From July 15th-23rd, ten Junior monks and nuns from eight monasteries of our region gathered at Mt St Bernard Abbey, Leicestershire to receive input from Dom Elias Dietz, Abbot of Gethsemani Abbey, Kentucky on the topic of St. Aelred of Rievaulx, a 12th century English Cistercian monk and Abbot. These talks centred primarily around Aelred’s […]
Are you currently discerning if Monastic life could be for you? We invite women aged 20 – 40 to our next Monastic Experience Weekend from 25th to 27th August here at Glencairn. Monastic Experience Weekends are a great way to be introduced to Cistercian life in the company of others who are also discerning. Experience […]
Holy Thursday: Mass of the Lord’s Supper – 6:00 p.m. Good Friday: Celebration of the Lord’s Passion – 3:15 p.m. Easter Sunday: Vigil Mass – 3:30 a.m. All are welcome to join the community in the Abbey church at Glencairn for our Easter liturgies. Wishing you all a very blessed and joyful […]
We look back in this video at some of the special moments from Sister Laura’s clothing last Saturday as a Cistercian novice at Glencairn Abbey. Also included are excerpts from Mother Marie’s chapter talk addressed to Sister Laura as she received the habit, on what it means to be Christian and a monastic nun. We […]
On 25th March 2023, on the feast of the Annunciation of the Lord, the community rejoiced as Laura Cullen received the white habit of the Cistercian novice at Glencairn Abbey. Originally from Co. Meath, Sr. Laura was based in Dublin when she began her vocation journey. She studied Arts, then Philosophy and Literature in UCD […]
Monks and nuns responsible for guiding new members through the initial formation process in the monastic communities of the Region of the Isles of the Cistercian family gathered at Mellifont Abbey, Co. Louth, Ireland from 28th February until 4th March 2023 for the purposes of further training, collaboration and support. In attendance were Fr Rufus […]
With great joy, we attended the Mass for Consecrated Life in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Waterford on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, February 2nd. It was a privilege to meet with the Religious of the Diocese and catch a glimpse into the prayer and activity of various communities present […]
On this first day of the year the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. In this extract from the writings of Hans Urs Von Balthasar we contemplate Mary’s and our transformation through faith in the Word of God: At the point where all roads meet which lead from the Old Testament […]
This year’s in-person gathering of juniors in the Region of the Isles had originally been scheduled to take place at Mellifont Abbey in 2020 only to be postponed due to the pandemic to the ‘safe’ end of this year, autumn 2022. Yet unfortunately some in Mellifont Abbey got the Covid virus just days before we […]
A short video about the different elements of the Cistercian charism as lived at Glencairn Abbey, following Christ through the Gospel as interpreted by the Rule of St Benedict and the Constitutions of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance. Audio: Psalm 44 (45) sung by the community of St. Mary’s Abbey, Glencairn, […]
Are you discerning your vocation and would like to know more about Glencairn Abbey and our way of life as Cistercians? We invite you to visit Glencairn for a Monastic Experience Weekend on 28th to 30th October, 2022 to experience the balance and rhythm of monastic prayer and work, community, silence and lectio divina for […]
Living near the ruins of the 12th century Dore Abbey, a Cistercian monastery in Herefordshire founded in 1147, it was here, as she sat in the silence of the ruined cloisters that the historian and spiritual writer Esther De Waal first experienced the spirit of the Cistercian Order. It was from the inspiration of this […]
