As we mark the feast of St. Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers, we also recall a venerable tradition that holds that St. Dominic was a member of the Premonstratensian Order, specifically that he was a sub-deacon at the Spanish Abbey of La Vid. The Dominican statues take much influence from the early statutes [...]
Archive for the ‘Norbertine History’ Category
St. Dominic and the Order of Prémontré
Posted in Former Houses, Norbertine History, O.Praem Saints and Beati on August 7, 2008 | Comments Off
Former Houses: Beeleigh
Posted in Former Houses, Norbertine History on June 28, 2008 | Comments Off
The Abbey of Beeleigh in Essex was founded from Newhouse by Robert de Parndon. This house was first located in Great Parndon before 1172 and in 1180 it was transferred by Robert Mantel to Beeleigh. In 1249 there was enshrined at its high altar the heart of St. Roger Niger of “Bileye,” who was most probably one [...]
Former Houses: Warburton
Posted in Former Houses, Norbertine History on June 3, 2008 | Comments Off
The village of Warburton lies only a few miles outside of Manchester, due east of Altrincham. The village was home to a community of Premonstratensians from 1190-1271. The Priory was established as a dependent house of Cockersands Abbey in Lancashire by Adam de Dutton and was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Werburga. [...]
The Triumph of St. Norbert
Posted in Norbertine History, O.Praem Saints and Beati, St. Norbert on May 30, 2008 | Comments Off
Saturday within the Octave of the Sacred Heart was marked in the rite of our Order as the feast of the ‘Triumph of St. Norbert’. This feast recalls the zeal exercised by Our Holy Father Norbert in defending and strengthening the doctrine of the Real Presence, which was strenuously tested in the north of Belgium about the year 1124. [...]
Corpus Christi & St. Juliana of Liège
Posted in Norbertine History, O.Praem Saints and Beati on May 25, 2008 | Comments Off
Corpus Christi is the titular feast of our canonry. We marked this occasion on with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at St. Chad’s which began with Mass of the Solemnity in the Premonstratensian Rite and was followed by all day Exposition. One of the patrons of our canonry Saint Juliana of Liège, a Premonstratensian nun [...]
The Translation of St. Norbert
Posted in Norbertine History, O.Praem Saints and Beati, St. Norbert on May 7, 2008 | Comments Off
Saint Norbert was originally buried at Magdeburg, the church he had governed as archbishop. At the time of the so-called Reformation the cathedral fell into the hands of the followers of Martin Luther. The pain felt by the Order at this usurpation of the tomb of their revered founder is well recorded by the chronicler Du [...]
Norbertine Canonesses
Posted in Norbertine History, Vocation on May 1, 2008 | Comments Off
Sadly there has been no community of Norbertine nuns or sisters in the British Isles since the so-called Reformation. Before that sorry episode communities of canonesses existed at Irford and Stixwold and Broadholm. Irford was founded in the reign of Henry II and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin in 1156. The last prioress, Dame Joanna [...]
Matthew Mackerell
Posted in Norbertine History, O.Praem Saints and Beati on March 12, 2008 | Comments Off
On this day the calendar of illustrious Premonstratensians commemorates Abbot Matthew Mackerell O.Praem, Abbot of Barlings and Titular Bishop of Chalcedon who met his death under King Henry VIII during the persecutions of the so-called ‘Reformation’. Abbot Mackerell and his fellow canons suffered in the aftermath of the persecutions that followed the popular uprising known as the Lincolnshire [...]
The Birth of the Order 886 years ago
Posted in Norbertine History, St. Norbert on December 25, 2007 | Comments Off
On Christmas Day 1121 Our Holy Father Norbert and his companions made their profession at Prémontré.
“Indeed many religious men, both bishops and abbots, had advised him in various ways, one suggesting the eremitic life, another that of an anchorite, still another to take up the lifestyle of the Cistercians. But Norbert, whose work and plans depended on [...]
Premonstratensians in the Holy Land
Posted in Norbertine History on November 8, 2007 | Comments Off
Today commemorates the martyrdom of Abbot Aegidius de Marle (Giles of Marle) and his 26 companions in 1291, Norbertines of the Abbey at Acre. St John at Acre was the home to Premonstratensians who had fled the houses of St. Habbakuk and St. Samuel after attacks by Moslem forces which had killed the majority of religious. Those [...]
