Our Brother Michael and Brother Anselm today were present at the reception of a dozen Anglican sisters into Full Communion with the Catholic Church. They were received by the Ordinary of the Ordinariate, Mgr Newton, in the Oxford Oratory Church.

We welcome and congratulate these brave women. The ‘conversio morum’ conversion of life of our Benedictine Rule is not just a conversion we make at the start, but one we should make at every moment of our monastic life. These sisters, after many years of leaving all for Christ, have again left all for Christ today and thrown themselves into an uncertain future and the hands of Providence.

We are delighted to hear that the Rule of St Benedict will be a guiding star for them. By waiting until January 1st they have chosen to be received in the centenary year of the Caldey conversions. It was in 1913 that Abbot Cabrol of Farnborough and his friend Blessed Columba Marmion sailed to the Island of Caldey to welcome the Anglican monks there into what Newman called the ‘one true fold of the Redeemer’. It was lovely that some Farnborough monks should be present for this occasion today. God bless these dear sisters!