BENEDICTINE NUNS

 OF THE

 ABBEY OF OUR LADY OF CONSOLATION


"STANBROOK ABBEY"


 


 

No study of 20th century office books in English is complete without at least some understanding of the contributions and influence of the Benedictine Nuns of the Abbey of Our Lady of Consolation (known the world over as Stanbrook Abbey) in Worcester, England.  The Nuns have worked as translators, as compilers, as editors, musicians, printers and, when requested, have offered advice and suggestions to editors and publishers throughout the English speaking world.

Until very recently, these liturgical (as well as other) contributions remained anonymous. The community has provided the following information, and though this page is incomplete, it provides a small idea of the Abbey's role in the liturgical developments of the 20th century.

The  Stanbrook Abbey community has its own website.  Your visit will be most welcome.

The e-mail address for the Abbey is this
secretary@stanbrookabbey.org.uk
 

 

Please note:  "official" texts are printed in RED; "unofficial" texts are printed  in BLUE.
 
Year  Stanbrook's Function
& Printing Data:
(Title, Publisher, other)
Stanbrook Nun(s)
(& others)
DAY HOURS OF THE CHURCH
1915  compilation & translation Dame Agatha Thomas, O.S.B.
1921 Day Hours of the Church....
according to the reforms of Pope Pius X, with a parallel English version edited by the Benedictine Nuns of the Abbey of Our Lady of Consolation at Stanbrook in Worcestershire with an Introduction by the Right Reverend Fernard Cabrol OSB, Lord Abbot of Farnborough in Hampshire,1st edition, London: Burns, Oates & Washbourne
The first English/Latin version of the Horae Diurnae Breviarii Romani, based on the 1911 revisions of the Roman Breviary, as ordered by Pope Pius X.

1033pp

1928 Supplement included additions of new feasts and other material.
1935 2nd edition 1178pp
1948 Newman Press (Westminster, Maryland) asked to publish revised edition, edited by Stanbrook Project abandoned (WWII damage to Burns, Oates & Washbourne, including destruction of the pages which had been set in type).
THE ROMAN BREVIARY
1928 compilation & translation Dame Agnes Wood, OSB
1936-
1937
The Roman Breviary 
restored by the Council of Trent: an English version; 4 volumes - introduction by Abbot Fernand Cabrol, revised and edited by Ch. Francis Brown, published in London: Burns, Oates & Washbourne.
Autumn & Winter volumes - 1936
Spring & Summer volumes - 1937
Burns, Oates & Washbourne suffered considerable damage during World War II air raids on London.  Prior to the development of the Offset Printing Process, all texts were set in metal type and stored.  These were all destroyed.
1938 Second printing published in the USA by Benziger Brothers, NY
THE LITTLE BREVIARY
1957 translated by Dame Gertrude Brown, OSB
1957 The Little Breviary
for the use of both religious and layfolk containing in simplified form all the offices of the Roman Breviary, compiled by, and with a preface by, Th. Stallaert, C.SS.R/The Premonstratensian Canons of the Abbey of Berne;  foreword to the English edition by the Benedictine Nuns of Stanbrook Abbey, Worcester, published b J. H. Gottmer, Haarlem-Antwerp, 1957.  (The American edition co-published with Newman Press, Westminster, Maryland)
Klein Brevier, first published in 1950, was used by more than 20,000 members of religious communities not bound to the complete Roman Breviary or who wished to change from the Little Office of the BVM or another form of non-liturgical community prayer as well as by lay persons.  It was translated into several languages, English being the last.  Stallaert complained that the English version was not being marketed and distributed well among English-speaking  Religious and laity, though already there were publisher concerns about further major office reforms
BREVIARY FOR RELIGIOUS
1948 translated by Dame Gertrude Brown, OSB
1948 Breviary for Religious,
Latin-English, trans. from Breviarium Romanum....cum nova recensione Psalterii Pii Papae XII auctoritate editi (n.d., but 1948 imprimatur), 4 vols. Haarlem: J. H. Gottmer
This version of the Roman Breviary contained the new Psalter of Pius XII, and because there was a side by side translation, many Religious (and priests) bound to pray the office found this set helpful.
1961 2 vols, Haarlem:  J. H. Gottmer this edition included the several changes  made to the Roman Breviary since 1948.
BENEDICTINE  VESPERAL
1929 compiled by Dame Paula Daunais, OSB
1929 Benedictine Vesperal in Latin and English,
Containing the Offices of Vespers, Terce and Compline throughout the year.
Published by Burns, Oates & Washbourne, but "printed by the Benedictine Dames of Stanbrook Abbey, Worcester". 

