Cockfosters Benedictines Make

BAPTISM A PART OF LITURGICAL WEEK-END
By a Staff Reporter Public reception and Baptism of an adult convert will be a feature of the first post-war Liturgical Week-end being held at Cockfosters Benedictine Priory, North London, on Saturday, September 24, and Sunday, the 25th.
As already announced, Wood Green Deanery ACTU are availing themselves of the Week-end in order to hold their " Worship and Work " Conference on the Saturday afternoon at the Priory.
Added interest is given to the week-end by the fact that almost all the Cockfosters community is now gathered there at full strength, due to the retirement of professed monks from their wholestic year in Louvain.
But the twelve monks are actually living in cramped conditions. " This", said Fr. P. Grant, 0.S.B., the Prior, "is due to building restrictions which prevent our tackling the ambitious programme we have for a large monastery to comprise 40 monks, and an adjoining church."
Visitors attending the Liturgical Week-end are likely to be impressed by the manner of carrying out the Divine Office in choir, which so distinguishes these monks of the Olivetan Congregation.
They will also be shown in the course of both afternoons a display of vestments and religious art, executed by Benedictine nuns and Oblates, many of them from the near-by convent, and which include, as I saw for myself, fullgothic chasubles in the lightest of silk and velvet (ideal for wearing over the heavy and voluminous habits of the monk-celebrant), and copes with real hoods at the back.
CLEARING REFUSE
When I called at Cockfosters this week, I found half-a-dozen young monks bard at work on the spacious plot of land behind the temporary church, clearing it of refuse, etc., in preparation for the day when, says Fr. Grant, please God we can make a start." For as soon as a licence is obtained, building will be begun.
Cockfosters was founded from Belgium only in 1936 by Abbot C. Bosschaerts, 0.5.13., and his work here quickly caught the public imagination through its emphasis on high ecclesiastical art, and the liturgical apostolate. The Abbot, who while residing on the Continent is nevertheless still in charge over here as Commissary, plans the erection of an imposing monastic pile at Cockfosters, complete with church to seat 1,000 and erected in " the 20th-century " style, embodying all up-to-date features and lighting, a veritable " showplace in regard to modernity".
He feels that surely it is natural for Benedictines to place at the service of God all that is up-to-date. The permanent church, the Abbot has announced, will have a retrochoir and the celebrant will stand at the high altar facing the people, while the monastery will include a guest house and another for Retreatants, " One reason why we place such importance on the Adult Reception and Baptism Ceremony, which is to be held on the Saturday at 3 p.m., in our Liturgical Week-end," Fr. Grant pointed out, " is that we wish to mark the joy the Church experiences at the adding of a new member to her fold.
" Thus we shall make the occasion one for a parish rejoicing. and all non-Catholics, so many of whom show such sympathy and interest in our activities here. are most especially invited to attend and witness this impressive ceremony."