Presenter: Sr Maureen
Ampleforth Abbey is a Benedictine Monastery in the little Yorkshire village of the same name, deep in the heart of the countryside. The monastery houses a boarding school, and a home for the many monks who live and work in the school or in one of the surrounding parishes. Hospitality is a special value to Benedictine monks, and the Vincentian Volunteers are always made to feel very welcome, and to experience a little of the life of Ampleforth.
Vincent de Paul lived in the 17th Century but his spirit has been caught and lives on in the hearts many people today. Vincent, and his co-worker, Louise de Marillac, did not only concentrate on serving people who were poor but in finding out the root causes of poverty, and then helping to change systems. In this year of the 350th anniversary of the deaths of Sts Vincent and Louise, Sister Maureen shares with the volunteers her insights and the ways in which the justice group of the Vincentian Millennium Partnership is researching new ways of combating poverty, and speaking out for those who are voiceless in this country.
This is a busy weekend with a lot of input but there is time for relaxation in and around the monastery, and possibly a visit to the ancient city of York on the way home.
www.abbey.ampleforth.org.uk