Abbey Notre-Dame de Bonne-Espérance at Echourgnac

Posted in Cistercians, Diocese of Périgueux, Ecclesiastical province of Bordeaux

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The History of our community

Our community was founded at Espira-de l’Agly in the eastern Pyrenees in 1852. This community was exiled in 1905 and settled in Echourgnac in 1923 replacing the Trappists. They had founded the monastery in 1868 and were dispersed in 1910. The monastery was built in la Double, in a marshy and insalubrious country during the 19th century, but the monks drained it and give life by setting up a model farm. It is at 50 km to the west of Périgueux, 70 km to the south of Angouleme and 80 km to the northeast of Bordeaux.

The monastery today

The Abbey of Notre-Dame de Bonne Espérance in Echourgnac numbers today 25 Sisters whose ages are from 25 to 100 years old and keeps peculiarity traits of poverty, courage in work and simplicity. Some sisters come from Périgord but most of them come from various regions: Bretagne, Paris, Alsace, Normandie, Bourgogne and even from Kenya or China. A cheese dairy, a confectioner shop and the monastic shop allow the community daily to earn its living.

Some special features of our monastery

We belong to the Cistercian order of the old school or Trappist, we follow St Benoit’s Rule; so our day is divided into three important activities, the personal or choral prayer, the lectio divina and the work. The hostelry represents an important part in our life. The community welcomes retreated people either individually or by group staying in guest-quarters of 24 bedrooms (32 beds). We also arrange stays during which the monastically life is revealed to students and young professional.