Cumbria: Weekends with a difference at Boarbank Hall

Boarbank Hall

One of the most popular events at Boarbank in recent years has been our Autumn Break on the theme of Faith and the Arts. We take a different period each year and explore its faith through music, literature, art and architecture. In November, the focus will be on the Middle Ages.

This summer we are running a couple of weekends also with literary theme. The first will be on John Bradburne. John is the nearest thing that England has to a modern St Francis. He was born in Cumbria in 1921, the son of an Anglican vicar, and died in Zimbabwe in 1979, where he was caring for lepers. He had become a Third Order Franciscan, and was great lover of nature. Some of the miracles associated with him feature his beloved bees or birds of prey. He also wrote a massive amount of poetry. The cause for his beatification is in process. Our weekend will give you a chance to find out more about him from Professor David Crystal, who is editing his poems. We will also learn about the history of the honey bee and visit John's birthplace in Skirwith near Penrith. (For more on John see www.johnbradburne.com)

Some events at Boarbank Hall have particularly reached out to those involved with healthcare. These always include a elements of study and reflection, of prayer and quiet, and of shared social time, including a chance to explore the beauties of our lovely part of Cumbria. We have covered a wide range of themes over the years, from Communication to Compassion, from Body and Spirit to Ethical Dilemmas, from Passing on the Tradition to End of Life. We have also hosted related meetings, from palliative care conferences to charismatic healing retreats. All of this fits well with our Augustinian tradition of hospitality and care for the sick, with the Nursing Home and Guest House which are our mission, and with the full title of our Community: Augustinian Sisters of the Mercy of Jesus. The programme for the coming year includes Hope in Health: Children and Health, 6-8 December 2019, and Health and Salvation: in the Public Eye, 6-11 January 2020. We will also be hosting the Catholic Mental Health Project Retreat, with Bishop Richard Moth, 2-4 July 2019.

Any Tom Stoppard fans out there? Our second literary weekend will be an opportunity to share in hearing about and reading together his play Arcadia. Like all our events, it will also be a chance to explore the lovely area around Boarbank (including nearby Holker Hall), and to share with our Community in Mass and sung Office. Mealtimes and well-spaced timetables provide plenty of opportunity for informal conversation.

For more information, see www.boarbankhall.org.uk or email Sr Margaret Atkins on margaret@boarbankhall.org.uk.