St Gertrude’s Chapel Interior, New Norcia
art, artwork, Benedictine, boarding school, Catholic church, Catholic college, Catholic education, chapel, convent school, Gertrude of Hackerborn, Gothic revival style, Helfta, Jesus, Josephite Sisters, Mary Mackillop, monastery, monasticism, monks, neo-gothic architecture, New Norcia, nuns, Order of St Benedict, painting, Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, Spanish influence, Spanish mission, St Benedict of Nursia, St Gertrude, St Gertrude’s College, St Mechtilde, WA, Western Australia
<p>A view of the chapel interior at St Gertrude’s College, New Norcia. St Gertrude was a thirteenth-century Benedictine nun and mystic in Helfta, Germany. She entered the convent aged only 5 and was entrusted by the Abbess, Gertrude of Hackerborn, to the care of St Mechtilde. In her mid-twenties, Gertrude began having mystical visions and dedicated the remainder of her life to the study and teaching of the scriptures and theology. In the painting on the domed ceiling, she can be seen ascending to Heaven to meet Jesus.</p>
<p>About New Norcia:<br /> New Norcia is a monastic town located 132 km north of Perth in Western Australia. The town is owned and run by a community of Benedictine monks and houses one of only three Benedictine monasteries (for men) in Australia. At its height the monastery housed approximately 80 monks, but currently there are only seven in residence. The Benedictines are part of a religious order within the Catholic Church known as the Order of St Benedict (OSB). Benedictines live in small, largely autonomous communities and base their way of life on the Rule of St Benedict, which prioritises a balance of prayer and work and calls for promises of stability, obedience and a conversion of life. The first Benedictine community was established in the sixth-century in Italy by St Benedict of Nursia (c.480-547).<br /> Originally intended as a mission to evangelise and educate the indigenous peoples of the Victoria Plains, the site at New Norcia was founded in 1847 by two Spanish Benedictine missionaries, Dom José Benito Serra and Dom Rosendo Salvado. Serra’s involvement in the missionary activities at new Norcia decreased following his appointment as Co-adjutor Bishop of Perth in 1849, while Salvado (1814-1900) committed himself wholly to developing the mission and leading the monastic community. He subsequently became the key figure in the first 50 years of New Norcia’s history. He made numerous fundraising trips to Europe, which provided him with the means to purchase books, vestments, artwork and equipment for the community and also to oversee the construction of new buildings. He died in Rome in 1900 and his body was returned to New Norcia. Under Salvado’s successor, Bishop Fulgentius Torres (1861-1914), New Norcia became more like a traditional monastic settlement. An increased focus on education and artistic pursuits led to the establishment of two schools and improvements to many of the town’s buildings. St Gertrude’s opened in 1908 and originally functioned as a convent boarding school for girls. It was staffed by Josephite sisters, the first of whom were to New Norcia by Mary Mackillop at the request of Bishop Fulgentius Torres. The school closed in 1991 and is now used primarily as a venue for school camps. For more information on New Norcia, see the New Norcia Benedictine Community website: <a href="http://newnorcia.wa.edu.au/" target="_blank">http://newnorcia.wa.edu.au/</a>.</p>
McEwan, Joanne
7 January 2011
No Copyright
Digital Photograph; JPEG
St Ildephonsus’ Chapel, New Norcia - Interior
Altar, altarpiece, Art, artwork, Benedictine monks, Benedictines, boarding school, Byzantine style, Catholic church, Catholic college, Catholic education, chapel, De virginitate sanctae mariae, hagiography, interior, Marist Brothers, Mary, monastery, monasticism, monks, New Norcia, Order of St Benedict, painting, saint, Spanish influence, Spanish mission, St Benedict of Nursia, St Ildephonsus, St Ildephonsus’ College, vestment, Virgin Mary, virginity, WA, Western Australia
