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We would love you to visit us at The Monastery! You’ll be sure of a warm welcome, and we know you’ll enjoy the time you spend with us.

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Keep up to date with the amazing array of events we hold all year around.

How to upcycle in fabulous 20th-century style: Feed sacks reinvented as wearable fashion

Subject: textile heritage; Victorian Manchester; Manchester history; Manchester heritage; up-cycling; fashion; style.

Author | Charlie Walker & Cheryl O’Meara Editor | Dr. Caroline Paige

A 2-minute read.

The Print Pattern Archive holds an extensive collection of American twentieth-century feed sack fabric – a big hit with quilters and lovers of vintage design. The naïve painterly styles are the ultimate in the print industry. There are glorious designs featuring rural scenes, zingy florals and cute, novelty sketches. They make great inspiration for children’s wear and homeware.

What is feed sack fabric?

Feed sack fabric is – well, what it says on the tin – fabric that was used to transport goods like flour, sugar and animal feed. In rural communities, especially in the United States, these materials were not wasted.

Authentic feed sack fabrics from the 20th century were made of rough cotton or burlap. Materials appropriate for their original intention, as protection for the goods they held.

How did feed sacks become fashionable?

Feed sack fabric rose in popularity in the late 1800s. The invention of cheaper, patterned cotton created a boom in the women’s fashion market. But women in rural areas often had limited access to these fashionable and affordable fabrics.

The feed industry saw an opportunity to increase sales. By distributing their feed to farms in sacks made from cotton printed with modern patterns, they improved the desirability of their sacks and the product they held.

What was made using feed sacks?

The cotton sacking fabrics were reinvented as new clothes, quilts and other home furnishings.

As popularity for the fabrics grew, the producers of these sacks began incorporating popular motifs of the era into the design of their fabrics.

These are the designs enjoyed by many feed sack fanatics – bright colours and mid-century motifs that represented the home. Overlapping floral patterns were (and still are) a popular choice for quilting and home decoration.

As international trade and technology developed, feed sack fabric was no longer needed for transporting raw goods. Vintage feed sack fabrics – with their pretty and quirky designs – are now a rare find.

We can take much inspiration from the 20^th-century women, who reinvented their feed packaging – creating fabulously unique pieces from the most everyday of materials.

The Print Pattern Archive is housed here at the Monastery. Find out more about the collection at www.printpatternarchive.com.

Get in touch for bespoke commissions or to view a collection: cheryl@printpatternarchive.com

Book Review: Gorton Monastery 1861-1961

Subject: Victorian Manchester; Manchester history; Manchester heritage; Franciscan history.

By Father Justin McLoughlin; reviewed by Janet Wallwork, published 1961 (Historical Reprint Series).

Gorton Monastery 1861-1961: The story of 100 years of the Friary, Gorton, Father Justin McLoughlin, Monastery Publications (Historical Reprint Series), 46p, £2.99. First published in 1961. ISBN 978-0-95714-841-3

In 1861, a small group of Belgian Franciscan Friars arrived in Gorton. Despite having a local Catholic population of just a few hundred and very little money they enlisted the famous church architect, Edward Welby Pugin, to build them a friary and church ‘of cathedral-like proportions.’

Over the next century, they also established three schools and an impressive range of parish organisations – spiritual, educational, cultural, and social.

This little book, written by the archivist of the Order, was published to mark the centenary of the friars’ momentous arrival. It tells the story of the buildings and of the flourishing parish that surrounded them.

Sadly, in 1989 the friars left Gorton and for years the church stood empty and derelict. In 1996, a charity was established – The Monastery of St Francis and Gorton Trust – to raise the funds to rescue and restore the church and friary buildings. It reopened its doors in 2007 with a new life as a community, cultural, and corporate venue.

The Trust obtained permission to reprint Father Justin’s book to commemorate the 150^th anniversary of the day the friars came to Gorton.

Editor’s note: This book – and other Monastery Publications – are available to buy both in our onsite Monastery Shop and via our online bookshop.

Omicron Update | Events Policy & Exemptions

The latest wave of Covid19 in the shape of the Omicron variant has seen the UK government increase some restrictions in hospitality venues to try & curb the spread of infection.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re visiting the Monastery for an event in the run-up to Christmas 2021, or during January 2022.

