Monastery of Paix-Dieu at Anduze

Monastery Notre-Dame de la Source at l’Albère

Posted in Cistercians, Diocese of Nîmes, Ecclesiastical province of Montpellier

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The history of our monastery

The monastery of Paix-Dieu at Anduze is a little isolated and quiet monastery ; it was founded in 1970 by the Abbey Notre-Dame des Gardes (Maine et Loire) ; it wishes to be an humble sign of evangelical life and prayer inside the Church, in the hope of unity between Christians. Its root in the protestant Cévennes which is a country marked by the discord scandal already expresses its vocation, here: give life to the prayer of Jesus for unity : “that all should be one…, in order that the world should believe” Jn 17, 21.

The monastery today

The monastery of Paix-Dieu, usually known as “Cabanoule”, which is the name of the locality is in the Gard, at the north of Nimes, in the commune of Anduze, also known as “Porte des Cevennes”. Our community composed today of 13 Sisters who are happy to pray, to receive and to work altogether. Our days are marked by the prayer of the 7 services – the first at night at 4h15 during which we unite with the Christ in prayer on the mountain – which connect us deeply to the life of the world, to their joys, their sadness and hopes. We have at our disposal a 12 bedrooms hostelry and a shop. Three craftworks allow us “to work with our hands” like the wish of St Benoist’s Rule: a confectionery work (the “Rocamandines”) candles (beeswax and paraffin) and spike lavender essential oil.

Some special features of our monastery

The ecumenical vocation of our community has allowed us to have mutual bounds created from the start with pastors, neighbors and protestant friends. Deep and special bounds unite the monastery to the communities of Pomeyrol, of Reuilly (at Versailles and at Moustier-St Voy in Haute-Loire), of Grandchamp as well as Saint-Loup in Switzerland and with the deaconesses of Alsace.