Chartreuse de Portes

Geographic location

Nestled in the mountains of Bugey, almost equidistant from Lyon and Geneva, the Chartreuse de Portes sits at the top of a mountain pass, away from main roads, 7 km from the nearest village. At nearly 1,000 meters above sea level, it enjoys the bracing, healthy climate of the mountains, and its secluded setting, surrounded by nature in total silence, fosters the recollection and contemplative prayer of the monks who live there.

A brief historical overview

The first house in France to join the Grande Chartreuse, Portes has been called "the eldest daughter of the Carthusian Order." It also received the title of "Charterhouse of the Saints," as it was home from the beginning to monks of great merit, several of whom are venerated as saints or blesseds: Saint Arthaud, Saint Anthelme, Blessed Ayrald, and Saint Étienne de Châtillon.

Here are a few chronological landmarks:

1115 Bernard and Ponce, monks of the Benedictine abbey of Ambronay, withdraw to the massif of Portes, wishing to live the same solitary life that the sons of St. Bruno have led since 1084 in the desert of Chartreuse. 1125 Dedication of the church of the Maison-Haute, on the same site as the present charterhouse. 1128 Dedication of the church of the Maison-Basse (Correrie). 1638 Beginning of the monastery's restoration works. 1789 – 1799 During the French Revolution, the community is forced to disperse. Dom Vallet remains alone in his cell until his death (1799), sustained by the charity of the neighboring people. 1855 The Carthusians buy back Portes, whose buildings had been left in disrepair by successive owners. The monastery is restored and a community resumes regular life there. 1901 The Carthusians of Portes are forced to go into exile in Switzerland, faced with the threat of expulsion laws. 1951 The monastery is repurchased by the Carthusian Order. 1954 A Carthusian monk, Dom Emmanuel Cluzet, settles at Portes as guardian of the monastery and oversees the first restoration works. 1970 Completion of the restoration of the buildings. 1971 A new community settles there, its core drawn mainly from the neighboring charterhouse of Sélignac.

Distinctive features

With its twelve cells for the choir monks and around ten cells for the brothers, the Chartreuse de Portes has preserved the traditional layout of the Order's older houses. Today, various age groups are represented, with several senior monks and a good number of younger ones.

The communal liturgy is sung in Latin for all Gregorian pieces and in French for the readings, psalms, and prayers of intercession.

The economic life of the community is sustained by a small craft activity carried out by the monks (making the wooden boxes used to package bottles of "Chartreuse" liqueur), by some forestry work, by donations, and by the pensions of the elderly monks. The brothers handle the community's daily service and the upkeep of the house.

The guest house receives only the families of the monks once or twice a year.

The life led at the Chartreuse de Portes, in a particularly solitary and silent setting, within a small community of a familial character, corresponds well to the ideal of the Carthusian vocation as defined at the origins of the Order by our Father St. Bruno and by Guigues in his "Customs": to form together a communion of solitaries in order to live in the closest possible intimacy with God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, under the gentle protection of Mary, "most special Mother of the Carthusians." The Virgin Mary, in the Mystery of her Assumption, is the Patroness of the House of Portes. On December 8, 2015, the community consecrated itself to her Immaculate Heart.

During 2006, the complete restoration of the monastery church was carried out. The conventual church is the heart of the house. It is there that the communal Offices are celebrated: the Night Office, the Holy Mass, and Vespers. Each day, for a time before the conventual Mass and before Vespers, the monks may also adore their Lord present bodily in the Tabernacle. But in reality, it is their entire life of solitude in hermitage that is called to become eucharistic, since their vocation is to unite themselves intimately with the paschal mystery of Christ, the beloved Son of the Father, Priest and Host of his own sacrifice, through which he perfectly glorifies the Father and saves the world.

Novitiate

Candidates wishing to explore a possible Carthusian vocation may participate fully in the monks' daily life, for a duration to be determined with the novice master (an initial contact, followed by a stay of one or two weeks for a first experience, or a month for a full retreat of discernment). To determine the best arrangement, it is recommended to contact the novice master directly by postal mail, email, or telephone before the beginning of the great silence that follows the ringing of the evening Angelus at 6:45 p.m.

The vocation of a Carthusian monk does not require exceptional qualities or virtues. It corresponds to a wholly unmerited call from the Lord, and it is the support of his grace that makes it possible to respond to it. Often, it is experience alone that allows one to discern the reality of this call.