Do you know the history of our Community?
Our Community was founded by Madame Agnès de Hemptinne on September 8, 1893. We were 7 nuns, trained at the Abbey of Saint Cecilia in Solesmes, France. Madame Agnès was our first Abbess and received the name Mother Cecilia. She actively participated in the construction and decoration of the abbey, especially of the abbey church which is very beautiful.
Our abbey was built in neo-Gothic style. The blue stones were extracted from the quarry located in our own grounds. At the height of our community, we were 99 nuns praying, working, and living here within the walls of our abbey according to the Rule of Saint Benedict. Our motto is "Ora et labora": "pray and work". We live off our own harvests of fruits and vegetables. Our water source provides us with its delicious water every day.
Our illumination and printing workshop was well developed. Countless works have been created in our workshop by the sisters. Our Mother Abbess, Mother Bénédicte, is the only one continuing the tradition of illumination. An illumination school was founded in 2003 and regularly welcomes people eager to learn illumination according to the techniques of Maredret, based on medieval illumination.
Today, we are a small group of about twenty nuns. We do everything possible to live in simplicity. We joyfully welcome anyone seeking Peace and Silence, anyone questioning their religious vocation, those wishing to pray with us during our services or specific prayer times, anyone wanting to take a break in their life and rest in God, groups organizing a spiritual session, trainees from the illumination school, Gregorian chant trainees, school groups for a retreat or testimony, and young students during exam periods.
Our Community was founded by Madame Agnès de Hemptinne on September 8, 1893. We were 7 nuns, trained at the Abbey of Saint Cecilia in Solesmes, France. Madame Agnès was our first Abbess and received the name Mother Cecilia. She actively participated in the construction and decoration of the abbey, especially the abbey church, which is very beautiful.
Our abbey was built in a neo-Gothic style. The blue stones were extracted from the quarry located on our own land. At the height of our community, we were 99 nuns praying, working, and living here within the walls of our abbey according to the Rule of Saint Benedict. Our motto is "Ora et labora": "pray and work". We live off our own harvests of fruits and vegetables. Our water source provides us with its delicious water every day.