<p>A view of the chapel interior at St Ildephonsus’ College in New Norcia. St Ildephonsus was a seventh-century monk at the Benedictine monastery of Agli near Toledo. From 657 until his death in 667, he served as the Archbishop of Toledo. One of his works, De Virginitate Sanctae Mariae, is a treatise defending the perpetual virginity of Mary. The painting above the altarpiece in the New Norcia chapel depicts the hagiographical legend in which Mary appeared before Ildephonsus and presented him with a priestly vestment as a reward for honouring her.</p>
<p>About New Norcia:</p>
<p>New Norcia is a monastic town located 132 km north of Perth in Western Australia. The town is owned and run by a community of Benedictine monks and houses one of only three Benedictine monasteries (for men) in Australia. At its height the monastery housed approximately 80 monks, but currently there are only seven in residence. The Benedictines are part of a religious order within the Catholic Church known as the Order of St Benedict (OSB). Benedictines live in small, largely autonomous communities and base their way of life on the Rule of St Benedict, which prioritises a balance of prayer and work and calls for promises of stability, obedience and a conversion of life. The first Benedictine community was established in the sixth-century in Italy by St Benedict of Nursia (c.480-547).</p>
<p>Originally intended as a mission to evangelise and educate the indigenous peoples of the Victoria Plains, the site at New Norcia was founded in 1847 by two Spanish Benedictine missionaries, Dom José Benito Serra and Dom Rosendo Salvado. Serra’s involvement in the missionary activities at new Norcia decreased following his appointment as Co-adjutor Bishop of Perth in 1849, while Salvado (1814-1900) committed himself wholly to developing the mission and leading the monastic community. He subsequently became the key figure in the first 50 years of New Norcia’s history. He made numerous fundraising trips to Europe, which provided him with the means to purchase books, vestments, artwork and equipment for the community and also to oversee the construction of new buildings. He died in Rome in 1900 and his body was returned to New Norcia. Under Salvado’s successor, Bishop Fulgentius Torres (1861-1914), New Norcia became more like a traditional monastic settlement. An increased focus on education and artistic pursuits led to the establishment of two schools and improvements to many of the town’s buildings. St Ildephonsus opened in 1913 as a boarding school for boys. It was staffed by Marist Brothers until 1965, when the Benedictines took over. The school closed in 1991 and is now used primarily as a venue for school camps.</p>
<p>For more information on New Norcia, see the New Norcia Benedictine Community website: <a href="http://newnorcia.wa.edu.au/" target="_blank">http://newnorcia.wa.edu.au/</a>.</p>
McEwan, Joanne
7 January 2011
No Copyright
Digital Photograph
St Ildephonsus’ Chapel Interior, New Norcia
Altar, altarpiece, Art, artwork, Benedictine monks, Benedictines, boarding school, Byzantine style, Catholic church, Catholic college, Catholic education, chapel, De virginitate sanctae mariae, hagiography, interior, Marist Brothers, Mary, monastery, monasticism, monks, New Norcia, Order of St Benedict, painting, saint, Spanish influence, Spanish mission, St Benedict of Nursia, St Ildephonsus, St Ildephonsus’ College, vestment, Virgin Mary, virginity, WA, Western Australia
<p>A view of the chapel interior at St Ildephonsus’ College in New Norcia. St Ildephonsus was a seventh-century monk at the Benedictine monastery of Agli near Toledo. From 657 until his death in 667, he served as the Archbishop of Toledo. One of his works, De Virginitate Sanctae Mariae, is a treatise defending the perpetual virginity of Mary. The painting above the altarpiece in the New Norcia chapel depicts the hagiographical legend in which Mary appeared before Ildephonsus and presented him with a priestly vestment as a reward for honouring her.</p>
<p>About New Norcia:<br /> New Norcia is a monastic town located 132 km north of Perth in Western Australia. The town is owned and run by a community of Benedictine monks and houses one of only three Benedictine monasteries (for men) in Australia. At its height the monastery housed approximately 80 monks, but currently there are only seven in residence. The Benedictines are part of a religious order within the Catholic Church known as the Order of St Benedict (OSB). Benedictines live in small, largely autonomous communities and base their way of life on the Rule of St Benedict, which prioritises a balance of prayer and work and calls for promises of stability, obedience and a conversion of life. The first Benedictine community was established in the sixth-century in Italy by St Benedict of Nursia (c.480-547).</p>
