The context of this paper is Christian monasticism and it might be useful, firstly, to consider what is the image that "monk" and "monastery" bring to mind. The following seeks to depart from a stereotyped image of cowls, cloisters and chant. While these have been powerful symbols, especially of medieval monasticism, they remain externals.
Firstly, a little contextualisation. Monasticism is something which Christianity holds in common with other major religions, especially Buddhism and Hinduism and, as such, is a valuable meeting point in interfaith dialogue. An outstanding contemporary example of this was the English born Christian monk, Bede Griffiths, who sought to inculturate a Christian monastic spirituality in an Indian context. The search for the Buddhist monk is akin to that of the Christian monk, except that where the former seeks to achieve nothingness, the latter seeks oneness with Christ. Unfortunately, Christian monasticism, especially in the West, tended to become very institutionalised and was, perhaps partly as a result of this, rejected by the Reformation. As a result, many seeking to deepen their spiritual life have turned to Eastern religions, not recognising what Christianity has to offer. In contrast to this, I was part of a conference in Rome in 1992 between Methodists and Benedictines, the common point of interest being Wesley’s use of early monastic writers who were also a source of the Benedictine tradition.
In place of the symbols of cowls, cloisters and chant, I propose radical self-honesty, accountability and integration. This is not simply the substitution of contemporary jargon, but I believe corresponds to what even the earliest monks were on about in their search for God. These men and women often went out into the desert of Egypt, Palestine and Asia Minor, finding in the wilderness a place to re-focus. This search involves getting things into perspective and removing obstacles to it. It means having one’s own self-identity clear. This was what John Cassian (350-434), who passed on to the West the wisdom of the Egyptian desert, was describing when he wrote about the goal of the monk.(1) In the first of his Conferences, attributed to Abba Moses, the end - or ultimate goal of the monk is described as the kingdom of heaven, a concept which would have permeated religious thinking at that time, but which has little appeal today. It was recently suggested that heaven has now been replaced by cyberspace.(2) The conference continues, wisely pointing out that this distant goal is not enough, however - there is also needed a proximate goal, which is purity of heart. This notion (the Greek apatheia) derives from Evagrius Ponticus (346-399) and is the goal of the individual’s ascetic struggle under the grace of God to root out vices and cultivate virtues. It is inspired by Mt 5:8: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God", which signifies being in touch with oneself, without false images - having an undivided heart. It is the struggle to "know thyself". The traditional virtue most associated with this is humility - not having false images about oneself, but knowing where one stands in relation to self, others and God. "These monks staked everything on the effort to destroy illusion and deception. Their various disciplines were intended to help them cut through the noise of lives hooked on the deceptions, materialisms and games which have characterised human beings since the Fall."(3) Hence the other side of this purity of heart is charity for, having attained a right perspective on things, one is motivated to reach out to others. It leads on to that reaching out for God in contemplation which is a foretaste of the kingdom attained. A key means to reach this basic honesty is self-revelation to one’s spiritual father or mother for discernment.
The second value mentioned was accountability. The traditional virtue associated with this is obedience, in imitation of Christ who "became obedient to the point of death" (Phil 2:8). As this was for Christ an obedience of service, so it is for the monk. Hence the importance of relationships and how one relates. Even in the desert, priority was given to helping the needy and visiting the sick(4) and the attitude to one’s neighbour was seen as determining acceptability to God.(5) This is also a strong theme in the literature of Pachomius (290-346), the founder of community monastic life in Upper Egypt. It is expressed thus in a prayer of Pachomius: "Lord, as you have led these brothers to us that we might see each other again in this world, in the same way make us worthy to see each other in the next".(6) Monasteries down the centuries have tried to live this out in the hospitality shown to guests. This accountability extends also to material things, to care of goods and care of the earth. It means being attuned to the world around, connected to what is going on.
