Copyright © 1998-2010
Society of Saint Francis, European Province

 
Around the houses
 

SSF = Society of St Francis house, CSF = Community of St Francis house, C/SSF = shared Community/Society of St Francis house

 
House information - please scroll down, or click the link to go to the relevant section:

Alnmouth - SSF    Assisi - SSF    Birmingham - CSF    Canterbury - SSF    Compton Durville - CSF

Glasshampton - SSF    Hilfield - SSF    Leeds - SSF    Leicester - CSF    Walsingham - SSF

London houses: Plaistow - C/SSF    Southwark - CSF

Contact details for other SSF houses : Canning Town, Doncaster & Plaistow


Alnmouth - SSF (click to open new window)

Alnmouth Friary image










Alnmouth Friary


A beautiful house set on a hill overlooking the sea was built originally as a private dwelling in the early 20th Century. The brothers first arrived in 1961. Ministry to guests at the friary and more widely around the North East has always been a major part of the life of the Friary and the brothers are well-known in the locality and in the Church in the North East of England and in Scotland. Over the years the brothers have also sought in various ways to provide a welcome for those from less-privileged backgrounds, and to make meaningful links with situations of need in the cities of the North East. The most recent expression of that desire and calling has been the opening of a largely self-contained wing, Saint Anthony's Chalet, suitable for use by families in need of a break or by small youth and other groups accompanied by a worker or facilitator. Brothers also carry out engagements locally and further afield and often have responsibilities in the wider life of the SSF Province, so there can often be one or more of the community away either working elsewhere with SSF or on retreat or annual holiday.

The main ministry today remains that of hospitality and the community welcomes day groups, residential groups and individuals, both men and women, and those of any faith or none, who have respect for our way of life.

The house is situated in its own beautiful gardens, with access to beach and country walks and the facilities of the attractive small village very near by.

The rhythm of life is based around a daily pattern of prayer in which guests and visitors are welcome to participate.

 

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Assisi - SSF

Assisi is where it all began - the home of Francis and Clare, a place that continues to inspire men and women to follow Christ as they did. In a way it is the home of all Franciscans. It is only natural then for us to have a base here. Although one of our friars was here for a time in the 70s the current 'presence' began in October 2005. Isolated geographically from the rest of SSF it tries to be a 'home from home' in the city of Francis, and at the same time to raise the awareness of Francis' wider appeal to other Christians in the midst of the numerous Roman Catholic Franciscan communities.

The Anglican Franciscan presence in Assisi is also important in providing assistance and advice to visitors, groups and individuals, and a major task is to provide an Anglican chaplaincy within the context of the diocese. There is a small chapel in the house for the use of small groups and the Anglican Chaplaincy has the use of St Leonard's Church for Sunday worship and special occasions.On many a Sunday visitors outnumber the regular congregation.

The house has space for one or two guests and has received people from all walks of life (from Archbishops down) and from all continents. The visitors' book has messages in French, Dutch, Croatian, Armenian, German and Korean as well as Italian and English, and looks forward to welcoming more!

   Br Tom in Assisi

For contact details click here.

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Birmingham - CSF

 Birmingham CSF image







The Franciscan sisters have had a presence in Birmingham since 1971 and are currently based in Edgbaston, in a house adapted to be suitable for older members of the Community, who may have mobility difficulties or other limitations.
 
There is a daily pattern of prayer, please contact the house for more details around which sisters are engaged in a range of voluntary and paid employments and activities. The various ministries include work in the local community and parishes, with asylum seekers and refugees, literacy work in prison and schools, nursing, card making and some Provincial activities, including work on the Franciscan Magazine.
 
Also attached to this house are two Franciscan hermits, based in Milford Haven and Llanddewi Brefi respectively.
 
For contact details click here.

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The Franciscan brothers were invited in 2003 to live on the house in the middle of the city of Canterbury where the first Franciscan brothers (sent by St. Francis) settled in 1224 until the friary was dissolved in 1538. The brothers now live in the Master’s Lodge, as they are also responsible for the Eastbridge Hospital founded in the twelfth century and now almshouses for the elderly.

Friary, Canterbury  Eastbridge Hospital  Chapel Eastbridge Hospital

(l-r: The Friary, Canterbury; Eastbridge Hospital; Greyfriars Chapel)

The life and ministry of the brothers is focused on four areas:
 
Spirituality Developing and maintaining the Greyfriars building and chapel (the oldest Franciscan building in Britain) as a spiritual centre and by offering spiritual direction. The offices and Eucharist are celebrated daily.

