Notice: Chilworth Rosaries Follow A Tradition Of Monks Making Local Products

Published on: 1 Jan, 2021
Updated on: 2 Jan, 2021

In a new venture at St Augustine’s Abbey in Chilworth, Rosaries are now being hand-made by a new Benedictine monk at the monastery.

Brother Simon Bonner, a postulant at St Augustine’s Abbey, making Chilworth rosary beads.

A spokesperson for the monastery said this follows a tradition of many hundred years when monks made different products as part of their monastic life and routine. Rosaries are a string of knots or beads used to count a set of prayers in the Catholic Church.

They are made by Brother Simon Bonner, originally from Fulham in London. He has been with the monastery for a year and chose to learn to make the knotted beads as part of his manual work.

He said: “My hope is that more and more people, both men and women, will take up their rosaries and pray daily this most excellent of prayers”.

Chilworth rosary beads come in a range of colours. Brother Simon said: “They are very robust and easy to carry around.”

The rosaries add to the existing products in the monastery shop which sells organic beeswax skin creams, lip balms and furniture polish, also made by the monks. Around 15 orders for the beads were received in the first week of production.

The spokesperson added: “Thanks to The Guildford Dragon News, an article kindly carried during the first lockdown in 2020 noticeably helped raise local awareness about the beeswax products.” (see Notice: Chilworth’s Benedictine monks selling lockdown surplus skin products).

Chilworth rosary beads are made from a robust material called paracord (cord used for parachutes) and come in a number of different colours. The rosaries are made with both 3mm and 2mm paracord to accommodate personal preferences.

Each is a five-decade rosary. They cost £4.99 each plus postage and packing.

If you wish to see the full range of the Abbey’s ‘Sanctuary Products’ including the organic beeswax skin creams, lip balms and furniture polish, you can visit the Abbey’s online shop by clicking here.

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