This week’s Catholics in New Media will highlight a tiny, tech savvy group of Benedictine nuns in the United Kingdom. I don’t know a lot about them yet, but they seem to be doing an excellent job of integrating the tools of technology into the living out of their vocation.
The Benedictine nuns of Holy Trinity Monastery are located in East Hendred, UK - in the Roman Catholic diocese of Portsmouth - where they are committed to searching for God according to St Benedict’s threefold pattern of prayer, work and study. One of the things that makes them unique is that a lot of their work is digital. And they are using their website and other technology as an effective way to share their vocation with the world.
Aside from creating audio books for the blind and digital books for online, their website also offers podcasts, video, real-time web conferences with them, pictures of their work and life, a blog, a forum, and you can follow them on Twitter, too. Oh, and you can submit prayer requests directly to them through their website. I don’t think they’ve left anything out!
They also have some income-earning endeavors as well. They include Veilnet (a web design company), Veilpress (a print design company) and Veilshop (an online store). Veilnet describes itself as “simple, stylish web design by the Benedictines of Holy Trinity Monastery.” It is certainly that.
In fact, their own website is extremely stylish and simple. That’s one of the best things about it, really. It’s one thing to have a lot of stuff on your website. It’s another to have it still be user-friendly and easy on the eyes when you get done. They did a great job. And their site actually won the “People’s Choice” award in the 2009 Christian Web and New Media Awards (UK). It’s definitely worth checking them out.
Here’s a pic of them:
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Don’t forget they tweet too. I’ve been following Sr Catherine on @Digitalnun for a while now.
On visiting their website, I was not surprised to learn that the three founding members came from Stanbrook Abbey, the model for Rumer Godden’s novel, “In This House of Brede” (see my book “Christians in the Movies: A Century of Saints and Sinners” Rowman and Littlefield 2008). The Abbey, had its origins in a Benedictine monastery in Spanish Flanders (later part of France), founded by the great-great-great granddaughter of St. Thomas More. In 1793, the 22 nuns were imprisoned and those who escaped the guillotine left for England. The establishment of their monastery in a country inimical to Catholicism is worthy of a screenplay. The Abbey, which was recently sold by the abbess, became a historic landmark noted for its liturgy, singing and private printing press. So their tradition of being on the forefront of communication technology goes back centuries.
Just in case anyone misunderstands Mr Dans’ comment, I’d betterpoint out that the monastery at East Hendred was not founded by Stanbrook and has no juridical links with the Stanbrook community although the bonds of love and friendship remain.
NICE ONE DIGITAL NUN AND CO
That’s… different. Nun web-designers, I never thought I’d hear that. I guess I better watch out or they might just take my job!
Yet another interesting article by Matthew Warner! Three cheers for the Benedictine Nuns of Holy Trinity Abbey! I think it’s great they are using
the internet to reach others beyond their Monastery walls.
They remind me of a group of Poor Clare Nuns of Perpetual Adoration sent to San Antonio, Texas to found a new Monastery. It’s been three years and I think the road is very rough for them! They need your prayers, and they will also, like the Benedictine Nuns, pray for your intentions! Check them out on their web site: nuns@texasnuns.com.
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