“Lead Kindly Light”. Saint John Henry Newman.

Saint John Henry Newman.

Illustration: CATHOLICISM PURE AND SIMPLE

Lead, Kindly Light, 

amid the encircling gloom, 

Lead me Thou on ! 

The night is dark, and I am far from home, 

Lead Thou me on ! Keep Thou my feet; 

I do not ask to see the distant scene; 

one step is enough for me. I was not ever thus, 

nor pray’d that Thou shouldst lead me on; 

I loved to choose and see my path, 

but now lead Thou me on ! 

I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears, 

pride ruled my will: Remember not past years. 

So long Your power hath Blest me, 

sure it still will lead me on, o’er moor and fen, 

o’er crag and torrent, till the night is gone; 

and, with the morn, those Angel faces smile 

which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.

The Book Of Ruth: “Whither Thou Goest, I Will Go. And, Where Thou Goest, I Will Lodge. Thy People Shall Be My People, And Thy God, My God”.

Illustration from

CHRIST MY COVENANT

Discovering the Gospel in Ruth.
By: Tim Keller.
Available on YouTube
HERE

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia,
unless otherwise stated.

Ruth (Hebrew: רוּת, Modern Rut Tiberian Rūθ), is the main character in the Book of Ruth in the Hebrew Bible.

Ruth was a Moabitess, who married into the Hebrew family of Elimelech and Naomi, whom she met when they left Bethlehem and relocated to Moab, due to a famine. Elimelech and his two sons died, leaving Naomi and her two daughters-in-law as widows.

When Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem, Ruth decided to go with her, despite the fact that Orpah, Naomi's other daughter-in-law, went back home.

Ruth famously vowed to follow Naomi in the following passage:

“Entreat me not to leave thee,

   or to return from following after thee:

   for whither thou goest, I will go;

   and where thou lodgest, I will lodge:

   thy people shall be my people,

   and thy God my God:

   Where thou diest, will I die,

   and there will I be buried:

   the LORD do so to me, and more also,

   if ought but death part thee and me”.

   (Ruth 1:16-17, King James Version)

"Ruth in the Fields"

by Merle Hugues, 1876.

Illustration: BIBLE-PEOPLE

“Whither Thou Goest”.

Sung by Perry Como.

Available on YouTube

HERE

Ruth went to glean in the fields, where she met Boaz. At the instigation of Naomi, she forced Boaz to declare his intentions regarding Ruth by slipping into the threshing floor at night, uncovering his feet, and lying at his feet (Ruth 3:8), in the Mosaic tradition of having the nearest relative be the kinsman redeemer (Leviticus 25:25-55). 

Boaz indicated his desire to marry her, and called Ruth a "woman of noble character". After overcoming the obstacle of having a relative with a stronger claim (per the Mosaic requirements in Deuteronomy 25:7-9), Boaz married Ruth, and they had a son, named Obed. 

The genealogy, in the final Chapter of the Book, explains how Ruth became the Great-Grandmother of David: Boaz begot Obed, Obed begot Jesse and Jesse begot David (Ruth 4:17). She is also, thus, the ancestor of Joseph (husband of Mary and foster-father of Jesus), and is one of the five women mentioned in The Genealogy of Matthew (along with Tamar, Rahab, Bathsheba, and Mary).

Saint Dionysius ( Denis) (Bishop). Saint Rusticus. Saint Eleutherius. Martyrs. Feast Day 9 October. Red Vestments.

Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.

Saint Dionysius (Bishop).
Saint Rusticus.

Saint Eleutherius.

   Martyrs.
   Feast Day 9 October.

Semi-Double.

Red Vestments.

Basilica of Saint Denis, France. The Tympanum of the Portal of the North Transept: The beheading of Saint Denis (Dionysius) and his companions, Saint Rusticus and Saint Eleutherius.

Basilique Saint-Denis, tympan du portail du transept: la décollation de saint Denis et Rustique et Éleuthère.

