Downside Abbey Review

About Downside Abbey

Downside Abbey: A Place of Spiritual and Intellectual Growth

Downside Abbey is a Benedictine Monastic Community located in the heart of Somerset, England. The abbey has been a center of spiritual and intellectual growth for over 200 years, offering a unique blend of monastic life, academic excellence, and pastoral care.

The community at Downside Abbey is made up of monks who live according to the Rule of St. Benedict. They celebrate the Divine Office and Mass daily in their beautiful church, which is open to visitors throughout the year. The monks also engage in work within the monastery library, retreats, parishes, and schools.

One of the most striking features of Downside Abbey is its stunning architecture. The abbey church was designed by Charles Hansom in 1873 and features intricate carvings and stained glass windows that tell stories from both biblical history and English Catholicism.

In addition to its spiritual offerings, Downside Abbey also boasts an impressive academic program. The school was founded in 1606 as a seminary for English Catholics who were unable to study abroad due to religious persecution. Today it offers an excellent education for boys aged 11-18 with boarding facilities available.

The school's academic program includes traditional subjects such as English literature, mathematics, science but also offers courses on theology philosophy music art drama sports etc.. Students are encouraged to develop their talents through extracurricular activities such as music ensembles or sports teams while still maintaining high academic standards.

Retreats are another important aspect of life at Downside Abbey. Visitors can come for individual or group retreats where they can experience silence prayer meditation reflection etc.. Retreatants have access to all parts of the monastery including its beautiful gardens which provide a peaceful setting for contemplation.

Parish ministry is another area where Downside Abbey excels. The monks serve several local parishes providing pastoral care sacraments counseling etc.. They also offer outreach programs that help those less fortunate including food banks homeless shelters etc..

Finally one cannot talk about Downside without mentioning its library which houses over 450000 volumes making it one largest monastic libraries world! It contains rare manuscripts incunabula early printed books modern works across wide range subjects languages periods countries cultures religions..

In conclusion if you're looking for a place where you can grow spiritually intellectually then look no further than Downside Abbey! Its unique blend monastic life academic excellence pastoral care makes it truly special place visit stay learn pray reflect grow...