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Copyright © 1998-2010 Society of Saint Francis, European Province |
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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 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.
Assisi - SSF
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For contact details click here.
Birmingham - CSF 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.
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.
(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.  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.
Compton Durville -
CSF (click to open new window)
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.
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.
(l-r: The Courtyard Hilfield; Land management, Project Volunteers; Raymond Christian arranging flowers in Chapel)
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. 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.
For contact details click here
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.
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.
St Alphege Clergy House, Pocock Street, Southwark - CSF
For contact details click here Click for top of this page
For contact details click here
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