We are receiving many enquiries these days about the community's health, and how we are coping with the current circumstances, amidst the National and even Global lock-down. So here is an attempt at a little update, for the interest of our friends.
So far the community remains in good health and spirits. The Virus has not made its way up our front drive, and our monastic life carries on remarkably undisturbed, though we have no guests, nor even any visitors.
We remain at all times aware especially of our vulnerable brethren, who would be at great risk should any of us become infected. Since we all share the same rather tight living space, any effective guard against the spread of a highly infectious disease must be very difficult. But we take what precautions we can.
Our vulnerable brethren do not attend any community exercises, apart from daily Mass. The rest of us try hard to maintain the recommended "social-distancing". Our places in Choir, refectory and Chapter are for that reason now spaced out. We have frequent reminders about hand-washing, with anti-bacterial soap and gel hand cleaner liberally provided. Just before distributing Holy Communion, the presiding Priest at Mass washes his hands thoroughly with soap and water, and the brethren come up one by one from their places, receiving in one kind only. Concelebrants receive the Precious Blood from the Chalice by intinction. We do not exchange the Pax.
Two houses of our Congregation have been severely affected recently by infection: the monks at Fleury in France, and the nuns of Viboldone in Italy. They have been forced to impose much stricter lock-down measures, with a complete suspension of all common exercises.
As a focus of our prayer of intercession during this global crisis, here at Pluscarden we are holding occasional extra Holy Hours of Eucharistic adoration. And we are now singing the Sub tuum praesidium at the end of Vespers each day:
"Sub tuum praesidium confugimus sancta Dei Genetrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus. Sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta."
We fly to your protection, holy Mother of God! Do not despise our prayers, which we make in these extreme circumstances; but liberate us from all dangers always, O glorious and blessed Virgin.
Then, at the end of our nightly Chapter meeting before Compline, we sum up our intentions with a text recently produced by the Holy See:
Almighty and eternal God, our refuge in every danger, to whom we turn in our distress. In faith we pray: look with compassion on the afflicted, grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick, peace to the dying, strength to healthcare workers, wisdom to our leaders, and the courage to reach out to all in love, so that together we may give glory to your holy name.Through Christ our Lord.
Fr. Abbot is stuck in the South East of England, with the nuns of our Congregation and Province at Minster Priory. He had visited them not long before the announcement of a National lock-down, intending to stay for a few days only. Now he has no idea of course when he will be able to return home. This is nice for the Minster nuns, since otherwise, in common with most other female communities we know, they would not have Mass or the Sacraments during these strange days.
Regarding our celebration of the liturgy: we follow the directives of the Holy See, our Bishop Hugh, and Fr. Abbot in Minster.
So we have no processions: no blessing of Palms on Palm Sunday; no solemn moving of the Blessed Sacrament on Holy Thursday; no Easter Fire at the Paschal Vigil. Liturgical actions liable to spread infection are also suppressed this year: for example washing of feet, or kissing of the Cross, or sprinkling with holy water. Apart from these limitations, at present our firm intention is to celebrate the liturgy to the fullest extent possible, without abbreviation or mitigation.
All is quiet at the Abbey. Such circumstances are conducive to prayer, and to remembering our friends before the Lord. We remain very grateful for all your prayers for us. May we all participate in the mysteries of these coming holy days with spiritual profit, and may this time of general crisis be an occasion for a new outpouring of grace and goodness for all of us, for the Church and for the world.