Photo: 1 March 2012.

Source: Own work.

Author: Myrabella

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: The Church of Saint John the Baptist,

Dammartin-en-Goële, France. Stained-Glass Window

depicting Saint Dionysius (Saint Denis) on the Right.

Deutsch: Katholische Pfarrkirche Saint-Jean-Baptiste

(Johannes der Täufer) in Dammartin-en-Goële, Frankreich.

Bleiglasfenster mit der Jahreszahl 1910, Darstellung: Herz Jesu und Margareta Maria Alacoque, links: Bathilde, rechts: Dionysius von Paris

Photo: 4 April 2013.

Source: Own work.

Author: GFreihalter

(Wikimedia Commons)

Dionysius (Denis), the first Bishop of Paris, accompanied by the Priest, Rusticus, and the Deacon, Eleutherius, was sent to Lutetia (Editor: Present-day Paris) in the 3rd-Century A.D. After carrying out his Mission there for several years, he was beheaded with his Companions at Catulliacum, present-day Saint Denis, Paris, where they erected over his tomb a Basilica. It was here that the Kings of France were buried. [Because of his beheading, Saint Dionysius (Denis) is always represented by bearing his head in his hands.] Saint Dionysius (Denis) is one of The Fourteen Auxiliary Saints.

The Gospel and Collect of today's Mass show forth the Christian heroism of these three Martyrs, who fearlessly confessed The Name of Christ before men and remained firm in the midst of their sufferings.

In the 9th-Century A.D., Saint Dionysius was erroneously identified with Saint Dionysius the Areopagite, whence the Epistle in The Mass relating the conversion of the latter Saint, which happened when Saint Paul passed through Greece on his second journey.

Mass: Sapiéntiam sanctórum.

Pope Saint Gregory II. Confessor. Reigned From 715 A.D. - 731 A.D. (Part Two).

 

Pope Saint Gregory II.

This File: 4 December 2006.

User: Nico86

(Wikimedia Commons)

Gregory ordered a number of Litanies to be said to stem the floods, which spread over the Campus Martius and the, so-called, Plains of Nero, reaching the foot of the Capitoline Hill.[8]

The first year of his Pontificate also saw a Letter arrive from Patriarch John VI of Constantinople, who attempted to justify his support of Monothelitism, while at the same time seeking sympathy from the Pope over the position he was in, with respect to The Emperor. Gregory responded by sending a Letter outlining the Traditional Roman position against Monothelitism.[9]

Then, in 716 A.D., Gregory received an official visit from Duke Theodo of Bavaria to discuss the continuing conversion of his lands to Christianity. As a result of this meeting, Gregory gave specific instructions to his delegates who were to travel to Bavaria, co-ordinate with the Duke, and establish a local Church hierarchy, overseen by an Archbishop.[10]

Gregory maintained an interest in Bavaria; in 726 A.D., he forced an unwilling Corbinian, after reviewing his appeal through a Synod, to abandon his Monastic calling, and become Bishop of Freising, in Upper Bavaria.[11]

Gregory next turned his attention to Germany. In 718 A.D., he was approached by an Anglo-Saxon Missionary, Winfrid, who proposed undertaking Missionary work in Germany.[12] Gregory agreed, and after changing his name to Boniface, commissioned him in May 719 A.D. to Preach in Germany.[1]

After hearing of the work that had been done in 722 A.D., Gregory summoned Boniface back to Rome to answer rumours concerning Boniface’s doctrinal purity.[13]

At this face-to-face meeting, Boniface complained that he found Gregory’s Latin difficult to understand, a clear indication that Vulgar Latin had already started to evolve into the Romance Languages.[14]

After examining Boniface’s written Profession of Faith, Gregory was satisfied enough that he made Boniface a Bishop in November 722 A.D, and returned him to Germany to continue his Mission.[1]

Continued successes saw Gregory write to Boniface in December 724 A.D. to offer his congratulations, followed in November 726 A.D. by a response to Boniface’s questions about how to structure the newly-emergent Churches in Germany.[15]

