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NUNNERY LIFE IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND
NUNNERY LIFE IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND
“Sister Mary Agnes. O.S.B.” Photogravure by Annan & Swan. NUNNERY LIFE IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND; OR, Seventeen Years with Father Ignatius. BY SISTER MARY AGNES, O.S.B. EDITED, WITH PREFACE, BY THE REV. W. LANCELOT HOLLAND, M.A., Vicar Of All Saints’, Hatcham . FIFTH THOUSAND. London: HODDER AND STOUGHTON, 27, PATERNOSTER ROW. MDCCCXCI. Butler & Tanner, The Selwood Printing Works, Frome, and London....
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PREFACE.
PREFACE.
In the summer of last year (1889), I first heard of the authoress of this autobiography: not accidentally, as some might put it, but rather by the good providence of Jehovah, who “worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.” Ex-sister Mary Agnes, or Miss J. M. Povey, had been attending one of Mrs. Edith O’Gorman Auffray’s (better known as “The Escaped Nun”) lectures at the Town Hall, Kensington, and after the lecture she obtained an interview with the lecturess, during which she gave h
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INTRODUCTION.
INTRODUCTION.
In sending forth this book to the world, I would have it clearly understood that it is not my desire to injure any one. I only wish that the mistakes of my life may prove a warning to others and prevent them from taking the step I did. I feel it to be a solemn duty, which I owe to God, to put before the public convent life in the Church of England, as I found it. Naturally I shrink from the task, for the Mother of the Feltham convent has always acted, as far as my experience goes, conscientiousl
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CHAPTER I. MY REASONS FOR BECOMING A SISTER.
CHAPTER I. MY REASONS FOR BECOMING A SISTER.
From the earliest time that my memory goes back, I loved Jesus, though I knew very little about Him—only what my dear mother taught me, and she was what is termed a “shy Christian.” But I often wished that people would talk more about Him, at least to me; and as a little girl I used to look at people, and wish they would speak to me of Jesus, though I was too timid to put my thoughts into words. When I was about fourteen years of age, in the year 1868, there was a great stir about a new preacher
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CHAPTER II. CONVENT LIFE ENTERED UPON.
CHAPTER II. CONVENT LIFE ENTERED UPON.
In the beginning of November, 1868, I went on a short visit to the “Benedictine convent of cloistered nuns,” at Feltham. Father Ignatius, who claims to be the father, founder, and reviver of monasticism in the Church of England, had turned an old farm-house at Feltham into a convent. The “rule” given to the nuns by him can be procured at any Roman Catholic publishers. It is entitled “The Holy Rule of St. Benedict, translated by a Priest of Mount Melleray.” There are other translations of the rul
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CHAPTER III. THE VOW OF POVERTY.
CHAPTER III. THE VOW OF POVERTY.
I purpose now to write a short chapter on the Vow of Poverty. By this vow a nun has stripped herself of everything; she no longer possesses the right to use anything, or any member of her body, without the permission of her superior. Body and soul, hands, eyes, and feet, are all given up; therefore the nun may not use her hands or her feet even to perform a kind and helpful action for her fellow-nuns, without first going to ask the leave of her Superior. Often, especially at first, I did not und
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CHAPTER IV. THE VOW OF CHASTITY.
CHAPTER IV. THE VOW OF CHASTITY.
The Vow of Chastity is broken by allowing any part of the arm to be seen above the wrist, so that if we should be engaged in cleaning furniture, or scrubbing floors, or washing clothes, we are not allowed to turn up our sleeves; and as the under garments are made of coarse serge with long sleeves, which are only changed once a fortnight throughout summer and winter, the discomfort of this may easily be imagined. However, the feet may be quite bare all the year round, for those of us, at least, w
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CHAPTER V. THE VOW OF OBEDIENCE.
CHAPTER V. THE VOW OF OBEDIENCE.
The Vow of entire, unquestioning, and absolute Obedience renders the Superiors tyrants and their subjects slaves. A novice, or nun, must give up her will, conscience, judgment, reason, and her intellect, and must be merely a tool in her Superior’s hands. [8] She may not speak to her Superior without first prostrating her whole body to the ground, kissing the hem of her “sacred habit,” and then, leave to speak being given, she may address her Superior, kneeling on both knees, with the eyes fixed
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CHAPTER VI. THE DAWN OF SPIRITUAL LIGHT.
