The Monastery Manchester

At certain times of day, sunlight streaming through the Great Nave's enormous windows creates a 'ladder of light' leading from a historic Franciscan floor mosaic towards the altar.

The mosaic, situated close to the original church entrance, bears the words Deus Meus et Omnia (My God and my all), a phrase closely associated with St Francis of Assisi. It also depicts the traditional Franciscan emblem: the crossed arms of Jesus Christ and St Francis, both bearing stigmata – the marks of the Crucifixion.

In 1961, the mosaic was cleaned to mark the Monastery's centenary, following instructions from Father Martin Crawley. More recently, in 2018, the Monastery Trust commissioned specialist conservators to clean it once again, before protective glass was installed to preserve it for future generations.

And now, at certain moments, the afternoon sunlight finds its way across the Great Nave to illuminate this little piece of Franciscan history 💫

If you'd like to discover more about the Monastery's history, our guided tours take place every Monday, as well as the first Tuesday and last Sunday of each month.

You can find out more on the linktree in our bio 👆️

Or, if you prefer, simply explore at your own pace. Entry is free (we're always very grateful for donations) and we're open 10am-4pm, Sun-Thu each week.

Everyone is welcome 😊

Many thanks to Carl for today's beautiful photo 🙏 👏 👌

#FranciscanHistory #VictorianArchitecture #HeritageRestoration #Manchester