
October 5th marked the day when the Allen Hall community visited the Notting Hill Carmelite sisters. This follows from the previous year when the seminary visited the Covent for the first time and is now an established annual tradition. The day began with Fr Anthony offering Holy Mass in the chapel as the sisters and seminarians gathered under Christ the Eternal High Priest in an offering of the most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. The sisters led us in chanting during Mass all whilst remaining in a part of the Convent connected to the chapel. This day also marked the feast day of St Faustina, a Polish religious sister, who advocated the Divine Mercy in the heart of Jesus Christ to the world. In his sermon, Fr Anthony remarked on the dedication of St Faustina in her mission of spreading devotion to the Divine Mercy saying; Humanity will never find peace until it turns with trust to God who is Divine Mercy himself.
The seminary community was then welcomed by the sisters who set out an array of treats to accompany the hot drinks. After some time socialising, the group returned to the chapel to pray the rosary, prior to Canon John O’Leary’s address. The previous year, the sisters led a talk on the history of the Notting Hill Carmelite order and this year it was the Rector who would talk on the connection between Allen Hall and the Carmelites. With the golden jubilee of Allen Hall moving to Chelsea fast approaching, the Rector reflected on how it was a Carmelite order that received the building (now seminary) from the Duke of Norfolk in the same year of St Thomas More’s canonisation. Bearing in mind that the building was previously part of Thomas More’s estate, Allen Hall has also come, in the many years since, to harbour the legacy of the Douai Martyrs.



Typically, the Allen Hall community prays for the flourishing and blessing of the Notting Hill sisters every Saturday during the Divine Offices without fail. Holy Mass is also offered each week with the same intent that God will continue to provide for all our communities in his providence. These gatherings serve as a reminder that it is by the grace of God that all members of Christ’s body are united. Despite the differences in an individual’s vocation from that of others, we remain whole in the vocation to eternal beatitude.
St Faustina – Pray for us.
