THE P RTAL
November 2013
Page 11
The Sisters of
the Blessed Virgin Mary
by Jackie Ottaway
The Sisters
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
now live in a Convent in Birmingham. Pulling
into their drive, I saw a 1960s flat roofed building
that - from the outside looks uninspiring. However,
once inside, that distinctive “Religious” atmosphere
is unmistakable.
ours to live in supporting our Benedictine life.”
big-hearted, warm and lively
a vocational enquirer
Sister Patricia Ann referred to the large garden. “It
needs to be maintained, and we will maintain it. It’s a
lovely size, it’s not too big for us and we will be able to
cope with additional help.”
Mother Winsome may be small of stature, but she
I wondered if they have Aspirants, Novices and
is big-hearted, warm and lively. She told me; “We Postulants? Mother Winsome told me, “Not at the
are the Sisters of the Blessed
moment. Having said that only
Virgin Mary, now part of the
last night I was dealing with
Ordinariate. We came out of
an enquiry from a vocational
the Community of St Mary the
enquirer. There are some out
Virgin at Wantage. Our journey
there, but we need to be settled
has happened over a number
first. We’ve only been here just
of years, but we were officially
over a month. But there are, it
received into the Church on
would appear, people who are
1 January 2013 by Monsignor
attracted to the Benedictine way
Keith Newton. At the moment, there are
of life and our community in particular.”
eleven of us in the house.”
a constitutional enclosure
committed Benedictines
Sister Rosemary took up this theme:
I asked if they are an enclosed order?
“I think what we want very much is for
Reverend Mother answered, “Not in the
people to know that we are committed
way that people understand enclosure.
Benedictines. It’s something into which
We have a constitutional enclosure, which
we were led by the Lord, most definitely,
means that we do leave the building but
otherwise we would not have followed it.
our enclosure is covered by our own
Therefore, we want to be known within
constitution, so we go out for certain appropriate the Ordinariate as a true Benedictine community, not
purposes.”
some sort of community attached to the Benedictines,
but part of the whole. This is what’s so marvellous and
nuns dressed as nuns
this will mean a great deal to us.”
It was lovely to see nuns dressed as nuns. I thought
it must be wonderful for them to have their own
I said, “Let’s hope this becomes widely known in the
Convent.
Ordinariate and people beyond.
Sister Deirdre Michael spoke up, “Yes it is wonderful
to have our own Convent, but having said that, the
Sisters at Ryde took us in for six weeks and we stayed
for eight months and they were absolutely wonderful.
So kind, so generous, and we learned so much about
the Benedictine way of life from them.”
Ordinariate and Benedictine
Sister Rachel added: “I think we are both an
Ordinariate community and a Benedictine
community. That means because we’re part of a
wider Benedictine family, we take knowledge of the
Ordinariate into that wider Benedictine family so it
works both ways. But I think it’s very much a two
our own home
strand thing for us, but both are equally important
Sister Sheila Mary told me “It is good to have our in terms of that crossover of contact and the root of
own home. It has been provided by a benefactor and is what monastic life is about.”