THE P RTAL
October 2013
Page 11
The Tyburn Sisters
Eliza Trebelcock visits the Convent near Marble Arch
The early
editions of The Portal carried
articles about the English Martyrs, many of
whom were executed at Tyburn in London. The site
of the gallows is actually at the junction of Edgware
Road and Bayswater Road near Marble Arch. Called
the ‘The King’s Gallows’ it was a place of execution
from 1196 to 1783 - for six centuries the one-way
destination for criminals. The gallows came to
be called, the “Tyburn Tree”. It became infamous
because of its three branches each large enough to
hang eight people - killing on a grand scale.
Adorers of the Sacred Heart
Recently, I had the privilege of visiting the Adorers
of the Sacred Heart, a community of Benedictine Nuns
who live right by the site of that gallows.
They have, in the crypt of their Convent
Chapel, many artefacts and relics of those
holy martyrs who witnessed for Christ on
the nearby gallows.
a closed book
born in 1838 in Burgundy, France, where
she lived with her family. Then she lived
a Eucharistic life on Montmartre in Paris.
Health problems caused her to give this up
this way of life.
For those of us who are members of the
Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, the prayer and Eucharistic adoration
English Martyrs are something of a closed book. Yes,
Then, as the Convent Web Site puts it,
we know they exist; but what we did not tend to know
“Several years later the Sacred Heart of
is the place they have in the story of the Catholic Faith
Jesus called her to establish a religious family
in England. If we do know that story, it is probable that
consecrated to the worship and praise of the
we know it from “the other side” as it were. That is why,
Holy Trinity through liturgical prayer and
I presume, the editors of The Portal carried those
Eucharistic adoration in the contemplative life.
articles on the English Martyrs in the early editions of
She founded her Congregation - the ADORERS
this magazine.
OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS, OF
MONTMARTRE, in 1898 at Montmartre,
It was those articles that inspired me to seek out
Paris, with the cordial approbation of Cardinal
Tyburn and the Convent that is at its modern heart.
Richard, Archbishop of Paris.”
allowed access to the crypt
fled France
So, one Saturday morning, by appointment, I
In 1901 this young community fled France. Laws
ascended the steps to the front door and rang the bell. opposed to Religious Orders forced the move. Mother
After introductions, the grill to the crypt was unlocked Mary brought her Community to England and to
and I was allowed access to the crypt Chapel where the Tyburn, near Marble Arch in London.
relics and mementoes are kept.
Thus they moved to the famous site of the martyrdom
Sister Josephine was kind enough to show me round. of more than 100 Catholic Martyrs. It is this Convent
I spent a very holy, happy, and instructive hour and a that is now the Orders’ Mother House. They have other
half with her. It is a moving and poignant place.
houses in England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, New
Zealand, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.
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