The Monastery of Christ the Word is a priory of the English Benedictine Congregation (EBC) located in Macheke, Zimbabwe, within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Harare. Founded in 1996, its community comprises some five monks.
The monastery is a daughter house of Ampleforth Abbey,[1] whose monks formed the community at the invitation of Archbishop of Harare Patrick Fani Chakaipa and the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference, who were desirous of a monastic presence in their country.[2][3] Although the idea of a monastery in Zimbabwe had already been conceived in 1992,[3] the Monastery of Christ the Word was established only in 1996. The monastery was initially located in a two-storey building at Monte Cassino near Macheke that belonged to the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood.[2][4]
The monastery has an altar made of wood, depicting four moments from the Last Supper, that was designed by the Art Workshop of the Driefontein Mission in Mvuma.[5]
The current prior is Robert Igo.[6] According to Volume 116 of The Ampleforth Journal dated September 2011 to July 2012,[7] the monastic community is made up of four other Ampleforth monks (Richard Ffield, Bamabas Pham, Joseph Dinala, and Placid Mavura) living according to the Rule of St. Benedict.[3] The community rears its own livestock and their prior provides complimentary medical care to locals. The monastery also organises regular retreats that may last from days to a week.[4]
| Independent houses | |
|---|---|
| Dependent houses | |
| Schools | |
| Former houses | |
| Churches | |
