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| Whitby |
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Monastic life at Whitby
On the East cliff at Whitby stand the impressive remains of a 12th. Century Benedictine abbey.
This is not, of course, the building which Hilda knew. Archaeological evidence shows that her monastery was in the Celtic style, with it’s members living in small houses for two or three people. The tradition in double monasteries,
such as Hartlepool and Whitby, was that men and women lived separately, but worshipped together in church.
We do not know exactly where Hilda’s monastic church stood, nor do we know how many monks and nuns there were at Whitby. What Bede does tell us is that the original ideals of monasticism were strictly maintained at Hilda’s abbey. |
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All property and goods were held in common; Christian virtues were exercised, especially peace and charity; everyone had to study the Bible and do good works. Five men from this monastery became bishops and one is revered as a saint - John of Beverley. |
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| Beverley is an hour and a half’s drive from Whitby; the shrine of St. John is in Beverley Minster. |
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The Synod of Whitby
King Oswy chose Hilda’s monastery as the venue for the first synod (formal meeting) of the church in his kingdom.
He invited churchmen from as far away
As Wessex to attend. Most of those present, including Hilda, accepted the king’s decision to adopt the method of calculating Easter, currently used in Rome, but the monks from Lindisfarne, who could not accept this, withdrew to Iona and later to Ireland.
There was also agreement that in future, monks would shave the top of their heads according to the Roman usage, instead of following the Celtic custom of shaving the front of the head. Apart from these decisions, some features of Celtic monasticism were maintained in Northumbria for many years. |
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Synod of Whitby,
from a mural by Juliet MacMichael at Sneaton Castle. |
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| St. Cuthbert, greatest of the early Northumbrian saints, demonstrated in his life how the Celtic and Benedictine traditions could be effectively combined. |
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The legacy of St Hilda
Hilda was succeeded as abbess by Eanfleda, widow of King Oswy, and her daughter Aelfleda. From then onwards, we know nothing about the abbey at Whitby until it was destroyed by Danish invaders in 867. after the Norman conquest of England, monks from Evesham refounded the abbey as a Benedictine house for men. Thus it continued until the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry Vlll in 1539. |
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| From the late 19th. century until the present day there has been a revival of interest in and devotion to St. Hilda. With the development of education for women, she has become the patron saint of many schools and colleges all over the world. Two churches in Whitby (Roman Catholic and Anglican) have been dedicated under her patronage. |
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| Since 1915 at St. Hilda’s Priory, Sneaton Castle, on the Western edge of Whitby town, there has been a community of Anglican sisters – the Order of the Holy Paraclete – which draws inspiration from the monastic and educational ideals of St. Hilda. More recently, on Lindisfarne, the Community of St. Aidan and St. Hilda has been founded. |
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| Parish Church, Whitby: Caedmon's cross |
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Almighty God,
Who gave to Your servant Hilda The rich gifts of vision, love and wisdom;
Grant that we, inspired by her life and teaching, May walk as one family in the paths of love and obedience, And attain to the reward of the poor in spirit,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. |
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