On Sunday 30th October, with gratitude in their hearts both to God and to all who made the renovation work possible, the monastic community returned to the Abbey Church.
With builders, painters and all other construction workers off for the weekend, the monks had an opportunity to spend some private time in the building, getting accustomed to their new liturgical space before the doors were unlocked. After some words of introduction and thanks from Father Abbot, the MC introduced the community to the space and the way the liturgy would be celebrated in it. There was even an opportunity to practice entering in procession.
At 5.45 pm, all the bells were rung, and the doors were opened. A larger than normal crowd of people joined the monks for Vespers. The old red curtains from the statio area where the monks gather before liturgy have been replaced with handsome wood and stained glass doors. After the Angelus bell had been rung at 6.00 pm, the new doors were opened and the community entered the church solemnly for the first time.
As they entered the building, the monks chanted Psalm 121 in Latin, Laetatus sum in his quae dicta sunt mihi – ‘I rejoiced when I heard them say, “Let us go to God’s house”‘. Abbot Brendan then blessed water and proceeded around the church sprinkling the walls of the building and the gathered congregation with the holy water. He then sprinkled the new marble altar with the holy water as well. All the while, the community was singing verses from chapter 47 of the Book of Ezekiel – Vidi aquam – ‘I saw water flowing from the temple, on the right side, alleluia. And all to whom that water came have been saved, and they will say, alleluia.’ The cloth – a gift from our Benedictine brothers in Rostrevor – and the candles were then placed on the altar and the Office of Vespers was chanted.
Some photographs can be found below. Even though some work remains to be done on the church over the next while, all Masses and offices from now on will take place in the church.
