Quarr Newsletter Number 11 Summer 2015

Our magnolia tree flowers in front of the church Monastic Networks War. But many of them, following the example given by Solesmes at Quarr, left a group of Just after Easter, the General Chapter of the in the countries where they had been Benedictine Congregation of Solesmes took welcomed. The following decades saw new place in the abbey of Solesmes (France). Every foundations in France, Spain, the Netherlands four years, the superiors of the 24 abbeys and Lithuania, but also in Africa and in the which belong to it meet in their mother house, New World. near the river Sarthe, not far from Le Mans. It is a hallmark of Benedictine monasticism The itself celebrated the millenary that each monastery remains independent in its of its foundation in 2010. It was suppressed government, finances and spiritual life. during the as were all Congregations were nevertheless established monastic houses. It was only in 1833 that life from the on as networks of according to the Rule of Benedict (480- fraternal support. There are 20 of them in the 547) was resumed at Solesmes by a group Benedictine Order, three others being present in under the guidance of Dom Prosper Guéranger UK: the English Benedictine Congregation, and (1805-1875). The new monastic community the Congregations of Subiaco-Cassino and of chose to follow the usages of the so-called Monte Oliveto. “black ”, that is to say the In the Congregation of Solesmes, the common traditions of the former Congregations of Cluny reference to the person and teaching of Dom and Saint Maur, as opposed to the customs of Guéranger fosters a sort of “familial” spirit. the so-called “white” monks, who follow the Under rather different circumstances, the same Cistercian and Trappist usages. monastic traditions are kept. They consist From Solesmes, this type of monastic life mainly in a special stress on liturgical life as spread firstly in France. Seven had well as on contemplation grounded in solid been founded when anti-clerical legislation theological studies. forced them to find refuge in neighbouring As we at Quarr are looking forward to hosting countries. At the time when the Solesmes a Gregorian Chant Forum in July and a community arrived on the (1901), Philosophy Seminar on Jacques Maritain in others settled in Belgium, Luxembourg, the September, we are trying to open the riches of Netherlands, Italy, Spain and even Canada. By the Solesmes tradition to all who visit and the mid-1920s, all these communities came support our monastery. May many of them be back to France taking advantage of the spirit of led to the Risen Christ to whom our monastic reconciliation which followed the First World lives are dedicated! Fr Chronicle

Recent events in the life of the abbey March 29. The Palm Sunday Mass this year sunny afternoon, and shorn of all accidental started with a gathering in the “Spanish elements: a Liturgy of readings, prayers, the Chapel” on the south side of the cloister. The veneration of the Cross, and Holy Communion, of the Triumphal entry of Jesus into like the soldier’s lance, it bares the heart of the Jerusalem was read among the Moorish arches Saviour for all to see. and warm pink and yellow brickwork. Then the April 4-5 EASTER SUNDAY. The Easter procession moved off, and the sounds of the Vigil is the heart of the Paschal Triduum. It ancient hymn, “ Gloria, Laus et Honor” represents the Paschal Mystery in its entirety. resounded exultantly along the cloister In the Light of Christ’s Resurrection shining in galleries. But once inside the Church the the Paschal Candle flame, we listen to the ambiguous character of this day became history of God’s plan for the world. We apparent in the readings, culminating in the celebrate the world’s creation in the beginning Passion Narrative of St Mark’s Gospel. By the and its recreation in Christ; we recall the end of Mass, the entire drama of Holy Week offering of Isaac, and its fulfilment in the from the entry into Jerusalem, through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. We remember the betrayal and Crucifixion, right up to the passage of Israel through the Red Sea and their wondrous Resurrection from the tomb had been escape from Egypt; and we comprehend the displayed before our astonished eyes. liberation of the entire human race from the power of sin and death. Because Quarr has no April 2. MAUNDY THURSDAY. The solemn , we had no at our Vigil, but all celebration of the Paschal Triduum began with present renewed their baptismal promises, the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper. Our renouncing Satan, professing faith in the friend, Julian arrived just in time to contribute Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; and then all his fine voice to the monastic “schola together celebrated the Mass of Him, who by cantorum”. It was especially appreciated during dying destroyed our death and by rising the foot-washing ceremony when the lengthy restored our life. Alleluia, Alleluia. series of antiphons challenges voices which are April 13-25 GENERAL CHAPTER. starting to tire. The Mass flowed seamlessly Benedictine monasteries are largely into watching before the Blessed Sacrament autonomous but they are gathered into loose taken for reservation in the crypt chapel. Like groupings called Congregations. All follow, not all the liturgies of the Three Days, the Mass of only the Rule of St. Benedict, but also the the Lord’s Supper has no formal conclusion. Declarations and Constitutions of their The Liturgies like the Mystery they celebrate Congregation. Once every four years the are one. superiors of our Congregation meet at the April 3. GOOD FRIDAY. The monastic Good Mother House of Solesmes for what is called Friday is a day of empty spaces. It begins with the General Chapter. This is the primary the solemn celebration of Vigils and Lauds, but legislative body of the Congregation. Fr Prior there is no mid-morning Mass, no Vespers in went to represent our community which took the afternoon and the Little Hours are short and place this year for two weeks beginning on the spartan hours of prayers. Only the afternoon Monday after Easter week. The legislative Liturgy of the Passion achieves prominence. It work is not the only occupation. It is an is always well attended; the story of the opportunity for and to report on suffering and death of the Lord moves hearts the state of their communities and to discuss because we see the God who identifies himself the challenges of monastic life in their different so intimately with our lives; and indeed with all circumstances, as well as to solicit help when that is most wretched in the human condition. It needed. Quarr derives much of its character is a simple, stark Liturgy, even on a bright, from belonging to the Solesmes Congregation

