On 14th March 2022, we were delighted to welcome Laura Cullen as a new Postulant in our community. A 29 year old social worker based in Dublin, Laura is originally from County Meath. Laura began her journey of vocation discernment when she participated on our Monastic Experience Weekend in October 2020 and had a number […]
A core group meeting of the Irish Female Contemplatives Association was held at Glencairn on the 15th March to prepare for the annual Gathering of Irish Contemplative Nuns to be held in May of this year at Ballyvaloo Retreat Centre in Wexford. Attending this meeting were Sr Gabrielle from the Poor Clares of Ennis, Sr […]
Yesterday evening after first Vespers of the First Sunday of Lent, the community gathered for the Abbess’ Sunday Chapter talk. The practice of Lenten reading in the Rule of St. Benedict continues to be followed in many monasteries today, including here at Glencairn. The distribution of each sister’s chosen book took place after the Abbess’ […]
What guidance do St. Paul’s letters offer to today’s monks and nuns in our cloistered way of life? A recent online scripture course held for monks and nuns in our region of monasteries addresses this topic, taught by Sr Anne Elizabeth Sweet OCSO, a Cistercian nun of Tautra Mariakloster in Norway. Sr Anne Elizabeth holds […]
This year’s General Chapter of our Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance opened in Assisi, Italy, on Monday 7th February 2022. This was the first General Chapter to take place in the last five years, having been postponed for two years due to the pandemic. The unprecedented proposal to gather for two sessions this […]
Greetings and blessings of peace and joy to you at Christmas. As we arrive at the end of this year of 2021 we look back and share with you some of the main events of this year at Glencairn Abbey. A second year of living with Covid-19 has meant for us at Glencairn as for […]
“He is born in us continually as our minds, our actions, our reactions, our relationships, our experience and our prayer are Christified.” (‘The Coming of God’ by Sr Maria Boulding) This is a wonderful reality to reflect on and a great grace to live from today – Christ is born in us continually, […]
We had a lovely day with twelve sixth year students of Crescent College, Limerick and their chaplain on their retreat day at Glencairn on Friday, 17 September, 2021. Our new conference room in our newly built guesthouse provided well for the students to relax and enjoy their day. In addition to their retreat talks with […]
Our community’s annual harvest thanksgiving mass is a welcome moment to reflect on all we have received, both fruits of the harvest of our labour and all our service to each other for which we are grateful to God. At this mass, we place representative samples of all nature’s produce before the altar and give […]
On 27th August our lovely new stained glass window, designed and created by Bianca Divito, (www.biancadivito.com) was installed in our new guesthouse oratory here at Glencairn Abbey. Having completed our new guesthouse in January 2020, we could only dream of being able to complete the oratory with a stained glass window, so when we received […]
Sr Beatrice’s First Profession 11th July 2021 – Feast of St Benedict Mother Marie Fahy O.C.S.O. My dear Emma: From today on you will be called by a new name: Sr Beatrice. This is very fitting because today you take a new and decisive step in responding to the Lord’s invitation to devote your […]
On the feast of St. Benedict, 11th July, 2021, following her two year novitiate, we celebrated the joyful occasion of Sister Emma Brady’s First Profession of Monastic Vows. Sister Emma chose to take the religious name of Beatrice, after Blessed Beatrice, the Cistercian nun of Nazareth (1200-1268). The ceremony took place following Lauds in the […]