📣 House Policy 📣

The Monastery will NOT be requiring covid passports for our own events, which are:

December 2021

🌠 Christmas Story & Donkey Day – Sunday 19th Dec
🌠 Service of Light – Tuesday 21st Dec

December 2021 & January 2022

🌠 Daily Silent Meditation – Sun-Thu each week
🌠 ALL of our community groups, workshops and services
🌠 ALL weddings and private parties

📣 Exceptions to our House Policy 📣

Due to the new safety measures recently announced by the government, attendees of the below listed, larger scale events, organised by Tightrope Productions, will be obliged by law to produce either a covid passport, or evidence (by text or email) of a negative lateral flow test result, taken no more than 48hrs before the event, in order to gain entry to the shows.

December 2021

🌠 Queen by Candlelight – 17th Dec
🌠 West End Boys – Tuesday 21st Dec
🌠 Christmas with the Choir – Wed 22nd Dec
🌠 Christmas Hits Live – Thu 23rd Dec

January 2022

🌠 Afternoon Tea with the Jersey Boys – Sat, 22nd Jan
🌠 Tribute to ABBA by Candlelight – Sat, 22nd Jan

You can find details on how to register your test results on the UK Government website.

You can find out everything you need to know about the NHS Covid pass here.

Enquiries or questions about these ticketed events to @tightropeproductionsltd

Please, stay safe & take care of one another 🙏 we’ll keep you updated if and when any of these guidelines change.

Thank you for your patience, love from the Monastery team ❤

TRUST: The Story of Gorton Monastery by Elaine Griffiths OBE

Subject: Victorian Manchester; Manchester architecture; Manchester history; Manchester heritage; well-being; Franciscan history.

First edition, hardback, Monastery Publications, 1 December 2021, 176 pages & 304 images. ISBN 978-0-9571484-6-8

A history of the restoration of Manchester Monastery

When Elaine Griffiths stepped over crumbling masonry into the derelict nave in 1996, she was overcome with the power of this incredible Gothic masterpiece.

It was as though Gorton Monastery spoke to her. To save the church and adjoining friary, her and husband Paul set up the charity, The Monastery of St Francis and Gorton Trust.

TRUST is the story of a labour of love. It’s one woman’s extraordinary journey over 25 years not only to restore ‘Manchester’s Taj Mahal’ but secure its future. Elaine writes frankly of the setbacks, despair, breakthroughs, and small miracles that have changed her life and touched the lives of thousands more.

A foreword from Terry Waite CBE, patron of The Monastery and founder of Hostage International

No words can adequately describe the devastation that lay before me. The tiled flooring was a disaster. The statues of saints that formerly lined the nave had disappeared. The ornate high altar now a target for brick-throwing hooligans.

I looked at Elaine and could see she was no pushover. She was the sort of person who, once she made up her mind up to something, would do it no matter what the odds. How could I refuse to join her and Paul in such a worthy cause?

This book records the story of the rebuilding. It’s a story that will bring hope to many by demonstrating that two ordinary people, with vision and commitment, can achieve what in fact is miraculous.

Terry Waite CBE

Interview with the author, Elaine Griffiths OBE, Executive Officer at Manchester Monastery

One question I’m often asked is why I got involved with the Monastery project.

It’s very much part of our Griffiths family story and would come up in conversation whenever the family had a get-together. Whatever the occasion, it didn’t take long before someone would ask about the Monastery. Who’d seen the latest news report about yet more theft or vandalism at the empty church? Why wasn’t someone doing something to stop it? No one ever had an answer.

Many people have suggested I should write a book about saving Gorton Monastery. I’ve resisted for so long and made so many excuses: I haven’t the time; I’m not a writer and, besides, which story should I tell? Is it the very personal story of constant doubt, worry, stress and struggle, or is it the more professional, sanitised version of endless bid writing and fundraising that eventually led to triumph over adversity?

Should I be brave and share the more mystical and spiritual side of the story – where the magic of the Monastery has guided my every step? I’m sure that’s what motivated me to get involved after our first visit in the summer of 1996. Guidance came to me in dreams, meditation and intuition, and through messages from gifted people. I was sceptical at the beginning but the wisdom and reassurances from these messages have given me the courage, strength and resilience to keep on trusting.

Over the years, I’ve worked more and more with these experiences. My faith has been tested beyond belief, but prayers were always answered. In the eleventh hour, solutions would always arrive. Sometimes answers came in the form of major setbacks that did not always appear helpful. It’s only now, with the gift of hindsight, I realise everything that appeared to go wrong eventually took us one step closer to an even better result.

