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clerics. These clerics were priests, not monks, and
no longer lived according to a Monastic Rule.
They did not necessarily live at the church full
time. Many had wives, families, and houses of
their own. Often their positions were passed
down from father to son. As a result, for many of
these men, serving at the church was a profession,
not necessarily a calling or an act of religious
devotion.
The Viking raids did stop, and, during the 10th
century, life in England became more settled. A
renewed interest in monastic life followed. This led
to major reform and the promotion of the Rule of
St. Benedict as the preferred Monastic Rule. Those
who promoted this Benedictine Reform movement
evicted married priests and mnks. They then
brought in monks and nuns who were more
committed to a monastic life and assigned them
to many of the cathedrals and important
monasteries.
At the same time, many of the old abandoned
monasteries were rebuilt, and many new ones
established. The reform movement made
Benedictine monasticism the preferred type of
religious life and established new, mutually
beneficial relationships between the monarchy and
the monasteries. These relationships would last
until the Normans conquered Britain in 1066.
The monasteries, however, often provided little
priestly care for thelaity. This was because the
goal of a monastic life was to live a quiet, isolated
life devoted to God. For much of the Anglo-Saxon
period, most people outside of the aristocracy did
not receive much religious education. Nor did
they regularly attend religious services. Sources
prior to the 10th century are rare, but it is likely
that some communities of secular clerics sent their
members throughout their territory to preach and
perform religious ceremonies. By the late Anglo-
Saxon period, this arrangement no longer
satisfied the needs and demands of the laity. The
Benedictine Reform had emphasized proper
Christian education. However, the irregular visits
of traveling priests could not adequately ensure
that the laity were properly taught. Nor could
these visits offer enough access to the Church’s
religious rites.
Local lords began to build small churches on
their lands. Their intent was to provide religious
Laity refers to the people who attend church rather than lead the services.
by Christine Bertoglio
