THE P RTAL
October 2012 Page 12
Buckfast Abbey by Harry Schnitker
The Ordinariate Group in Buckfast is blessed , indeed . I visited the abbey for the first time this summer and was much impressed . If one had to create the perfect medieval abbey , it would have to be Buckfast . Here is the bustle of what would have surrounded abbeys in the Middle Ages : the great gateway , gorgeous and devout gardens , the crafts and the throngs of the believers and the curious .
Historically , the abbey provides a great illustration of what I have been trying to state in these articles : for the Ordinariate to develop a sense of belonging , it needs to grow deep taproots .
a nation-wide event
Modern Buckfast may preserve substantial medieval remains , but is essentially a new creation . The Church was consecrated on 25 August 1932 . The service was broadcast by the BBC , which indicates that this was perceived to be a nation-wide event . Buckfast has become famous for its contribution to beekeeping , for its tonic wine , and , more recently , for its theology festivals .
medieval manuscripts come alive
As with the Ordinariate , the discerning visitor may be hard-pressed to see the ancient behind the new at Buckfast . However , it is there . It may be seen in the black cloak of a monk walking visitors through the shop , in the beautiful statue of St Benedict in the Church , and in the gardens , which are medieval manuscripts come alive .
silencing the singing of the Hours
These recall the most ancient roots of the abbey . In between there is a long history . The ruins of the medieval abbey were settled in 1882 by Benedictine monks fleeing persecution in France . Their black garb would have stood out in the year that the medieval abbey closed its doors , for their immediate predecessors were whiteclad Cistercians . On 25 February 1539 , Henry VIII ’ s agents came and drove the ten remaining monks out of their home , silencing the singing of the Hours . shape the landscape of southern Devon through its farming activities . However , the Cistercians were not the first monks at Buckfast . Before 1147 , the community followed the austere Savignac Rule , and this had supplanted the original Benedictine community .
oldest in England
With them , we are back in Anglo-Saxon times . The Buckfast monks followed the Regularis Concordia , which was based on the Holy Rule and drawn up at Winchester around 970 for all Benedictine monasteries in England . The house had been founded during the reign of King Cnut in 1018 . This easily makes the current abbey the oldest in England , the interval of the Dissolution notwithstanding . Again , one could not think of a better Icon for the Ordinariate .
devotion to the Mother of God
The original abbey was dedicated to St Mary . This is a reminder that England was the first country to develop a devotion to the Mother of God in Western Europe : in Kent there were churches dedicated to her in the early seventh century . This , too , is reflected in the patron saint of the Ordinariate . The Buckfast Group of the Ordinariate is blessed , indeed .
social services to the locality
Theirs had once been a great house , which , before the Black Death , provided many social services to the locality . It was a major exporter of wool , and had helped
THE
P RTAL
October 2012
Page 12
Buckfast Abbey
by Harry Schnitker
The Ordinariate Group in Buckfast is blessed,
indeed. I visited the abbey for the first time this summer and
was much impressed. If one had to create the perfect medieval
abbey, it would have to be Buckfast. Here is the bustle of what
would have surrounded abbeys in the Middle Ages: the great
gateway, gorgeous and devout gardens, the crafts and the throngs of the believers and the curious.
Historically, the abbey provides a great illustration
of what I have been trying to state in these articles:
for the Ordinariate to develop a sense of belonging, it
needs to grow deep taproots.
a nation-wide event
Modern Buckfast may preserve substantial medieval
remains, but is essentially a new creation. The Church
was consecrated on 25 August 1932. The service was
broadcast by the BBC, which indicates that this was
perceived to be a nation-wide event. Buckfast has
become famous for its contribution to beekeeping,
for its tonic wine, and, more recently, for its theology
festivals.
medieval manuscripts come alive
As with the Ordinariate, the discerning visitor may
be hard-pressed to see the ancient behind the new
at Buckfast. However, it is there. It may be seen in
the black cloak of a monk walking visitors through
the shop, in the beautiful statue of St Benedict in
the Church, and in the gardens, which are medieval
manuscripts come alive.
silencing the singing of the Hours
These recall the most ancient roots of the
abbey. In between there is a long history.
The ruins of the medieval abbey were
settled in 1882 by Benedictine monks
fleeing persecution in France. Their black
garb would have stood out in the year that
the medieval abbey closed its doors, for
their immediate predecessors were white-
clad Cistercians. On 25 February 1539,
Henry VIII’s agents came and drove the
ten remaining monks out of their home,
silencing the singing of the Hours.
social services to the locality
Theirs had once been a great house,
which, before the Black Death, provided
many social services to the locality. It was
a major exporter of wool, and had helped
shape the landscape of southern Devon through its
farming activities. However, the Cistercians were not
the first monks at Buckfast. Before 1147, the community
followed the austere Savignac Rule, and this had
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