Th r NO. 2,894.
PERTH, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1935.
Consecrafion of
PRICE THREEPENCE.
0 Downsace Abbey Church
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RAISED BY POPE TO RANK OF MINOR BASILICA • i1•11•11•11•11•11•11•11•11•11•11•11•11•11.11•11•11
r f. A iyipressave Ceremonial Crowns
A Half Century s Labour
On Thursday the 12th inst. one of the most distinguished functions that has been solemnised in England since the Reformation, took place when the Church attached to the historic abbey of Downside was consecrated. The ceremonies occupied six and a half hours, commencing at 7.30 a.m. anu concluding at 2. p.m. A large and distinguished gathering, including two Cardinals, seven Archbishops, 12 Bishops, 14 Abbots, the Lord Mayor of London and many prominent members of the laity, participated. In all, 19 altars were consecrated. Certain privileges were specially conferred by the Holy See to mark the occasion, the most outstanding being the elevation of the Church to the dignity of a Minor Pasilica a hi2-h honour seldom conferred. The Holy Father himself chose Cardinal Seredi, the Benedictine Prince-Primate of Hungary to perform the ceremony. Cardinal McRory, Primate of All Ireland, consecrated an altar to his martyred predecessor in the See of Armagh, Blessed Oliver Plunket whose body is enshrined close to the altar. HIS EMINENCE CARDINAL SER-
HIS EMINENCE CARDINAL MeRORY.
EDI, O.S.B.
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The Downside Basilica Nvhicil has been building for 50 years and Is now complete adds the last link of perfection to -the famous Somersetshire Abbey which was bounded at Douai, Flanders, under the patronage of St. Gregory the ureat in 16U5 by the enerable John Roberts, first prior and some uther English monks who had reeived the habit and taken vows in the Spanish Benedictine Con-
the finest Gothic specimens in England, and is privileged to contain the body of the Irish martyr.dishop, Blessed Oliver Plunkett. The modern importance of Downside may be guaged from the fact that about half the monks are engaged in over 20 missions or parishes - in various parts of England, which are dependent on the monastery. Besides the school atached to the monastery, Downside has also two other schools, at Ealing. London, and at Gorey, Co. Waterford, Ireland; a house of studies for its monks at Cambridge University and another for students in London, near the British Museum.
jegation. Six years later, Dom !blip de Caverel, Abbot of St. aast's at Arras, built a monas-
tery for the community in Douai and Is consequently revered as its founder. Its early history was fraught with disturbanc es, partctifarly over the question of union 111th other English Benedictines. T.hese were, however, satisfactorily settled by a Bull from Pope Urban VIII. The characteristic feature of Abbey's work has been that education of the English Catho'' gentry which has been conucted
on traditional English Public-school lines. The main ex t qnal Work of the community has c onsisted in
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supplying various issions or parishes in England. as for example when they sup the royal chapel of Charles •
!)fl their disbandini ment in the French Revolution, the monks were and onimprisoned for two years their found a ternrarY home release in England where a f ormer ,ent Pupil, Sir Edward Smythe. them his Shropshire seat of '\tton for use as a monastery Ilurnell and school. In 1814 they
THE DOWNSIDE ABBEY CHURCH, \VI-11CH WAS CONSECRATED ON THURSDAY, 12th. INST.
transferred to a small manor house with 66 acres of land at Downside, where the present Monastery has been built up. Since that time the establishment has increased steadily in size and importance, new buildings being added in 1823, 1853 and almost continually since 1870. In the last year of the last century, Pope Leo XIII. raised the priory to abbatial rank, the 45th. prior, Dom Edmund Ford, being elected its first Abbot.
able. It has also played a most important part in the origins of Catholicism in Australia. Dom Bede Polding- and Dorn Bede Vaughan, the first two Archbishops of Sydney, were monks of Downside Abbey. To mention but two of their many erudite monks, Bernard lillathorne, first Bishop of Birmingham, and Cardinal Gasquet, have made important contributions to ascetical and historical research.
Downside has a splendid tradition in scholarship and sanctity. Six monks of St. Gregory's have died martyrs for the Faith and are already pronounced vener-
The Abbey buildings now complete. comprise the monastery, a large boarding-college guesthouse, and the Abbey Church. Even before its completion, this latter building ranked as one of
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An important contribution to letters is the "Downside Review" It is devoted chiefly to local, monastic and liturgical interests, and contains many articles of value. The Abbey has taken a prominent part in the revival of polyphonic music whien is indicated in the "Downside Masses' and Downside Motets." A similar interest in Christian art "Downside the is shown in Prints"—a series of small devotional pictures reproduced from Attached to :ancient masters. the Abbey are the titular Abbacies of Glastonbury and St. Alban's, and the Cathedral priories of Canterbury, Bath, Coventry, :and Norwich. The arms of Downside are on a cross moline gules the abbot's seal bears an effigy of BI. Richard Whiting, martyr, the last Abbot of the neighbouring Abbey of Glastonbury.
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