Inauguration of the StFrancis Eco Centre

As Minister Provincial of the Friars of the Additional Beatitude (FAB), it give me great pleasure to report on the inauguration of the the StFrancis Eco Centre.

After more than a hundred years running a parish attached to our friary at Chillingpost, we sold the buildings for an astonishing amount to the Benedictines of Skegness, who had been looking for an ideal monastic complex to continue their internal squabbles in seclusion.  Since we have largely given up the Office in favour of personal reflection space (PRS), it seemed pointless to continue with a monastic building.  It was very sad leaving our mother house after more than a century, but as the Benedictines of Skegness had loads of money, it made the departure from Chillingpost a joyful occasion and a celebratory Mass was performed by the Abbot of Skegness.  It was good that he did this east-facing, as he would not have appreciated our liturgical dance moment at the offertory, choreographed by Sister Emilia StJohn-StJohn FSAG (Franciscan Sisters of the Amazing Gesture).

Here is a photo of the Friends of Leonardo Boff (FLB) helping the brothers move into their new home.

Some of the older brothers were slightly dismayed when they saw the new building but we reassured them that we had ample funds to secure them places in an old people's retirement home if they were not happy with the way religious life is going these days.

More news of the StFrancis Eco Centre will follow soon.

Br Scotus Lepine FAB

Franciscan Friars of the Additional Beatitude

As the Minister Provincial of the FAB friars (Friars of the Additional Beatitude) it gives me great pleasure to announce that our friary has now been radically changed, following the decisions made by our dwindling congregation at our annual provincial chapter meeting last year.  The Holy Spirit has indeed thrown open our mock gothic Pugin windows and the wind of change has blown through the cloisters.

The main event of our open day last Saturday was the inauguration of the energy saving windmill in the centre of the cloister garth.  Unfortunately, Brother Juniper FAB, who built the windmill, had failed to take into account that a wind-driven device situated between four walls would not be the most efficient generator of power.  The electricity generated by the windmill was just enough to power the flickering votive lights in front of the statue of St Anthony of Padua, but not enough to power the electric doorbell, or indeed the friary lighting.


It may be that the Lord is telling us a Franciscan Eco Centre doesn't work with Gothic architecture.  Should we seek a new home?

Since the project proved entirely impractical, we have now reconnected with the electricity board and paid a rather expensive reconnection charge, even though we enlisted local help to carry the electricity cables to the friary. 

 Nevertheless, our friary continues to be a ground breaking eco centre, and we have begun to bag the manure produced by the friary guinea pigs.  This will be sold on Sundays after Mass, alongside the Fair Traid coffee.  Please take care to examine the labels on the bags carefully.

Br Scotus Lepine FAB