Monastery of Notre-Dame at Bouzy-la-Forêt

Posted in Benedictines, Diocese of Orléans, Ecclesiastical province of Tours

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History of our Monastery

Our Monastery of Notre-Dame at Bouzy-la-forêt belongs to the Benedictine Congregation of Our Lady of Calvary which currently consists of three communities in France and one in Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives.
In the early XVII th century Pope Paul V ordered Madame d’Orléans, a cousin of Henri IV, to leave the Feuillantine Monastery in Toulouse which she had entered after her husband’s death, and to go and reform the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud. After many trials and tribulations, she refused to be an Abbess and, with the help of Father Joseph du Tremblay, Richelieu’s adviser, she left the Fontevraud Order and in 1617 she founded the Benedictines of Our Lady of Calvary at Poitiers. The Congregation rapidly expanded. The Orleans monastery was founded in 1638. Shortly after the French Revolution a few nuns returned to monastic life and settled behind the cathedral. In 1960 the sisters moved to Saint-Jean-de-Braye where the community of Vendome joined them, bringing youth and dynamism. En 1999 they moved again to Bouzy-la-Forêt, near Saint Benoît sur Loire, with five sisters coming from Kerbénéat in Brittany.

The Monastery today

Through the vicissitudes of history we continue our spiritual journey spurred on by the desire to follow Christ with Mary, according to Saint Benedict’s Rule and Madame d’Orléans’ inspiration.
With Saint Benedict, living a life that is poor, humble and hidden at Subiaco, we try to search for God in our community life of prayer (with liturgy in French, and Gregorian chant), work and hospitality whilst placing a particular emphasis on silence and worship.
With Mary sharing the Paschal Mystery of her Son, we offer the world to the power of redemption and we try to be a sign of hope.
We pray especially for the Unity of Christians and for Peace in the Holy Land.

Some special features of our monastery

Our very modern Monastery is built next to the Forest of Orléans, 11 km from Saint Benoît sur Loire. Diocesan groups as well as individuals like to come for spiritual refreshment and to enjoy the peaceful surroundings. We earn our living by making Emerald Water, an alcoholic lotion resulting from the distillation of a mixture of honey and medicinal herbs according to a recipe of the XVIIth century. It is very effective for skin problems and mouth care. We also sell products from other monasteries.

Déposer une demande de retraite spirituelle en ligne via le site Ritrit.