Thursday, February 08, 2007

A wonderful witness

I recently had the grace of visiting the community of Tyburn Nuns in London. What a wonderful witness! In the heart of London a community of sisters totally consecrated to the Glory of God spend 24 hours everyday in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
What graces must flow from those humble dwellings! I met Mother Simeon, the Mother Prioress, who agreed to pray for me everyday. Praised be Jesus and Mary! Us seminarians need all the prayers we can get!

After that I went looking for the place where the martyrs died. I was shocked and saddened to find that the site of the Old Tyburn Tree is now a traffic island!
I (probably breaking the law!) squeezed through the railings and ran across the road to the traffic island. A round plaque in the ground saying: The site of the Old Tyburn Tree
is all that marks the spot.

I spent a moment in prayer before returning (illegally again!) through the railings back to safety.

Two sites of witness so close to each other! The sisters have many relics of the martyrs in the crypt, which is being renovated at the moment (which, by the way, could do with the help of generous donations if you're up to it!)

Please pray for the sisters, that their witness may continue and that they may be blessed with many vocations.

And if you're in London, why not pay them (and, of course, the Blessed Sacrament!) a visit?

They'd love to see and offer their prayers for you.
God bless

2 comments:

Mulier Fortis said...

You should go on the Tyburn Walk - it happens each year, organised by the Guild of Our Lady of Ransom. We go from the site of Newgate prison (near the Old Bailey) down to the Convent at Tyburn (Marble Arch)

We used to walk in the road, escorted by the police, and so would get the chance to see the plaque and say a prayer by it. Unfortunately numbers are now too small to justify a full procession...

Andrew said...

All you that in the condemned hole do lie,
Prepare you for tomorrow you shall die;
Watch all and pray: the hour is drawing near
That you before the Almighty must appear;
Examine well yourselves in time repent,
That you may not to eternal flames be sent.
And when St. Sepulchre's Bell in the morning tolls
The Lord above have mercy on your soul.