A Fragrant Flower for Saint Scholastica

My first book 'Gardening with God' covers this period of the Liturgical year. The following is an extract from my entry for Saint Scholastica's day, and explains why I chose Dame's Violet for her.

DAME'S VIOLET Hesperis Matronalis
(Sweet Violet, Vesper Flower)

'History and Lore:
It is chosen for St Scholastica because nuns of the English Benedictine Congregation are formaslly addressed as Dame. But there are other reasons. In flower lore the plant represents watchfulness, a quality that Scholastica possessed in more ways than one. The name 'Vesper Flower' comes from the fact that it is at its most fragrant after sunset. This too is appropriate for the sister of St Benedict. Also the plant sometimes sends out new shoots from the old roots. Here I am thinking of the nunneries founded in Australia, Brazil,Peru and India from our English monasteries of Stanbrook, * Tyburn and Saint Cecilia's Isle of Wight. Lastly, Benedict and his sister were born in Umbria and although Dame's Violet is found throughout Europe and North America, it is native to Italy. As well as being part of the plant's botanical name, Hesperis also means 'the western land', that is Italy. '
Copyright Jane Mossendew 2002

*Additional note added today.
Of course the original Stanbrook is now empty, at least I think it still is, since the community moved to a specially designed set of modern monastery buildings at Wass on the North Yorkshire Moors. The last time I checked their site, the chapel was not ready and I don't think the old Stanbrook has been sold yet. I've no doubt that Abbess Joanna Jameson, who presided over the decision to abandon the original monastery, would see this as an example of putting out new shoots from old roots. I reserve judgment on the wisdom with which this was handled but pray for the Stanbrook community in their new home. They have a new Abbess, Dame Andrea Savage. Following her retirement as Abbess, Dame Joanna took a year's sabbatical in a London art school

Saint Scholastica, pray for all Benedictine nuns, particularly those of the new Stanbrook.