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| The Pyx at CR held a great fascination for me |
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| It would change no matter how many times I looked at it |
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| It was beautiful, no matter what time of day or night it was |
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| I did my best to capture some sense of what it showed me |
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| But nothing I did seemed...right |
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| One night, with the brethren's blessings I tried again |
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| I worked into the wee hours |
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| This set of four was a direct result of that night |
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| It's closer, but not quite there yet |
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| Somehow my camera caught that which I couldn't express with my ink brush.... |
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| Mealtimes at CR Monastery are a bit different than those at the College |
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| There are usually many visitors, guests and retreatants with the occasional VIP |
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| After the meal everyone pitches in to help clear up |
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| With much hustle and bustle, the brethren get the job done quickly and efficiently |
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| Fr. Crispin rolls the dish trolley to the kitchen, ready for the washing up |
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| Even Fr. George (Superior) does his turn |
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| Quite a different scenario from his daily administrative duties, as head honcho of CR |
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| As an example of the vast array of their tasks, Fr. John,was in charge of fundraising activities and held an auction in Nov, which raised over £50,000 for their CR Church Renovation Project. |
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| Besides being Musical Director, Fr. Peter is also Principal and teacher at the Ordination College |
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| As well as overseeing several extensive libraries, Fr. Thomas is also in charge of the CR fruit orchards. (And makes the best jams and jellies I've ever had.) |
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| Brother Jacob is in charge of various church related duties. Here he is, putting away the main altar cloth after a special service |
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| But Jacob is also CR's technical wizard guy- seen here helping set up my final presentation |
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| At CR, even what looks like idle chat is deceiving. Here, FF Anthony and Oswin (Priory) discuss ideas for future workshops |
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| Interesting educational workshops on various topics are regularly held at the Mirfield Centre |
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| Brothers Dennis on the left, runs the Retreat facilities which has over 30 rooms. Daniel, is the CR Webmaster |
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| But, at the end of the day, this is the schedule that the brethren adhere to, without fail. |
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| The daily services and prayer is the backbone and lifeblood of the Community of the Resurrection |
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| The brethren's commitment and dedication is strong and inspiring to see. (Btw, Fr. Peter is not reading text messages...he's transposed the liturgy onto his hi-tech gadget.) |
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| The brethren wear many hats in the course of a day. Here's Fr. Nicolas - who also manages CR's South African concerns - preparing the small altar for midday Mass. |
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| And here he is, getting beamed up. I knew there was something special about CR!
"Chop wood, carry water" is an old Zen saying, that basically means giving yourself fully to everyday mundane tasks. It's about being fully present in every moment. This is the state that the brethren at CR live in, 365 days of the year.
I have been asked many times about what the monks actually do. These pictures are my way of answering that question although a lot has been left out. Remember, the brethren are also ordained Anglican Fathers, so you can add all sorts of priestly duties to the list above.
Perhaps now you get an inkling of the sheer discipline and energy required for the running of a modern working monastic community.
I've come to the conclusion that the brethren run on a different kind of energy source to the rest of us.....
They run on God-powered batteries. |
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| Meal are served in The Refectory Dining Hall |
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| College principal Fr. Peter enjoys a chat with his students |
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| Students take turns to serve meals |
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| Tucking into a delicious Chinese buffet |
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| And a dessert to die for..... |
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| How do they all keep so slim... |
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| Suddenly everyone gets ready to leave |
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| Without a word they all head quickly in the same direction. |
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| Straight to the Common Room for coffee, a look at the papers and a chat! |
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| Gentlemen's corner |
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| *Ordnand "Bear" |
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| Detail of Chinese scroll paper banner work |
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| Placement in final exhibition |
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| White dots are holes to let light/space shine through |
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| Discovery! |
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| Close-up of work on opposite side (on heavy paper) |