2 which has provided us with much assistance, in New Mexico. Thirteen miles from the and not least with our present . nearest road, this monastery of 36 monks is a flourishing community of nations, and in spite of its remoteness in its harsh, and yet beautiful landscape, attracts many visitors seeking after Christ in the desert places of their lives. May 5. GANAGOBIE. Fr. Gregory left this morning for the first stage of his journey to Ganagobie, a monastery of our congregation in the south of France, who are celebrating the 150th anniversary of their foundation. They were the very first foundation Dom Gueranger made from our Mother house of Solesmes.[DS] New life at Quarr in Spring April - May. DUCKS. During April and May, FRIENDS OF QUARR. The Friends of the monks are well used to the cries of ducks Quarr are slowly increasing in numbers and are coming from the cloister garden. For a number now fundraising for the Walled garden project. of years ducks have chosen the garden as their The last fundraiser " Il Pranzo Italiano" at Lisle preferred site to lay eggs and hatch young. No Combe, in St Lawrence in April raised £2,000 foxes have found their way into the cloister – and was very well supported. The next fund- yet! – and no cats. Nevertheless, once the raiser will be held at "Ashcliff", The Pitts , ducklings are hatched and stumbling around the Bonchurch, PO 38 1NT, the garden of Mr and garth, they need human help to make it into the Mrs Sidney Lines, as part of the National big wide world. They want to leave, but they Garden Scheme on Saturday and Sunday 20th are nervous of our intervention. Doors have to and 21st June,11am-4 pm. The Friends will be be opened; benches have to be laid on their side selling refreshments: cream teas, cakes and to construct a highway out of the cloister. They Quarr Abbey plants in aid of the Walled garden all make it outside, even if one or two take a project. We look forward to seeing you there. wrong turning and have to be startled out of a A total of £12,000 has already been raised for temporary refuge under a bookcase. But what the project since September 2014. happens next? They disappear into the long grass, following Mother on her way to the Art work done by Friend of Quarr, Vanessa nearest pond or stream. Bird, over the last 2 years " Quarr through the April 22. VISITORS. We had three visitors for Seasons" will be displayed in the Teashop after lunch today, who joined the community for St Benedict's day on the 11th July. The oil coffee in the cloister afterwards. Mark Carter paintings will sell at a special price of £100 used to be our Estate Manager and now runs each. All the proceeds from the sale of the his own arboriculture business. He was down paintings will be in aid of the Walled Garden for the day to inspect our woods and comment project. on our woodland management plan. For any lover of trees, listening to the experts these My sincere thanks to Friends of Quarr : Mr and days can be rather depressing. One after Mrs Scoccia for sponsoring "Il Pranzo ", Mr another, our native species seem to be and Mrs Noyes of Lisle Combe, Mr and Mrs succumbing to pests or disease. Can one take Lines of Ashcliff and Ms Bird for their hope from the past resilience of the natural generosity in enabling the Friends to stage world? Our other two visitors were monks; Br. these events. Michael from Farnborough Abbey brought an If you would like to join the Friends or old friend of ours, Dom Leander Hogg, with contribute in any way please email Dr Rebecca him. This onetime of Prinknash now Ashton: chair.friends @quarr.org. I look lives at the Monastery of Christ in the Desert, forward to hearing from you. [RA]