<p>Originally intended as a mission to evangelise and educate the indigenous peoples of the Victoria Plains, the site at New Norcia was founded in 1847 by two Spanish Benedictine missionaries, Dom José Benito Serra and Dom Rosendo Salvado. Serra’s involvement in the missionary activities at new Norcia decreased following his appointment as Co-adjutor Bishop of Perth in 1849, while Salvado (1814-1900) committed himself wholly to developing the mission and leading the monastic community. He subsequently became the key figure in the first 50 years of New Norcia’s history. He made numerous fundraising trips to Europe, which provided him with the means to purchase books, vestments, artwork and equipment for the community and also to oversee the construction of new buildings. He died in Rome in 1900 and his body was returned to New Norcia. Under Salvado’s successor, Bishop Fulgentius Torres (1861-1914), New Norcia became more like a traditional monastic settlement. An increased focus on education and artistic pursuits led to the establishment of two schools and improvements to many of the town’s buildings. St Ildephonsus opened in 1913 as a boarding school for boys. It was staffed by Marist Brothers until 1965, when the Benedictines took over. The school closed in 1991 and is now used primarily as a venue for school camps.</p>
<p>For more information on New Norcia, see the New Norcia Benedictine Community website: <a href="http://newnorcia.wa.edu.au/" target="_blank">http://newnorcia.wa.edu.au/</a>.</p>
McEwan, Joanne
7 January 2011
No Copyright
Digital Photograph
Coat of Arms, New Norcia Monastery.
Abbot, Benedictine monks, Benedictines, Catholic, Coat of Arms, crosier, cross, ecclesiastical heraldry, external ornaments, galero, hat, heraldry, insignia, lion, mitre, monastery, monasticism, monks, New Norcia, Order of St Benedict, patriarchal cross, pontifical hat, religious house, shield, swan, St Benedict of Nursia, vestments.
<p class="MsoNormal">This coat of arms is displayed above the gates of the New Norcia monastery. The pontifical hat at the top, called a galero, has been a common motif in ecclesiastical heraldry since the fifteenth century. As a vestment, the galero dates to c.1245, when red hats were bestowed upon cardinals by Innocent IV. In heraldry it is used to symbolise church hierarchy; different colours and numbers of tassels denote different offices. The 6 tassels on either side of the shield in the New Norcia coat of arms signify that the monastery is overseen by a bishop. The mitre hat below the galero is the insignia of bishops and abbots. In this case, it most likely refers to the fact that the monastery is presided over by an abbot. Behind the shield, a cross and crosier in saltire are also common external ornaments on ecclesiastical coats of arms. On the shield itself, symbols identify the building as a religious house (the all-seeing eye with a cross and the word “fides”) and a male Benedictine community (the patriarchal cross bearing the Benedictine motto “pax”). The swan is emblematic of its location in Western Australia. For more on ecclesiastical heraldry, see Bruno Bernard Heim, <em>Heraldry in the Catholic Church: Its Origins, Customs and Laws, </em>(Van Duren, Buckinghamshire, 1978).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>About New Norcia:</strong></p>
New Norcia is a monastic town located 132 km north of Perth in Western Australia. The town is owned and run by a community of Benedictine monks and houses one of only three Benedictine monasteries (for men) in Australia. At its height the monastery housed approximately 80 monks, but currently there are only seven in residence. The Benedictines are part of a religious order within the Catholic Church known as the Order of St Benedict (OSB). Benedictines live in small, largely autonomous communities and base their way of life on the Rule of St Benedict, which prioritises a balance of prayer and work and calls for promises of stability, obedience and a conversion of life. The first Benedictine community was established in the sixth century in Italy by St Benedict of Nursia (c.480-547).
