Mother Abbess of Thriving Traditionalist Order in US Discusses Their Move to a 19th-Century Abbey in England

Unlike the NO Orders, which are dying on the vine, Traditional Orders like the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of the Apostles, are growing and thriving!

From the Catholic Herald

By Thomas Colsy

The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of the Apostles are one of the success stories in the contemporary Church.

Going from strength to strength, they buck trends in mainstream Catholic women’s religious orders that have seen vocations dry up and schools, hospitals and orphanages run by sisters close all across the old Catholic heartlands.

Not so with the US-based Benedictines of Mary. With a median age well under thirty, they are a departure from anything considered standard in the last six decades. They wear the habit that their foundress, Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, OSB, fought vociferously to keep – and even at the bleakest points resorted to making her own – they sing the Old Liturgy of the Hours and attend the Traditional Latin Mass.

While they may stand out in the landscape of the contemporary Catholic Church, to say so is to only paint half the picture, as they are in fact a return to everything which once would have been held emblematic of Catholic observance and religious life. And their formula has proven to be magnetic.

Associated with the Fraternitas Sacerdotalis Sancti Petri (FSSP), the Benedictines of Mary gained international media attention after their firebrand and furiously pious late foundress was exhumed and found to be incorrupt. Pilgrims flocked to pay homage to, and ask intercession from, one of the latest American additions to the communion of saints. But the religious order’s run of success had begun beforehand.

The flood of vocations this small – and only relatively recently created – order of religious receives, speaks for itself. Having outgrown their main monastery in Gower, Missouri, they are now expanding.

Recently, they constructed another monastery at Ava, some 200 miles from Gower, and have plans to open another in Indiana. But now they are also, crucially, opening their first religious house on the other side of the Atlantic – in England.

The sisters note that St Mary’s Abbey in Colwich “was founded by Saint Thomas More’s great-great granddaughter, with nuns once exiled from England during the Elizabethan persecution, and exiled back there during the French Revolution”.

As a result, the Sisters are enamoured by the spiritual and providential significance of moving into Our Lady’s Dowry – a common medieval name for England, the origin of which is shrouded in mystery, though various mystics believe is connected to eschatological prophecy, and which speaks to the enormous popularity of Marian devotion among the medieval English.

Three of the order’s sisters at St Mary’s Abbey in Colwich; image courtesy Mother Abbess Cecilia.

Mother Cecilia Snell, OSB, the first abbess of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, spoke to the Catholic Herald about the building that they are in the process of acquiring – a stunning stone 19th-century monastery surrounded by greenery in the heart of the West Midlands countryside – and what it means to the Sisters and the future of the order:

Catholic Herald: You say the abbey is usable but needs renovation work. Its exterior architecture is of a glorious and highly tasteful neo-Gothic flavour. What’s the most appealing and attractive element about the site and location to you?

Mother Abbess Cecilia: The architecture of Colwich is quite impressive indeed, and we do not have the like in America! The crenellated walls of the design of the original Trubshaw hunting lodge seem quite otherworldly to us, and convey something of the idea of a monastic battlement or fortress. It really looks like a formidable edifice against the beautiful Cannock Chase Park and Trent River. Everything about the area is extremely appealing to us, being, as it is, close to civilisation in such ways as to be accessible, yet remote enough to guarantee the privacy of solitude that is so necessary to the contemplative monastic life. 

We love also the fact that we are able to dip into the history of the area. At the abbey in Missouri, our current table reading – the book read aloud while we eat our meal in silence – is the history of Colwich Abbey, and we are enjoying it immensely. The hardships which the pioneers of that abbey suffered are an inspiration to us, especially the near-martyrdom of the nuns during the French Revolution, and the holy legacy of Gertrude More, St. Thomas More’s great-great granddaughter.

CH: Do you believe its connection to St Thomas More is providential?

MA Cecilia: I do believe the connection to St. Thomas More is quite providential, as the tensions between Church and State seem to arise around us worldwide, not only in the United States. I believe that Thomas More truly is a man for all seasons, and is an example to those of every faith background, in that uncomfortable truths are worth heroic sacrifice. We try to draw a connection to Thomas More in our vocations as brides of Christ, interceding for the Church as the guardian of Truth.

More was a married saint that defended, and even died for, traditional marriage and the sacredness of the bond. Venerable Lucia dos Santos of Fatima wrote to Cardinal Carlo Caffarra that “The final battle between the Lord and the kingdom of Satan will be about Marriage and the Family”. Marriage is a reflection of the union between Christ and His Church, with love communicated to Her with sincerity and truth. It is something to which the married as well as religious are called. While we do not yet witness to the truth with our blood as More did, we look to his example to be witnesses in fidelity, each soul walking worthily of the vocation received from the Lord.