Gregory also strengthened Papal authority in the Churches of Britain and Ireland. In 726 A.D., Gregory was visited by Ine, the former King of Wessex, who had abdicated the throne in order to undertake a Pilgrimage to Rome and end his life there.[16]

Gregory also concerned himself with establishing or restoring Monasteries. He turned his family mansion in Rome into a Monastery, Saint Agatha in Suburra, endowing it with expensive and precious Vessels for use at the Altar,[17] and also established a new Church, Dedicated to Sant’Eustachio.[18]

In 718 A.D., he restored Monte Cassino, which had not recovered from an attack by the Lombards in 584 A.D., and he intervened in a dispute at the Monastery of Saint Vincent, on The River Volturno, over the deposition of the Abbot.[19]

In 721 A.D., Gregory held a Synod in Rome, for the purpose of fixing issues around illegitimate marriages.[20]

Then, in 723 A.D., the long-standing dispute between the Patriarchs of Aquileia and Grado flared up again. Upon the request of the Lombard King, Liutprand, Gregory had given the Pallium to Bishop Serenus, granting him the Patriarchate of Aquileia.

Soon afterwards, however, Gregory received a Letter from Donatus, Patriarch of Grado, complaining that Serenus had overstepped his authority, and was interfering within Grado’s Ecclesiastical jurisdiction.[21]

At the same time, Gregory reprimanded Donatus for complaining about Gregory’s decision to grant the Pallium to Serenus in the first place.[22]

Then, in 725 A.D., upon Donatus’ death, the Grado Patriarchate was usurped by Peter, the Bishop of Pola. Gregory responded by depriving Peter of both Sees, and he wrote to the people of the Diocese, reminding them to only elect Bishops in accordance with Church Law, whereupon they elected Antoninus, with Gregory’s approval.[23]

Gregory also mandated a number of practices within The Church. He decreed that in Lent, on Thursdays, people should Fast, just as they were required to do during the other days of the week.

PART THREE FOLLOWS.

Dedication Of England To The Mother Of God.

English: Queen of the Angels.

Latin: Regina Angelorum.

Artist: William-Adolphe Bouguereau.

Date: 1900.

Collection: Petit Palais, Paris.

Source/Photographer: Art Renewal Center

(Wikimedia Commons)

Illustration: 

INTERNET ARCHIVE

Credit: 

SOCIETY OF ST. BEDE — LITURGICAL RESOURCES

“Last Night I Dreamed Of Manderley”. “Rebecca”. Author: Daphne Du Maurier.

First Edition of “Rebecca”.

Author: Daphne Du Maurier.

Date: 1938.

Source: Source.

V. G. Gollancz.

Daphne du Maurier.

(Wikimedia Commons)

“Rebecca”.

Daphne Du Maurier’s celebrated novel.

Produced By: Alfred Hitchcock.

Starring: 

Joan Fontaine. Laurence Olivier. 

George Sanders. Nigel Bruce. C. Aubrey Smith.

Available On YouTube

HERE

Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia,

unless stated otherwise.

Rebecca is a 1938 Gothic novel by the English author Daphne du Maurier. 

It depicts an unnamed young woman who impetuously marries a wealthy widower, before discovering that both he and his household are haunted by the memory of his late first wife, Rebecca, the Title Character.

A best-seller which has never gone out of print, “Rebecca” sold 2.8 million copies between its publication in 1938 and 1965. 

It has been adapted numerous times for stage and screen, including: 

A 1939 Play by Daphne du Maurier;

The film Rebecca (1940), directed by Alfred Hitchcock, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture;

The 2020 Remake, directed by Ben Wheatley, for Netflix. 

The story has been adapted as a Musical.

