The Community | Ampleforth Abbey

Our Community

We are a community of 58 monks, who seek God according to the Gospel and the Rule of St Benedict. At the heart of our life together are our common celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours and the Eucharist, our private prayer, and our reflection on the Word of God in Scripture (lectio divina). We are committed to support and serve each other, as we strive daily for personal and communal holiness, in fidelity to monastic living. We seek to establish and maintain a joyful, simple and balanced life in prayer, work and time for each other. We aim to serve the Church and the world in all our works, including our traditional commitment to education, pastoral ministry and hospitality, trying to recognise Christ in all whom we meet. In all this, we aspire to offer to the world a witness to the lasting values of the Gospel.

Please read on to learn more about St Benedict and his Rule as well as our Patron Saints, St Laurence and St Alban Roe.

St Benedict, Father of Western Monasticism

St Benedict was born in Norcia, Italy, around 480 AD. Unimpressed by the quality of learning and life in Rome, he turned his back on such a life and decided to seek God alone. He found a lonely mountain 40 miles from Rome at Subiaco and lived in a cave to be alone, to pray and to surrender his life utterly to God. The cave is still there with the monastery, which was later built round it.

Although Benedict sought the life of a hermit, when others sought him out for his guidance and help, he responded. Instead of the solitary search for God, he taught them to seek God together in community. That community at Subiaco, however, did not appreciate the rigour of Benedict’s way and tried to poison him. The legend says that when the Saint blessed the cup of poisoned wine, it shattered miraculously.

St Benedict, Abbot of Monte Cassino

Benedict left Subiaco and founded instead the great monastery of Monte Cassino, laying the foundation stone in 530. Benedict may have spent some time as a hermit at Monte Cassino too, but once again disciples flocked to him. At Monte Cassino Benedict wrote his Rule for Monks, which is the only surviving writing he left. Benedict died at Monte Cassino in 547.

The last of the barbarian invaders - the terrible Lombards - sacked Monte Cassino 34 years after Benedict’s death. They left it in ruins: but this was the seed that died in order to bear fruit a hundredfold. The monks themselves escaped and carried the treasured manuscript of the Rule to Rome. The Pope helped them to re-establish themselves in a monastery on the Caelian Hill. A few years later, in 597, a monk of this community, called Augustine, was sent under orders from the Pope to convert the wild and heathen inhabitants of England. Both Augustine and Gregory are regarded as secondary patrons of English Benedictines for this reason.

The Rule of Saint Benedict

During his time at Monte Cassino, Saint Benedict wrote his monastic Rule, a practical book for those wishing to live the community or cenobitic life. He calls it "a little rule for beginners," setting down "nothing harsh, nothing burdensome." Saint Benedict's aim is to establish "a school of the Lord's service," where monks can devote themselves to their search for God. The Latin word regula normally translated to rule, comes originally from the word for trellis, a framework to enable ordered growth. These are not arbitrary rules and regulations, but a tried and tested framework upon which a willing soul can grow and flourish by God's good grace. The approach offered by Saint Benedict is both sensible and humane, focussing on finding God in the ordinary circumstances of daily life, and particularly in the brethren. He advocates a balanced life of prayer and work, with all things done in moderation. The text assumes that the Abbot should have the liberty to apply the Rule in any situation or circumstance. There is in it both a firmness of principle and a flexibility of application. Its enduring wisdom has meant that it has continued to guide and inspire monks, nuns and lay people for over 1,500 years. At Ampleforth, a short passage from the Rule is read each night at the beginning of Compline.

St Laurence Ordained Priest by Pope Sixtus, by Fra' Angelico

Our Patron Saints

It is a source of strength and joy to us when we remember that, through Christ, we are united not only to the Father, but to each other, including those we call Saints in heaven. We ask them to pray for us, since they are so close to God in holiness and charity, and they show us love by interceding for us. St Benedict, of course, is the patron Saint of all Benedictines, but we have two special patron Saints of our own here at Ampleforth: St Laurence (to whom the Abbey Church is dedicated) and St Alban Roe, a monk of this community who became a canonised martyr.

Saint Laurence

Saint Laurence (or St Lawrence), one of the seven deacons of Rome, suffered martyrdom during Emperor Valerian's persecution of the Christians. Laurence was a deacon of Pope Sixtus II and was overwhelmed with grief when Sixtus was condemned to death in the year 258. As deacon, Laurence had charge over the possessions of the church. The Prefect of Rome commanded Laurence to bring the treasures of the church to be handed over to the Emperor. Laurence said he would need three days to collect them. He sold them and then he hastened through the city giving the money to the poor, the crippled, widows, orphans and other unfortunates. These then followed him to the Prefect’s house, knowing the danger he was in. When the Prefect demanded the treasures of the church, Laurence waved his hand to the people; “Behold, these are the treasures of the Church.”

Furious, the Prefect prepared a red-hot griddle and bound Laurence to it. As they were holding him down with iron forks, Laurence said: "I offer myself up as a sacrifice to God for an odour of sweetness." With a humour that only the Saints possess, he raised his eyes to the judge and said; "See, this side is well roasted; turn me on the other and eat." These words, in Latin, are the magnificat antiphon for Vespers on his Feast Day. According to Prudentius, an early Christian writer, Laurence's death and example led to the end of paganism in the city and inspired a great devotion in Rome.

St Laurence's name is in the first Eucharistic Prayer, and his Feast Day is celebrated on 10th August.

Saint Alban Roe

Fr Alban Roe was baptised Bartholomew sometime in 1583, in Suffolk. He attended Cambridge University, and while there experienced something that caused his conversion to Catholicism. While visiting in St Albans, he heard that a Catholic recusant had been put in prison there for his beliefs, and chose to visit the prisoner, in order to argue him out of his superstitious ways. It did not work out like that, and the Catholic prisoner instead persuaded Bartholomew that he needed change. In February 1608 he took up a place in the English College (a seminary) in Douai, eager to become a priest. He was expelled in 1611, however, for criticising the principal. It so happened that a Benedictine house was given permission to establish itself at Douai in December of 1608, and it seems likely that young Bartholomew was acquainted with it. At any rate, wishing to avoid further embarrassment in Douai, he joined the novitiate at another English monastery, St Laurence’s at Dieulouard in 1613. Once ordained he went to England where he worked in secret as a priest.

In 1618 however he was imprisoned for being a priest in England - a ‘crime’ which carried the death penalty. Fortunately, he was released by King James I in a general amnesty in 1623 and banished. He returned to England however, and was re-arrested in 1625 and imprisoned in St Albans, where his adventure had begun so many years before. Luckily for him, his friends had him removed to the Fleet Prison in London where circumstances were much better. Indeed, like many others, he was allowed out into the streets of London by day, so long as he gave his word that he would return by nightfall. He used his freedom to minister to many.

While King Charles I governed without parliament, no imprisoned priests were executed. When the Long Parliament convened, however, the hangings began again in earnest (20 between 1641 and 1646). On 21st January 1642, Fr Alban and Fr Thomas Reynolds, a priest in his 80s, offered their last mass and were led to the gallows. They gave each other absolution. Just before his death, Alban asked the sheriff if his life would be spared if he renounced his Catholic religion and became an Anglican. The sheriff swore he would be spared if he did. Alban then said to all; “See then, what the crime is for which I am to die, and whether my religion be not my only treason...I wish I had a thousand lives; then would I sacrifice them all for so worthy a cause.” They were allowed to hang until they were dead before being quartered.

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