Woodland retreat revives Father Tom’s mission

by Simon Hart

Father Tom Cullinan was a singular figure. A Benedictine from Ampleforth Abbey, he built by hand his own mini-monastery in woodland at Ince Benet, north of Liverpool. With the support of the Augustinian Sisters at nearby Ince Blundell Hall he created a place at the service of the community, growing food, welcoming guests and maintaining the monastic rhythms of prayer, work and study.

Fr Tom, who celebrated Mass every Sunday evening for 40 years at St Helen’s, Crosby, died in 2019 but his legacy is strong. The redevelopment of Ince Benet as a centre for retreat and reflection is a fitting tribute to the place he once built out of reclaimed material in the quest for a simple, sustainable life.

Martin Bennett, an old friend of Fr Tom’s, remembered Ince Benet as it was when he told the Pic: ‘It was work, prayer, study and hospitality and it was always open to people of all faiths and none.

‘We are hoping this will be an evolution of his life and his ministry, that it is hospitable and it becomes a place of prayer and a place of welcome to people who are of various different faiths.

‘The fact it’s in the woods means that while it is so accessible, you feel like you’re in such a different place.’

Faithful renovation

The renovation of Ince Benet has been overseen by the Augustinian Sisters, with the redesign of the main building carried out by Harrison Architects Studio. There is a chapel, a dining area and eleven bedrooms – nine of them double rooms, the other two single rooms. Crucially, it remains faithful to Fr Tom’s principles: inside, it features the original wooden beams while the outside wood is responsibly sourced and ground source heating is used.

‘We’ve had groups of priests who thought this is such a great resource for the diocese,’ added Martin, citing the use of the centre by clergy for prayer and reflection and by other groups, such as local teachers, for planning days. ‘We have been pleased to welcome a number of Anglican visitors too as we hope there will be a strong ecumenical dimension to the centre.’

This month brings a Lenten programme at Ince Benet which is being run by Martin with the help of his wife Maria and Canon Rod Gardner. It features a combination of ‘quiet days’ and guided days of reflection, with a day visit costing £10 and an overnight stay £60. Those unable to visit in Lent could take advantage of an open day on Saturday 27 May (11am-4pm).

Fr Tom’s mission

The repurposing of Ince Benet will ensure that the mission of Fr Tom lives on. Ordained a priest at Ampleforth Abbey, he was a teacher at Ampleforth College for many years and became a prolific writer and speaker on theological and social justice issues. He arrived in north Liverpool in 1977 when he and two other monks were offered the use of a converted coach house by the WhitlockBlundells at Little Crosby. In 1980 he received permission from his superiors to begin work on his mini-monastery in the woods at Ince Blundell. A quarter of a century later, he was incardinated into the presbyterate of the Archdiocese of Liverpool on 9 December 2005. Martin Bennett added of Fr Tom: ‘Even in conversations with people who may not have had any identifiable faith, they always felt something was going on there and that was down to Tom’s personality.

‘He would challenge you. He would always listen and he had a wonderful way of getting to the heart of what you were talking about. He would take you deeper into what you were looking for. Hopefully, we can take that into the evolution of Ince Benet – if people come searching for something, they will have the space and the time to follow that.’

Lenten programme for March

• Quiet days: Wednesday 1, Monday 6, Friday 24, Monday 27 Individuals or small groups can spend a day or half a day organising their own prayer/reading or make use of suggested scripture passages suitable for Lent/Holy Week, and walk in the woods.

• Lent as a season of growth: Monday 13, Wednesday 22

Guided day of reflection and sharing on how the disciplines of prayer and fasting were an integral part of Jesus’ life, helping us to see Lent as a period of growth.

• Eden to Gethsemane via the desert: Wednesday 15, Thursday 23

Guided day of reflection and sharing on temptation in the two gardens: the nature of temptation and ways of responding to it in the light of Jesus’ 40 days in the desert.

For more information, visit: https://incebenet.co.uk/