After taking part in a study tour of Norbertine houses in Europe, I was afraid that all might become lost in a 10-day blur. But, nine Norbertine communities later, I cherish the memory of each – in large part because, while each community is distinctly Norbertine, it is also uniquely itself. The tour completes the college’s yearlong seminar on the college’s Catholic and Norbertine roots, and this year’s cohort was the first to visit the priory at Magdeburg and the convents at Vrbove and Trnava. Here’s a word on these and all the communities we visited.
Leffe Abbey (Belgium), I visited alone on my way to join the group from the college and in this small community I had my first encounter, outside De Pere, with the mutually supporting working family of religious that each foundation sustains. The order as a whole practices radical hospitality but the memorable welcome I experienced here centered around Belgian chocolate and very fancy accommodation, so I’ll always have a soft spot for my first European abbey. This foundation is built – literally – over the Leffe, the tributary of the Meuse that supplies water for the famous abbey beer.
Roggenburg Priory (Germany) has not only a beautiful rococo church but also a thriving family and environmental center, a restaurant and gift shop, and a parish school. All this is the vision and achievement of just seven priests, those who make up this warm community. We joined them for Vespers and supper, and the following day Father Ulrich set us up to appreciate all the architectural and artistic treasures we would see across Europe when he served as our guide for an experience that was as much gentle walking homily as enthralling tour. (Thanks to Ellen Mommaerts for this photo. Ellen is the director of the Norbertine Volunteer Community and a member of our study group.)
Schlagl Abbey (Austria) is the only abbey in Austria that still brews its own beer. As well as the brewery, it has a restaurant and guesthouse. The art galleries display abbey treasures and depict its long history. We had the chance for extensive conversation with priests at this abbey, who told us community life at their foundation has continued almost unbroken since 1218, with the exception of only four years’ disruption under the Hitler regime.
Geras Abbey (Austria) has stately apartments – and a fire engine museum! The museum is a modern addition but, by happy chance, the baroque abbey church is dedicated to, among others, St. Lawrence, patron saint of firefighters. The abbey now also has a Byzantine chapel and serves as a focal point for conversation between representatives of the Byzantine and Roman rites. Our visit coincided with Ascension Sunday, so were able to attend a parish Mass at Geras. Our German improved, as the Mass is the Mass, no matter the language in which it is celebrated. The epistle appointed for the day was recognizably a favorite, 1 John 4:11-16, and in the sermon the phrases “Christe Himmelfahrt” (as we had learned to call the feast in Munich, on Ascension Day itself) and “der Heilige Geist” featured large.
Vrbove Convent (Slovakia) was the first community of women we visited. It was also the first of three communities we were to encounter that had suffered under Communist rule. At that time the community was dispersed and its novices sent home. The sisters, who were put to work in factories and shops, managed to live together in twos and threes, in ordinary apartments, keeping the reserved Sacrament in a kitchen cupboard. All the same, vocations increased during these challenging times. At Vrbove, we enjoyed exploring the kitchen garden and vineyards. Homegrown lettuce and apricots featured on our lunch menu. After lunch we met with the whole community – and some of the nuns were already our friends, as they had visited St. Norbert to study English. The convent has a small center for spirituality that sees many visitors.
Trnava Convent (Slovakia), though now smaller than Vrbove, is the motherhouse. The sisters there are renovating the 17th-century building next door, and showed us the work in progress. Trnava looked to be the perfect example of a timeless central-European village.
Doksany Convent (Czech Republic) was the first enclosed community we visited. The sisters live a contemplative life and a highlight of the whole tour was hearing the community sing Sext as the noonday bells chimed above us. (St. Norbert’s earthly remains rested here on their journey to Strahov, which was to be our next destination.)
Strahov Abbey (Czech Republic) sits high above Prague and commands a stunning view over the baroque buildings of the Old City. Equally magnificent are the abbey library and art galleries. The chance to pray at the tomb of St. Norbert himself was the high point of the tour.
Magdeburg Priory (Germany) is the Norbertine’s northernmost foundation, an outpost in Protestant Europe. This site of Norbert’s archbishopric is now home to only three priests, who minister to a highly secularized society in the former East Germany. We visited Magdeburg Cathedral, built on the site of Norbert’s own cathedral. The oldest artifact in today’s cathedral is the porphyry font from Norbert’s own day. Later, the prior grilled out for us in the priory garden – and the sausages were of his own making. We visited two of the churches served from the priory, and in the second Father Jay celebrated Mass for us, so we were able to simultaneously mark both the feast of Pentecost and the end of our group’s time together. It was just our group, so we were surprised our Mass was enriched by a magnificent rendering of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. The priest had rounded up for this service one of this small parish’s four serving organists. This large and magnificent sound stemmed from the fingers of a very small lady whom I would place tentatively in her eighties.