3 Quarr and Chile artillery officer, was mobilised and set off for Fr Gregory tells the story of the French France only, once there, to find the war over for Congregation's foundation in Chile 1938-48 the French army. Meanwhile the community in Chile adjusted as When Dom Tissot arrived at Quarr as best they might. Life in the little community Conventual Prior in March 1937 the possibility was less formal than at Quarr or Solesmes: of a monastic foundation in Chile was being when the refectory server spilled some food on discussed, since there were two Chilean monks the floor he simply opened the door, allowing in the community. One of them, Dom Pedro, on the dog to come and lick it up, and then retire visits his native land had been encouraged to contented. further the enterprise. In spite of the fact that In 1943 The young Chilean monk of Quarr, recruitment at Quarr had been good since the Dom Eduardo Lagos, began his homeward early 1930s, there was insufficient Chapter journey via neutral Ireland and Portugal to support to proceed with the matter. reinforce the little community, but there were After discussions between Dom Tissot and the no candidates for the monastic life in Chile. of Solesmes, Dom Cozien, it was agreed This had to be reported to Dom Cozien by Dom that the foundation should be undertaken by the Tissot on his return from conducting the French Congregation, as the present canonical visitation in 1948. The news came Congregation of Solesmes was then styled. just as preparations were being finalised for the foundation of Fontgombault: no additional A rescript was obtained from Rome authorising commitments could be accepted. Hence, Chile the foundation,but stipulating that there should had to be abandoned by the French be a sufficient number of monks to ensure Congregation. Dom Pedro, Dom Eduardo, and regular observance. So it was that within a few the lay were permitted to remain. Help, days of his abbatial blessing on 25th January however, came to this beleaguered remnant 1938 Abbot Tissot and Dom Pedro from Germany in 1949. This occurred through Subercaseaux Errazuriz left Southamton for the meeting in Brazil of Dom Desrocquettes Chile. They made a brief visit to the monastery with Dom Gordan of the great Benedictine at Rio and ended their voyage at Buenos Aires, abbey at Beuron. where they spent a short time at the Silos foundation of San Benito before taking the train to Santiago.

Dom Pedro's family and friends, all strongly , were enthusiastic about the foundation and a house and site had been offered which would allow a start to be made. Dom Tissot returned to Quarr while Dom Pedro remained in Chile to make preparations for the foundation. In due course he was joined by two monks of Solesmes, Dom Berard, who was appointed superior, and Dom Blazy, cellarer. The present community in Santiago Dom Desrocquettes, as related in the last QAN, arrived from Quarr and a lay brother from one Benedictines monks are still in Las Condes, of the Dutch houses of the Congregation Santiago in an austerely 'modern' concrete completed the founding community. Dom abbey built in the 1960s. It belong to the Cono Blazy had a little car, which greatly facilitated Sur (South American) Congregation. So the his business in the capital, but they had hardly European connections with Solesmes and established the regular life when the war broke Beuron have long gone but they laid the out. Dom Blazy, a 'politecnicien' and an foundation for Benedictine life in Chile.

