Monastery of Christ the Word

Religion
Affiliation| English Benedictine Congregation
District| Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Harare
Status| Active
Location
Location| Macheke, Zimbabwe
Website
Official website

The Monastery of Christ the Word is a priory of the English Benedictine Congregation (EBC) located in Macheke, Zimbabwe, within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Harare. Founded in 1996, its community comprises some five monks.

## History

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The monastery is a daughter house of Ampleforth Abbey,[1] whose monks formed the community at the invitation of Archbishop of Harare Patrick Fani Chakaipa and the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference, who were desirous of a monastic presence in their country.[2][3] Although the idea of a monastery in Zimbabwe had already been conceived in 1992,[3] the Monastery of Christ the Word was established only in 1996. The monastery was initially located in a two-storey building at Monte Cassino near Macheke that belonged to the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood.[2][4]

## Main structure

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The monastery has an altar made of wood, depicting four moments from the Last Supper, that was designed by the Art Workshop of the Driefontein Mission in Mvuma.[5]

## Activities

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The current prior is Robert Igo.[6] According to Volume 116 of The Ampleforth Journal dated September 2011 to July 2012,[7] the monastic community is made up of four other Ampleforth monks (Richard Ffield, Bamabas Pham, Joseph Dinala, and Placid Mavura) living according to the Rule of St. Benedict.[3] The community rears its own livestock and their prior provides complimentary medical care to locals. The monastery also organises regular retreats that may last from days to a week.[4]

## References

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1. ^ William Charles (2009). Basil Hume: Ten Years On. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 21\. ISBN 9781441197320.
2. ^ a b Gordon Beattie (1997). Gregory's Angels: A History of the Abbeys, Priories, Parishes and Schools of the Monks and Nuns Following the Rule of Saint Benedict in Great Britain, Ireland and Their Overseas Foundations: to Commemorate the Arrival of Saint Augustine in Kent in 597 AD. Gracewing Publishing. p. 216\. ISBN 9780852443866.
3. ^ a b c "Ampleforth Abbey: Zimbabwe". Ampleforth Abbey. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
4. ^ a b "Monastery of Christ the Word - Zimbabwe". Ampleforth Abbey. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
5. ^ Geoffrey Wainwright (2006). The Oxford History of Christian Worship. Oxford University Press. p. 836\. ISBN 9780195138863.
6. ^ "Zimbabwe". English Benedictine Congregation. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
7. ^ "The Ampleforth Journal" (PDF). p. 15. Retrieved 6 May 2020.

## External links

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* Official website

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English Benedictine Congregation

Independent
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* Ampleforth Abbey
* Belmont Abbey
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* Monastery of Christ the Word

Schools|

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