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Originally intended as a mission to evangelise and educate the indigenous peoples of the Victoria Plains, the site at New Norcia was founded in 1847 by two Spanish Benedictine missionaries, Dom José Benito Serra and Dom Rosendo Salvado. Serra’s involvement in the missionary activities at new Norcia decreased following his appointment as Co-adjutor Bishop of Perth in 1849, while Salvado (1814-1900) committed himself wholly to developing the mission and leading the monastic community. He subsequently became the key figure in the first 50 years of New Norcia’s history. He made numerous fundraising trips to Europe, which provided him with the means to purchase books, vestments, artwork and equipment for the community and also to oversee the construction of new buildings. He died in Rome in 1900 and his body was returned to New Norcia. Under Salvado’s successor, Bishop Fulgentius Torres (1861-1914), New Norcia became more like a traditional monastic settlement. An increased focus on education and artistic pursuits led to the establishment of two schools and improvements to many of the town’s buildings. For more information on New Norcia, see the New Norcia Benedictine Community website: <a href="http://newnorcia.wa.edu.au/" target="_blank">http://newnorcia.wa.edu.au/</a>.</p>
McEwan, Joanne
7 January 2011
No Copyright
Digital Photograph
St Benedict and St Scholastica Altarpiece, New Norcia New Chapel.
Altar, altarpiece, Benedictine monks, Benedictines, chapel, Catholic church, cross, monastery, monasticism, monks, New Norcia, nuns, Order of St Benedict, St Benedict of Nursia, St Scholastica
<p class="MsoNormal">This altarpiece from the New Chapel at New Norcia contains the figures of St Benedict and his sister St Scholastica. The Benedictine community at New Norcia follow the Rule of St Benedict, a book of precepts or guidelines for monastic living created by St Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century. St Benedict established a famous Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino, while St Scholastica was the Abbess of a nunnery in nearby Plombariola.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>About New Norcia:</strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">New Norcia is a monastic town located 132 km north of Perth in Western Australia. The town is owned and run by a community of Benedictine monks and houses one of only three Benedictine monasteries (for men) in Australia. At its height the monastery housed approximately 80 monks, but currently there are only seven in residence. The Benedictines are part of a religious order within the Catholic Church known as the Order of St Benedict (OSB). Benedictines live in small, largely autonomous communities and base their way of life on the Rule of St Benedict, which prioritises a balance of prayer and work and calls for promises of stability, obedience and a conversion of life. The first Benedictine community was established in the sixth-century in Italy by St Benedict of Nursia (c.480-547).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Originally intended as a mission to evangelise and educate the indigenous peoples of the Victoria Plains, the site at New Norcia was founded in 1847 by two Spanish Benedictine missionaries, Dom José Benito Serra and Dom Rosendo Salvado. Serra’s involvement in the missionary activities at new Norcia decreased following his appointment as Co-adjutor Bishop of Perth in 1849, while Salvado (1814-1900) committed himself wholly to developing the mission and leading the monastic community. He subsequently became the key figure in the first 50 years of New Norcia’s history. He made numerous fundraising trips to Europe, which provided him with the means to purchase books, vestments, artwork and equipment for the community and also to oversee the construction of new buildings. He died in Rome in 1900 and his body was returned to New Norcia. Under Salvado’s successor, Bishop Fulgentius Torres (1861-1914), New Norcia became more like a traditional monastic settlement. An increased focus on education and artistic pursuits led to the establishment of two schools and improvements to many of the town’s buildings. For more information on New Norcia, see the New Norcia Benedictine Community website: <a href="http://newnorcia.wa.edu.au/" target="_blank">http://newnorcia.wa.edu.au/</a>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong> </strong></p>
McEwan, Joanne
7 January 2011
No Copyright
Digital Photograph
New Norcia Abbey Ale
Abbey ale, ale, beer, Benedictine monks, Benedictines, brewing, golden ale, Malt Shovel Brewery, monastery, monastic ale, monasticism, monks, New Norcia, New Norcia Abbey Ale, Order of St Benedict, Rule of St Benedict, St Benedict of Nursia
