The Tudor-Elizabethan Retreat House known as Launde Abbey is surrounded on three sides by higher ground so that it seems to rest in a bowl made by its parkland. That is the way that I saw it when I first arrived at Launde. But then one day, soon after I had become Warden, I was told by someone on retreat that I should not describe the landscape in which Launde sits as a bowl but rather as a crucible. They are of course right: a crucible not only describes the landscape but what happens here. A bowl after all is where things are mixed up while crucibles are places in which transformation happens. People who come to Launde are transformed!
I arrived at Launde as Warden three years ago [in 2004] and in that time Launde has become a love affair for me. I have been transformed myself as I have had the privilege of travelling with so many people who come here. They come from all sorts of different backgrounds: faith, no faith and everything in between. It is a place in which new conversations and insights are had and which continues to change people even after they have left. It is truly a place where the divine touches the human and the human touches the divine allowing God to be glimpsed not just in the natural beauty of Launde but in peoples’ lives. All are welcome to Launde — whoever they are and whatever they have done. People are not judged but are rather offered Christian hospitality and support to become what they have been given by Christ. It is thus a space that cannot be contained or limited to any one group of people. After all, Christ did not limit who he shared his table with and therefore nor should we. Everyone is on a journey and needs encouragement on the way so that they might reach their potential to be the person that they can only be and to do the things that only they can do in Christ’s love, mercy, forgiveness, compassion, healing and grace. Perhaps it is not therefore surprising that Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in a letter of support has described Launde as “an oasis of calm within the turmoil of modern daily life” and has gone on to say that “it is a place of intense prayer where countless people — myself included — have benefited from being able to spend time apart”.
This has been the case ever since Launde was dedicated as a Retreat House fifty years ago in 1958. It had been given the previous year in December by Mr and Mrs Colman. The Coleman’s I have discovered recently bought the House with it’s Georgian Stables and estate in 1956 to be a country holiday centre for their workers. This plan, however, was not a success as the workers preferred to go to the Lincolnshire coast rather than into the countryside of the Leicestershire-Rutland border from their Leicester factories. The Coleman’s therefore gave Launde to the Bishop of Leicester and a Trust was created establishing a Retreat House. It was initially given to benefit the diocese and people of Leicestershire but the Abbey soon became known by others from further a field — and now has a national and even international reputation of being one of the more beautiful retreat houses in the country. It has consequently become a place where individuals and groups come from all over the UK and beyond to find stillness, tranquillity and peace which is provided by an undergirding of prayer within the Abbey (the daily offices including Compline are kept and a daily Eucharist or Communion Service celebrated). The prayer at Launde is further supported by a group of people who have dedicated themselves to praying for both those who live and work in the Abbey and also for all those who come to the Abbey.
When I arrived at Launde I was very keen, as the Trustees were, to reaffirm that Launde’s vocation is to be a retreat house providing a space into which everyone is welcome not just another conference centre. In doing so Launde reaffirmed that it was a place of prayer, of education and of hospitality. Everything that is done here is done to enable those aims. People can come to Launde via our ‘open’ programme of retreats which range from individually guided retreats which are in silence to themed retreats — working with people such as John Bell and Margaret Silf — or as part of a group such as a cell or parish group. Launde, however, is not limited to just Christian groups but is also used by other faith and secular groups. Yet others will come to Launde as individuals who want to just ‘do their own thing resting and relaxing in the spacious gardens and house’. Ethical conferences tackling major questions in today’s society have also been held with partners such as the University of Leicester attracting church leaders, Nobel prize winners and leading politicians. These various pathways — supported by yet others — provide opportunities for people to access ‘retreat’ at different levels and in different ways. This is important as it has led to many people exploring their sense of spirituality within a secure and trusting environment who would not otherwise have done so.
This reputation has helped to make Launde self sustaining as a Retreat House. This reputation along with a dedicated and committed staff community has enabled Launde to win the Silver Award in the Best Tourism Experience 2007–2008 Award for the East Midlands. Interestingly such an award also shows how a competitive secular world sees Launde — somewhere that is accessible for all while providing a huge resource to those who come to the Abbey to explore themselves spiritually. This position is now supported by a re-development project which will take Launde into the future. The Stable Block by March 2008, due largely to the generosity of the Friends of Launde and individual donations, is being enlarged and refurbished to create nineteen en-suite bedrooms. This will allow Launde to stay open when work is carried out re-developing the Main House in 2010. All of this work is to further Launde as a Retreat House: to be a place of prayer, of peace and of tranquillity in which people can grow spiritually in an increasingly chaotic world.
It is vitally important that this work is continued in the future. Launde is ideally placed to do that — but to do it Launde will need the continued prayers and support of all.