Anglican-Benedictine Monastery

Fr. Damien Trudeau, OSB, has announced that there is news of the establishment of the Anglican-Benedictine Monastery in the State of Virginia, USA. Besides being priest-in-charge of Saint Luke's Anglican Catholic Church in Fredericksburg VA, he announced they had recently acquired the church and grounds in Montross VA, where they will physically establish The Monastery of Our Lady of Good Hope. There will be housing for the resident monks and housing for retreats for visitors. https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=205749755429218&set=a.156977203639807

A link for the Priory is here...https://stilfonteinpriory.org.za/

May God bless them in their endeavor.

 

That's exciting news! I will offer prayers for these brother monastics. May God bless their endeavor and use their community for His glory.

Ut In Omnibus Glorificetur Dei
(That in all things, God may be glorified.)

 

I feel like I may know who built that parish church. If I'm not off-track the founding rector died some over a year ago. Do you have a history of it?

 

I do not have a full history of it, but I do see another article online that I will follow-up on.

 

I'm pretty sure I've figured it out. I called a bloke in VA today and he told me that parish church had been willed to a monastic order. He said they got a 20 or 30 acre farm as well.

 

I thank you for conveying this information and history along to us.

 

Father Ralph. I don't recall his last name. He had originally been in +Larry Johnson's Anglican Church of Virginia and then, after a falling out, he was more recently canonically under Bishop Barry Yingling of Pennsylvania and the United Anglican Church. Both of those groups are on their last legs.

 

I met Fr. Trudeau Saturday at the consecration of G. Thomas Gore as bishop for the ACUSA/ACIC.


L-R: Abp. Larry Johnson, Me, Bp. G. Thomas Gore, Fr. Trudeau, Bp. Walsh

Bp. Gore was a family friend, confidant, and colleague for the last several years that I lived in Virginia. I've known him since 2017. We still chat at least once a month.

 

Sadly, no image was viewable.

 

What kind of services do they run and what Anglican Church are they affiliated with?

 

Thank you for posting this. I worshipped with Fr. Damien when he was temporarily at Saint Thomas the Apostle Anglican Church (APA) in Alto GA. I did the First Friday commemorations there.

 

I feel like I should mention there were supposed to be 4 bishops there, 3 Anglican and 1 (non-canonical Orthodox). But when the day dawned, only two were there. So some might consider this an irregular consecration. But Archbishop Johnson had letters of consent from bishops in NC, OK, FL, and Bp. Sloane of the Southern Episcopal Church. Bp. Gore would have preferred they actually show up and lay hands on him but what happened is not unheard of in the Continuing Anglican movement.

 

I just noticed something interesting. After looking at some of their pictures I noticed that their habits look like the Swiss-American (Beuronese) style that is worn in my abbey and throughout our congregation. Digging further I discovered that they seem to be using the chant style and Psalm tones of St. Meinrad Archabbey (the Archabbey of the Swiss-American congregation and our "mother" abbey).

Br. Thomas or Shane R, do either of you know if there is a connection there with the Swiss-American Benedictines?

 

I contacted Fr. Damien, OSB, as to their habits. He said his Priory had their garments tailored locally while he was in South Africa at Stilfontein. The tunic is in the OCSO (Trappist) style and the scapular is German style of St. Otillien origin. Their chant is Benedictine and the same is used for all offices.