On a practical level, More’s good humour and joy were quite contagious, and made his loss keenly felt, even by King Henry VIII, who suppressed the monasteries after the saint’s death. The rapid about face against the Faith, with the ensuing destruction of England’s many monasteries, shows the moral strength and influence Thomas had exercised over the King. We are honoured and grateful to be taking up his great-great granddaughter’s work in establishing and continuing a prayerful presence in Staffordshire, and undertake the work with much eagerness.

Three of the order’s sisters attend Mass at a chapel in St Mary’s Abbey in Colwich; image courtesy Mother Abbess Cecilia.

CH: What would it mean to all of the Sisters to expand into, as you so rightly describe, Our Lady’s Dowry?

MA Cecilia: We are aware of the beautiful connections between England and the devotion to our Mother Mary; it being the home of the apparition of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and the tradition surrounding Glastonbury Abbey and Our Lady’s blood relation to Joseph of Arimathea. England belongs to Our Lady, as does this community, the members being entirely consecrated to her, collectively and individually. We are very grateful to be stepping into such a beautiful heritage, and by her prayers and intercession, being her instruments in assisting with the revitalisation of monastic life within her land.

CH: How many vocations are you getting from England and nearby areas?

MA Cecilia: We are at present in correspondence with five European vocation inquiries that have come in only recently. Three are from the British Isles and two from the continent. It is very nice to have immediate reference to the European foundation amongst the inquiries that come in, and we hope to offer them a home in their own continent to continue the praises of God. We hope that souls reading this will be inspired to assist us financially as they are able, but most importantly to keep this project in prayer, especially that we be faithful to the Lord in all He asks of us!

Catholic Herald: At what stage are the fundraising efforts and negotiations to acquire Colwich Abbey?

MA Cecilia: We are in the final stages of acquiring Colwich Abbey and of the terms being agreed upon. I am optimistic that the Sisters will be celebrating the Feast of the Assumption in their new home, if not of Saints Peter and Paul! The fundraising efforts are in their genesis. We have only recently printed a brochure describing the needs of the Sisters at this time [this is available upon request by emailing colwich@benedictinesofmary.org]. At present, the abbey in Gower is funding the upfront and initial needs of the new foundation, and we are working on the legalities of emigration and charitable status. We are also seeing to the foundation’s regular living expenses.

We are more or less starting at ground zero financially, as we have been so heavily involved in the gargantuan task of building a monastery from the ground up in southern Missouri, at a cost of $18 million. This has been a commitment going back almost three years, as our first foundation, which began five years ago, had no space for new vocations in their temporary dwelling. The economic situation in America caused the construction prices to skyrocket, resulting in a much heavier expense than was originally estimated. So we are looking toward the English people to assist us with the comparatively smaller expense of the purchase of Colwich Abbey. 

Scene from a visit by the Sisters to St Mary’s Abbey in Colwich; image courtesy Mother Abbess Cecilia.

There is firstly, the £2.5 million owed to Stanbrook Abbey, but there will certainly be additional repairs needed beyond that. We will have a better sense of just how much work will need to be done after a thorough inspection is completed before the finalisation of the purchase. However, we are grateful that the abbey is usable and in such a condition as will allow the Sisters to move in. For the most part, the building is quite sound, and the Sisters hope to occupy it by August.

What is a little more concerning are the outbuildings that are in need of attention, especially a walkway linking two of the main buildings. We will also be looking for furnishings, as most of them were sold in an auction a few years ago. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone who purchased something brought it back as a housewarming gift to the nuns!

We also will want to reinstall a high altar, tasteful in design, and also to create more room for visitors to attend the Mass and Divine Office, as we do at the abbey here in Gower. Granted, we draw some disproportionate crowds due to our incorruptible foundress, but even before the discovery, we had quite a few visitors to the abbey, and are very happy to welcome them in a true spirit of Benedictine hospitality.

RELATED: A new Mount Carmel in Oxfordshire: the young friars following St. Teresa of Ávila

Photo: The Sisters of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of the Apostles. (Screenshot from www.benedictinesofmary.org.)

If you wish to help support the Benedictines of Mary move to St Mary’s Abbey in Colwich, click HERE.

You may also help them out by listening to or downloading their stunning Gregorian chant and choral music on Spotify or Apple Music.