Abbey Sainte-Marie de Maumont at Juignac

Abbey Sainte-Marie de Maumont at Juignac

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The History of Our Monastery

The Abbey Sainte-Marie de Maumont at Juignac (diocese of Angoulême) owes existence thanks to Mère Gertrude Coullaud, Benedictine of Notre-Dame des Anges at St Maixent (Deux Sèvres). She was the superior of the novices in this little monastery, foundation of the Priory of Lencloître, itself foundation of Fontevrault. In 1792, the Revolution obliged Mère Gertrude Coullaud to take refuge in her family at St Jean d’Angély.
In 1816, she gathered around her some nuns, by buying a “house” : for that she used a sum of money donated, before their dispersion, by a few Marists Benedictines of St Jean d’Angély in order “to relight the flame”.
In 1827, the monastery Notre-Dame des Anges was officially founded ; then developed with the help of the Abbey of Pradines.
In 1957, as the tow n was encircled with its buildings the enclosure of the moniales, the transfer of the Abbey was decided: the castle of Maumont in Charente welcomed the community who took the name of Abbey of Ste Marie de Maumont at Juignac.

The Monastery today

In Maumont, our community numbers about fifty sisters. The days are divided between the laudation, the fraternal life and the work. Our liturgical office unites the Gregorian tradition and contemporary compositions in French. Vigiles at 5.30 am Laudes at 7.30 am, Eucharistie at 8.50 am, work until Sexte at 12.30, meal followed by None, Vêpres at 5.15 pm, Complies at 8.05 pm. Most of the active moniales work in a bookbinding (www.maumont.com), but our community has also a liturgical vestments work, a bookshop with monastic products. Finally, our hostelry welcomes hosts in the monastically traditional way, help them in the discovery of the liturgy, the reading of the Scripture and offers all the yearlong some main points of reflexion on the Christian life.
In 1996, we answered the call of Mgr. Sarah, then bishop of Conakry, who wished to offer therefore a monastery to his church: so began the foundation of the Priory of St Cross of Friguiazgbe, near Kindi, in Guinea Conakry, which numbers today some sisters from Maumont and two young Guinean.

Some special features of our monastery

Our foundation in Guinea is a wide opening to the mission and the African continent. We have a continue contact with our sisters and through them with the diocesan archbishop of Conakry and the parish of Kindia which work to the evangelization. We also participate to the monastique interreligious dialogue (DIM).

About

Abbey Sainte-Marie de Maumont at Juignac

  • Federation : Notre Dame de la Rencontre
  • Diocese : Angoulème
  • Ecclesiastical province : Poitiers

Contact our monastery

Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Maumont
16 190 JUIGNAC