The Monastery of Christ the Word is a priory of the English Benedictine Congregation (EBC) located in Macheke, Zimbabwe, within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Harare. Founded in 1996, its community comprises some five monks.
| Monastery of Christ the Word | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | English Benedictine Congregation |
| District | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Harare |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Macheke, Zimbabwe |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
History
editThe monastery is a daughter house of Ampleforth Abbey,[1] whose monks formed the community at the invitation of Archbishop of Harare Patrick Fani Chakaipa and the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference, who were desirous of a monastic presence in their country.[2][3] Although the idea of a monastery in Zimbabwe had already been conceived in 1992,[3] the Monastery of Christ the Word was established only in 1996. The monastery was initially located in a two-storey building at Monte Cassino near Macheke that belonged to the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood.[2][4]
Main structure
editThe monastery has an altar made of wood, depicting four moments from the Last Supper, that was designed by the Art Workshop of the Driefontein Mission in Mvuma.[5]
Activities
editThe current prior is Robert Igo.[6] According to Volume 116 of The Ampleforth Journal dated September 2011 to July 2012,[7] the monastic community is made up of four other Ampleforth monks (Richard Ffield, Bamabas Pham, Joseph Dinala, and Placid Mavura) living according to the Rule of St. Benedict.[3] The community rears its own livestock and their prior provides complimentary medical care to locals. The monastery also organises regular retreats that may last from days to a week.[4]
References
edit- ^ William Charles (2009). Basil Hume: Ten Years On. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 21. ISBN 9781441197320.
- ^ a b Gordon Beattie (1997). Gregory's Angels: A History of the Abbeys, Priories, Parishes and Schools of the Monks and Nuns Following the Rule of Saint Benedict in Great Britain, Ireland and Their Overseas Foundations: to Commemorate the Arrival of Saint Augustine in Kent in 597 AD. Gracewing Publishing. p. 216. ISBN 9780852443866.
- ^ a b c "Ampleforth Abbey: Zimbabwe". Ampleforth Abbey. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ a b "Monastery of Christ the Word - Zimbabwe". Ampleforth Abbey. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ Geoffrey Wainwright (2006). The Oxford History of Christian Worship. Oxford University Press. p. 836. ISBN 9780195138863.
- ^ "Zimbabwe". English Benedictine Congregation. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ "The Ampleforth Journal" (PDF). p. 15. Retrieved 6 May 2020.