Lesnes Abbey Blessed Sacrament Procession

Every year, some time towards the end of June, the Deaneries of Bexley and Greenwich get together for a Blessed Sacrament Procession in the grounds of Lesnes Abbey.

I only discovered about 5 years ago that it was Lesnes Abbey which gave rise to the name of the area on the outskirts of London "Abbey Wood"... I knew that there must have been an abbey around sometime, but I didn't know that the ruins were still visible... I'd assumed that the whole lot would have been built over in the intervening years.

The Abbey was founded by Richard de Lucy as reparation for his indirect involvement in the murder of St. Thomas of Canterbury in 1170. It was one of six houses of Augustinian Canons in Kent, and offered hospitality to travellers passing from London to the Continent, as well as ministering to the local inhabitants.

The Abbey was closed by Cardinal Wolsey on behalf of Henry VIII, for financial gain.

I'd been on the procession several times before, but mobility problems usually meant that, by the end of the procession, all I wanted to do was get home as quickly as possible. This year I decided that I would skip the procession itself and just wait by the area where Benediction was to be given. This meant that I was able to have a good look at the ruins beforehand.

It's incredibly moving. There is so little left, but what there is speaks volumes. You can see the basic plan of the monastery and the Abbey church, and little plaques have been put up to indicate where things would have been.

The temporary altar for Benediction was set up roughly where the High Altar of the Abbey Church would have been (ie. facing Eastwards) so this photo was taken from the West Door of the church:

Walking "in" through the door and up the nave, there are steps going up, into another area which has a tomb-like structure inset into the floor... I assume that this would then be where the monks would have sat in choir. Perhaps someone can confirm this (or correct me) in the com-box... I took this photo standing in what I assume was the monks' choir stalls looking at three more steps going up into what I thought was the Sanctuary.

And then this photo shows the East wall - you can see the temporary altar set up in front of more stone steps, and I assumed that the High Altar would be right at the back. I didn't want to go and walk up any further while things were all set up for Benediction.

This photo was taken in the area to the right of the High Altar. There was a plaque on the back wall proclaiming it to be the Lady Chapel.

Because of the dodgy knee and ankle, I have to be quite careful where I walk. As I walked over a threshold, I realised that I wasn't looking at more ruined stone walls and foundations but some properly tiled steps... somehow that really brought a lump to my throat.

These two photos were taken from the entrance to the Chapter House, to the left of the North Transept of the Abbey Church...










And this was an intriguing area, at the northernmost end of the Abbey, which was some sort of cellar... You can't see it well (and I was having a bit of trouble negotiating my way round the ruins, as the grassy slope made it difficult for me to walk) but from this angle, looking west, you can see the door, which is barred, at the end...

And this photo is taken from the westernmost end of the cellar area. The grilles over the top are probably a later addition to stop anyone falling in, because there is quite a drop... The previous photo is quite deceptive, because the ground level is really high - the walls are about thigh-high this side, but the previous photo shows that there is enough of a drop for a full-sized door. I did wonder if it was some sort of punishment cell...

This photo shows what remains of the steps going up to the dormitory, to the left (north) of the Chapter House...

Finally, some pictures of the procession as it made its way from the Abbey grounds round to the West door of the church...

The music was dire, and there was a pretty deafening silence from the majority of those present, except when "Sweet Sacrament divine" was sung, and also for the Latin response after the incensing of the Blessed Sacrament (which, strangely, wasn't actually in the booklet... but most people were able to respond anyway... so much for "Oh, but Latin is a barrier to participation..."!) There were far too many readings, and having a "reflective narrative" from Harvest for the World (whatever the heck that is... the booklet didn't say) seemed totally unnecessary, and was probably there to indicate some sort of Justice & Peace theme. Yawn. I think the time could have been more profitably spent by praying a rosary or two... or three... (well, I did say that there were too many readings!) Also, walking round in procession makes it hard to listen to readings over outdoor loudspeakers, and following them in booklets while walking is just impossible. The regular cadence of the prayers in the Rosary actually makes walking in procession easier... just look at how well the Lourdes torchlight procession goes...

The homily, which had some interesting points in it, was waaaaaay too long, especially given the number of little children, and the fact that, having walked round the grounds for the best part of 45 minutes, most people didn't want to stand still for another 20 while waiting for Benediction itself... there wasn't much in the way of seating available, unless you brought your own, and the ruined stone walls were just a trifle uncomfortable, even when they were about the right height to sit on!

Still, it was an important witness to our belief in the Real Presence, and probably quite an eye-opener for the usual Sunday-strollers! So, despite the teeth-achingly awful choice of hymns and readings, I think I shall make the effort to go again next year... Hmmmnnn. I wonder how one gets onto the Organising Committee...