Clothing Ceremony

On 22 August, 2008, Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we clothed a new novice. The statue of St. Gerard Maria Majella was placed in a position of prominence for the ceremony. The cross that the statue holds contains a First Class relic of the saint. Another relic of the saint was placed on the altar of sacrifice, as was one of St Therese of the Child Jesus. The postulant answers the ritual question 'what do you ask for?':

"Divinae gratiae luminibus illustratus.... Enlightened by the light of Divine grace, I have knowledge and understanding that all the things which the world holds to be great, and which it glorifies, are empty and nothing if not vanity. ....

... My soul, firm and decided, has inspired me to cast myself before the infinite mercy of God, renouncing all things which are of this world, so that with a much greater liberty I may serve my most lovable Redeemer....
... Unde intima mihi venit persuasio.....Whence, an intimate persuasion has come to me, that the divinity has called me to consume all the days of my life which will follow, in this venerable congregation of The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer;..."
"Indue, Fili, Dominum Jesum Christum, semper mortificationem ejus in corpore tuo circumferens. ... Son, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, always surrounding thy body with His mortification. "

The newly clothed novice, Brother Gerardo Maria Majella, stands with his mother at the shrine of St Michael the Archangel.

Email Accident

Dear Friends,
Recently we had an e-mail accident. As a result of this we have lost a number of emails from the Inbox, a number of dedicated folders and there are problems with the Address Book.
If you are expecting to hear from us and have not heard, please resend your email. We are sorry for this disruption in communications. With best wishes,
Fr. Michael Mary, F.SS.R.

Make hay while the sun shines

A little late — although not too late! — the hay was baled for the winter months. It was the first time that we have done it ourselves, having in previous years had help from a farmer on Stronsay, and so there were few hic-ups, but all was completed successfully in the end. Below, are some pictures of the work:

Br. Louis Mary, F.SS.R. turns the hay in order to dry it out competely.


He then formed it into rows for the baler to pick up.


Fr. Anthony Mary, F.SS.R. makes the bales.






A completed bale is ejected from the baler.


Job done!

The end of a beautiful day.

Triduum third day — Assumpta est Maria in Caelum!

The Church remembers today, that by the power of Almighty God, Our Blessed Mother rose from the dead, and was assumed body and soul into Heaven. Tradition tells us, that on this day She obtained from her Son that Purgatory should be emptied, and Saint Alphonsus tells us in his book The Glories of Mary, that every year on this feast of Her Assumption, She obtains the release of numberless souls from Purgatory's cleansing fires.


High Mass was celebrated by Fr. Anthony Mary, F.SS.R. in honour of the Assumption of our Immaculate Queen into Heaven. The intentions of the Mass and all the communions of our community were offered for Fr. John. The following captions are antiphons from today's Office.


Assumpta est Maria in caelum ...Mary has been taken up into Heaven! The Angels are rejoicing; praising they bless the Lord.


Maria Virgo assumpta est ...The Virgin Mary has been taken up into the Heavenly bridal chamber, where the King of kings is sitting on a starry throne.

In odorem unguentorum ...to the fragrence of Thy ointments we will run; the maidens love Thee deeply.


Benedicta filia tu a Domino ...O daughter Thou hast been blessed by the Lord, since through Thee we have partaken of the fruit of life.


Venite adoremus Regem regum ...come let us adore the King of kings, for today his Virgin Mother has been taken up into the highest Heaven.

Vigil of the Assumption, second day of the Triduum

This morning Holy Mass for the Vigil of the Assumption was celebrated, and was followed, according to an old custom of St Alphonsus, by Benediction of the Most Holy Sacrament. Today was kept in honour of the second day that Our Lady spent in the tomb.


Ah, how did all the lovely virtues that she had practiced during life surround her blessed bed at the hour of her holy death! — St. Alphonsus: The Glories of Mary.


Thou art all fair, O my love, and there is not a spot in thee — Cant. iv. 7

"Magnificat anima mea Dominum; et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo"
"My Soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior"

Luke. i. 1-2

By the merits of Thy happy death obtain us holy perseverance in the divine friendship, that we may finally quit this life in God's grace. — St. Alphonsus: The Glories of Mary.




Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner!

During the day, work was continued on our small chapel of the Holy Sepulchre.

Paul Williams from Stronsay starts the plastering with his son, Josh as labourer.


Br. Wolf Maria, F.SS.R. throws the necessary pieces of wood to Br. Ivan Maria, F.SS.R. ...


... Josh Williams passes him the nail gun ...


... and he puts them in place.

Blessed in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints

Today, the feast of Our Lady Refuge of Sinners, gives us the opportunity of keeping a triduum of devotion before the glorious feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven. Tradition relates that Our Lady, in imitation of her Divine Son, was raised body and soul into Heaven on the third day after Her death. Therefore, in remembrance of this we have erected a catafalque in the chapel.

The community gathers about the bier as did the apostles.

A view of the statue of Our Lady in death.

Catafalque of the Queen of Heaven.

Rev. Fr. Michael Mary's, 30th Anniversary of Priesthood

Ordination to the Priesthood

by Most Reverend Brian Patrick Ashby, D.D., R.I.P.

Bishop of Christchurch

12 August 1978

Mother of Perpetual Succour Monastery

268 Bower Avenue

Christchurch

New Zealand

On this day the sublime and ineffable grace of the Catholic Priesthood was confered on the young Deacon. His soul received the indelible priestly character and his life was never again the same.

"Tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech"

"Thou art a priest forever according to the order of Melchisedech."
— Ps. 109

...Thirty years later, 12th August 2008
Golgotha Monastery Island
Papa Stronsay

Solemn High Mass...

20th Anniversary of our Foundation, Feast of St Alphonsus, 2008

Feast of St. Alphonsus, 2 August 1988

Monastery of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary

Isle of Sheppey, Kent, England

"In the Congregation each subject must live solely for eternity. Oh, how happy shall we be if we spend these few short days wholly for God! And he is specially called to do this who, perhaps has already given a good part of his life to the world. Let us keep eternity before our eyes, and we shall suffer every thing in peace and gladness. Let us thank God for giving us so much light, and so many means of loving Him perfectly, and for having chosen us, from the midst of so many others, to belong entirely to Himself in this Congregation by giving us the gift of his holy love. And let us make haste to advance in virtue, in order to please Him, with the thought that, perhaps as St. Teresa said to her daughters, we have already got over the chief difficulty in the way of becoming saints when we turned our back upon the world and all its good: that which is less difficult remains for us to accomplish and then we shall be saints. I am certain that Jesus has prepared a beautiful place in Paradise for those who die in the Congregation. In this world we shall be poor, despised, and looked upon as fools and imprudent persons; but in the next our lot will be far different.

Let us continually recommend ourselves to our most loving Redeemer, hidden in the most Blessed Sacrament, and to the Blessed Virgin; for the members of the Congregation are obliged to have a most special love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and for the Immaculate Mary. Let us have great confidence. Jesus Christ has chosen us to be the great ones of His court: a certain proof of this is the protection which He gives to the Congregation, and to every member of it: Dominus illumination mea et salus mea: quem timebo? (Ps. xxvi. 1)."

From The True Redemptorist

by Our Holy Father St. Alphonsus,

Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Old Community Photos From 20 Years Ago

Outside the Monastery Chapel, Sheppey,

After the first Clothing Ceremony on 22 August 1988

Formal Photo after the Clothing

Fr. Michael Mary and Fr. Anthony Mary, the first novice

"At the Refectory Fire", Br. John the Baptist, our second novice, clothed October 16 1988, now, Rev. Fr. Dom Christopher Andrews, O.S.B. "At the Clothes Line" Novice Reverend Father Anthony Mary, F.SS.R.

"In Our First Kitchen"

Br. Gerard Maria our third novice, clothed 16 October, 1988, cooks the dinner

"... Perfect Thy work, O Lord and for Thy glory make us all Thine own; so that all the members of this Congregation, even to the day of judgement, may continue to please Thee perfectly, and to gain for Thee a countless number of souls. Amen, amen."

(Ibid.)