Sister Wendy Becker has been a nun for nearly 50 years, since she was 16. Most of the time she lives in solitary confinement in in caravan in the grounds of a Carmelite monastery in Norfolk, often not speaking to anyone for 22 hours a day. But every few months she leaves her caravan and travels round Europe, staying in international hotels and eating in famous restaurants. Why is she leading this double life?
How does a nun who has devoted her life to solitude and prayer become a visitor to the Ritz?
Sister Wendy has a remarkable other life. She writes and presents an arts programme for BBC television called ‘Sister Wendy’s Grand Tour’. In it, she visits European art capitals and gives her personal opinions on some of the world’s most famous works of art. She begins each programme with with these works of art. She begins each programme with these words: ‘For over 20 years I lived in solitude. Now I’m seeing Europe for the first time. I’m visiting the world’s most famous art treasures’.
She speaks cleary and plainly, with none of the academic verbosity of art historians. TV viewers love her common-sense wisdom, and are fascinated to watch a kind, elderly, bespectacled, nun who is so obviously delighted by all she sees.
They are infected by her enthusiasm. Sister Wendy believes that although God wants her to have a life of prayer and solitary contemplation, He has also given her a mission to explain art in a simple.
‘ I think God has been very good to me. Really I am a disaster as a person. Solitude is right for me because I’m not good at being with other people. But of course I enjoy going on tour. I have comfortable bed , a luxurious bath and good meals, but the joy is mild compared with the joy of solitude and silent and good meals, but the joy is mild compared with the joy of solitude and silent prayer. I always rush back to my caravan. People find this hard to understand. I have never wanted anything else; I am a blissfully happy woman.
Sister Wendy’s love of God and art is matched only by her love of good food and wine. She takes delight in porting over menus, choosing a good wine and wondering whether the steak is tender enough for her to eat because she has no back teeth. However, she is not delighted by her performance on television.
‘ I can’t bear to watch myself on television. I feel that I look so silly― a ridiculous blackclothed figure. Thank God we don’t have a television at the monastery. I suppose I am famous in a way, but as 95% of my time is spent alone in my caravan, it really doesn’t affect me. I’m unimportant.’
Sister Wendy earned ￡1,200 for the first series. The success of this resulted in an increase for the second series. The money is being used to provide new shower rooms for the Carmelite monastery.
(”Intermediate Student's Book” Titled：Liz&John Soars、Publisher：Oxford university press)
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