<p class="MsoNormal">Released in 2007, New Norcia Abbey Ale was developed and produced by Chuck Hahn (of the Malt Shovel Brewery) in collaboration with the Benedictine monks at New Norcia. Unlike Trappist beers which are brewed within abbey walls under the control of monks, Abbey Ales are brewed commercially by companies who licence an abbey’s name. Interested in the historical association of monks and brewing, which dates from the medieval period, Hahn negotiated with the monks at New Norcia to produce an Abbey Ale for them. A sample brew of the Belgian golden style ale was delivered to New Norcia for tasting in 2006 and, according to the story provided by promotional literature and on New Norcia’s website, “following the ancient Benedictine protocol, the monks voted to approve the use of their name on the Ale”. This ancient protocol possibly refers to Chapter III of the Rule of St Benedict, which mandates that “as often as any important business has to be done in the monastery, let the Abbot call together the whole community and himself set forth the matter”. See <em>The Rule of Saint Benedict in Latin and English, </em>edited and translated by Abbot Justin McCann, Monk of Ampleforth, 3<sup>rd</sup> Edition, The Newman Press, Westminster, 1963.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>About New Norcia:</strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">New Norcia is a monastic town located 132 km north of Perth in Western Australia. The town is owned and run by a community of Benedictine monks and houses one of only three Benedictine monasteries (for men) in Australia. At its height the monastery housed approximately 80 monks, but currently there are only seven in residence. The Benedictines are part of a religious order within the Catholic Church known as the Order of St Benedict (OSB). Benedictines live in small, largely autonomous communities and base their way of life on the Rule of St Benedict, which prioritises a balance of prayer and work and calls for promises of stability, obedience and a conversion of life. The first Benedictine community was established in the sixth-century in Italy by St Benedict of Nursia (c.480-547).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Originally intended as a mission to evangelise and educate the indigenous peoples of the Victoria Plains, the site at New Norcia was founded in 1847 by two Spanish Benedictine missionaries, Dom José Benito Serra and Dom Rosendo Salvado. Serra’s involvement in the missionary activities at new Norcia decreased following his appointment as Co-adjutor Bishop of Perth in 1849, while Salvado (1814-1900) committed himself wholly to developing the mission and leading the monastic community. He subsequently became the key figure in the first 50 years of New Norcia’s history. He made numerous fundraising trips to Europe, which provided him with the means to purchase books, vestments, artwork and equipment for the community and also to oversee the construction of new buildings. He died in Rome in 1900 and his body was returned to New Norcia. Under Salvado’s successor, Bishop Fulgentius Torres (1861-1914), New Norcia became more like a traditional monastic settlement. An increased focus on education and artistic pursuits led to the establishment of two schools and improvements to many of the town’s buildings. For more information on New Norcia, see the New Norcia Benedictine Community website: <a href="http://newnorcia.wa.edu.au/" target="_blank">http://newnorcia.wa.edu.au/</a>.</p>
McEwan, Joanne
7 January 2011
No Copyright
Digital Photograph
Abbey Church Facade, New Norcia
Abbey Church, architecture, Benedictine monks, Benedictines, Bishop Fulgentius Torres, Catholic church, facade, Italian Renaissance style, monastery, monasticism, monks, New Norcia, Order of St Benedict, St Benedict of Nursia
<p class="MsoNormal">The front façade of the Abbey Church, New Norcia. The original church building was constructed from stones and plaster. In 1908, New Norcia’s second Abbot, Bishop Fulgentius Torres, added this Italian Renaissance style façade and a bell tower.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>About New Norcia:</strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">New Norcia is a monastic town located 132 km north of Perth in Western Australia. The town is owned and run by a community of Benedictine monks and houses one of only three Benedictine monasteries (for men) in Australia. At its height the monastery housed approximately 80 monks, but currently there are only seven in residence. The Benedictines are part of a religious order within the Catholic Church known as the Order of St Benedict (OSB). Benedictines live in small, largely autonomous communities and base their way of life on the Rule of St Benedict, which prioritises a balance of prayer and work and calls for promises of stability, obedience and a conversion of life. The first Benedictine community was established in the sixth-century in Italy by St Benedict of Nursia (c.480-547).