4 Quarr's new website

Quarr Abbey launched a new website on The opportunities for those who want to February 16 this year. The work was designed share in the spiritual life of the community by by Mike Luke of Buckfast Media Studios and attending the offices, offering a mass, asking funded through our Heritage Lottery grant. for prayers, meeting with a priest or a monk, Please visit the site at www.quarrabbey.org and considering a monastic vocation or becoming please note that this is not the same web an . address as our old website. As you browse through the pages of this website, you will meet with: - A whole range of activities for visitors and volunteers including the visitor-centre and monastery shop, the art gallery, the tea-shop - A community of men who give their and farm-shop, the tours of the abbey, the lives to searching for God in prayer and work. woodland walk, the allotments, the hens, the pigs, and the apiary.

- A site of outstanding beauty between countryside and seaside. - The possibility to express your support by joining the ‘Friends of Quarr’ or making a donation to the Abbey. Please note that there - The heritage of nearly 9 centuries of are two separate donation portals: one for the monastic presence since the foundation in 1132 Abbey itself and one for the ‘Friends of Quarr’. of a house of prayer in this place.

You can also view our Quarr Abbey Newsletter - The unique architecture of the buildings (QAN) on the website under the ‘News and of the new church and monastery built in 1907 Events’ page. for the French Benedictine monks of Solesmes exiled on the Island. Any feed back on our new website would be most welcome. Please - The accommodation facilities of our guest-house for people wishing to have a time email your comments to Fr Brian at of spiritual retreat. The website has a special [email protected]. enquiry form for the Guesthouse.

5 Sue Reed tells us about Art at Quarr

An exhibition in the Gallery

The Art Gallery at Quarr held its first another volunteer, Sarah Kurtul, who also lives exhibition just before Christmas 2010 and since in Fishbourne and who replaced Ruth Rawlings then has held exhibitions on a weekly basis who like myself became a volunteer from the showing the work of artists who are resident on start of the project. Sarah is an invaluable the Island. I very much hope that it fulfils a member of the little team, but I am afraid she requirement for exhibition space for Island may get fed up with me saying 'ask Brother artists without eating into their hard-earned Duncan' when she asks me a question I do not incomes. It also provides something beneficial know how to answer. for Quarr Abbey for the art gallery is a popular venue and all the artists love Quarr for its The quality and variety of work on show is beauty, tranquillity and informality. Most return wonderful. Exhibitions are never dull and there every year. is never a week when visitors cannot find some sort of inspiration either in the work or the That is not to say we don't have a few dramas if artist. Out of season, in January and February, for some reason or another an artist has to Art Workshops are held on Saturdays and cancel his or her exhibition at the last moment. Sundays providing helpful tuition for those We have a fully-booked gallery until the end of interested and for aspiring artists. 2017. As a volunteer, my horror of two artists turning up on the same Wednesday to hang We very much welcome constructive pictures has, fortunately, never happened. suggestions, and seldom have to remind anyone that Quarr is primarily a place of worship and The Art gallery space is a great space, neither that the Community of monks wish it to remain too large nor too small, with good light and a so. northerly aspect for which we receive favourable comments. It used to provide shelter We are continually surprised by the number of for the cattle of Quarr Abbey Farm; so Brother visitors to Quarr which is now enhanced by Duncan has had quite a difficult time keeping substantial changes such as the wonderful new the walls whitened and also keeping the visitor centre and shop, the teashop, the piglets, swallows and house martins from roosting and wonderful walks and the magnificence of the nesting in the gallery. Abbey buildings.

Brother Duncan Smith is the monk who has But as far as the art gallery is concerned, I like overall responsibility for the running of the to think that it is run primarily for the benefit of Gallery; he is himself an artist. I work with artists within its unique monastic setting.

6 The Cloister trees and potted plants intersect this pattern which is both formally tight but balanced Another article in QAN's series about 'the unsymmetrically in the traditional 'English' Parts of Quarr' fashion of gardening.

The cloisters at Quarr are probably, after those at Parkminster Charterhouse, the largest in continuing monastic use in the the country. They are so, of course, because they were designed for the large community of monks in exile from Solesmes which, though it has large monastic buildings, has a relatively small cloister. The community wanted space for the community and also for liturgical processional use. Unusually too, in these Northern climes, the cloisters are mainly unglazed so they mediate between indoor and outdoor worlds.