[The printing facility at Stanbrook Abbey is world-renowned for its quality and craftsmanship.]

This was a useful text for those who attended some of the day's offices in Benedictine houses (e.g., retreatants and other visitors - it was also useful for lay associates of the Benedictines, the Oblates).
THE PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
1970 compiled by Stanbrook Nuns
1970 The Prayer of the Church:  Interim Version of the New Roman Breviary
London: Geoffrey Chapman
Each language group prepared its own interim breviary, using the new four-week Psalter and other material from the forthcoming Liturgia Horarum; Readings and other material had not been prepared at this stage.  The first official Latin edition appeared in 1972.
1970 Supplement I: Prayers for the Weeks of the Year, the 4 Solemnities edited by

[see also Music Supplement, Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal, Other below]

Dame Teresa Rodrigues, OSB
THE DIVINE OFFICE 

DAILY PRAYER FROM THE DIVINE OFFICE

MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER

1974 translated and edited by a) Dame Teresa Rodrigues, OSB [translated responsories & copyedited entire text]

b) Dom Gerard McGinty, OSB [rubrics & presentation]

c) Dom Placid Murray, OSB [patristic lessons & collects]

d) Dame Hildelith Cumming, OSB [ editor: Hymns from Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal ]
 

1974 The Divine Office: the Liturgy of the Hours according to the Roman Rite, 3 vols. London: Collins

Daily Prayer from the Divine Office:  the Liturgy of the Hours according to the Roman Rite, 1 vol. London: Collins

Morning and Evening Prayer
1 vol. London: Collins

[see also  Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal, Other, below]

This edition was prepared at the request of the Conferences of Bishops of England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, etc. and intended for use in those territories influenced by these Conferences.  The texts appeared a year before the ICEL American edition and are still used by those who prefer these translations, printing and binding work (and size: The Divine Office contains 3 volumes; the American The Liturgy of the Hours has four volumes). It is a translation of the Liturgia Horarum of 1972.
OTHER STANBROOK LITURGICAL CONTRIBUTIONS
(some not directly involved with the Breviary)
1971 Music Supplement to "The Prayer of the Church": Evening Prayer for Sundays and Solemnities, Night Prayer & Hymnal
Stanbrook Abbey Liturgical Secretariat, Worcester; printed at Quidenham.
Edited by: Dame Hildelith Cumming, OSB
Hymn Texts: Dame Marcella van Oosterwijk Bruyn, OSB (except Tomb of Earth, by Dame Maria Boulding, OSB)
Music: Dame Felicitas Corrigan, OSB (Hail Holy Queen & Mother of Christ), Dame Hildelith Cumming, OSB, Dame Anne Field, OSB and Dame Raphael Foster, OSB.
1974 Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal revision of the hymnal contained in Music Supplement (see above)
1975 Evening Prayer for Sundays:
musical settings of antiphons plus psalm tones
London, Collins
Edited by: Dame Hildelith Cumming, OSB
1975 Night Prayer: Compline from the Divine Office (ditto)
1978 Music for Evening Prayer
Accompanying tape
London, Collins
Dame Hildelith Cumming, OSB, Dame Anne Field, OSB and Dame Raphael Foster, OSB were each responsible for 1/3 of the musical settings.
1972 A Christian's Prayer Book:
Poems, Psalms & Prayers for the Church's Year
London, Geoffrey Chapman, 1972
Edited by:  Peter Coughlan, Ronald C.D. Jasper, Dame Teresa Rodrigues, OSB
1969 Lectionary: 
Order of Readings for Use at Mass According to the Cycle of Readings Promulgated by His Holiness Pope Paul VI 
...Using the Jerusalem Bible Version of Scripture.
London, Geoffrey Chapman, 1969
Edited by: Dame Teresa Rodrigues, OSB, Sue Chapman and others
1970 Lectionary:
Order of Readings for Use at Mass According to the Cycle of Readings Promulgated by His Holiness Pope Paul VI 
...Using the Revised Standard Version of Scripture
London, Geoffrey Chapman, 1970
(ditto)
1922 Liturgical Prayer, its history and spirit,
by Abbot Fernand Cabrol, translated [from] the French by a Benedictine of Stanbrook
London, Burns, Oates & Washbourne
New York: Kennedy, 1925  (1st ed)
Westminster, Maryland: Newman Press, 2nd edition
translator: Dame Agatha Scott Elliot, OSB
1923 Gregorian Musical Rhythm,
Vo, 1
by Dom Andre Mocquereau,
(translated from French)
(ditto)
1926 The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
(Greek text with introduction and notes by Dom Placid de Meester), (translated from French)
London, Burns, Oates & Washbourne
(ditto)
1929 The Breviary, its history and contents
by Dom Baudot  translated from French by the Benedictines of Stanbrook
London, Sands & Co.
St. Louis, Mo., Herder
(ditto)
1932 The Books of the Latin Liturgy by Dom Fernand Cabrol, translated by the Benedictines of Stanbrook
London, Sands & Co.
St. Louis, Mo., Herder
(ditto)
1973 - I
1974 - II
 