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Originally intended as a mission to evangelise and educate the indigenous peoples of the Victoria Plains, the site at New Norcia was founded in 1847 by two Spanish Benedictine missionaries, Dom José Benito Serra and Dom Rosendo Salvado. Serra’s involvement in the missionary activities at new Norcia decreased following his appointment as Co-adjutor Bishop of Perth in 1849, while Salvado (1814-1900) committed himself wholly to developing the mission and leading the monastic community. He subsequently became the key figure in the first 50 years of New Norcia’s history. He made numerous fundraising trips to Europe, which provided him with the means to purchase books, vestments, artwork and equipment for the community and also to oversee the construction of new buildings. He died in Rome in 1900 and his body was returned to New Norcia. Under Salvado’s successor, Bishop Fulgentius Torres (1861-1914), New Norcia became more like a traditional monastic settlement. An increased focus on education and artistic pursuits led to the establishment of two schools and improvements to many of the town’s buildings. For more information on New Norcia, see the New Norcia Benedictine Community website: <a href="http://newnorcia.wa.edu.au/" target="_blank">http://newnorcia.wa.edu.au/</a>.</p>
McEwan, Joanne
7 January 2011
No Copyright.
Digital Image
St Ildephonsus’ College, New Norcia
Architecture, Benedictine monks, Benedictines, Bishop Fulgentius Torres, boarding school, Byzantine style, Catholic church, Catholic college, Catholic education, Marist Brothers, monastery, monasticism, monks, New Norcia, Order of St Benedict, Spanish influence, Spanish mission, St Benedict of Nursia, St Ildephonsus’ College
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">St Ildephonsus College, New Norcia. St Ildephonsus opened in 1913 as a boarding school for boys. It was staffed by Marist Brothers until 1965, when the Benedictines took over. The school closed in 1991 and is now used primarily as a venue for school camps. <br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">About New Norcia:</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">New Norcia is a monastic town located 132 km north of Perth in Western Australia. The town is owned and run by a community of Benedictine monks and houses one of only three Benedictine monasteries (for men) in Australia. At its height the monastery housed approximately 80 monks, but currently there are only seven in residence. The Benedictines are part of a religious order within the Catholic Church known as the Order of St Benedict (OSB). Benedictines live in small, largely autonomous communities and base their way of life on the Rule of St Benedict, which prioritises a balance of prayer and work and calls for promises of stability, obedience and a conversion of life. The first Benedictine community was established in the sixth-century in Italy by St Benedict of Nursia (c.480-547). </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Originally intended as a mission to evangelise and educate the indigenous peoples of the Victoria Plains, the site at New Norcia was founded in 1847 by two Spanish Benedictine missionaries, Dom José Benito Serra and Dom Rosendo Salvado. Serra’s involvement in the missionary activities at new Norcia decreased following his appointment as Co-adjutor Bishop of Perth in 1849, while Salvado (1814-1900) committed himself wholly to developing the mission and leading the monastic community. He subsequently became the key figure in the first 50 years of New Norcia’s history. He made numerous fundraising trips to Europe, which provided him with the means to purchase books, vestments, artwork and equipment for the community and also to oversee the construction of new buildings. He died in Rome in 1900 and his body was returned to New Norcia. Under Salvado’s successor, Bishop Fulgentius Torres (1861-1914), New Norcia became more like a traditional monastic settlement. An increased focus on education and artistic pursuits led to the establishment of two schools and improvements to many of the town’s buildings. For more information on New Norcia, see the New Norcia Benedictine Community website: <a href="http://newnorcia.wa.edu.au/" target="_blank">http://newnorcia.wa.edu.au/</a>. </span></p>
McEwan, Joanne
7 January 2011
No Copyright
Digital Photograph