St Gregory, himself a 'Benedictine', though the word would not then have been used, has a striking insight into where Abraham was placed when the three angels appeared to him at Mamre. He was, says Gregory, sitting on the threshold of his tent. If he had been inside (i.e.wholly in a state of interior recollection) or outside (i.e.wholly in the activity of the world) he would not have been able to receive God's visitation.

We could see Quarr's cloister in the same way. The Statio Cloister They incite recollection but are a communally owned space open to the air and natural life. The Statio cloister is the place where the They express the abbey's inward attentiveness brethren assemble before liturgical services. On but are not closed in upon themselves. some of the major feasts of the year, the whole Architecturally they are both striking and cloister is used for more elaborate processions. pleasing. Bellot used his characteristic wide parabolic arches (i e. ones which rise from the The cloister is, in this way, an extension of the ground without intermediate pillars) for the church. In another way, it is 'home'. The monks, supporting framework of the cloister roof and for instance, take tea together in it after the arches which open out onto the garth. He afternoon work in the summer months. It can balances this by a set of glazed windows of be so cold that ice forms on the ground in different design along that part of the cloister winter but it is cool yet flooded with warm outside the porter's lodge. Here there are groups light in summer. of thin lancet windows which rise into an St. Benedict's Rule is attentive both to the intersecting diamond pattern. sequence of light and dark every twenty-four hours but also to the larger yearly sequence of longer and warmer, shorter and cooler days. The garth itself (the central garden space) is The rhythms of prayer reach into eternity but made up of lawns intersected by four paths are firmly set in changing cyclical time. Quarr's which make up an X. Flowers, shrubs, small cloisters are an image of this. [BB]

7 Matt Noyce, head gardener, reports on current activities on the estate

Turning trees into logs With the longest days and warmest ground horizontally as possible) will not only train them temperatures at this time of year, our plants and correctly but can lead to better blooms. Also, we crops at Quarr Abbey are already flourishing. support tall perennials such as delphiniums and Keeping both the gardens and the gardeners lupins to protect from wind damage. hydrated is most important because we have had a mostly dry spring with unseasonably warm spells at Out and around the estate we have also been busy times. This gave us the opportunity to get on with on other projects. With a site as large as Quarr some of our sowings and plantings. Looking for Abbey it is inevitable that trees will fail from time zero wastage, we grow multiples of what we need to time. Recently, we have been dismantling these for the year’s growing plan and any spare produce trees with chainsaws to produce logs to supply to is potted on for sale in the farm shop. the abbey, workshops, teashop and to sell to the public (see the picture above). Also, the larger, All the early croppers are producing well. The straight sections have been selected to go to a local asparagus hasn’t disappointed (as usual) and the sawmill to be planked and will be used by the salad crops are yielding their daily payload. works team to create our popular rustic benches. Heritage potatoes and heirloom beans and carrots are well on their way. For quick maturing crops we Following on from the ‘fedge’ project (woven use the ‘successional sowing’ method which means willow fence/hedge around the new farm shop hut) that you sow in intervals, ensuring continuity of we have created a willow ‘dome’, complete with produce instead of a glut all at once. log seats, on the woodland walk and wildlife hide trail. This will accompany the many other wood It is indeed, very important to keep plants hydrated carvings along the route and the ‘Explorers Kit’ during the warm spells at this time of year. Along which is available to borrow free at the teashop, to with watering, weeding is essential too. It is easy to encourage families and children to enjoy the ignore weeds but as soon as they have set seed, outdoor environment at Quarr Abbey. there will be countless more to tackle. We try to get to them early on by hoeing them off in dry weather. A new seating area has also been created under our large weeping willow in the teashop garden. Built In the beds and borders we have been pruning off with the help of a trainee from the Isle of Wight dead flowering heads and tying in climbers as they College and volunteers from the local community, it grow. Regularly supporting these plants (for has already proved popular with guests and visitors example, guiding climbing rose stems as seeking afternoon shade.

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