The third element is integration, drawing together honesty with self and accountability to others into the relationship with God. Obviously, none of these elements are independent or compartmentalised, but are intricately interwoven. This integration is sought and deepened in the monk’s prayer, which could be seen as the communication which nourishes the relationship with God. The monastic day is punctuated by times of prayer though the aim is unceasing prayer. Thus Pachomian monks are encouraged to meditate on Scripture going to and from the church, while working and carrying out their tasks in the community.(7) It is in this context that the use of a prayer word or phrase originated. John Cassian, reporting Abba Isaac in Conference 10, gives as a formula the first verse of Psalm 70: "O God, come to my aid, O Lord make haste to help me". This form of non-imaginative prayer, akin to the Eastern use of a mantra, was somewhat lost in the Western Church, but revived in our time by people like Thomas Merton, John Main and Basil Pennington. In the Orthodox tradition it continued in the Jesus Prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner", based on Lk 18:14. The repetition of the verse seeks to create an inner stillness inviting union with Christ. The medieval tradition developed four aspects: sacred reading (lectio), a reflective reading of Scripture; meditation (meditatio), pondering the fruit of that reading in the heart; prayer (oratio), which springs from this pondering; and contemplation (contemplatio), the gift of total self-surrender.
I would like now to look briefly at these elements in the Benedictine tradition. Benedict, who lived in Italy in the sixth century, wrote a Rule which, partly because of its moderation and partly because it was favoured by the Carolingian Empire, came to dominate in the West. This community form of monastic life draws its inspiration from Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-35, a sharing of belief, goods and prayer. The Rule of Benedict is a 9000 word document which contains spiritual teaching, a detailed outline of community prayer and advice on the running of the monastery. It is scripturally based pattern for seeking God in prayer and work. It is marked by moderation, discernment, mutual concern and adaptability.
For Benedict, the setting for the pursuit of radical self honesty is the community. "The genius of Benedict was to situate the individual search for God within a communal context that shaped as well as supported the quest."(8) In his spiritual teaching he devotes a chapter to humility, describing twelve steps or manifestations which accompany the journey from a false sense of self to self-recognition, where listening to God can happen.(9) The first criterion for accepting newcomers is is whether they truly seek God (RB 58).
Accountability is basic to the Rule. "For Benedict, as for the whole tradition before him, the key to monastic life was accountability to God and to other people."(10) As well as obedience to the superior there is mutual obedience to one another - a chapter is given to each (RB 5 & 71). There is accountability for material things - they are to be treated as the sacred vessels of the altar (RB 31). Members are expected to work for their living and there is to be no avarice among them (RB 33). They do not have free disposal even of their own bodies (RB 33).
Integration through prayer is perhaps emphasised even by the amount of space Benedict dedicates to describing the daily prayer routine. The community comes together seven times during the day and at night for prayer in common. This consists basically of the psalms, together with hymnody, reading from Scripture and intercessions. A key attitude in prayer and life is listening: the Rule begins with the word "Listen". The emphasis is being attuned to God’s word working in our life, not being drowned by our own words. It is perhaps akin to what in our Australian culture is called dadirri, "inner, deep listening and quiet, still awareness".(11) This attitude might also be valid for our own time and place in a society where there are signs of disintegration and increasing separation from the Creator.
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Footnotes
1. Boniface Ramsey, John Cassian: The Conferences (New York: Paulist Press, 1997), pp. 41-44.
2. Chris McGillion, "Click twice for heaven" in The Sydney Morning Herald, Wednesday, 3 March, 1999, p. 10.
3. Columba Stewart, "Radical honesty about the self: the practice of the desert fathers" in Sobornost 12(1990), p.25
4. cf. The Wisdom of the Desert Fathers (The Anonymous Series), trans. Benedicta Ward (Fairacres: SLG Press, 1975), p. 61 (n.224): A brother questioned an old man, saying, ‘Here are two brothers. One of them leads a solitary life for six days a week, giving himself much pain, and the other serves the sick. Whose work does God accept with the greater favour? The old man said, ‘Even if the one who withdraws for six days were to hang himself up by his nostrils, he could not equal the one who serves the sick.’
5. Graham Gould, The Desert Fathers on Monastic Community (Oxford: Clarendon Press, l993), p.100
6. L. Th. Lefort, Les Vies Coptes de Saint Pachome (Louvain: Institut Orientaliste, 1943), pp, 26-27 (trans. mine).
7. Pachomius, Praecepta 3, 28, 60, 36, 37., trans. Armand Veilleux, Pachomian Koinonia, Vol. 2 (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1981), pp. 145-156.
8. Columba Stewart, Prayer and Community: The Benedictine Tradition (London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 1998), p. 15
9. Stewart, Prayer and Community, p. 57.
10. Stewart, Prayer and Community, p. 53.
11. Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr, "Dadirri", in Compass, 22(1988), p. 9.