That’s why the title of this book is simply TRUST. I’ve learnt the hard way and that’s been the process all along. Things happen when the time is right – when everything and everyone is ready. I suppose you could call that divine timing.

This book is a summary of my personal story and a brief recollection of events. There’s so much information and so many memories. We’ve had to leave out more than we’ve included. And I recognise that, over the years, those who’ve shared some of the journey may remember things slightly differently, but that’s fine too.

We’ve nearly given up many times and reminded ourselves we’re the custodians of so many others’ hopes and dreams. We could not let them or ourselves down. The Monastery, now lovingly restored, is in the safe hands of the Trust who will always endeavour to protect and conserve it for the benefit of future generations. With its renewed focus on its charitable purpose this precious sacred heritage site can now step up to serve its highest possible purpose.

The business model is changing so our charity work takes priority, and we hope our new ‘Trusted Partners’ will do more and more in our Modern-Day Monastery. We still need commercial income to pay essential running costs. We’re optimistic that business will continue to grow as we recover from the impact of Covid and weddings and large events gradually return to normal.

Our Modern-Day Monastery is shining brightly as a sanctuary and beacon of hope, which can support others to cope with the challenges of this fast-changing world. I hope and pray we will be guided to do the right thing, so we can continue to ‘do good while doing business.’

I’m so grateful to have been given custody of this amazing project for so long. As we come to the end of this important chapter in the Monastery’s history, I realise I may be mistaken. Maybe the best is yet to come and this is actually the starting line. I will look forward to whatever the future holds and will continue to trust.

Elaine Griffiths

Buy your copy here

Editor’s note

This attractive, hardback, coffee-table book celebrates the 25th anniversary of The Monastery Trust and the remarkable work of those involved in restoring and caring for this precious heritage site.

Within its 176 pages are over 300 images of the site collected by Elaine Griffiths and photographer, Len Grant.

Buy your copy of TRUST online and we’ll post it to you (or perhaps to someone else as thoughtful gift).

You can also pick up a copy in our Monastery shop here at the Monastery.

As a charity, we rely on your purchases and donations to support this special heritage site.

Buy your copy here

Music Matters | BBC Radio 3 interviews Manchester Camerata & Elaine Griffiths

BBC Radio 3’s Music Matters have broadcasted a beautiful feature all about Manchester Camerata’s move to The Monastery and how they are making a difference to our local community of Gorton.

Tom Service speaks to local Councillor Julie Reid, HideOut youth zone’s CEO Adam Farricker, and Elaine Griffiths, OBE, chief executive of The Monastery about the positive change we are making to the community.

He also interviews Camerata musicians Ryan Breen, Kate Pearson and Dave Tollington about Manchester Camerata’s free weekly Music Café for people living with dementia and their life-changing Music in Mind work.

Tom also speaks to the orchestra’s CEO, Bob Riley, about our plan for the future as well as our Classical Futures Digital Communicator, Reeco Liburd, about how we are inspiring the next generation of local people.

“The power of the collective spirit.” – Bob Riley, CEO

Listen back to the BBC Radio 3 interview here.

*Read the original article here on Manchester Camerata’s website.

NEW Self-Help Group for Mothers | Mama Tribe

Launching at 12.30 on Monday 22 November is a NEW service for mothers and their early years children. It’s a FREE service for the Manchester community.

Run by Annabel Newfield, the group will offer a supportive, nurturing, and empowering community for women.

Who is the group for?

This group is for mothers who live in Manchester and their early years children (4 years and under).

Raising children and coming into motherhood during lockdowns has been isolating for many. Mothers learn so much from each other – find a community of other mothers here. Lockdown mamas, more than ever, need to feel connected with other mums.

What help can I expect?

The sessions will include Developmental Movement Play – Baby Boogie. This supports children’s physical, emotional and social development. And it’s fun. A massive boost for mental health!

After the play part of the session, is time for the mothers. Annabel will share useful parenting support, self-care, and nurture skills – that will help you.

Be seen and heard – with your struggles, joys, and questions about motherhood. This is a safe and confidential space.

Self-care and nurture skills – including mindfulness, breathing and meditation, dance, stretching, and relaxation. These skills are for you, but they also work for your children.

