Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Wawickshire convent holds final service

A HISTORIC Warwickshire convent held its last service this weekend.

The Poor Clare community at Baddesley Clinton, near Kenilworth, celebrated its 160th anniversary last year but has dwindled in size and has had to shut due to a shortage of nuns.

The four nuns remaining have moved to a new home since yesterday leaving the convent, which stands next to St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church.

A special service of thanksgiving was held at Poor Clare’s on Saturday, conducted by the Archbishop of Birmingham, Revd Bernard Longley.

Started in the mid-19th century, the convent, like many others across the UK, has fallen victim to a reduced number of women taking up the vocation.

But the nuns were thankful for the support the convent has received over the last 160 years, saying the institution has outlived the average lifespan of a monastery.

The convent was founded in 1850 when a group of six sisters, from Bruges, made their home in Rising Lane, Baddesley.

The sisters dedicated their days at Baddesley Clinton to group and individual prayer and reflection, as well as offering hospitality to visitors wanting to spend time in contemplation.

SIC: ICN/UK