The novel is remembered especially for the character of Mrs. Danvers, and the West Country estate “Manderley”, which du Maurier’s editor noted “is as much an atmosphere as a tangible erection of stones and mortar”,[2] and its opening line: “Last night, I dreamed of Manderley.”[3]

Pope Saint Gregory II. Confessor. Reigned From 715 AD - 731 A.D. (Part One). White Vestments.

Pope Saint Gregory II.

This File: 4 December 2006.

User: Nico86

(Wikimedia Commons)

Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopædia,
unless stated otherwise.

Pope Gregory II (Latin: Gregorius II; 669 A.D. – 11 February 731 A.D.) was the Bishop of Rome from 19 May 715 A.D. to his death.[1]

His defiance of The Roman Emperor, Leo III the Isaurian, as a result of the iconoclastic controversy in the Eastern Empire, prepared the way for a long series of revolts, schisms, and civil wars that eventually led to the establishment of the temporal power of the Popes.

Born into a noble Roman family in the year 669 A.D.,[2] Gregory was the son of Marcellus and Honesta.[3] Gregory II was an alleged collateral ancestor to the Roman Savelli family,[4] according to a 15th-Century chronicler, but this is unattested in contemporary documents and very likely unreliable.

The same was said of the 7th-Century A.D. Pope Benedict II, but nothing certain is known about a kinship between the two of them.

As a young man, he was placed in the Papal Court, and was made a Sub-Deacon and Sacellarius of the Roman See during the Pontificate of Pope Sergius I (687 A.D.–701 A.D.).

Later, he was made a Deacon and placed in charge of the Vatican Library.[5] During Pope Constantine’s Pontificate, Gregory was made a Papal Secretary, and accompanied the Pope to Constantinople in 711 A.D. to deal with the issues raised by Rome’s rejection of the Canons of the Quinisext Council.[6]

The actual negotiations on the contentious articles were handled by Gregory, with the result that Emperor Justinian II agreed that the Papacy could disregard whichever of the Council’s decisions it wished to.[7]

After Pope Constantine’s death on 9 April 715 A.D., Gregory was elected Pope, and was Consecrated as Bishop of Rome on 19 May 715 A.D.[5]

Almost immediately, Gregory began the task of repairing Rome’s Aurelian Walls, beginning at the Porta Tiburtina.[5] Work on this task was delayed in October 716 A.D. when the River Tiber burst its banks and flooded Rome, causing immense damage and only receding after eight days.[5]

PART TWO FOLLOWS.

The Stained-Glass Repository.

“Madonna And Child”.

Illustration: THE STAINED-GLASS REPOSITORY

Text from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia,

unless stated otherwise.

The London Stained Glass Repository was established as a charitable trust in 1982 and is now part of the Glaziers’ Foundation, which was set up in 2011 to embrace all the charitable work of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass.

The Web-Site of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass can be found HERE

The Stained Glass Repository, as it is now known since its move to the Welbeck Estate, Nottingham, rescues good quality glass and seeks to find new homes for it. Redundant Churches form the main source of rescued glass.

Stained glass, which is under threat from building closure or vandalism, is brought to the attention of the Repository, usually by the Church Commissioners.

“Suffer the little children to come unto me”.
Illustration: THE STAINED-GLASS REPOSITORY

The Repository Committee then considers among other things:

The artistic merit;
The historic interest;
The state of repair;
The general condition of the glass.

Once satisfied about the quality of the glass, the Repository Committee then negotiates for its release. 

This process can take several years and is not always successful because we have no powers of compulsion.

“Presentation Of The Child Jesus In The Temple”.

Illustration: THE STAINED-GLASS REPOSITORY

Once in store, the glass is photographed and catalogued, with details of the artist, subject-matter, Church/Diocese of origin, size and condition, etc.

Then begins the work of finding a new home for the glass. Because the subject-matter is mostly drawn from the Old and New Testaments, virtually all of the new homes are ecclesiastical buildings.

By no means are all those buildings in the United Kingdom; glass has been sent to the United States (where one new Church was designed round a huge window from the Repository), the Falkland Islands, Australia, and Croatia. 

