They say that when you’re in Kylemore you
are only two feet from heaven, and given the beauty one finds all around
there, it could well be true.
Kylemore
Abbey, home to the Benedictine nuns, is one of the most beautiful places
in Ireland.
Surrounded by some 3,000 acres of woodland and lakes, the
impressive Kylemore Castle sits at the base of a mountain, majestic, and
in serene splendour.
This has been the
home to the Benedictine nuns since 1920 when they fled for safety from
Ypres, Belgium, during the First World War, their monastery there having
been bombed by the Germans.
The nuns came to Ireland for safety, living in Wexford initially while
trying to source a permanent place to live. When Kylemore came on the
market it was acquired on behalf of the nuns who have cared for it
since.
In more recent times, regretfully, the famous international
school was closed due to dwindling numbers and higher costs.
With the recent appointment of a new Mother Abbess, plans are being finalised for the future.
Mother Marie Hickey OSB, the Mother Abbess, has outlined her plans for
the future of the monastery in preparation for the centenary
celebrations of the arrival of the nuns to Connemara.
Some of the
priorities of the development plan include a complete interior
reconfiguration of the Castle itself in order to bring it and its
facilities into the 21st century. New wiring, plumbing, and upgrades,
are essential and necessary in order to facilitate the students of the
future.
Plans are also being prepared for an education centre which
offers residential accommodation and a varied programme of education and
training opportunities.
Many Catholic universities around the world,
and particularly from the United States, have expressed an interest in
sending students to Kylemore in order to significantly enhance their
education.
Another important part of the
development plan is to build a new “fit for purpose” monastery that is
more appropriate to the monastic life of prayer and work.
This new
monastery will be able to cater for and facilitate up to 40 nuns, with
en-suite bedrooms, day rooms, chapel, and monastic choir, there will be
facilities for guests and for the soon to be founded Benedictine Oblates
who will expand the Benedictine family in the area.
New
Community enterprises will be initiated to give local employment in
energy, crafts, food, forestry, and tourism.
These new developments will
build on the already successful projects undertaking by the nuns,
including the restoration of the Victorian Walled Gardens which won the
prestigious European “Europa Nostra” award in 2002.
Other successful
projects include the extensive restoration of the Neo Gothic church, a
miniature of Chichester Cathedral which Henry Mitchell, the original
owner, had built for his wife.
The Craft Centre and Tea Rooms-Restaurant
has always been very successful and have catered well for the some
250,000 tourists who visit Kylemore every year.
Mother
Marie Hickey would also like to see a new Monastic church built which
would have easy access for visitors.
Currently the present chapel is
difficult to access and there are a lot of stairs to walk up in order to
find it.
The proposed new church would make it easier for visitors to
visit, and to spend some quite time in prayer and adoration, and when
appropriate participating in the liturgy and the Holy Sacrifice of the
mass.
Another area that is planned is a hospitality centre, where
tourists can be orientated and can meet one another in fraternity.
Kylemore Abbey plans to have these
multimillion euro developments completed by 2020 when it becomes a
centre of excellence in learning through education and catechesis.
Inquiries about new vocations to the monastic life have been received
and are being processed, with the first of the new aspirants due to
enter shortly.
For further information on Kylemore Abbey for vocations and donations for the new development visit www.kylemoreabbey.com or email info@kylemoreabbey.ie.