CHAPTER VI. THE DAWN OF SPIRITUAL LIGHT.
I had been in the convent now for some eight years, striving after perfection; but a wearisome task it was, ever striving to observe all the minutiæ of convent rules, ever confessing every little deviation from the three vows aforementioned. I had been taught that baptism had made me a child of God; that original sin had, by virtue of that rite, been taken away; but that, subsequently, if I wished to retain God’s favour, I must confess every sin of omission and commission, in thought, word and d
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CHAPTER VII. LIFE AT FELTHAM CONVENT.
CHAPTER VII. LIFE AT FELTHAM CONVENT.
Ten years were passed by me at Feltham. Father Ignatius did not have very much to do with us there. The Mother, I think, used to let him know that she did not consider it a man’s place to govern a number of women so entirely as he wished to do. Besides, he sometimes gave orders which she thought very indiscreet, from which great scandal might arise; and, being somewhat older than Father Ignatius, she took the liberty of representing to him, rather strongly, her views about his orders and doings.
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CHAPTER VIII. CONVENT LIFE AT SLAPTON, IN DEVONSHIRE.
CHAPTER VIII. CONVENT LIFE AT SLAPTON, IN DEVONSHIRE.
I will now pass on to say a few words about my life at the Slapton convent, in Devonshire, where we took up our abode after leaving Feltham. We commenced life in our new home, which was part of an old chantry house, with glad, bold, and brave hearts, determined to keep the rules which were imposed upon us. Our motto was “In omnibus glorificetur Deus.” We were under stricter rule than we had ever been before, but we were glad of this, as we believed we were brought nearer to Jesus the stricter th
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CHAPTER IX. CONVENT LIFE AT LLANTHONY.
CHAPTER IX. CONVENT LIFE AT LLANTHONY.
I was looking forward to taking the black veil, but somehow the Mother had made a firm resolve to keep me, if possible, from taking this step. I may be permitted to write a few words about the present Lady Prioress of Llanthony. This lady took novice vows with me in 1869. She gained a great reputation for sanctity by an assumed air of humility, and by performing innumerable voluntary penances and antics, which put her less saintly sisters to much discomfort and disgust. I recollect her once sitt
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CHAPTER X. DAILY ROUTINE AT LLANTHONY.
CHAPTER X. DAILY ROUTINE AT LLANTHONY.
At 1.45 every morning the sisters are called by the words, “Benedicamus Domino.” Each sister must instantly arise, saying, “Deo gratias,” then prostrate herself and kiss the floor; and after tidying herself, she must kneel upright with her back toward the bed, in silent prayer, until the first chime of the bell ceases. The nuns then form themselves into a procession, with lighted tapers in their hands, and sing as they go to church, where they remain, singing, praying, and reciting psalms, etc.,
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CHAPTER XI. ILL-TREATMENT OF CHILDREN.
CHAPTER XI. ILL-TREATMENT OF CHILDREN.
I recollect how a poor orphan boy at Llanthony monastery was almost always in disgrace, and had to endure the “Discipline.” The lads, when doing penance, were stripped, then laid on a long table, their faces downwards, and lashed for such faults as talking in silence time, slamming doors, leaving dust about. Another little boy, of nine or ten—motherless—his father a dipsomaniac, after being at the monastery four or five years, was turned out and sent to London, to do the best he could, with only
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CHAPTER XII. SOME OF THE LLANTHONY RULES, WITH ACCOMPANYING PENANCES.
CHAPTER XII. SOME OF THE LLANTHONY RULES, WITH ACCOMPANYING PENANCES.
Rule 1. —Never to ask for anything that is not necessary. Penance. —To be kept without it. Rule 2. —Never to ask for anything that is necessary a second time, unless permission to do so be granted by the Superior. Rule 3. —Never to hold possession of, or make use of, anything, unless given or lent by the Superior. Penance. —To hold it up before the Blessed Sacrament for a week, at the Magnificat . Rule 4. —Never to touch or look at a book, letter, or newspaper, unless holy obedience compels us t
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CHAPTER XIII. OF WHAT RELIGION IS FATHER IGNATIUS?
