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Welcome to Bethlehem Abbey Cistercian Family!

The Bethlehem Abbey Cistercian Family is a community which is gathered around the monastic community of Cistercian monks which lives, works and prays at Our Lady of Bethlehem Cistercian Abbey in Portglenone, Northern Ireland.  Its members are those who participate, in whatever way they can, in the spiritual tools, teachings and practices of the Cistercian monastic way, an ancient way of Christian living which expresses a contemplative living out of the Gospel.  In doing so, we recognise that the wisdom of Cistercian monasticism has something to offer us all as we seek Christ sincerely through prayer, Scripture, service of our neighbour and a deep desire to seek God in all things.

The Synod on Synodality 2021-2023

Pope Francis is asking all baptised Catholics to join him in helping prepare the Church for a Synod of bishops which will take place in Rome in 2023.

A synod is a time-honoured way of working out together the “navigation map” for the Church at particular times. The 2023 Synod will be a Synod on Synodality. Synodality is about the whole People of God helping each other listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church, to discuss subjects of importance for the Universal Church at a particular time. In other words, it will help map the future of how decisions will be made which affect the whole Church. Every parish, diocese and religious community throughout the world is invited to take part in the preparations for the Synod.

Click here to learn more about the Synod on Synodality

Synthesis of the Consultation in Ireland for the Diocesan Stage of the Universal Synod 2021-2023

The synthesis of responses made during the diocesan phase preparing for the Synod on Synodality has been completed. Take time now to read and reflect on the synthesis here: General Secretariat Copy (synod.ie)

Message from Pope Francis on World Day of Prayer for Vocations 2022

On the 4th Sunday in Paschaltide, the Church celebrates Vocation Sunday. In the coming days, we invite you to sense Christ’s gaze directed at you and his voice calling you in company with Pope Francis’s message for the day.

Click here to access the message of Pope Francis

Blog

The contents of these reflections offer teachings on fundamental aspects of Cistercian monastic life and try to provide a means for you to make these teachings part of your life.  The articles present pathways which allow for further reflection on your part – ultimately, with each reflection, the invitation is made to seek God deeply in your own life. Perhaps this will happen by a more attentive praying of Sacred Scripture; or by the practice of spiritual tools; or by a considered living into greater silence, or solitude, or stillness; or through some of the many other tools which monastic contemplative life has developed over the centuries.

Latest blog post…

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  The Solemnity of the Holy Founders of the Cistercian Order: Special Day of Prayer for Vocations to the Cistercian Life
  As we celebrate the solemnity of our Holy Founders, Robert, Alberic and Stephen, we invite you to join us on this special day of prayer for Cistercian vocations. What not take a moment to mention the name of our Abbey to God; if passing a Church, drop in, pray before the Blessed Sacrament, and light a candle; offer a decade of the Rosary, asking Mary, Queen of our Order, to intercede for us, and move hearts to heed her Son’s invitation into Cistercian monastic life.

Vocations

To recognise a vocation is to welcome a specific way of life which is a fundamental expression of who I am and how I am called to live.  In Christian terms we rejoice to know that God has a plan for each of us – the living out of our vocation is the discovery of that plan, personal to each of us and offered to each of us by the God who has created us.  In a way, when we accept our vocation and begin to live it out we make sense of who we are and see how God has called us to work in his kingdom now, and for its fulfillment, in eternity.

To discover that I am called to be a Cistercian monastic is to discover a deep calling to live Gospel discipleship in a special school of love.

Prayer Requests and Intercession

One of the characteristics of a Cistercian’s life is to live constantly with one’s face turned toward the Father in prayer.  In this we try to imitate Christ closely, whose entire life was a prayer of sacrifice in obedience to the will of the Father.  In the practice of this awareness of God present to us we become intercessors, carrying the prayers and needs of others to the Father, through Christ, and with Mary’s help.  We are grateful for this aspect of our life – to be able to pray for those who ask it of us.

We invite you to send us your prayer requests, which we remember in the midst of our community prayer and in our prayer alone. We place your intentions in God’s Mother’s hands, since she never ceases to accompany us as we approach her Son.