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The Syrian Orthodox Tradition in Turkey Today
Michael Kelly OSB
A recompense for the disadvantage of distance in travelling from Australia to Europe is the ability to stop en route in any number of fascinating places. I thus took the opportunity in September, 1998, while going to Italy for a meeting of the formators of our Congregation, to fulfil an ambition to visit Turkey with its rich early Christian associations. A further incentive was my learning the previous year of extant Syrian Orthodox monasteries in the country dating back to the fourth century (1).
Turkey today, with a population of around sixty million, is 99% muslim. Syrians account for around one fifth of the 100,000 or so Christians in the country, but only about 2,000 remain in the south-east. It is within this area, on the plateau of Tur Abdin, that an ancient bastion of Chritian monasticism survives in a handful of monasteries. The Tur Abdin lies in the Taurus Mountains, between the Tigris and Euphrates, in what was Upper Mesopotamia. As once it was the site of the boundary between the Roman and Persian empires, so today it is only a little above the Syrian border, not far from the border with Iraq. The two best known monasteries are Dayr el Zafaran (the saffron monastery), seven kilometres south-east of Mardin and Mor Gabriel, 120 kilometres north-east of Mardin. It was to the latter that I paid a brief visit.
Owing to its position near the border, in an area of Kurdish insurgency, Tur Abdin is to be approached with appropriate caution and a number of military check points will be encountered when travelling by bus. On the journey across I took the two hour flight from Istanbul to Diyarbakir, returning in stages by road. From Diyarbakir it is possible to travel by dolmus, a popular form of Turkish transport for small numbers - in this case a mini-bus - to Midyat, via Mardin, a distance of 150 kilometres. On this occasion the two and a half hour journey took six hours as the dolmus broke down near Mardin. From Midyat a taxi is the only public transport for the final thirty odd kilometres.
The entrance to the Monastery of Mor Gabriel
The foundation of the monastery of Mor Gabriel is attributed to Mor Samuel and his disciple, Mor Simeon in 397. It has been known as Deyrulumur, "The Monastery of the Abode" (of Mor Simeon) and also as Qartmin, from the nearby village. The present name comes from the seventh century abbot, Bishop Gabriel. It received imperial benefactions from the emperors Honorius and Arcadius, Theodosius and Anastasius and these are reflected in some of the existing buildings.
The main church of Mor Gabriel was built in 512. It is representative of the monastic style of church of the area (broad from north to south), as distinct from the parochial style (long from east to west)(2). It was beautifully restored on the occasion of the commemoration of the sixteenth centenary of foundation in 1997. The massive walls are of stone and the barrel vault of brick. On the east is the sanctuary with an apse, flanked by two small rectangular rooms. Access to the three of these is by doorways which pierce the thick east wall of the nave. The nave is entered from an arcaded narthex on the west side. The sanctuary is decorated with the remains of mosaics unique because of their antiquity and of interst owing to the lack of any animate figures. In the vault are three crosses surrounded by vines. The upper walls are are adorned with representations of domed ciboria over altars bearing the eucharistic cup and bread. At the entrance to the sanctuary the Scriptures are enthroned in an elaborate metal binding.
The nave of the church
The Narthex The sanctuary door The sanctuary
The exterior of the narthex
To the left, facing the church, a covered passage leads to an unusual structure known as the Dome of Theodora. This domed octagon, 10.5 m in diameter, open at the apex and with eight niches around the walls, is dated to the same period as the church and is thought to have been a baptistery(3). Further along the passage is a courtyard and on the left side of this is the entrance to the Church of the Mother of God, believed to be from the reign of Theodosius II (408-450). This is no longer used and plaster disguises its great antiquity. The chamber to the right of the sanctuary gives access to what appears to have been a hermit’s cell. On the opposite side of the courtyard is the House of Martyrs, another part of the early complex and seemingly used as burial place also for abbots and dignitaries.
Outside the present complex are two structures known as the Dome of the Egyptians and the Dome of the Departed built, like the Dome of Theodora, on eight arches. However, a square surround and flat roof over the dome disguises the true shape of each building. Early sources refer to one such building, presumably the Dome of the Egyptians. The legend behind this is that eight hundred Egyptian monks came to the monastery and were buried in this sepulchre. The foundations and ruins of other buildings, some even earlier, are to be found surrounding the present monastery.