 
 
 
 
 



 

1981 (1987 reprint) - I
1982 (1987 reprint) - II
1983 (1987 reprint) - III
1991 - IV
1995 - V
1995 - VI

1999 -

 VII (Yr 2, Wks 1-17)

1999 -

VIII (Yr 2, Wks 18-34)

 

A Word in Season
Published in Dublin in 1973 (vol I) and 1974 (Vol II) by Talbot Press
 
 
 
 
 


A Word in Season
(Monastic Lectionary for the Divine Office)
(translated and edited by " Friends of Henry Ashworth")
vols I-VIII (VII & VIII in preparation)
Published over several years in several places:
Riverdale, Maryland, Exordium Books
Villanova, Pennsylvania, Augustinian Press

Edited by:  Henry Ashworth, OSB; Assistant editors: Dame Anne Field, OSB, Dame Edith Barnecut, OSB, Mary Berry CSA, MA, PhD, Rosemary McCabe MA with a preface by Rembert G. Weakland, OSB, Abbot Primate
.


(ditto, except) Main editor:  Dame Edith Barnecut, OSB
foreword by Victor Dammertz, OSB, Abbot Primate

cover design by Sr. Joanna Jamieson, OSB, St. Bede's Publications, Still River, Mass, and Exordium Books, Riverdale, Maryland; all reprinted with approval of Congregation for Divine Worship

1981 - I
1985 - II
Christ our Light
I - Patristic Readings on Gospel Themes: Advent & Pentecost
II - Readings on Gospel Themes: Ordinary Time
Riverdale, Maryland, Exordium Books
translated and edited by Friends of Henry Ashworth (as above)
cover designs by Sr. Joanna Jamieson, OSB
1992 - I (Year A)
1993 - II (Year B)
1994 - III (Year C)
Journey with the Fathers, Commentaries on the Sunday Gospels
(Christ our Light readings, with some revisions)
New York, New City Press
Edited by:  Dame Edith Barnecut, OSB
1981

 

 

 

 

2000

Directory for the Celebration of the Work of God:
Guidelines for the Monastic Liturgy of the Hours Approved for the Benedictine Confederation.

and, in a second edition:

The Monastic Hours: Directory for the Celebration of the Work of God and Directive Norms for the Celebration of the Monastic Liturgy of the Hours, Liturgical Press, Collegeville, 2000.

Edited by: Dame Anne Field, OSB
introduction by: Burkhard Neunheuser, OSB

ed. Anne M. Field, OSB; foreword Marcel Rooney, OSB, Abbot Primate; introduction,. Ruben M. Leikam, OSB



Stanbrook Abbey archival data graciously prepared and supplied by Dame Margaret Truran, OSB,  Dame Gertrude Brown, OSB, and (for the photos), Dame Catherine Wybourne, OSB. 

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updated September 9, 2003