Just beyond the east end of Buckfast Abbey—Devon’s active Benedictine monastery—lies the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. Completed in 1966, this modern space is anchored by a striking stained glass window that towers over the sanctuary (an image of this is inside this window).
The window was designed by Dom Charles Norris, a resident monk who became one of the twentieth century’s most prolific stained glass artists. He specialized in dalle de verre (glass slab), an intricate technique where thick, coloured slabs of glass are sawn or shattered with a hammer, then meticulously chipped around the edges to catch and refract the light. Depicting Christ instituting the Eucharist at the Last Supper, the window transforms the chapel into a kaleidoscope of colour.
Yet this magnificent artwork is more than just visual decoration; it serves as an open invitation to prayer. In the Abbey’s education room, a helpful guide explores the ancient practice of contemplation—derived from the Latin contemplatio, meaning to be quietly attentive to God. To help visitors experience this deeper connection, the Abbey suggests three simple steps for contemplative prayer. Whether you are visiting Buckfast Abbey, admiring the windows in St Stephen’s, or looking at a sacred image at home, you can use this approach:
Look: Choose one specific part of the window or image and let your eyes rest quietly upon it.
Notice: Notice the colours, shapes and light. Notice how this makes you feel and what it makes you think of.
Offer: Quietly in your heart, make an offering. It might be a thank you, a prayer of simply being glad to be in God’s presence.
James Fraser (member of the PCC, Deanery Synod and server at St Stephen’s)