The "Dome of the Egyptians"
The present community consists of two monks, the abbot and bishop of Tur Abdin, Archbishop Timotheos Aktas, and Raban Tuma Aksoy; fourteen nuns; a teaching staff of five and around thirty students. These are trained to take leadership in local churches, their secular education being completed at public schools in Midyat. The liturgy, in which all participate, begins around 5.30am. Those present gather again at midday, and finally around 5.30pm. The Liturgy of the Hours consists of the seven traditional hours celebrated at the three times mentioned above and is comprised mainly of texts from the Fathers of the early Church. The liturgical language is ancient Syriac while the spoken language is a local dialect of Syriac. Eucharist is celebrated on Sunday, Wednesday, Friday and feasts and communion is taken about once a month. Meals follow the prayer times with monks, teachers and students eating together. There seemed to be a healthy diet of meat, vegetables, salad and fruit. The monastery has cattle, goats, poultry and a vegetable garden. There is artesian water and the electricity supply is supplemented by a generator. The property seemed to extend in each direction around the monastery for about 500 m. The guest area contained several rooms with multiple beds and a well appointed common bathroom.
Little remains by way of manuscripts, owing to the numerous raids over the centuries and again today there are difficulties(4). There are restrictions on the use of Syriac and the work of renovation has been stopped. The Tablet, on the 19 September, 1998 quoted a report in the Los Angeles Times that there was police pressure on Mor Gabriel to prevent children being taught the faith and traditional language. An appropriate celebration of the sixteenth centenary was not possible. Many Syrian Orthodox Christians have emigrated, including monks who have founded communities in The Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland. An association, the "Friends of Tur Abdin" is based in Linz and issues a quarterly periodical(5). Number 9, June 1997, contained historical articles in English, German, Turkish and Syriac on the occasion of the sixteenth centenary.
Mor Gabriel represents not only a rich cultural patrimony but is a unique witness to Syriac monasticism which, with the Egyptian and Palestinian traditions, has passed on the ideals of the earliest Christian monks and nuns. It would be a loss - and a reproof - to contemporary Christianity should this tradition not be allowed to flourish in the place where its history is so long.
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Footnotes:
1. E. Picucci, "Witness to an Intense Spirituality", L’Osservatore Romano (Weekly Edition in English), n.33/34 - 13/20 August 1997, p.9.
2. Gertrude Bell, The Churches and Monasteries of the Tur Abdin, (London: Pindar Press, 1982) p. viii.3. Andrew Palmer, Monk and mason on the Tigris frontier, (Cambridge: University Press, 1990) p. 147.
4. cf. William Dalrymple, From the Holy Mountain, (London: Harper Collins, 1997) pp. 88-129.
5. Freunde des Tur Abdin, Bethlehemstrasse 20, A-4020 Linz. Tel/Fax: 0043 732 773578; http://members.nextra.at/fturabdin
(Since this was written a further monograph on the Turabdin has been published: Hans Hollerweger, Turabdin: Living Cultural Heritage, (Linz: Freunde des Tur Abdin, 1999)
(This article appeared in Tjurunga n.56, May 1999, pp.83-88, and in Inter Fratres 49(1999) pp.1-8: English & Italian) __________________________________
Michael Kelly OSB
Lectio Divina, an ancient monastic practice, appears to be gaining a new popularity. Literally, it means "divine or sacred reading" and was a form of praying with the Scriptures that Benedict in the sixth century expected his followers to devote themselves to for about three hours every day over and above the Liturgy of the Hours in choir. Its popularity is strange in a goal centred, systems based society - or, perhaps, this is the reason for its popularity, that it has no specific goal; it is the very antithesis of a market model mentality. So when people ask, "What’s the method" or seek initiation into the system there is no answer, because there is basically no method or system.
What, then, is it? It is simply taking the Scriptures, or another suitable text, and opening oneself to the word free from any system, letting the word speak to me. It is a reflective savouring with no other special goal; its value is in what it makes me become(1). It fits better with quantum theory than with a classical approach: open to the unexpected rather than deterministic, flowing with experience rather than scientific experiment. It can be expressed in terms of tending or caring for the Word, entering a moment of God’s revelation through the Word, entering a dialectic between God and the individual through the Word. Uniting us with the Redeemer in the return to the Creator it has a redemptive aspect, directed to the gathering of all things into God.