Connect with your body and find acceptance and love for it – it’s been through many changes.

More about Annabel

Annabel is an experienced teacher of developmental movement play and somatic bodywork. She works with a large variety of women’s groups. She has supported women in prison, runs local support groups, teaches on retreats, and has a one-to-one therapy practice. Her focus is to help women achieve positive body image, mindfulness, and self-care.

Annabel is all too aware of the challenges facing mothers, especially those with fragmented communities and families. As a single mother, she’s been through her own burnout journey. In her words, she ‘scraped herself off the floor and learnt how to ask for support and resource herself as a woman and mother’. Her lived experience fuels her passion to support mothers – especially now when many mums are navigating the isolation of parenting through lockdowns.

How do I join the group?

Be Well Manchester will refer mums to this self-help group. If you live in Manchester and think these sessions are what you need, either contact Annabel directly at annabel@thenewfieldnest.co.uk or contact Beylai at Be Well Manchester. Come and meet Beylai in the Sanctuary on Monday between 12 and 3pm or email her at beylai.tampanza@onemanchester.co.uk.

The sessions will start at 12.30 (and finish at 2pm) on Monday 22 November. Then they will run on Monday 22 November, 29 November, 13 December, 20 December.

Please share this information with anyone you think it might help.

Related services @ The Sanctuary

The Sanctuary also offers a domestic violence support group for women on Tuesdays from 12.15 to 2pm. You can find out more here.

We also offer free counselling via our listening service from Sunday to Thursday each week. You can find out more here.

Where can I find more information about the Sanctuary of Peace and Healing?

You can check out their website right here.

Admission is free and so is parking.

Manchester History & Heritage: A Remembrance Story of Friendship and Ice Cream

The Story of Charles Sellars and Emmanuel Sivori

Author | Graham North Editor | Dr. Caroline Paige

A young recruit

With the onset of the First World War, in July 1914, twenty-two-year-old Charles Sellars enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps. He had a wife, Sarah, and a thirteen-month-old daughter called Phyllis, who was to become my mother. They lived in a small back-to-back terraced house (3 Ajax Street) off Oldham Road in Miles Platting to the east of Manchester.

Charles was a printer by trade. He had a printing shop on Bradford Road near the colliery, which he ran with his brother Joseph and their cousin James Packer. Trade was falling in the run up to the war. The Royal Flying Corps offered a regular income – and it was only going to take a few months to defeat the Germans and he would be back home and life would resume as normal. Sarah pregnant, but Charles expected to be home before the baby was due.

As we know, the war didn’t go quite as planned and the soldiers had to prepare for a long haul. Charles went off to fight, but before long he was injured and brought back to England to recuperate. When Charles recovered, he was deemed as not fit enough to resume service in the Royal Flying Corps. He returned to France, but this time as an infantryman in the Army.

Manchester history Manchester — Charles Sellars stands on the right proudly wearing his Royal Flying Corps uniform

A Little Italy in Manchester

Between Miles Platting, where the Sellars family lived, and the city centre is an area called Ancoats. Due to the large number of Italian immigrants in this area it was known locally as Little Italy and it was home to many ice cream makers.

These were family-run businesses, with their own shops and ice cream carts. They sold penny licks – a little glass filled with ice cream from which a customer would lick out the ice cream and hand back the glass to the vendor, who would then wash the glass and refill it for the next customer.

Emmanuel Sivori started his family ice cream business in 1910, shortly after he came to England.

Charles and his wife had moved to 222 Oldham Road, a few doors away from the ice cream shop, and they became friends with the Sivori family. The Sivori family were patrons of the Monastery and made donations towards the upkeep of the church and supplied flowers for the May Queen celebrations.

A lasting friendship

When Charles Sellars returned to active duty in France, the war had reached stalemate. He joined the troops in the trenches. For a second time he was injured and it was more serious this time, as he had been caught in a mustard gas attack.

When they brought Charles home, he was in very poor health and unable to go back to his printing business. He did manage to find work as a porter at Miles Platting Railway Station, which lasted for a few years. But his health gradually deteriorated until he was no longer able to work. His wife, Sarah, found part-time work cleaning carriages at the station, even though they now had four young daughters to look after.

Over time, Charles became bedridden and in constant pain. To help ease his pain Emmanuel Sivori’s son, Albert, visited every day after their ice cream shop closed, with bags of ice to lay upon Charles’s chest. He brought the ice every day until Charles died – leaving Sarah with four young girls and pregnant with another child.

