So the story of Llantarnam Abbey
has in a sense come a full circle. The original purpose of the Abbey was to
be a place of prayer, home to a Religious Community, where the poor, the
sick and anyone in need were cared for . Basically this is what still
happens “behind the walls” today. There are about 40 Sisters of St. Joseph
living in the Abbey—some of whom are elderly and infirm whom we care for
with the assistance of Lay Staff. Some Sisters go out from here to work in
Schools, Parishes and Hospitals, as well as in the works of Spiritual
Direction and Counselling. As did the monks of long ago we, too, keep sheep
and cattle. The monks of old, as we have learned, had to write everything by
hand—Bibles, books, prayer books, letters etc. Nowadays many of us are
computer literate and the Provincial Offices are fully computerised—even
down to this “home-grown” web-site. We do a great deal of our own printing—
booklets, cards, stationery etc.
Above all the Abbey is once
again a place of prayer—for ourselves and our Sisters working in other
Communities around the country and for the many visitors who join us for
quiet days of prayer and reflection.
Perhaps, above all, this is how
we would like people to think of the Abbey—home, now, to a Community of
consecrated women, busy with whatever tasks are in hand but balancing that
with time for other people and time for God in prayer.