The process involves a reversal of the way the Scriptures were formed. Scripture was writtten according to experience, reflection, articulation. So, for the gospels, we start with the ministry of Jesus. This is assimilated, reflected upon and articulated by oral tradition. The author then commits this tradition to writing. In lectio we begin with the end product, the written word, and seek to work back by reflecting upon it to the original experience(2). This does not depend on exegesis, authorship, setting (all of which have their essential place in the study of Scripture), but rather aims at removing all the distractions which rational thought can raise and allowing the word to speak.
What we are dealing with here is a way of wisdom as distinct from a way of knowledge. The 12th century Carthusian Prior, Guigo II wrote "The Ladder of Monks" in which he describes four steps in the interior ascent ot God: reading, meditation, prayer and contemplation (lectio, meditatio, oratio, contemplatio)(3). Lectio is the reflective reading seeking to penetrate the exterior of things; meditatio is perceiving, repeating within, pondering the fruit of reading in the heart; oratio is the response called forth from this pondering; contemplatio is the gift of self-surrender in savouring, resting in the ultimate reality of God. Thus we see a difference between the medieval scholatic lectio which gave rise to question and disputation (quaestio and disputatio) - the way of knowledge; and the monastic lectio which gave rise to meditatio and oratio - the way of wisdom.
For the ancient and early medieval reader reading was also listening, for the words were mouthed. Before the introduction of modern punctuation this was even necessary for the understanding of a manuscript. It was thus a longer and very different process to our modern skimming a page or speed reading. In this context the expression "vacare Deo" - to be free for, to devote one’s time to God takes on a greater meaning. Making quality time is a necessary prerequisite for lectio.
All this is part of the aim of unceasing prayer. Repeatedly we find in the early monastic sources the emphasis on repeating a word of scripture. Thus the monks of Pachomius (290-346), founder of communal monastic life in Egypt, are encouraged to meditate on Scripture going to and from the church, while working and while carrying out their tasks in the community(4). Gregory the Great developed the imagery of rumination - one takes in a text and, like a cow chewing the cud, brings back the particular verse to chew over it.
Helpful to our understanding of the wealth of meaning found in Scripture is an appreciation of the different "senses" of Scripture. From early times there were developed four such senses: literal, allegorical, tropological and anagogical, the last three being seen as "spiritual senses". Allegorical refers to deeper meanings seen in the text. Augustine pushed this to the limits, as in his interpretation of the man at the Pool of Bethsaida lacking charity because the number of years he had waited - thirty-eight - was two short of the perfect number forty; the two signified charity - love of God and love of neighbour. Tropological refers to a moral interpretation - what is the text calling us to. Thus the Song of Songs not only describes a love relationship but calls us to a loving relationship with our God. Anagogical refers to a unitive or future sense - relationship perfected at the eternal banquet.
Although there is no elaborate method, a simple approach to lectio might be described as follows:
1. Take the Scriptures reverently and call upon the Holy Spirit. One should choose a place free of distraction and a posture that is comfortable but conducive to prayer.
2. Set aside a definite period of time and listen to the Lord speaking through the text; if a word or phrase strikes, be prepared to stay with it. It is better to take a set passage, e.g., a reading from the lectionary, or a portion of a given book of the Bible, to avoid reading on because there appears to be no "result".
3. At the end of the time, choose a word from the text to take away and conclude with thanksgiving.
The text, then, is read like a work of art. As we might savour and surrender ourselves to the sublimity of a painting - to the colour, light, texture or form - so we savour and surrender ourselves to the sublime Word. Lectio involves surrender to God speaking and granting change of heart under the action of the two-edged sword of Scripture, continually challenging us to conversion. The experience is perhaps well captured by T. S. Eliot:
At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.(5)
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Footnotes
1. Louis Bouyer, The Meaning of the Monastic Life (New York: P.J.Kennedy & Sons, 1950), pp. 168-178.
2. David Stanley, "Suggested Approach to Lectio Divina" in American Benedictine Review 23(1972)439-455.
3. Guigo II, The Ladder of Monks and Twelve Meditations (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1981).
4. Pachomius, Praecepta 3,28,60,36,37, trans. Armand Veilleux, Pachomian Koinonia, Vol.2 (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1981), pp. 145-156.
5. T. S. Eliot, "Burnt Norton" in Four Quartets (London: Faber, 1972), pp. 15-16.
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Lectio Bibliography
Books:
Bianchi, E. Praying the Word: An Introduction to Lectio Divina, Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1998.
