Storm Closes Abbey Church
Storm Diana has struck the abbey church. About morning tea time today, about a dozen panes of amber glass fell from the western clerestory 40+ feet above the nave and central aisle. Luckily the only person in the church at the time was some distance away practising on the organ. There are still some significant shards of glass hanging from their lead fixings. Hopefully we will be able to block the hole tomorrow, weather and equipment permitting. Full repair will take a little while longer.
For that reason the abbey church is closed to visitors for at least two weeks. This means the parish Advent carols' service this Sunday cannot now go ahead in the abbey church. Likewise the Carols for Schools next Wednesday. Several other services will be affected.
The 11am Sunday Mass normally held in the abbey church will now be held in St Mary's, just down the drive.
We regret any inconvenince caused but at present the nave of the church remains seriously unsafe, and from tomorrow the arrival of repair equipment will make the church unsuable for any but small monastic liturgies in the choir of the church.