Some good quality items have been lent to museums, and others have been used for educational projects around the World.

“Saint Peter”.

Illustration: STAINED-GLASS REPOSITORY

“Saint Paul”.

Illustration: STAINED-GLASS REPOSITORY

The Repository has never confined itself to dealing with glass of a particular type or period, and it was only circumstances which determined that the bulk of the glass would be Victorian and ecclesiastical.

The Repository does not pay for the glass it acquires, and correspondingly does not charge the new owners, although many of those have shown their gratitude with generous donations, which are very welcome and used to defray administrative costs.

Initial enquiries should be directed to the Clerk’s Office - details on the Contact Us page.

The Web-Site of The Stained Glass Repository can be found HERE

More detailed information can be found using the following links: The Catalogue of the Stained Glass Repository which can be viewed online.

“Angels”.

Illustration: STAINED-GLASS REPOSITORY

Terms of Reference – this document sets out the general aims of the Repository and the criteria for the acceptance of glass and its rehousing and re-installation. There is also guidance on heritage contacts.

Donation Guidelines – specific advice and guidelines for those wishing to donate Stained Glass to the Repository.

Installation Guidelines – specific advice and guidelines for places of Worship or other building owners considering installing Stained Glass from the Repository.

Heraldic Coat-of-Arms.

Illustration: STAINED-GLASS REPOSITORY

The Future Of The Repository.

The number of Churches being made redundant has now shrunk to a trickle, with a correspondingly reduced inflow of glass to the Repository. 

However, interest from possible new owners has remained reasonably high. The greatest need for the Repository, therefore, is to identify glass from sources other than the Anglican Church, which is nevertheless redundant or at risk. 

The Repository Committee actively seeks to identify such new sources.

The Repository works closely with many organisations, including:

The British Society of Master Glass Painters
The Council for the Care of Churches
Historic England (formerly English Heritage)
The Stained Glass Museum at Ely
The Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victorian Society
The William Morris Gallery

Colwich Abbey. Reviving And Restoring A Benedictine Monastery In England. Can You Assist With A Small Donation ?

The Web-Site for Colwich Abbey, England,

can be found HERE

Click HERE to make your gift !

This Article is re-printed from 2025.

A New Chapter In Our Community’s History.

International Expansion.

As our community has continued to receive many vocations, including ones from abroad, the Abbey had been considering establishing another House for the Lord. 

While different options were under consideration, we were not thinking of any location outside America. 

But our international Sisters’ visas were placed in jeopardy by new U.S. regulations, so Sisters had to take refuge in England.

The Web-Site for Colwich Abbey, England,

can be found HERE

Click HERE to make your gift !

A family offered them a temporary home in Staffordshire, little realising that a permanent solution was practically at their doorstep.

The Sisters discovered that, fifteen miles away, Saint Mary’s Abbey, in Colwich, was for sale. 

A week after their arrival, the Sisters visited the Abbey grounds, and were quite taken by the buildings, the historical value of the place, and its rural setting. 

With a formal invitation from the Archbishop, it became clear the Lord wanted the Benedictines of Mary to stay in Staffordshire, and to do all in their power to restore Colwich Abbey to its former glory.

The Web-Site for Colwich Abbey, England, 

can be found HERE

Click HERE to make your gift !

Continuing A Precious Heritage.

Under The Protection Of The Immaculate.

When our Sisters landed in England, their first stop was to Saint Paul’s Cathedral, London, to offer the Holy Rosary. 

The new House is under the patronage of the Immaculate Conception, and they know that Saint Paul and all the Holy Martyrs of England will assist them in their missionary endeavour in England, traditionally called “Our Lady’s Dowry”. 

It was no surprise to learn that Colwich Abbey is properly called Saint Mary’s, and that the Towns around them are closely associated with the Martyrs of the Persecution.

The Web-Site for Colwich Abbey, England, 

can be found HERE

Click HERE to make your gift !