Bouyer, Louis The Meaning of the Monastic Life, New York: P. J. Kenedy & Sons, 1950, 168-178
Byrne, R. Living the Contemplative Dimension of Everyday Life, Duquesne, 1973, 265-276; 326-331
Casey, Michael The Art of Sacred Reading, Melbourne: Dove, 1995
De Roma, G. Show Me Your Face, O Lord, Homebush: St Paul Publications, 1992
Guigo II The Ladder of Monks and Twelve Meditations, Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1981
Leclercq, Jean The Love of Learning and the Desire for God, New York: Mentor Omega, 1962, 22-26; 77-9
Masini, Mario Lectio Divina, New York: Alba, 1998
Pennington, B. Lectio Divina, New York: Crossroad, 1998
Weil, Simone Waiting on God, London: Fontana Books, 1959, 66-76
Articles:
Casey, Michael "Seven Principles of Lectio Divina" in Tjurunga 12(1976)69-74
"Lectio Divina et Lecture Spirituelle" in Dictionnaire de Spiritualite 9, 470-510
Louf, Andre "The Word Beyond the Liturgy" in Cistercian Studies 6(1971)353-368; 7(1972)63-76
Rooney, Marcel "Lectio Divina and Liturgy" in A.I.M. Monastic Bulletin 64(1998)8-16
Stanley, David "A Suggested Approach to Lectio Divina" in American Benedictine Review 23(1972)439-55
Wathen, A. "Monastic Lectio: Some Clues From Terminology" in Monastic Studies 12(1976)207-215
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ECUMENICAL BENEDICTINE TOUR - REPORT
This was hosted by Fr Michael King OSB of the Anglican Benedictine Monastery at Camperdown in Victoria and Fr Michael Kelly OSB (Arcadia). It visited monasteries and cathedrals in France and Italy from 17 September to 9 October.
The tour included pre-Benedictine Western figures such as Casssian, Martin of Tours and Honoratus plus the Cistercian reforms and other monastic forms such as Fontevraud. Several of the abbeys have belonged to more than one monastic tradition or different reform movements within the Benedictinism. The route sought to maximise exposure to a variety of monastic life within the limitations of time and distance.
FRANCE
In Paris many of the group experienced at St Gervais the evening liturgy of the Community of Jerusalem. This new monastic community was founded in 1975 as an urban group, anchored in the local church. Members do not live strict enclosure but in rented dwellings and work part time to earn their living.
Normandy
The first stop (after Rouen Cathedral) was Jumieges, founded under Celtic influence in 654. It was destroyed and restored several times, became part of the 17th century Maurist reform until plundered in the French Revolution and left in ruins.
Not far from Jumieges is the Abbey of St Wandrille, also founded under Celtic influence in 649. It became Benedictine, was destroyed by the Normans and Huguenots, reformed by the Maurists and suppressed in the French Revolution. It was finally restored as a Benedictine community in 1931.
At Caen the Abbeys of St Etienne(Abbaye aux Hommes) and La Trinite(Abbaye aux Dames) were built by William the Conqueror and his wife Matilda in 1066. The former is now the Town Hall; the church contains the tomb of William.
Finally, the impressive Mont St Michel, founded in 708, Benedictine from 966, it was heavily fortified, became a prison after the Revolution and now has religious from the Community of Jerusalem.
Jumieges Abbaye aux Hommes Mont St Michel
Western Loire and Val de Loire
Passing into the Loire area we stopped at Solesmes, joining the community for Evening Prayer. The abbey was founded in 1010 and re-established in 1833 by Dom Gueranger. It became known for its part in liturgical revival and particularly for its Gregorian Chant, which tradition it maintains today. The following day took us to the Abbey of Fontevraud, founded in 1101 as a joint monastery of women and men. Under the Plantagenets it became a royal necropolis; recumbent effigies of Richard the Lionheart and his parents Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitane are still to be found in the nave of the church. It is also noted for the architecture of the extant 12th century kitchens. At Tours is found the tomb of Martin(316-97) bishop of the city and monastic founder (Liguge 363 and Marmoutier 372). It is now housed in a 19th century basilica, the original having been almost completely destroyed. The Chateau of Chenonceau and Cathedral of Bourges were two further sites admired in this area.
