Sancta Maria Abbey, Nunraw facts for kids
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| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Order | Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance |
| Established | 1946 |
| Disestablished | extant |
| Mother house | Mount St. Joseph Abbey, Roscrea |
| Diocese | Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh |
| Site | |
| Coordinates | 55°55′17″N 2°39′07″W / 55.9213°N 2.6519°W |
Nunraw Abbey, also known as Sancta Maria Abbey, Nunraw, is a special place where Trappist monks live and work. These monks belong to a group called the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance. It was the first Cistercian monastery built in Scotland since a big change in religion called the Scottish Reformation.
The abbey was started in 1946 by monks from Mount St. Joseph Abbey, Roscrea in Ireland. It became a full abbey in 1948. Nunraw Abbey is located at the bottom of the Lammermuir Hills in East Lothian. The land where the abbey stands is officially named White Castle. This name comes from an old hill-fort that used to be there.
Contents
A Look at Nunraw Abbey's Past
How Nunraw Got Its Name
Long ago, the area where Nunraw Abbey now stands was owned by Cistercian Nuns of Haddington. These nuns were a group of religious women. Because they lived and worked there, the place became known as Nunraw. This name means 'Nun's Row'.
The Nunnery of Haddington was started by a woman named Ada de Warenne. She was the Countess of Huntingdon. It was founded not long after the death of Bernard of Clairvaux, a very important Cistercian leader. It seems that Nunraw was once a "grange" for the nuns. A grange was like a farm or a smaller outpost that supported the main monastery.
Building the Modern Abbey
The buildings you see at Nunraw Abbey today were constructed between 1952 and 1970. The architect who designed them was Peter Rice Whiston. Interestingly, the abbey church, which is the main church building, was never fully completed as planned.
Leaders of Nunraw Abbey
Since it was founded, Nunraw Abbey has had several important leaders called Lord Abbots. An Abbot is like the head or leader of a monastery.
- Father Michael Sherry, O.C.S.O. (died 2003): He was the leader of the new monastery from 1946 until it became an abbey in 1948. He was known as the Prior, which is a leader of a smaller monastery or a second-in-command. He was not the Abbot.
- Dom Columban Mulcahy, O.C.S.O. (1900-1971): He was the first Lord Abbot of Nunraw Abbey, serving from 1948 to 1969.
- Dom Donald McGlynn, O.C.S.O.: He was the Lord Abbot from 1969 to 2003. After his time as Abbot, he became Abbot-emeritus, which means he kept the title as an honor. He was also given an honorary "Chief" title by the Igbo people in Nigeria.
- Dom Raymond Jaconelli, O.C.S.O.: He served as Lord Abbot from 2003 to 2009.
- Dom Mark Caira, O.C.S.O.: He became the Lord Abbot in 2009.
See also
- List of monastic houses in Scotland
- Catholic Church in Scotland
- White Castle, East Lothian
- Garvald
- List of places in East Lothian