Grey Friars Chapel

Above: Greyfriars Chapel
 
Hospitality For guests, visitors and pilgrims, both as individuals and groups, click here for more information
 
Study Through ecumenical links with the Roman Catholic Franciscan International Study Centre at Canterbury.
 
Ministry A brother is responsible for the care of the administration and management of the Eastbridge Hospital and its elderly residents. And also through being involved with the City Centre parish and Canterbury diocese beyond.

 

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Compton Durville - CSF (click to open new window) 


 
The House at Compton Durville is now closed to guests. The public ministry ended with a farewell Eucharist on Saturday 22nd May 2010. Over the forthcoming months the sisters will be preparing to move to different locations within the Province. There will be a new rural house opening in the Diocese of Lincoln shortly, which in time will be able to receive day visitors and will have space for one resident guest. As details become available they will be posted on the news page of this website. Once the new house is open to visitors details will appear on this page.

 

Glasshampton - SSF,  St Mary at the Cross (click to open a new window)

Glasshampton Monastery is a house of prayer of the Society of Saint Francis (SSF). As in all our houses, our life here revolves around the three ways of service of prayer, study and work, but with the particular emphases of the daily prayer centred on the monastery chapel, and the ministry of welcoming those who visit and those who come to stay as brothers and sisters in the love of Christ.
The house itself was originally a stable-block, built for a large mansion now ploughed under the neighbouring field. The stables were built around 1810, but the main house burned down soon afterwards and was never rebuilt.  After this, one corner of the stables was used as a gamekeeper's cottage while the rest mostly became derelict.
In the early years of the twentieth century, Father William Sirr of the Society of the Divine Compassion (SDC) felt called by God to leave his work in the East End of London to begin a contemplative life of prayer in a more secluded setting.  In the winter of 1918 he moved to Glasshampton and established the religious life in this place.
For nearly 20 years Fr. William lived here, leading a life of silence, contemplation, intercessory prayer and manual labour.  He renovated the building to make it habitable again. People came to stay for shorter or longer periods of time, finding in him a spiritual director of great holiness. He had always hoped to found a contemplative community at Glasshampton, but as the years went by it became clear that no community was going to form around him.
Fr. William died in 1937, and in 1947 the Society of St. Francis were invited to come to live at Glasshampton. 

Glasshampton

 
From that time the monastery has acted as a place where a group of professed brothers seek to live out the contemplative side of the Franciscan charism, where novice brothers receive part of their training, and where guests come to be refreshed by the quiet prayerfulness of the house.  The life of the house is focussed on the chapel where we gather for prayer 5 times a day, saying the Daily Office and celebrating a daily Eucharist, supplemented by times of silent prayer morning and evening.  The working hours of the day are filled with cooking, gardening, maintenance, and looking after the Guests  who come to visit or stay.
We also welcome working guests who can stay for up to two weeks and help us greatly, from cooking pies to pruning roses.

 

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Hilfield Friary - SSF (click to open new window)

Hilfield Friary set on the edge of the Dorset Downs in the heart of Thomas Hardy's Wessex is the foundation house of the brothers' order and retains a special place in the affections of the Society. This is where many have begun their life as Franciscan brothers, and being the site of the cemetery of the European Province, is where they all end up! There have always been others living alongside the brothers at Hilfield, and since September 2009 there has been established The Hilfield Friary Community - an 'intentional community' of SSF brothers together with men and women who are committing themselves to share in the Franciscan life and work of the Friary for a limited period of time. The life is centred around the chapel and the refectory; common prayer and meals eaten together are the framework for everything else that goes on.

The ministry of the community is centred around hospitality and a concern for justice, peace and the integrity of creation; the land is worked to provide wholesome food and to conserve the very rich diversity of plant and animal life, including what has been described as 'one of the finest wildflower meadows' in Dorset. St Francis has been named the patron saint of ecology and there is an annual programme of weekend and day courses which explore and share particular Franciscan insights of caring for the environment and of peaceable living with people and creation. Further information about the Hilfield Friary Community can be found at www.hilfieldfriary.org.uk. 

The Friary Guest House (open from Tuesday to Sunday) has room for up to ten people who come for retreat and to share the life of the community for a short period. There are also two self-catering houses which between them contain sixteen beds and are suitable for groups and families. Although the work among homeless men or 'wayfarers', carried out for a long time at Hilfield, has now come to an end, the Friary continues to provide places for those in particular need who come for asylum, refreshment and restoration; referrals for this can be made to The brother-in-charge. Individual day visitors are welcome and there are also facilities for groups.

