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