortly before, the community had celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of her clothing with her in our infirmary.
Born in Edinburgh, she spent her youth in the Scottish Highlands, and was professed in 1944 at Holme Eden Abbey, Carlisle. When Holme Eden closed in 1983, she joined Colwich, where she served as cook, infirmarian, and chantress. She was a cheerful and prayerful Sister, and accepted life's changing and sometimes painful circumstances as God's will.

Our friend Billy Fraser died in Carlisle on 17th January. It was when the nuns from Holme Eden Abbey came to us that Billy, their handy man, "adopted" St. Mary's Abbey. He was a great help in repairing and redecorating our property on a voluntary basis. He served Mass daily, and at our great occasions led the procession as crossbearer.

Harry Stockton died on 17th June. He had kept in touch faithfully since he retired from being our gardener in 1989.

A niece and two brothers of our chaplain, Father Edward Delepine, died this year.

We had two postulants who tried their vocation this year, but left after a few months.

Stability
Sister Sheila Kearney has for many years been a professed Sister. She is making her way towards a Promise of Stability in our community. She serves as Sacristan, and also works in the library and the garden.

Ordination
Mother Abbess had the joy of being at the priestly ordination of our friend Michael McLauchlin in Bradford on 29th June, followed by his First Mass at Hamilton, Lanarkshire.

New Animals
Cows are back in our fields. Farmyard cats, Thomas and Tabby, call at every door for food. But the new star is Chelsea, the Apricot Standard Poodle. She joined us in April, and functions as a big bold watchdog outside, but the softest of pets indoors. Mother Prioress (Dame Anne) and Sister Davina care for her.