Charles’s eldest daughter, Phyllis, had to leave school when she was 13 to earn some extra money for the household. Unfortunately, within two years, she became seriously ill with St Vitus Dance (Sydenham’s chorea) and had to spend eighteen months in the isolation ward at Monsal Hospital.

Manchester history at Manchester Monastery — Charles Sellars with his wife, Sarah, and their daughter, Phyllis.

A story preserved

Charles’s last surviving daughter, my Aunty Anne, told me this story when my wife and I visited her in 2003, not long before her death.

In October 2006, my good friend, the Monastery historian Tony Hurley, told me that a Mr Sivori and his daughter were visiting us. They were bringing a crucifix that had belonged to the Monastery. I told them this story, and he said it would have been his father that helped my grandfather all those years ago. I was extremely pleased to meet one of the sons of the man who was my grandfather’s friend and had done so much to ease his suffering in his final days.

I am sure I would not have had the pleasure of meeting Mr Sivori had it not been for our connection with Gorton Monastery.

Lest we forget

NEW @ The Sanctuary | Women’s Support Group: Freedom Programme

Domestic violence is a tragic fact of life and one that is often painful to acknowledge or seek help for when it happens. We’re very honoured to offer a space at the Monastery to a well-established support programme that offers help & support to victims and survivors.

Starting at 12.15pm on Tuesday, 16th November (term-time only) our new support session, which is free of charge, will be based in our newly launched Sanctuary.

What is the service & who is it for?

The Freedom Programme is a domestic violence programme which was created by Pat Craven and primarily designed for women, since research shows that although domestic abuse can strike in any relationship, the majority of cases of serious domestic abuse tend to be perpetrated against females.

Although this specific support group is for women, we offer help and assistance to the whole community with a range of issues via our listening service. If you are male or gender fluid and need help, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Find out how by clicking here.

How will the programme help me?

The Freedom Programme examines the roles played by attitudes and beliefs on the actions of abusive individuals and the responses of victims and survivors. The aim is to help survivors make sense of and understand what has happened to them. The Freedom Programme also describes in detail how children are affected by being exposed to this kind of abuse and very importantly how their lives are improved when the abuse is removed.

How long does the programme last?

The programme usually lasts for 11 or 12 weeks and is FREE. Each session lasts 90 minutes. This is a rolling program and women are able to join at any point in the 12 weeks with 2 exceptions. Please get in touch with the facilitator for more information.

Who is facilitating the Freedom Programme?

Sanam Iqbal will be facilitating the freedom program under her non profit community organisation, The Art Of Joy Project. Sanam founded her organisation to support those affected by domestic abuse after surviving abuse herself. Sanam completed the freedom program – as a service user – almost 10 years ago. She vowed that one day she would go on to become a facilitator of the program and offer the invaluable support she had received to others. After many years of training, now is that time. In short, anyone participating in the Freedom Programme can be sure that Sanam will hear and understand what you’re going through, every step of the way.

It’s said that empathy itself is a powerful medicine. We at the Monastery wholeheartedly support Sanam’s passion and dedication to help others, along with the life experience she brings to her sessions.

What happens after I’ve completed the programme?

You won’t be alone. The aim of this support group is to create a community of survivors, ready to help, support and empathise with one another. Surviving in isolation is possible. But thriving, not just surviving, with a community of people who understand your situation, is possible with the right support. In Sanam’s own words:

“If I can end domestic abuse in my life, anyone can with the right support and information.’

The message to domestic abuse survivors is clear. Please don’t suffer alone. Don’t suffer in silence. We’re here for you, please reach out.

If you know someone who is living with domestic abuse, please share this information.

If you need urgent help, The National Domestic Violence 24 hour helpline number is 0808 2000 247

Related Services @ The Sanctuary

Don’t forget that The Sanctuary at Manchester Monastery also offers a daily silent meditation, Sunday-Thursday, from 12-1pm, which you can find out more about by clicking here.

We offer free counselling via our listening service from Sunday-Thursday each week which you can find out more about by clicking here.

We offer an advice and support drop-in service from 12-3pm each Monday with Be Well. You can find out more about it by clicking here.

