Canons Regular of Prémontré - Our Lady of England Priory - Storrington - UK

 

*** UPCOMING EVENTS ***

 

We will be celebrating our annual

MASS FOR OUR LADY'S BIRTHDAY

at 7.30pm on

Wednesday, 8th September.

This will be followed by a torchlit procession to the outside shrine. We will provide candles and some electric lighting to make the path safer, but you might like to bring a torch as well! Please join us for this lovely celebration.

 

 

 

FORMER EVENTS and OPPORTUNITIES HAVE INCLUDED:

 

BUD-RUBBING IN THE PRIORY VINEYARD - JULY 2010

 

 

25 helpers arrived in the vineyard on the afternoon of Tuesday 6 July to help tuck the rapidly growing vines inside the trellis wires and clip the wires together. This was urgently needed to prevent wind and tractor damage to the fruit-bearing canes. Many thanks to all who came.

 

The vines will need checking now throughout the season to make sure they are staying inside the wires. Anyone who feels like it is welcome to walk the rows and tuck in any strays they came across - but not if the spraying warning signs are out.

 

 

 

PICTURES FROM FR MARTIN'S 40th ANNIVERSARY

AND

BLESSING OF THE NEW REFECTORY

 

Held on Sunday 9 May 2010

 

Fr Martin Gosling o.praem.

On 10th May 1970, Fr Martin was ordained priest in our Priory Church.

Please go to our Priory News webpage for photos of this event

The new refectory

The new refectory

 

 

STATIONS OF THE CROSS &

SOUTH DOWNS WALK

in aid of our Zsambek Project

SATURDAY 20 MARCH 2010

A big thank you to the many who helped and took part in the event on Saturday 20 March, especially to Frances Arter whose brainchild it was, and who spent much time in the preparation and arrangements for it. Sr. Katalin phoned Shelagh on Saturday evening and she and the parishioners of St. John the Baptist Church in Zsambek thank the parishioners of Our Lady of England for the years of support and vital financial help.

Over £1,000  was raised on Saturday, which will be sent to Sr. Katalin after Easter.

 

More photos can be seen on our Zsambek webpage

 

 

 

 

NEW PRAYER AND SPIRITUALITY READING ROOM

 

 

We have now closed the Priory Shop

and have completed our Spirituality and Prayer Reading Room (adjacent to the Library: it is now available to parishioners and visitors.

The idea is that it will be open after weekday Masses, the 10.00am Mass on Sunday and on request.

Mass cards and rosaries are still available for purchase from a stand in the cloister.

 

 

PAST EVENTS

VISIT TO NORTH FARM WINERY ON THE WISTON ESTATE - FRIDAY 6 NOVEMBER 2009

Thirty-five friends and parishioners, many of whom had helped with the grape harvest at the start of October, gathered at the Wiston Estate Winery on Friday 6th November for an evening tour and a comparative tasting of sparkling wine and champagne.

Our evening began with a welcome and introduction by Dermot Sugrue, our winemaker, and a sampling of sparkling wine from South Africa. After talking about the basic blend of grapes used for making sparkling wine, Dermot explained how the Coqcard press (the only one in England at present) works. We then went downstairs and saw the vats where this year's grape juice from our vineyard and several others is in the first stage of the fermentation process. As Dermot was explaining the process and answering questions, we had our second tasting - a sparkling wine from New Zealand.
 
Moving on to the barrel room where some of this year's juice is fermenting in oak barrels to give it a distinctive flavour, we sampled the local sparkling wine from Nyetimber - this was, in fact, a wine Dermot himself had made whilst working there. From there we moved through the freezing and disgorging area to the cellars where wine from previous years lies in bottles on their sides awaiting the settling of sediment. Here we sampled some genuine (French!) champagne.
 
Our thanks to Dermot and Alice, his assistant winemaker for their time and expert guidance - a most enjoyable, interesting evening.

 

 

PHOTOS FROM OUR GRAPE HARVEST - OCTOBER 2009

Photos from our chardonnay grape harvest on Saturday 10 October 2009. For more photos click here

 

Photos from our pinot noir grape harvest on Saturday 3 October 2009. For more photos click here

 

SCARECROW SHOW!

You will remember that much of last year’s grape harvest was lost to birds. In addition to other bird-scaring tactics, we invited parishioners and friends of the Priory (individuals, families, children etc.) to create a scarecrow! Over 75 people turned up to this event on Sunday 6 September in the Priory vineyard at 3pm and we had 26 scarecrows!

For more pictures click here

 

 

 

WHY 'PRIORY LIFE'?

A few years ago we formed a Norbertine Association which people were invited to join formally. However, although there were eventually over 30 Norbertine Associates, in the light of experience and discussion we felt that a less formal structure would be more attractive. The reality is that things are going on here and we would like to involve more people. Hence the name ‘Priory Life’.

All 'Priory Life' events advertised will have the fleur de lis logo above.

Anyone who reads about these events and activities, either on this website or in the parish newsletter, are welcome to join in as much or as little as they want to.

 

 

 

 

 

     

© The Norbertine Community Storrington 2009 - 2010