Visit to Downside Abbey

[Kate Jackson]

Dear Listmates,

on the feast of The Immaculate Heart of Mary and St John Kemble, my good hubby and I went to visit Downside Abbey and later on some new friends to discuss starting a regular Reformation Martyrs Pilgrimage,

Whilst at Downside we were given the opportunity to venerate the relics of St. John Kemble, Which Steven Parsons laid on the alter of the Lady Chapel. It was all so fitting and right. The canopy above the alter was a beautiful depiction of the coronation and the figure carved in stone laid in the body of the chapel was of The Dormition of Our Lady. The person in charge of giving the tour was a wonderful chap, (please pray for his conversion).  He took us on a tour of church (which is now a minor basilica) and of the library. He had laid out some very impressive and ancient books - I actually touched the leaves of a page of the Prophetarum 1200 years old! There was also a Holy book of Hours of the 15th century, a slavers ships journel, a cookbook which he said you could purchase from their website and various other wonderful books and maps. Reading between the lines I wonder if the monks belong more to an academic/gentlemans curiosity club rather than a religious institution but perhaps I am just becoming weary and cynical in old age. Apparently one of the monks asserted that if the talks went well with Rome that they would transfer into the SSPX - I could not understand why there would be a necessity.  Either the SSPX had changed it's stance or Rome had converted either way the transfer would be pointless...logical to me!

The lunch with our friends was rather lovely - homemade quiche, with potatoes and salad accompanied by a ruby red wine, followed by homemade cake finished off with an award winning Gloucester truckle cheese and coffee! yum. We had a tour of their workshop. Christopher and Ana Nixon have a shoe making business called St. Crispins they have been making handmade shoes and boots for 25 years in a sleepy village called Philip St Norten. In fact they have made them for BBC films. We discussed all things Reformation plus some!  Really lovely day out.  Please add them to your prayer lists - as with all trads they have the devil close on their heels, taking all the repercussions of converting to the one true religion!

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Thanks for sharing, Kate. 

Praying...

[Kate Jackson]

...pleasure

Flavia Talladen Schott said:

Thanks for sharing, Kate. 

Praying...

[Kate Jackson]

15th Novemeber is the feast of Abbot Richard Whiting and Companions who were martyred on the Tor of Glastonbury for the Catholic Faith. Please pray in reparation for the celebrations of the 500 year anniversary of Luther. I hope to join other SSPX parishioners saying the rosary at the top of the Tor. I take all Crusader and Rosary List intentions with me.

Yours in Christ

Kate Jackson

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Offering also fasts and abstinence in reparation to the celebrations of Luther.

In Germany, they declared 31 October a national holiday so the priories here offered Holy Masses on that very day in reparation to it. 

Thanks so much for including our intentions.

Ave Maria!

[Kate Jackson]

Good heavens! A secular government making a national holiday out of Martin Luther's rebellion. Incredible!  Thanks for letting me know about the reparative Masses being offered - it sometimes feels like you are a lone voice in the wilderness!