Admission is free and so is parking. We’re here for you so please don’t be shy. We’re a friendly, helpful bunch and warmly invite you to become a part of our growing, mutually supportive community.

#thereisanotherway

Our Magnificent Monastery Wins Best Manchester Venue 2021!

We’re absolutely thrilled to report that The Monastery just won the title of Best Manchester Venue 2021 in the County Brides North West Wedding Awards!

The prestigious, annual award ceremony was held at The Mere Golf Resort and Spa on Thursday 21st October 2021 and as we at the Monastery accepted our award, we couldn’t have been prouder of our magnificent building and awesome team.

Here’s a photo of our glittering award!

This huge win for the Monastery coincided beautifully with our wedding fair at the weekend and we were delighted with the stunning turn out and all of the high-quality service providers who brought their excellence and amazing energy to the great Nave. In fact, our social media channels were on fire with tags from photos and videos taken on the day. Here’s just a couple of our favourites!

We’d like to thank all of our brides, grooms, suppliers and partners for all of your support, collaboration and all-round awesomeness since we reopened in June, just 4 short months ago. This award really means the world to us.

If you’re getting married and looking for the best venue in Manchester, please go right ahead and check out our weddings or contact us here.

Every penny generated by our events goes straight back into our Charitable Trust, to help maintain our beautiful, Grade II listed building and grounds and preserve them for future generations.

If you’d like to keep abreast of all things Monastery, then please feel free to connect with us on our social media channels (links in the header) or sign-up for our monthly newsletter below (in the footer).

Love & gratitude from the whole Monastery team 💖

NEW Advice and Support Drop-In Every Monday with Be Well @ The Monastery

We all need a little help climbing life’s mountain sometimes, right? That’s why we’re absolutely delighted to announce a brand NEW community advice and support drop-in centre at Manchester Monastery’s Sanctuary.

Launching at 12pm on Monday, November 1st, in collaboration with Be Well, the new drop-in centre will be a free service to the Manchester community, assisting with all kinds of issues and challenges that can all too often produce negative effects on health and wellbeing.

The Be Well team offer a range of practical and emotional support to folk who really need it and we’re honoured to offer this valuable community service here at Manchester’s modern-day Monastery.

Life in the way of healthy living?

The Be Well initiative can help you find a way to live and feel well whatever twists and turns life brings. Together, we can even help you get on top of work, housing, family and money worries. When you come to our Be Well drop-in centre, you’ll be assessed by a trained coach. They’ll talk to you about the help you need and the goals you want to achieve, and set you up with the most appropriate person in the team to get you to where you want to be.

Who is the Be Well service for?

Be Well is for anyone who lives in Manchester, or whose GP surgery is based there. You’ll come to us if you speak to your GP and think that you could be helped by ongoing support in the community, rather than just by a medical approach.

What kind of help can I expect?

You can expect regular one-to-one sessions– either face-to-face or over the phone. Together with your worker, you can talk through any changes in your life you would like to make; and ways to keep you motivated along your journey.

How will I benefit from the sessions?

Through coming to our Be Well drop-in centre, we can help you to feel motivated to make changes that stick and you’ll learn some new ways of staying on the right track.

It might be that you have one particular issue that’s central to you. Because Be Well is a partnership of local organisations, we’ll also have coaches who specialise in certain areas.

If your needs include issues with work – for instance if you need help to stay in work through physio or HR support, or you’re looking for a job – you’ll see a specialist coach with experience in that area.

If you need advice around welfare issues, housing, money management and so on, you’ll be able to access a telephone line run by Citizens’ Advice Manchester.

Do I need an appointment to come to the drop-in centre?

No, it’s not necessary, although if you already have a GP referral, you can make an appointment if you wish by calling the Be Well team on: 0161 470 7120

Where can I find more information about Be Well?

You can check out their website right here.

We invite anyone who needs this service to pop into the drop-in centre in The Sanctuary. If you’re fortunate enough to not need this service, please feel free to share the information with anyone you know who might.

The drop-in centre will be open from 12pm – 3pm, Monday November 1st, then each Monday (except November 8th) through to December 20th.

Related Services @ The Sanctuary

Don’t forget that The Sanctuary at Manchester Monastery also offers a daily silent meditation, Sunday-Thursday, from 12-1pm, which you can find out more about by clicking here.

We also offer free counselling via our listening service from Sunday-Thursday each week which you can find out more about by clicking here.

#thereisanotherway