THE GLASTONBURY MISSION

New Zealand Tablet, 13 November 1919, Page 22

THE GLASTONBURY MISSION

■ - A correspondent to the London Catholic Times,■ writes : Who-lias not heard; of the ancient, .quiet, little town, of Glastonbury? Somerset, famous for the ruins of its great •Benedictine Abbey, where once, the great. St. .-Dunstan . reto the -tyranny'-of. Henry VIII., because he refused to surrender his monastery and yield ■ up. its treasure., 'die was ■■therefore imprisoned, tried, and barbarously executed on November 15, 1530, together with his treasurer, Roger Macon, and his sub-treasurer, John Thorn, both monks of Glastonbury Abbey. The head of the venerable abbot was placed over the abbey, gate, and his quartered bodv distributed to. Wells, Bath, llchester, and Bridgwater. , Whilst Richard Whiting, was winning.. the- martyr’s crown on the Tor (which can still be seen for miles around),, the . destruction of the great church and abbey had already begun, thus exemplifying the tyranny of Henry VIII., whose monstrosity brought about the so-called Reformation. Is it not in such ancient sanctuaries as Glastonbury, redolent with the odor of medieval Catholicism, that a special effort •should he made to keep the light of our Holy Faith burning Not only that, hut to maintain also the dignity of the Catholic position ? Some 20 years ago, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart had a college in Glastonbury. Unfortunately, they withdrew. A chapel in the' Convent of the Sisters of St. Louis now serves for the public. 1 There is a feeling that if a religious community of men could take - residence in this Somerset town, the possibilities for the Faith would he considerably extended, for not only would the future of the mission he assured, hut by their good example and preaching the monks would draw many into the True Fold. Having regard to the great influence which the Benedictines of Glastonbury wielded in the:past, could not some Benedictines he found to-day to build on the ashes of the glorious past?