Fontevraud Kitchen Basilica of St Martin Bourges
Burgundy
In this region of great monastic activity the first stop was La Charite sur Loire. The monastery was established by Cluny in the 11th century and played a major part in the Cluniac reform. At one time the church was the second largest in Christendom. Six bays of the nave have since been destroyed; restoration is currently underway to improve the environs. One of the architectural attractions of the tour was the basilica at Vezelay. A monastery for nuns was founded here in 858; destroyed by the Normans it was then given to monks and the relics of Mary Magdalene brought. It was reformed in the 11th century, but the abbot assassinated at the beginning of the 12th. The present church was built later the same century after a fire. Here Bernard preached the second crusade and Becket excommunicated Henry II. In the 16th century it was given to Canons Regular and then sacked by the Huguenots. In 1790 the abbey was destroyed and the church became the parish church. The Community of Jerusalem is now established there.
One of the gems of the trip was the Abbey of Fontenay. Founded in 1119, it was one of the earliest houses of the Cistercian reform. From the Revolution till the beginning of the 20th century it was used as a paper mill but has now been restored to its original simplicity, typical of Cistercian architecture. The Abbey of St Benigne, Dijon is on a 6th century site and the crypt retains the lower level of a romanesque rotunda built in 1001. The 13th century gothic church became the cathedral after the Revolution. Citeaux was the original Cistercian foundation in 1098 and is now the head house of the strict observance. The original buildings have been destroyed but there is a fine modern monastic church. Here we were able to join in the Hour of Terce with the community. Another more recent monastic venture is Taize which attracts large numbers of youth in the summer. We arrived in time to share in the midday prayer. The next stop was Cluny, founded in 909 by William of Aquitaine. The church was the largest in christendom, but was destroyed except for one tower. Still it is possible to appreciate the splendour which marked the Cluniac reform.
La Charite Vezelay Fontenay Citeaux Cluny
Provence
After visiting Avignon and Arles we arrived at the Abbey of Montmajour. This was founded in 948 and the church built in the 12th century. It was fortified after the Hundred Years War and reformed by the Maurists in 1639, only to be sold in 1791. A site of great interest from the point of view of monastic origins is the Abbey of St Victor at Marseille. This is where, in the 5th century, John Cassian made his foundation after collecting the teaching of the desert elders in Egypt. There is still in the crypt a chapel dating to this period with the relics of Cassian and interesting sarcophagi. The present church was rebuilt in the 13th century and later fortified.
Montmajour St Victor crypt St Victor Cassian icon
Cote d'Azur
The final French monastery is an unusual position - one of the islands of Lerins off the Riviera. Honoratus (c350-429) established here one of the earliest communities which came to number many famous figures. It was fortified against the Saracens, sold at the time of the Revolution and re-established by the Cistercians in the 19th century - a delightful and restful place. Here, too, we could join in the Eucharist and midday prayer.
Lerins
ITALY
Having flown from Nice to Rome we went by coach to Montefano, mother house of the Sylvestrine Congregation OSB to which Arcadia belongs. A warm welcome was given at the monastery established by the founder, Sylvester Guzzolini(1177-1267) in 1231. The archive still contains documents from the foundation period, despite the vicissitudes of history. From here we visited the nearby town of Fabriano, famous for paper making and the Camaldolese monastery of
Fonte Avellana. This has an outstanding 10th century scriptorium, designed to allow the maximum light for copying manuscripts. After a visit to Assisi we proceeded South to Subiaco where Benedict retired as a hermit and then began to receive disciples. The monastery of St Benedict, or Sacro Speco, was built over the cave where Benedict dwelt and, despite its rich frescoes and complexity, retains an aura of simplicity. There was also a visit to the monastery of St Scholastica, named after the sister of Benedict, with its various cloisters. Continuing South we came to Montecassino, founded by St Benedict c529 and subject to many vicissitudes over the centuries, including destruction during World War II. Rebuilt after the war, its monumental proportions and artistic heritage can again be appreciated. Following a tour of the building the group joined the monks for Vespers.
Montefano
Fonte Avellana Subiaco Montecassino
After visiting Capri and Pompeii, the final destination was Rome. During the stay here, after visiting the Anglican Centre in the Palazzo Doria, we were treated to lunch at the nearby S. Stefano del Cacco, residence of the Abbot General of the Sylvestrine Congregation.
An interesting reflection from this experience for our own difficult times was how many of these monasteries had flourished, been destroyed or declined, then had been rebuilt or reformed, often over and again.
(Organised by Canterbury Tours: Sydney (02)9232 1711; Brisbane (07)3341 1741)
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Date last changed: 26/11/2003
