Friends of Merton Priory

Nones for Merton Priory, Sunday 4th May 2025, 3pm

The Augustinian Priory of St Mary's, Merton and a church on the priory site has been the venue for the Office of Nones annually since 1998. This year will be our 28th annual event, remembering the Canons of Merton Priory, Breakspear and Becket - and their work, Magna Carta and Merton College, Oxford. If you would like a copy of an authentic Augustinian None so that you can join in wherever you are, please get in touch at mertonpri@aol.com. It was given to us for our first None by a practising Augustinian nun, and we have used it every year since.

Further information and history available from announcement of Nones, 2010 and Nones, 2008.

Nicholas Breakspear: Pope Adrian IV

Trained at Merton Augustinian Priory.

Display panel prepared by Friends of Merton Priory

Display panel produced by Friends of Merton Priory for the
7th Nones on 2nd May 2004 at Merton Priory

Circa 1100	Born near St.Albans (Bedmond, Abbots Langley)
1125	Arrives at Merton Priory
1130	Nicholas arrives at St. Rufus Augustinian Priory, Avignon. (Merton Priory built of stone.) Friend of John of Salisbury, who wrote of conversations he had with Nicholas about the Canons of Merton.
1137	By now he was Abbot of St. Rufus and Pope Eugene III removed him as being "too strict" and made him a Cardinal.
1146	Bishop of Albano
1152	The Pope created a post for him to fulfil his many gifts and he became a Papal Legate to Scandinavia. His work in Norway and Sweden earned him sainthood among the Scandinavians. Built cathedral at Hamar and reconstructed the church.
1154	Unanimously elected Pope.
1159	Died at Anagni and buried in the Vatican where his tomb may still be seen. (He was an Augustinian)

We are assuming that St. Rufus is the Rufus whose father carried the Cross on Good Friday.

Nidaros Rite

Nicholas Breakspear, who trained at Merton Priory just before Thomas a Becket, was sent in 1151 to Nidaros (now Trondheim) and encouraged the introduction of Canons. Using English liturgical books they formulated the Nidaros Rite. As Breakspear had referred to the Canons of Merton in a letter to John of Salisbury that "The sweet savour of the Canons of Merton" still reached him, we think the Nidaros Rite might be intimately connected with Merton Priory, and therefore Augustinian.

He also expanded the Diocese to include Greenland and the Isle of Man. It is important to recognise that Breakspear was one of the first British men to take the name Nicholas. St Nicholas was introduced to Britain by the Normans about 20 years before his birth. Ascension Day was the day chosen in 1117 for the Inauguration of Merton Augustinian Priory, where Breakspear later trained. Ascension Day is a Bank Holiday in many European countries where Breakspear worked. They also make the Feast of St Nicholas a very special feast day. If anyone knows any additional information please email mertonpri@aol.com, with your sources.