The Poor Clares of Lynton
The Poor Clares came to Lynton in 1904 from Rennes in Brittany, when there
was religious persecution in France and many convents were being closed.
The nuns arrived on
8th December 1903 at the invitation of the Abbess
of the Franciscan nuns in Woodchester to seek a suitable place for
a new monastery to which the other sisters could come if their monastery
was closed The
five
sisters lived their own rule in a separate part of the convent helping
with the laundry in return for the hospitality given them. None of them
spoke English and it is hard to see how they could have made progress in
their
plan without outside help.
In March 1904 this came as a result of a retreat arranged for them, given by a Fr Hilary OFM. On the last day of the retreat, the 19th March, he offered mass asking St Joseph’s help to find a new home for the sisters. From Woodchester he traveled to Burnham on Sea where he dined with the chaplain of the La Retraite sisters to whom he was to give a retreat. Over the meal Fr Lean confided his dream of setting up a contemplative monastery in Lynton where his family lived, stating his preference for Poor Clares.
The sequel was by no means straightforward. Lynton had virtually no catholic residents who could support the sisters and the location was extremely isolated. On viewing the area they were reluctant to accept the offer. However when nothing else came up they decided to trust in the providence of God and accept.
They arrived in Lynmouth where a house had been rented for them in time for the feast of St Clare, staying there for five years while a convent and adjoining church was built for them in Lynton. Fr Lean bought the land and built the church, also giving the greater part of the money for the building of the monastery. The church is Italianate in design and includes a Renaissance age high altar transported from Rome complete with relics of several martyrs and a sanctuary built with much multicolored Italian marble. However the chapel of the sisters is much simpler in style.
The whole site had to be cut out of the hillside, so the building boasts a first floor cloister garden while the enclosure garden is reached from a door leading out of the second floor dormitory. It also means that we enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and sea.
The sisters moved into their new home on the eve of the feast of St Joseph in 1910 and the monastic enclosure was set up on 8th September in the same year. Our community now consists of ten sisters aged from 46 to 86 and includes one extern sisters. We still keep in contact with our sisters in Rennes.
 |
| Clare of Assisi |
|
| Poor Clares |
|
Lynton from Southcliffe
Lynmouth harbour
Poor Clares of Lynton Convent
enlarge
Poor Clares of Lynton Convent
Our community
enlarge
Our community