An extremely rare pre-Reformation Catholic prayer scroll is to go on display in York next month, after it was mysteriously found in a shoebox.

Dr Hannah Thomas, Special Collections Manager at the Bar Convent discovered the scroll while she was cataloguing the convent’s inventory. In a shoebox filled with leaflets from the 1980s, she also found a six inch wide rolled up scroll.

Describing the find, Dr Thomas, said, “This is an illuminated script, with hand-drawn figures and beautiful calligraphy – it is a medieval work of art in its own right. 

"However, where it differs from the other examples that have been discovered is that this is not merely an illustrated poem or prayer created for private contemplation, but featuring response texts suggesting it was used by groups or families as they gathered together for prayers in the home.”

As only 11 such scrolls are known to exist in the world, and very little is known about them. It was previously believed that they were for private prayer and devotion, however the inclusion of red inked response lines, strongly suggests they were used in public or group worship.

This particular scroll is believed to date from around 1475 and is the best preserved of all the known specimens. One of the reasons such scrolls are so rare is that, following the Reformation, practising Catholicism became a treasonable act.

The Bar Convent was founded in 1686, making it the oldest living convent in Britain. How the scroll came to be in their possession is not precisely known, as there are no records of its existence. However, many items sacred to Catholics were given to their care for safekeeping during the years of anti-Catholic persecution.

Sister Ann Stafford, Superior of the Bar Convent, has confirmed that a special mass will be held featuring the prayers and devotional material from the scroll.

The exhibition for the scroll will be open to the public from 5 April 2025.