Growing in Faith: new life takes root in Chilworth Abbey’s monastery garden

Exciting work is underway in the monastery garden at St. Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth. 

Nestling in the Surrey Hills near Guildford, a new programme of planting has been gradually building in the hope to bring new life and spiritual expression to parts of the monastery grounds.

The project is being undertaken by one of the new novice monks, Brother Ambrose, who has been overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of people far and wide.

Speaking with his hands full of soil, Brother Ambrose said:

"We have been enormously blessed by people responding to an ever-growing project. 

“The monastery has received financial donations, gifts in memory of loved ones, plants and flowers, expert advice and even the pledge of the use of quite serious machinery should we expand our current plans. 

“The rewards for me are enormous, getting to the roots of our ethos of Work and Prayer (Ora et Labora), being able to connect with nature, spending time with mucky hands yet being able to pray and meditate surrounded by God's beauty and Nature’s soundtrack is a deep privilege and blessing. 

“To have developed a sort of horticultural outreach has been wonderful too, the faithful of many parishes have seen what we are trying to achieve and have responded, full of encouragement and kindness, and we have connected with people from further afield as well, crossing boundaries. We even have one of our local garden centres looking to support us in practical way."

Great oaks do indeed spring from tiny acorns and such is this project. What began as a modest tidy up, has become a wide-reaching project that has touched many people and so the prayer is to be able to continue development. 

There is no lack of vision. Individuals, nurseries, garden centres, businesses and other organisations are still very welcome to become involved, and donations are most welcome, plants, gardening materials, equipment and tools, ideas and enthusiasm would all be happily received.

The Monastic Community at Chilworth is deeply grateful for the remarkable generosity already shown. Quite literally through this project we are developing a wider community which is beginning to blossom through the kindness of others.

St Augustine’s Abbey, Chilworth is a living Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery near Guildford in Surrey. Members of the public are welcome to join the monks in prayer: Daily Mass 9am, Sunday Mass 10am, Daily Divine Office seven times a day, often sung in ancient Latin Gregorian Chant. Watch out for our varied public talks programme covering faith, arts, literature and more. Visit us online at www.chilworthbenedictines.com     

The attached images show Br Ambrose and a visiting priest collecting plants in a fully loaded monastery car.