Craon Monastery
Located 30 km southwest of Laval in Mayenne, in the picturesque small town of Craon, the Benedictine sisters welcome you to their monastery for renewing spiritual retreats and contemplation!
Retreats organized by the community
A brief history of the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception in Craon
The Institute of Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, which inhabits the monastery, was founded in 1653 in Paris by Catherine de Bar (1614-1698), better known as Mother Mectilde of the Blessed Sacrament.
In 1791, after housing a revolutionary tribunal, a theater, a public granary, and even a Masonic lodge, the monastery was acquired as national property by the Directory of the town of Craon. Directly affected by history, it suffered somewhat from its various uses.
It wasn't until 1829, with the return of the Prioress of the Benedictine monastery in Rouen, Délie de Cossé-Brissac (also known as Mother Saint-Louis de Gonzague, originally from Craon), that the community settled again in the former 17th-century Dominican convent. It was also during this period that the sisters built a private school and boarding house. It is in this bucolic setting, adapted to monastic life, that the Community still lives today.
Today, the community numbers more than 600 nuns and has spread throughout Europe, from Poland to Italy, including Germany and the Netherlands.
Built in the 19th century, the monastery's beautiful church was renovated in 2008 and remains open to anyone wishing to meditate to the sound of Gregorian chants that the sisters sing several times a day, following the precepts of Saint Benedict, whose Rule they follow.
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Life at Craon Monastery: between work and prayer
At Craon, monastic life is organized to allow for silence. The day, punctuated by seven offices, is divided between prayer, study, and work. Every hour, the bell rings and the nuns stop to pray.
Benedictines above all, the sisters follow the Rule of Saint Benedict of Nursia (5th-6th century), according to which spiritual balance rests on work and prayer. This is the famous formula ora et labora. At Craon, the work consists of decorating hand-painted porcelain and making rosaries, sold in the monastery's small shop.
The 12 sisters follow the Rule of Saint Benedict with one particularity: their mission is to adore the Blessed Sacrament day and night. In order to ensure this continuous presence and thus form an unbroken chain of contemplation, people sometimes help them and take turns. Many retreatants report that these moments of tranquility, these times of respite bring them inner peace.
From time to time, the sisters break the silence for a time of fellowship, an opportunity for them to gather together. They are not merely placed side by side, each living separately, but are united in the same spirit and the same quest, like a family.
What to expect during your stay
Making a spiritual retreat at Craon Monastery
A guest house adjoining the monastery is open to families, friends, and for spiritual retreat times. Single men are accepted only by recommendation. The rooms are located in a very beautiful half-timbered house from the late 15th century.
Facing it opens a very beautiful park in bloom year-round, where calm and freshness prevail.
You will also have access to quiet rooms ideal for exam review, writing your thesis or dissertation, preparing for a competitive exam, or simply settling in with your favorite book!
Guests are warmly invited (though this is not a sine qua non condition for making a spiritual retreat!) to the silent adoration times offered by the community. Specifically, these take place throughout the day and one night per week. The offices are supported by Gregorian chants.
Regarding meals, note that lunch and dinner are not provided by the community. However, an equipped kitchen is available for retreatants.
Geography and activities
The town of Craon and the history of Laval in Mayenne
The monastery is located in the heart of the charming and picturesque small town of Craon, in Mayenne. A former seigneury that became a barony, it stands at the gateway to Brittany, at the center of a triangle between Rennes, Angers, and Le Mans. More precisely, Craon is located 30 km from Laval, designated a City of Art and History.
Craon is famous for the horse races held there and for its beautiful 18th-century château. Likely inspired by the Grand Trianon, it is nicknamed the "little Versailles of Mayenne". The château and its 47-hectare park can be freely visited all summer, and guided tours are organized year-round.
Activities and discoveries around Craon Monastery
- In the immediate vicinity of the monastery, you can boat or relax on the shores of the Rincerie pond (15 min) or the Mûrier lake (11 min).
- Among Mayenne's most prominent sites and less than 20 minutes from the monastery, discover Château-Gontier in Mayenne, a thousand-year-old town renowned for its natural and architectural richness.
- Be sure to visit the Ursuline convent, an architectural gem, its medieval castle, and the beautiful Church of Saint John the Baptist, built in the 11th century in Romanesque style.
- A monastic land par excellence, the town of Craon is well surrounded: La Coudre Abbey (20 km away), Solesmes Abbey (50 km away), and the community of the Little Brothers of Mary at La Cotellerie (40 km away). Likewise, the Marian shrine of Pontmain is located just over an hour away by car.
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