Echourgnac Abbey
Founded in 1852 in the Pyrénées-Orientales, established in Echourgnac since 1923, the community today consists of 22 sisters ranging from 26 to 98 years old!
The nuns welcome those who are seeking silence to return to God's presence. The purpose of a stay at the guest house is spiritual renewal. It is offered to individuals or organized groups.
A retreat is a favorable time for reading, prayer, meditation, and walking. Retreatants can organize their time at their own pace. The sisters of the community sing and pray to God seven times a day, and retreatants are invited to freely participate in the Liturgy of the Hours.
Retreats organized by the community
Founded in 1852 in the Pyrénées-Orientales, established in Échourgnac since 1923, the community today consists of 22 sisters ranging from 29 to 98 years old.
A brief history of the Cistercian order
The Cistercian order is a reformed branch of the Benedictines whose origin dates back to the founding of Cîteaux Abbey by Robert of Molesme in 1098.
The Cistercian order plays a leading role in the religious history of the 12th century. Through its organization and spiritual authority, it has historically established itself throughout the West. It owes its considerable development to Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), a man of exceptional personality and charisma. His influence and personal prestige made him the most famous Cistercian of the 12th century. While he is not its founder, he remains the spiritual master of the order.
Insofar as it restored the Benedictine Rule inspired by the Gregorian reform, the Cistercian order is committed to liturgical beauty and establishes, to a certain extent, work as a cardinal value, as evidenced by its technical, artistic, and architectural heritage. Beyond the social role it played until the French Revolution, the order exercised a leading influence in intellectual and economic fields, as well as in the domains of arts and spirituality.
To learn more about the Cistercian order as well as other religious orders that exist, take a look at the article dedicated specifically to this question!
What to expect during your stay
Between studies, starting professional life, family, friends, and leisure activities, it's not always easy to take time to step back, to set yourself apart for a moment and discover yourself, lay the foundations for your future life, disconnect, and take a deep breath... Go read in this article the 1,001 reasons (yes, at least) to go on a spiritual retreat soon!
Notre-Dame d'Échourgnac Trappist monastery
In a world overflowing with words, sounds, and images, daring to face silence can sometimes be frightening. And yet... it is the place of an essential encounter with God, and with oneself as well. And for that, nothing is better than booking a short retreat for a peaceful time of rest.
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The abbey's guest house, an ideal place for your spiritual retreat
The guest mistress is available to retreatants if they wish. If they would like to meet with a priest, they can contact the Father chaplain.
The community invites you to participate in daily manual tasks.
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The work of the sisters at Echourgnac Abbey
The nuns live from the fruit of their labor:
- fruit jellies and jams
- but especially, in the great Cistercian cheese-making tradition, they age a cheese with walnut liqueur...
The community's special pride: Échourgnac cheese
La Trappe (the cheese can be referred to in French with either masculine or feminine articles) is a pure local product, at the heart of the Double forest, with sisters at work in the small aging facility. For your information, they still distribute 100 tons of cheese each year throughout the country.
This flavorful artisanal cheese is small, round, molded from cow's milk and Périgord walnut liqueur. A little tip for optimal tasting: La Trappe pairs beautifully with a little charcuterie, or simply drizzled with Monbazillac, a local vintage.
Geography and activities
Notre-Dame-des-Bois sanctuary
The areas around the abbey parking lot are landscaped, including the undergrowth, making it easy to walk or stop for a few moments, pray at the Notre Dame des Bois sanctuary, chat, or picnic around the tables.
The Way of Saint James in Dordogne
One of the routes of Saint James (which passes between the Tours route and the Vézelay route), after crossing Charente, runs along the monastery's enclosure wall. You can also enjoy following it for a few minutes or a few hours.
The Terra Aventura trail in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Since July 2021, a Terra Aventura trail (geocaching game) allows you to venture between the village and the abbey, through fields and woods, also discovering small, previously very discreet points in our community's history (*but we won't say more here so as not to reveal the clues to this wonderful treasure hunt).
Let's just say it's a beautiful way to discover the abbey... for all ages! And the landscapes are diverse.
A walk with family or friends...
Around the monastery, discover the Pinède Loop
In July 2021, a camp from the Cité des jeunes created a new hiking trail. The starting point is located opposite the water tower (past the parking lot) and follows the Way of Saint James of Compostela in the opposite direction. It's a lovely little 1.5 km loop. On sunny days, this walk smells wonderfully of pine forest!
Practical information
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