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Each month the community
keeps a month day, dating back to the time when monks
would take a day off in order to let blood and spend
rest of the day resting in order to restore their constitutions!
Mercifully, the bloodletting has discontinued and,
instead, monks who can tend to visit local sites of
historical, ecclesiastical or cultural interest to
restore their sense of well-being! Last month the novitiate
spent its month day at Milton Abbey.
Perfectly situated in the
beautiful Dorset countryside, Milton Abbey has an interesting
connection to Downside. In 1932, Abbot
Chapman was
keen to create a new monastic foundation and Milton
Abbey caught his eye. The community at the time was
keen to purchase the property and it was thought that
the new foundation might be able to start a Preparatory
school and pursue a life of contemplative prayer. However
a difficulty emerged during the negotiation of the
terms and conditions of sale: the local parish church
(Anglican) had the right to hold an occasional service
in the Abbey church. Canon law at the time strictly
prohibited such ‘ecumenism’ and with such restrictions
intact Downside was unwilling to pursue negotiations.
As Dom Adrian Morey commented
later on: ‘Had today’s ecumenical climate prevailed
in the 30s it is unlikely that there would have been
any problem.’
Now, Milton Abbey houses
an independent school. Downside did start a foundation
elsewhere which proved to be very successful: Worth.
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