By Isle of Wight Observer
July 11 marked the feast of St Benedict, a great celebration for his disciples, the monks of Quarr Abbey, whose life is guided by the Rule which St Benedict composed in sixth century Italy. This year, the celebration was presided over by His Grace Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain. He is the Ambassador of the Holy See to the Court of St James, one of the most senior figures in the Catholic Church in this country.
At noon, a group of more than 50 took part in the launch of the exhibition ‘Pilgrim of Hope: a Life of Mary, Mother of Jesus, in Images.’ This has been presented by the Friends of Quarr, particularly their chairman, Dr Dominic Fontana. Together with Br Duncan, they selected 24 pictures from the collections of the National Gallery telling the life of Mary, from her Conception to her Coronation through the episodes of the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus. These pictures are very well reproduced and printed. The National Gallery gave full support to this endeavour.
In his address, Abbot Xavier greeted all present, including Deputy Lieutenant, Patrick Seely, and the Friends of Quarr, some of whom had travelled from as far as London and Cambridge for the occasion. Mr Seely stressed the importance of Quarr for the Island community as a place where peace can be felt and learned, something much needed in our times of so many wars and anxieties.
His Excellency the Nuncio blessed the recently renovated space where the exhibition is situated in the courtyard area.
The exhibition is open every day until September 10, from 10am to 5pm, and is free to visit.
The annual fund-raising summer picnic was also held recently in the grounds of Quarr. The popular auction raised much-needed funds for the Abbey, with the help of auctioneer, Mike Cox, from Cowes, while guests enjoyed a delicious picnic and an interesting address from Rupert Willoughby on local history.