Learning the rich history of Colwich Abbey, we discovered that the Founders of the Abbey included three great-great-granddaughters of Saint Thomas More, who gathered in 1623 at Cambrai, France, after The Dissolution Of The English Monasteries in the 1500s. 

They then re-established themselves in Paris under Dame Bridget More, where they suffered during the French Revolution until they were deported back to England. 

They finally settled in an 18th-Century House at the edge of Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, a beautiful forest historically used for royal hunting. 

Due to dwindling numbers, the Abbey was put up for sale in 2020.

The Web-Site for Colwich Abbey, England, 

can be found HERE

Click HERE to make your gift !

It is our great hope and desire that our community can revive Monastic Life in this beautiful and historic Sanctuary. 

Until then, the Sisters have already brought the Benedictine “Ora Et Labora” [Pray And Work] to the Midlands, and we await God’s timing for the next step in this exciting endeavour.

Restoring And Conserving 

This Historic Sanctuary.

Visiting Colwich Abbey revealed much work to be done, and the Sisters will shoulder as much repair and restoration work as they can possibly undertake themselves. 

They are used to hard work ! Helping hands are on the way, as our community receives vocation enquiries every single day.

The Web-Site for Colwich Abbey, England, 

can be found HERE

Click HERE to make your gift !

And since word has spread about this possibility, the European inquiries have grown considerably ! Over time, they will be welcoming more and more Sisters to our English House as space is prepared and restored.

Nevertheless, it is clear that the Sisters will need to engage professional labourers, and the Order is already financially engaged in two building projects in the United States. 

The “surprise English Foundation” in Colwich will hopefully receive generous financial backing from within their new home in England and nearby Europe. 

However, in the end, we know it is going to be an international network of grace and support that will see this project through.

The Web-Site for Colwich Abbey, England, 

can be found HERE

Click HERE to make your gift !

There is first the £2.5 Million purchase that will be due to Stanbrook Abbey for the acquisition of Colwich Abbey and its grounds.

Next, there will be the expenses of repairing and updating the building, which will be quite extensive. It will also be necessary to furnish the Abbey, as nearly all contents were put up for auction a few years ago. 

Purchasing and installing the High Altar in the Church, and making accommodations for the Faithful to assist at Mass, will be the final expenditures needed for preparing the Abbey. This brings the total cost to at least £4 Million.

Any gift or pledge, large or small, will ensure the success of this exciting project to re-establish Colwich Abbey and Found an International House for the Benedictines of Mary.

The Web-Site for Colwich Abbey, England, 

can be found HERE

Click HERE to make your gift !

Until the community has established itself as a non-profit organisation in England, all gifts may be made to the Founding Abbey in the USA. 

Please put “Colwich” in the Notes Box to designate your gift is for the new Colwich Abbey.

Payments can be made by Credit Card Online, Check in U.S. Dollars, or Bank Wire. 

If you are making a large gift, please consider a Wire Transfer to avoid Processing Fees. 

Our EIN number is 20-4450092 and the mailing address of the Abbey is below.

The Web-Site for Colwich Abbey, England, 

can be found HERE

Click HERE to make your gift !

Perhaps you may consider leaving a bequest to the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, in your Will, or you can tell others about this endeavour to re-open this ancient House of Prayer.

As England has always been known as “Our Lady’s Dowry”, please join us in Prayer that we may restore this little portion of England to her !

Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles.

8005 NW 316th Street,

Gower, Missouri 64454,

United States of America.

Donate Now.

All gifts are Tax-Deductible !

We are a duly registered 501c3 charitable organisation, 

and so are able to issue acknowledgement letters 

suitable for IRS purposes.

Our EIN Number is 20-4450092.

You may donate by Credit Card or PayPal below:

Click HERE to make your gift!

Or send a Check by U.S. Mail, payable to:

Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles.

8005 NW 316th Street,

Gower, Missouri 64454,

United States of America.

The Web-Site for Colwich Abbey, England,

can be found HERE

Click HERE to make your gift !