Westminster Abbey is a community of

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monks A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

Mission Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, established in 1939 from the

Abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The con ...

of Mount Angel,

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

. The abbey is home to the Seminary of Christ the King and is a member of the Swiss American Congregation within the Benedictine Confederation. The abbey's official name is the Abbey of Saint Joseph of Westminster; Saint Joseph is the abbey's patron saint. The abbey was designed by the firm of Gardiner, Thornton, Gathe and Associates.

History

The seminary was founded in 1931 by Archbishop

William Mark Duke William Mark Duke (October 7, 1879 – August 31, 1971) was a Canadian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, who served as Archbishop of Vancouver from 1931 to 1964. Biography Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, on October 7, 1879. Ordinati ...

of the

Archdiocese of Vancouver The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver ( la, Archidioecesis Vancouveriensis) is a Roman Catholic Latin archdiocese that includes part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its cathedral archiepiscopal see is the Holy Rosary Cathed ...

. Five monks, including Father Eugene Medved, later Prior and Abbot, were sent from Mount Angel Abbey, Oregon, to British Columbia in 1939 to found a

priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of ...

and to take over the running of the

Seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...

of Christ the King, which was then located in Ladner, B.C.Westminster Abbey Mission
from Seminary of Christ the King, retrieved 5 March 2015
retrieved 5 March 2015 The following year, the monks moved their new priory together with the seminary to

Burnaby Burnaby is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the centre of the Burrard Peninsula, it neighbours the City of Vancouver to the west, the District of North Vancouver across the confluence of the Burrard I ...

, near Vancouver, B.C., neighbouring

New Westminster New Westminster (colloquially known as New West) is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District. It was founded by Major-General Richard Moody as the capi ...

. It became a conventual (independent) priory in 1948. In 1953 the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

raised it to the status of an Abbey. Prior Eugene was elected as the first

Abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The ...

of the new abbey. The same year, construction began on a new abbey, church, and seminary, designed by the Norwegian architect, Asbjørn Gåthe. The new location was on the outskirts of the town of Mission. The monks began to live on this site beginning in 1954; buildings were gradually added, culminating in the abbey church in 1982. The abbey is located on a hill northeast of the town centre, with a view up the Fraser River valley. Father Maurus Macrae was elected abbot in 1992 after the death of Abbot Eugene. He continued as abbot until his death in 2005, when Father John Braganza was elected. After having served the monastic community for over 17 years, Father Abbot John Braganza OSB resigned on May 3, 2022. In a statement from the Abbey, it said, “At this time, however, it has become evident that there is need for change and renewal, for both Abbot John and for the community...concerns have arisen regarding his interpersonal relations,” but that there are no allegations of sexual misconduct or of any misconduct with minors. On July 11th, 2022, the bells of Westminster Abbey rang once again for her newly elected abbot - Father Abbot Alban Riley OSB. He was solemnly blessed by the Archbishop of Vancouver J. Michael Miller on September 14th, 2022 in the Abbey Church.

Activities

Benedictine monks live by the motto of their order, ''Ora et Labora'' ("Pray and Work"). The roughly 30 monks at Westminster Abbey also follow this. In 1950, Benedictine sisters came to help the abbey, and continued there until they left in 1968. Since then, all kitchen, farm, and most other work at the abbey has been done by the monks themselves.

Prayer

The monks pray the

Liturgy of the Hours The Liturgy of the Hours (Latin: ''Liturgia Horarum'') or Divine Office (Latin: ''Officium Divinum'') or ''Opus Dei'' ("Work of God") are a set of Catholic prayers comprising the canonical hours, often also referred to as the breviary, of the ...

, namely Lauds, Midday Prayer, Vespers and Vigils at four different times throughout the day. These are usually sung publicly in the Abbey church.

Seminary

The monks operate the Seminary of Christ the King, with a Minor (high school) and Major (college) seminary, both for young men. The students reside on the grounds during the school year. They also participate in the singing of the

. The minor seminary is the only Anglophone high school seminary in Canada, and also the only minor seminary run by Benedictine Monks in the world. The major seminary is a private institution authorised by the government of British Columbia to grant degrees.Westminster Abbey website - History
retrieved 5 March 2015 The students are taught by the monks, as well by many volunteer teachers. The Major seminarians are also taught by local diocesan priests.

Art

Father Dunstan Massey is the abbey's resident artist. He has painted several frescoes around the abbey, and he has also created a series of concrete

bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

s affixed to pillars inside the church.Westminster Abbey website - View art gallery
retrieved 5 March 2015

Farm

The abbey's farm is worked by the monks. It houses up to 40 cattle, raised for their meat. There are also chickens, whose eggs and meat are eaten. Most of the meat eaten at the abbey comes from the farm. The abbey, including the farm and woods, covers over 70 hectares of land.

Gallery

Image:WestminsterAbbeyFarm.jpg, Abbey farm Image:WestminsterAbbeyFrescoDetail.jpg, Detail of incomplete fresco, ''The Celestial Banquet'', painted by Fr. Dunstan Massey Image:FraserRiver.jpg, View of the Fraser River, seen from the abbey

References

External links

Monastery website

Seminary home page
{{Coord, 49.15360, -122.27100, region:CA_type:landmark, display=title Benedictine monasteries in Canada Mission, British Columbia High schools in British Columbia Religious buildings and structures in British Columbia Christian organizations established in 1939 Universities and colleges in British Columbia Private schools in British Columbia Brutalist architecture in Canada Seminaries and theological colleges in Canada Christianity in British Columbia 1939 establishments in British Columbia