CHAPTER XIII. OF WHAT RELIGION IS FATHER IGNATIUS?
I have often been asked this question, and in some respects it is not a very easy one to answer, because Father Ignatius has such a wonderful way of being all things to all men. He has stood on the platform and preached by the side of General Booth’s wife, and has joined in their processions. He has himself told me that he has gone to a Roman Catholic Dominican monastery, and was welcomed there by the monks under the designation of the “Abbot Ignatius.” He has himself told us not to let poor ign
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CHAPTER XIV. MY DEPARTURE FROM LLANTHONY.
CHAPTER XIV. MY DEPARTURE FROM LLANTHONY.
The morning for my departure at last arrived. One of the first thoughts that came to me was, “I wonder if, after all, I am mad, as they tell me I am? Perhaps I am, and that is the reason for my leaving.” In solitude on that morning I made a cup of tea, feeling too ill to eat, but I cut a small portion of bread and butter, in case I should want it. No one came near me. I thought I should much like to say good-bye to some one, but I dared not speak, for it was a period of solemn silence. But I sti
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CHAPTER XV. AT LLANTHONY AGAIN.
CHAPTER XV. AT LLANTHONY AGAIN.
IN the month of August, in the year 1885, I found my way back to Llanthony. It was dark when I arrived at the monastery, and on reaching it I seemed, for the first time, to realize all this return implied, and I now trembled at the thought of going into the convent. I walked round about the building for some time, and then looked in at the kitchen window. The first sight that came to my view was the Novice-mistress’s face, and that of Mother Ermenild, whose face and eyes, seemed swollen with cry
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CHAPTER XVI. APPARITIONS AND MIRACLES.
CHAPTER XVI. APPARITIONS AND MIRACLES.
It will be as well, before making the very few remarks I am able to give on the alleged “apparitions at Llanthony,” that I should give my readers a few extracts from Father Ignatius’s oration on the subject, which was delivered on Tuesday evening, May 5th, 1885, at, as far as I recollect, Westminster Town Hall. This oration was based professedly on Hebrews xii. 1: “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,” etc. It would appear from this oration that Ignati
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CHAPTER XVII. LIBERTY.
CHAPTER XVII. LIBERTY.
I cannot but add a chapter in which I shall especially endeavour to give a word of counsel and warning to all who may in any degree be looking upon convent life, whether in the Church of England or in the Church of Rome, with a favourable eye. I may say sincerely this book has been written with this object. And if, in doing what seemed to me so bounden a duty, I have hurt the feelings of any who are mentioned in its pages, it was not with the object of doing so that I was led to speak out the tr
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APPENDIX A.
APPENDIX A.
“ Manual of Devotions to our Holy Father, St. Benedict, Abbot and Patriarch of the Western Monks; to his Sister, St. Scholastica, Virgin and Abbess; and to all Saints of his Order. ” (London: Catholic Publishing and Bookselling Co. Limited.) Father Ignatius calls himself a Benedictine monk, and his nuns belong to the same order. One would have supposed that though he imitated Rome in the worship of the wafer and of the Virgin, he would still have hesitated to go the full length of Romish superst
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APPENDIX B.
APPENDIX B.
“ The Exercises of Saint Gertrude, Virgin and Abbess of the Order of St. Benedict. ” (London: Burns & Oates.) In the preface a short account is given of the life of St. Gertrude, which is chiefly a legendary history, and made up of some of the most absurd and ridiculous tales. “Once, when she was pouring out her whole heart in love to its Divine Spouse, it received the impression of the five wounds of the Divine Redeemer, and Gertrude felt them continually to the moment of her death with
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APPENDIX C.
APPENDIX C.
Review of “Visits to the Most Holy Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin Mary. By St. Alphonsus Liguori.” (Published by Burns & Oates.) This book was sent to me by Sister Agnes, who wrote as follows when forwarding it: “I send the book which we used daily. It was my constant friend for years; my troubles and sorrows I confided to it. The hymns with the word ‘Ignatius’ at the end are his, but not the others; the writing in the first part of the book, written in MS. on foreign note paper, is ta
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