Our History
The Congregation of St Romuald was founded by the Rt Revd Dom Aelred Peter Distin OSB (csr) in 1993 as a dispersed Benedictine Order with a charism oriented towards solitude and contemplation. At one time it had more than a dozen members.
The abbacy of CSR passed from Dom Aelred Peter Distin to Dom Michael Skelly who in turn passed on the mantle to Dom Alistair Bate in 2014, whereupon our branch of the order was united with the Holy Cross Benedictines of Adoration (see below). Dom Alistair's background includes two years as an Anglican Benedictine postulant and novice as well as monastic communal experience with the United Society of Shakers in the USA, before finding Liberal Catholicism.
As the spirituality of the hermit's cell is central to the Romualdian charism, this website has been arranged as a collection of virtual "cells" in which the aspiring hermit may find some inspiration from the various traditions of monastic solitude.
We welcome applications from other solitaries; both individuals and groups, that are in communion with us. Presently the Congregation has three communities in membership, the Holy Cross Benedictines of Adoration, the Franciscan Hermits of Sts Francis and Clare and a Celtic community, the Companions of St Brendan, as well as one Carthusian hermit.
The abbacy of CSR passed from Dom Aelred Peter Distin to Dom Michael Skelly who in turn passed on the mantle to Dom Alistair Bate in 2014, whereupon our branch of the order was united with the Holy Cross Benedictines of Adoration (see below). Dom Alistair's background includes two years as an Anglican Benedictine postulant and novice as well as monastic communal experience with the United Society of Shakers in the USA, before finding Liberal Catholicism.
As the spirituality of the hermit's cell is central to the Romualdian charism, this website has been arranged as a collection of virtual "cells" in which the aspiring hermit may find some inspiration from the various traditions of monastic solitude.
We welcome applications from other solitaries; both individuals and groups, that are in communion with us. Presently the Congregation has three communities in membership, the Holy Cross Benedictines of Adoration, the Franciscan Hermits of Sts Francis and Clare and a Celtic community, the Companions of St Brendan, as well as one Carthusian hermit.
Founder: Rt Revd Dom Aelred Peter Distin OSB (csr)
Photo: copyright of Dom Michael Skelly OSBA (csr)
Rt Revd Dom Alistair Bate OSBA (csr), Abbot Primate
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Rt Revd Dom Michael Skelly OSBA (csr), Abbot Emeritus
Prayer to St Romuald
O father Romuald, you are a sign of perfect solitude having heeded so well the Lord’s command to enter into your closet in order to pray, whose great measure of self-denial led you to the peak of contemplation in God’s holy presence, whose only desire was that souls might draw close to Him – pray all who seek the Lord may approach Him with a whole heart, a heart set on Him alone, that in such perfect devotion all might find Him present in their souls, in their spirits, and be elevated in their lowliness to His indescribable divine love, to His peace which passes all our understanding but draws us ever closer to His wounded side. Amen. |
There are moments when the silence of God culminates in his creatures. In the solitude of a retreat, we are renewed by intimate meeting with Christ.
Brother Roger of Taizé, The Rule of Taizé
Brother Roger of Taizé, The Rule of Taizé
