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The resident Priory Community
- From left to
right: Fr Martin Gosling (Parish Priest), The Rt Rev Paul MacMahon (Prior) and Fr
Ian McLean
As a
community we serve the pastoral needs of the parish of Our Lady of
England, Storrington. We offer Days of Reflection for groups from
our diocese and beyond. There are three resident members living in our
community; the Prior - The Rt Rev Paul MacMahon, the Sub-Prior and
Bursar - Fr Martin Gosling, who serves as parish priest and is also
a prison chaplain, and Fr Ian
MacLean who, amongst other ministries, is editor of our 'White
Canons' Newsletter. We have in the past fulfilled similar ministries
in hospitals, schools etc.
In addition to this we
have a considerable amount of land which we have planted up as a
vineyard
and
woodland.
We direct a large group of volunteers (friends, parishioners) in the
ongoing tasks of maintaining these initiatives. Those interested in
our way of life would be expected to join in this work at some
level.
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OUR MISSION STATEMENT

Called by the
Spirit,
united in Christ,
and guided by Augustine and Norbert,
we delight in God’s dream for us
by praying and living together.
As seekers
we aspire to be of one mind and one heart
on our way to God.
As witnesses
we respond to the Gospel challenge.
As servants of the Church
we minister to ourselves and others,
creating a place of welcome, prayer, and
peace.
As prophets
we proclaim the power of living simply in
community. |
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The History and
Charism of the Order of Prémontré
The Priests and
Brothers of the order of Prémontré have over 870 years of experience
and tradition behind them. The Canonry of Our Lady of England
(Canonry is our word used to describe an independent abbey or
priory), is part of an Order that is among the oldest in the
Catholic Church. The Order of Prémontré was founded 1121 by
Saint
Norbert of Xanten
(Germany). Saint Norbert, a friend of Saint
Bernard of Clairvaux, is known both as the Apostle of the Blessed
Sacrament and of Peace. Saint Norbert founded his order in the
valley of Prémontré about 11 miles south-west of Laon. The site was
a desolate wilderness, but the name of Prémontré was soon to become
well known and famous throughout Christendom.
This accounts for the
various names by which the Order is known: Norbertine Canons after
the Order's founder; Premonstratensian after the place where the
Order was founded; and the Canons Regular after the legal title
given to those religious who celebrate the Divine Office in common
and who have adopted the religious life as a means of perfection in
their priestly life and ministry.
The Canons of Prémontré
came to England in 1143 and, at the Dissolution of the Monasteries
in England by Henry VIII, had 33 abbeys and 2 nunneries. The last
house, the Abbey of Eggleston, in North Yorkshire closed in 1539.
After an absence of 333
years, the order came back to England. The first foundation was made
at Crowle in Lincolnshire in 1872 by Father (later Abbot) Martin
Francis Geudens, who came to England from the Abbey of Tongerlo in
Belgium.
Norbertines are
religious priests who follow the
Rule of Saint Augustine and their
own Constitutions, and take the three vows of Poverty, Celibacy and
life in common under Obedience.

Ministry and
Service
As Canons Regular,
wherever we are, we try to build up an authentic Christian
community. We emphasise three things in our way of life:
Community: Where we work as a team with the
support of those who are "of one mind and heart in God". (from the
Rule of Saint Augustine)
Liturgy:
Our daily life is centred on the celebration of Mass and revolves around our
daily Conventual Mass and the Divine Office which, joined to private
prayer and meditation. forms the essence of the contemplative aspect
of our way of life.
Apostolic
Work:
Our contemplative religious life is shared with our sisters and
brothers, the people of God, in all forms of pastoral work but, in
obedience to the Holy Father and under the pastoral guidance of our
bishops, we give preference to the more pressing needs of our Church
in the modern world. We are, as our Order's motto declares: "Prepared to
do any good work". The missionary spirit of Saint Norbert has been a
marked feature of our Order since the very beginning in 1121.


The Blessed
Sacrament Chapel in the Priory church
Formation Programme
In Our Lady of England
Canonry, Storrington, the formation process distinguishes four stages:
- The Postulancy, during which the aspirant gets to know us, our
charisms, our work and where we actually work, and we also get to
know them. We accept candidates who are of normal intelligence
and good health. We judge each application on its merits but, as
a rule, only accept candidates who have completed their secondary
education and are aged 21-45 years. If the Prelate's Council
approve of the aspirants application he will then proceed to the
next stage - the Noviciate.
- This begins with
the reception of the White Habit of the Order usually around the 8th
of
September, the Feast of the Birthday Our Lady. During the one
year novitiate (which can be prolonged for another year), the
novice is incorporated and integrated into the life of the
community. He has formal classes from the Novice Director and
learns about religious life by actually living it.
- During the third period, and if judged suitable, the candidate will make a
temporary commitment by making vows for three years. He then
commences studies for the priesthood at some centre of
theological formation. Our non-priest-brother candidates may
also pursue a similar course of studies or further training in
some trade or profession. This third stage concludes with Solemn
Profession for life after which the newly professed Canon passes
onto stage four:
- In which he
prepares for his future ministry which is presupposed by his act
of affiliation and incorporation into the life and apostolic
pastoral ministry of his chosen canonry. In consultation with
the Prelate and those responsible for his training, he prepares
himself for a life of ministry which, for the clerical
candidate, finds its completion in ordination as priest.


Shrine statue of Our Lady
of England in the Priory church
Norbertine
Experience
Almost 900 years have
built up a Norbertine tradition. This is based on five main
principles:
- The
Principle of Common Prayer. This is especially true in our
liturgical Prayer of the Church (the Divine Office) and the Eucharist. Saint Norbert
is " The Apostle of the Blessed Sacrament", and Norbertines
witness to the reality of the presence of Christ among us in
prayer and the Mass.
- The
principle of self-emptying service. Norbertines are willing to give up
personal advantage for the good of the community. We work
together and seek to build up not only the Church, the Body of
Christ, but also the community with whom we live.
- The
principle of collegiality. By this we have a firm commitment
to government by consultation to interdependence in decision
making.
- The principle
of subsidiarity.
Decisions which can be made by a local community are done so.
Each canonry is independent and lives and works in its own local
area under the guidance of its own superior. The work done in
Britain, the USA or the Third World is consequently different
but all of us are at the service of the Universal Church.
- The principle
of complementarity. All Norbertine
priests, brothers, sisters and associates work together and
share their talents in order to enrich the whole Christian
community. All of us, together, share with others the Good
News of Jesus Christ.

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If you would like to know more, please contact:
The Prior,
Our Lady of England Priory,
School Lane,
Storrington,
West Sussex RH20 4LN, UK
Telephone
+44
(0)1903) 742150 Fax: +44 (0)1903) 740821
email
The Norbertine Community
in Storrington
To download a copy of our Vocations
Brochure in PDF format please click
on the picture link below:

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