Behind the scenes at Ampleforth Monastery

NINE hours of unbroken silence comes to an end at Ampleforth Monastery. It’s 5.40am and the bell tolls, calling the monks to prayer. Father John rises from his bed; there is no TV in his cell, no radio, no trappings of the material world.

John, like the other monks, has taken a vow of poverty, devoting his life to prayer and work at the largest Benedictine community in Britain.

“Poverty isn’t about being poor, it means sharing what we have,” he says. “You can’t live in a place like this and say you are poor. But each Lent we make a list of the few things we have, our books, our clothing for the poverty bill and the Abbot signs it to give us permission to have them.”

John’s simple life is governed by the sixth century Rule of St Benedict, which says a monk should prefer “nothing to the work of God”. He joins the brothers for Matins in the Abbey church; it’s the first prayer of the day and begins when the Abbot knocks on his lectern. The Great Silence is broken with the chant “Oh lord open my lips” and the reply “Praise to God”. Matins is followed by a period of quiet prayer, then Lauds an hour later. After breakfast a third set of prayers is held, called Little Hour.

Ampleforth monks pray five times a day, every day, with Compline the last at 9pm. Then begins Summum Silentium, the Great Silence, which is observed throughout the monastery until once again it is time for Morning Prayer.

John, 49, joined the Ampleforth order 15 years ago and calls himself a late starter. Although baptised Mark, he took on a new name to symbolise his new life.

“I came here because of the community and what I like about Ampleforth is the mixture. We lead a contemplative life, but also undertake active ministry in the parishes. There are 80 of us, of which half are resident, the others working abroad or in parishes and it’s like being a member of a large family really.”

You could be forgiven for thinking the monks were cut off from the outside world, but John says nothing could be further from the truth.

“We’re not really. Some of our brothers spend their whole lives in parishes, but they are still Ampleforth monks. If you compare us to Cistercians who live the classic monastic life, self sufficient and isolated from society, we’re not like that at all.

“And it’s a very busy life; we don’t float around corridors wearing long robes all day.”

The Benedictine monks took exile in France after the Reformation, but were expelled during the French Revolution and returned to these shores.

They came to Ampleforth in 1792, where Lady Anne Fairfax, of Gilling Castle, built them a lodge and the monastery school was opened in 1803. It remains one of Britain’s great public schools.

Education is a long-standing tradition for Benedictines. Wherever they settled, the monks were asked to set up a school and that has always given them an unusual place in society. These days, few of the teaching staff are monks but the school remains an integral part of the monastery and its prime source of income.

The Rule of St. Benedict says no monastery is complete without guests and while the public have always been welcome to join the monks at prayer, a new visitor centre has opened to guide us through the daily life of a hidden world.

And it’s a fascinating one. After early prayers, the rest of the morning is dedicated to work, with Mass celebrated in the Abbey church before lunch.

A central tenet of the Rule of St Benedict is manual labour, so the afternoon is devoted to gardening or, for some, toiling in the Abbey’s orchard.

But they rarely have a chance to sample their renowned cider. Lunch is taken with water, and in silence – as are all meals. Only on feast days will the monks celebrate with a glass or two of cider or wine.

Saint Benedict wrote his Monastic Rule as a practical book for those wishing to live the community life. He called it “a little rule for beginners”, setting down “nothing harsh, nothing burdensome”.

But to remain relevant, the text assumes the Abbot is at liberty to interpret the rule. John says it has firmness of principle and this has continued to guide and inspire monks, nuns, and even lay people for 1,500 years.

The biggest challenge, however, is to apply the rule to today’s society and the monks need to live in the modern world, especially with a school to run.

Take computers. The rule allows each monk a stylus for communicating, but is it too great a leap of faith to infer that also includes PCs? The present Abbot thinks not.

Ampleforth has an absorbing story to tell and the visitor centre has finally plugged the gap by giving a true flavour of daily life at the Abbey.

And there’s plenty to discover, such as why the monks make vows of obedience, the conversatio morum (changing the way one lives) and stability. The latter is especially considered a victory of faith; a decision to face up to difficulties with the help of God and the brothers.

“Many people think of abbeys as ruins and when they come are surprised to find monks actually living here. But it’s not anachronistic; I think there is a sense in which values apply in the monastery that many people have forgotten.

“That’s why so many people come here on retreat. A monastery is a place where people come to seek God and it’s not just the monks, but visitors too.”

Fact file

Visitors are welcome to spend the day at Ampleforth where tours of the Abbey Church, the apple orchard and the cider mill are on offer.

Admission to the visitor centre, Abbey and grounds is free, but donations are welcome.

Ampleforth also welcomes thousands of guests each year for a variety of retreats. For more information: hpo.ampleforth.org.uk