Colwich Abbey - Chronicle 2009

**Golden Days**
We celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving on 30th May for the Golden Jubilee of Sister Sheila Kearney in the religious habit, 50 years as a Visitation Sister and Benedictine Nun. Our chaplain Father Luke Waring concelebrated with 5 priests, all in diocesan gold-coloured vestments. Some 50 people took part, and joined us for a buffet lunch afterwards in the Court in beautiful sunshine. The community then had a couple of days recreation with outdoor meals while the fine weather continued. We all had a really lovely time, thanks be to God.	*Sister Sheila with her family*

We celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving on 30th May for the Golden Jubilee of Sister Sheila Kearney in the religious habit, 50 years as a Visitation Sister and Benedictine Nun.
Our chaplain Father Luke Waring concelebrated with 5 priests, all in diocesan gold-coloured vestments. Some 50 people took part, and joined us for a buffet lunch afterwards in the Court in beautiful sunshine.
The community then had a couple of days recreation with outdoor meals while the fine weather continued.
We all had a really lovely time, thanks be to God.

**Benedictine Monk Chaplains**
*Father Edward Delepine*	- *Father Luke Waring*
Father Edward Delepine came from Fort Augustus Abbey in 1994 to be our Chaplain. On 20th January this year, he celebrated his last Mass, with our new Chaplain. Not only the Community but also our families, friends, oblates and neighbours have all appreciated his quiet style with the touch of humour. We wish him a blessed retirement at Ampleforth Abbey.	Father Luke Waring, monk of Belmont Abbey and retired parish priest of St David's Swansea, has already become our friend as well as chaplain. He is living in Abbey House, and in August acquired a kitten named Diana. We still get news of Father Columba Thorne of Downside Abbey, who was our Chaplain before Father Edward.

Father Edward Delepine came from Fort Augustus Abbey in 1994 to be our Chaplain. On 20th January this year, he celebrated his last Mass, with our new Chaplain. Not only the Community but also our families, friends, oblates and neighbours have all appreciated his quiet style with the touch of humour. We wish him a blessed retirement at Ampleforth Abbey.

Father Luke Waring, monk of Belmont Abbey and retired parish priest of St David's Swansea, has already become our friend as well as chaplain. He is living in Abbey House, and in August acquired a kitten named Diana.
We still get news of Father Columba Thorne of Downside Abbey, who was our Chaplain before Father Edward.

Saint Therese Pilgrimage
We made a Community pilgrimage to venerate the relics of St Therese at Coleshill, a very prayerful occasion and a meeting with friends from Birmingham archdiocese.
Vocations: Successful Come and See Weekend
Sister Marie Therese our novice left last January to try another community. Our prayers go with her. We held a very successful Come and See Weekend in August, for women wanting to find out more about a vocation to our community. Many of our friends took posters for their parish churches and we advertised it on our Noviceship Blog. About ten women showed an interest and in the event four came, and found it helpful. Sister Davina writes: "The Holy Spirit prompted me with the words 'COME AND SEE'. In fact it was through Jesus' own words in St. John's Gospel - so I took this as a starting point. (Jn 1:35 -39) Jesus always takes the Initiative. He's always inviting us to go deeper into our lives, he asks What do you want?. He too asks us like the 2 disciples following, What do you want? So what is it that we want if nothing else but to follow Jesus. The disciples may have answered out of surprise when they said, Where do you live? Its like us living the monastic life, Jesus asks us not once but countless times a day, what do you want? This question precedes the next invitation, Come and see, and they stayed with him that day and so must we". The four women joined us for Mass and Office in the choir stalls. There were talks on St. Benedict's Rule, Scripture and the community's history. They also worked in the garden. The full account is on the Blog: HTTP://colwichnov.wordpress.com/

We made a Community pilgrimage to venerate the relics of St Therese at Coleshill, a very prayerful occasion and a meeting with friends from Birmingham archdiocese.

Sister Marie Therese our novice left last January to try another community. Our prayers go with her.
We held a very successful Come and See Weekend in August, for women wanting to find out more about a vocation to our community. Many of our friends took posters for their parish churches and we advertised it on our Noviceship Blog. About ten women showed an interest and in the event four came, and found it helpful.
Sister Davina writes:
"The Holy Spirit prompted me with the words 'COME AND SEE'. In fact it was through Jesus' own words in St. John's Gospel - so I took this as a starting point. (Jn 1:35 -39)
Jesus always takes the Initiative. He's always inviting us to go deeper into our lives, he asks What do you want?. He too asks us like the 2 disciples following, What do you want? So what is it that we want if nothing else but to follow Jesus. The disciples may have answered out of surprise when they said, Where do you live? Its like us living the monastic life, Jesus asks us not once but countless times a day, what do you want? This question precedes the next invitation, Come and see, and they stayed with him that day and so must we".
The four women joined us for Mass and Office in the choir stalls. There were talks on St. Benedict's Rule, Scripture and the community's history. They also worked in the garden.

**Second World War: Colwich Chronicle 1939**
3rd September We are having Exposition today, Sunday, in response to the Archbishop's appeal and shall continue to have it every Sunday, for the present. Lady Abbess [Evangelista de Capitain] has read to us the King's broadcast message to his people. His few simple words went straight home, inspiring courage and confidence that our cause being just we could rely upon the help of God and look forward calmly to the test that is before us as a nation and individually. 6th September At Chapter today Lady Abbess added to her instructions a warning to be very careful on two points especially. To observe all the rules for blacking out, and to avoid waste of any kind. Not only are prices going up, but many things are almost impossible to get as Government has taken over a number of the factories. She concluded by urging us all to keep calm, as anything like nerves would make life very trying not only for the nervy one but for everybody else.	The nuns in gas masks 1939

3rd September We are having Exposition today, Sunday, in response to the Archbishop's appeal and shall continue to have it every Sunday, for the present. Lady Abbess [Evangelista de Capitain] has read to us the King's broadcast message to his people. His few simple words went straight home, inspiring courage and confidence that our cause being just we could rely upon the help of God and look forward calmly to the test that is before us as a nation and individually.

6th September At Chapter today Lady Abbess added to her instructions a warning to be very careful on two points especially. To observe all the rules for blacking out, and to avoid waste of any kind. Not only are prices going up, but many things are almost impossible to get as Government has taken over a number of the factories. She concluded by urging us all to keep calm, as anything like nerves would make life very trying not only for the nervy one but for everybody else.