It was a mile or so walk to the church.
The Church is a ‘cathedral in miniature’, complete with a crypt, projecting corner buttresses and carved angelic gargoyles.
Several visitors....so it was hard to take pictures without unknown subjects showing up.
In the south transept, a beautiful stained glass tracery window depicts the five graces; Fortitude, Faith, Charity, Hope and Chastity.
Mitchell Henry built the Gothic Church between 1877 and 1881 as a memorial to his wife, following her untimely death.
The Church is a centre of reflection and prayer for many visitors.
"Prayer is the very breath of our Benedictine life, from which everything else flows.
It is communication with God, a way of responding to and deepening our friendship with God Our shared liturgy and personal prayer are means of attaining inner healing and strength"
Prayer and Work come together when we sing the Divine Office in choir, which is the formal prayer and work of the Benedictine Order. The ancient motto of the Order is Ora et Labora: Prayer and work.
St Benedict did not feel it necessary to spell out particular rules regarding prayer. Rather, he believed the rules he set out regarding the observances of the Divine Office and Lectio divina,
"Therefore the brethren should be occupied at certain times in manual labour
-Rule of Benedict Chapter 48, verse 1
Several visitors....so it was hard to take pictures without unknown subjects showing up.
The interior is embellished with a variety of Irish marble columns.
The columns support the gothic arches of the decorative caen stone ceiling.
In the south transept, a beautiful stained glass tracery window depicts the five graces; Fortitude, Faith, Charity, Hope and Chastity.
Mitchell Henry built the Gothic Church between 1877 and 1881 as a memorial to his wife, following her untimely death.The Church is a centre of reflection and prayer for many visitors.
The Abby is a convent of the Benedictine nuns of Ypres.
"Prayer is the very breath of our Benedictine life, from which everything else flows.
It is communication with God, a way of responding to and deepening our friendship with God Our shared liturgy and personal prayer are means of attaining inner healing and strength"
-Kylemore Abbey Mission Statement
Prayer and Work come together when we sing the Divine Office in choir, which is the formal prayer and work of the Benedictine Order. The ancient motto of the Order is Ora et Labora: Prayer and work.
All work becomes prayer when given to God as service to others.
St Benedict did not feel it necessary to spell out particular rules regarding prayer. Rather, he believed the rules he set out regarding the observances of the Divine Office and Lectio divina,
the prayerful reading and meditating on scripture sufficed to bring his followers to the awareness of God.
"Therefore the brethren should be occupied at certain times in manual labour
and again at fixed hours in sacred reading."
-Rule of Benedict Chapter 48, verse 1
I felt like visiting Ireland again today!
Mumzie
5 comments:
I like that stained glass. Thanks for posting the photo.
Laura Goff Parham
SOTAGLASS.COM
Mumzie, you are very good with the camera. Those are some very nice photos. I love the leaded windows and the stained windows too. A one mile walk in good weather is one thing but I wonder how the attendance is when it is pouring rain...Sandi
Absolutely breathtaking! I so wish to go there one day. In the mean time, I really appreciate your pictures.
What a beautiful old church ... lovely photos ... thanks for sharing a wee bit of Ireland.
Hugs,
Sandi
Thank you for sharing this beautiful church with us. My goodness, the details are just gorgeous...and to think he built it for his wife. Wow!
xx
becky
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