St Cecilia's Abbey, Ryde facts for kids
St Cecilia's Abbey in 2017
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| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Order | Benedictine Order |
| Established | 1882 |
| Dedicated to | Peace of the Heart of Jesus |
| Diocese | Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth |
| People | |
| Important associated figures |
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| Architecture | |
| Architect | Edward Goldie |
| Site | |
| Location | Ryde |
St Cecilia's Abbey, Ryde is a special home for Benedictine nuns on the Isle of Wight, England. Nuns are women who dedicate their lives to God through prayer and service. This abbey is a place where they live a quiet life focused on their faith.
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Living a Monastic Life
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St Cecilia's Abbey was started in 1882. It is part of the Benedictine Order, which means the nuns follow a set of rules called the Rule of Saint Benedict. These rules guide their daily life of prayer, work, and study.
The nuns at St Cecilia's Abbey focus a lot on prayer and church services. They sing their daily Mass and other prayers, known as the Divine Office, using a special ancient style of singing called Gregorian chant. This way of life is called "contemplative," meaning they spend a lot of time thinking about God and praying for the world.
To support themselves, the nuns make special breads used in church services, called altar breads. They also create beautiful calligraphy (fancy handwriting) and candles. They even work in their garden, orchard, and keep bees!
History of the Abbey
The story of St Cecilia's Abbey has two main parts. It connects to a Belgian nun named Florence de Werquignoeul from the 1600s and a French monk named Dom Prosper Guéranger from the 1800s. Both helped to bring back and strengthen the Benedictine way of life.
Florence de Werquignoeul's Influence
In 1604, Florence de Werquignoeul and four friends decided to live the Benedictine Rule very strictly. She started a monastery called Paix Notre Dame in Douai. Later, another monastery with the same name was founded in Liège.
In 1882, nuns from the Liège monastery came to the Isle of Wight and started a new community in Ventnor. This community was called Pax Cordis Jesu, meaning "Peace of the Heart of Jesus." They even ran a small school for girls for some years. In 1922, this growing community moved to a new location in Appley Ryde. This new place became St Cecilia's Abbey in 1926.
Dom Prosper Guéranger's Role
Dom Prosper Guéranger helped restart the Benedictine Order in France in 1833. He bought an old priory (a type of monastery) at Solesmes, which later became an abbey. He also helped establish a community of Benedictine nuns at the Abbey of Ste-Cécile de Solesmes.
Both Dom Guéranger and Florence de Werquignoeul wanted to go back to the original, strong traditions of the Benedictine Order. They believed that following the Rule of St Benedict was the key to being true Benedictines.
Moving to the Isle of Wight
Around 1901, laws in France made it difficult for religious communities to stay there. Because of this, the nuns from the Abbey of Ste-Cécile de Solesmes had to leave France. They found a temporary home on the Isle of Wight at Northwood House.
Since they couldn't return to France quickly, the French nuns bought Appley House near Ryde. They built cloisters (covered walkways) and a church there. The church was dedicated to St Cecilia on October 12, 1907.
St Cecilia's Abbey in Ryde
In 1922, after 20 years away, the French nuns of Ste-Cécile returned to France. The community of Pax Cordis Jesu from Ventnor then moved into the empty property at Appley. This is how it became known as St Cecilia's Abbey, Ryde.
In 1950, St Cecilia's Abbey officially became part of the Solesmes Congregation, connecting it even more closely to Dom Guéranger's work.
The nuns have also shared their beautiful singing with the world. In 1974, they made the first recording of nuns singing in the UK, helping to share Gregorian chant. They made nine more recordings between 1980 and 1992.
A nun named Sister Mary David (1957–2017) lived at the abbey for 22 years and was its prioress, a leader of the community.
Helping Others Overseas
In 1967, St Cecilia's Abbey helped start the first Benedictine community for Indian nuns in Bangalore, South India. This new community, called Shanti Nilayam (meaning "House of Peace"), became an abbey in 1993. It has since started several other communities itself, spreading the Benedictine way of life.