Hilfield Courtyard
Land Management - The Project
Raymond Christian Flowers in Chapel

(l-r: The Courtyard Hilfield; Land management, Project Volunteers; Raymond Christian arranging flowers in Chapel)

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Leeds - SSF

The brothers have now moved from temporary accommodation in Harehills to a more permenant base in the same multi-cultural, inner-city area. Their aim is to serve the local community, which has a high proportion of disadvantaged people, and to develop good relationships with neighbours of other faiths, particularly Muslims.

The house is mid-terrace and neighbours on both sides have made the brothers welcome; one neighbour was keen to tell them that he was doing a five year Koranic study course at one of the local mosques and the neighbour the other side has feted them with parcels of food left over from family celebrations. These are the settled Pakistanis and Bangladeshis who have been there a few generations but the brothers also find themselves involved with the lives of some of the asylum seekers who live round about and who they meet through the asylum projects that they are variously involved with. Most of the work is about befriending and helping to relieve destitution but the brothers also like to think that their hospitality brings a little dignity and encouragement into often rather hopeless situations.

It is still early days in the ministry of the brothers in this area and they wait to see how the journey ahead develops.

 

Br Kentergern John and
Br James Anthony
Br John in the kitchen
Br James Antony builds a bike shelter



Br Kentergern John in the street where the brothers live


For contact details click here

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Leicester - CSF

The sisters began a new venture in Leicester Diocese in July 2008, living on the St Matthews Estate in a converted pub, where the beer cellar has been converted into a church, part of the Parish of the Resurrection and the ground floor is home to the Contact Project (a doorstep community Project that supports Children and young people). The sisters are involved with ministry in local schools, a Further Education College, in trying to encourage people in St Matthews to grow their own food and one sister works part-time at the St Philips Centre, which is a national ecumenical training centre, for Study and Engagement in a Multi Faith Society.

Leicester CSF


For contact details click here

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St Mary's Vicarage, Plaistow - C/SSF

The Community which had been at Stepney for many years moved to this address in 2008. This is a joint house, currently with two Sisters and one Brother. There is one guest room. There are gardens in the front and behind the house.

St Mary's Plaistow
Sr Chris tending the garden
Sr Elizabeth arranging the flowers in Chapel
 

The chapel is at the centre of the life, with the daily round of prayer, the divine office and the Eucharist.
 
There is a large room which is available for meetings, especially for committee meetings of First and Third Order members of SSF.
 
Members of the house are involved in St Mary's Church, within the parish of Divine Compassion, and in other parishes in East London.They also have a ministry of spiritual counselling.
 
One of the Sisters works for Deafblind UK, exercising a ministry over a wide area, including the teaching of Braille and the supervision of others working in this field.
 
For contact details click here.

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St Alphege Clergy House, Pocock Street, Southwark - CSF

At the end of January 2009 this new model of religious community came into being in Southwark, thanks to the generosity of the Diocese in making St Alphege Clergy House, SE1, available. It has become the home of the Oratory of St Alphege. The Oratory ('oratory' means a house of prayer) is comprised of Franciscan (professed sisters of the Community of St Francis) and lay members, male and female, living the Gospel life in community, drawing on Franciscan and other traditions. The lay members may stay for varying lengths of time. The Oratory is embryonic and evolving, whose members are broken and beautiful like everyone else, and committed to exploring the spiritual path of the mystery of, and encounter with, God. Prayer, spiritual accompaniment and hospitality in partnership primarily with the diocese and the parish, are the main ingredients of the work of the community.
Entrance Porch
St Alphege Oratory



For contact details click here

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Walsingham - SSF

Walshingham
This small friary, "Our Lady of the Angels", was set up in April 2008, at the invitation of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in the small village in North Norfolk, known for nearly a thousand years as "England`s Nazareth". Situated close to the Anglican Shrine, the friars share fully in the liturgical life and ministry to the 36,000 pilgrims who find their way here each year.

We do not have accommodation for guests but the Anglican Shrine provides hospitality to both individuals and groups. (Advance booking is often essential)

The ruined Friary in the village witnesses to the historical Franciscan connection to this holy place and so it is good to build on what others began.

The R.C.Shrine is a mile away and the witness of the two Shrines of Our Lady, plus the Orthodox & Methodist presence makes this village a unique focus for Christian unity and reconciliation.

For contact details click here

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