Gouarec Monastery
The community of Augustinian Hospitallers welcomes you for a time of spiritual renewal at their monastery located in the heart of Brittany, in the Côtes d'Armor, at the border of Finistère and Morbihan!
Retreats organized by the community
The Augustinians of Gouarec, in Brittany
The sisters from Guingamp numbered 6 when they arrived in Gouarec in 1825 at the request of the Bishop of Saint Brieuc and Tréguier to serve the poor and the sick. The community quickly grew along with its ministries: school, retirement home, residential facility for people with disabilities, and hospitality. Soon, a family guesthouse was established and in recent years a small monastic guest house!
Well integrated in the heart of the town, the community is a landmark for many people, often struck by the atmosphere of peace that emanates from the place. Visitors who come to the sisters greatly appreciate the liturgy (that is, the sung prayer times), which is an integral part of their religious life, and they take special care of it!
The sisters, members of the Augustinian community, follow the Rule of Saint Augustine (354-430), founder of a new form of religious life that could be called "monks and religious in the city." This rule is characterized by the very high importance of fraternal life among community members.
The Augustinians, a community dedicated to hospitality!
The community, founded in 1825, today comprises 23 sisters aged 31 to 100. They rely on a strong personal and communal prayer life, fraternal life, and multiple services outside the monastery, as they are also present in parish life.
True to their hospitable nature, this dimension of hospitality is broad and encompasses not only healthcare but also welcome in its widest sense. The sisters gather in the chapel for the monastic offices (find the explanation of the different prayer times here): Lauds in the morning, the mid-day hour before lunch, Mass and Vespers in the late afternoon, then Compline after dinner.
Several sisters work on teams in retirement homes, others in youth ministry and end-of-life care, while others handle community services with the help of lay Christians.
They also have times of fellowship and especially... times of recreation, which are necessary!
What to expect during your stay
Welcoming retreatants at Gouarec Monastery
The sisters do not organize retreats themselves, except for their annual 8-day community retreat, open to the sisters of the community, other religious sisters, and which may also be open to laypeople, friends of the community or those who have already stayed at the monastery.
Throughout the year, they welcome:
- people who wish to find spiritual renewal
- young people who would like to discover religious life by having a time of mission at the nursing home, meetings with one or more sisters...
- young people who wish to study for their exams in peace, while rendering some services...
Coming for a spiritual retreat at Gouarec
The guest house, with a capacity of 20 people, consists of a small independent house comprising:
- on the ground floor, a living room and a kitchen
- upstairs, 4 rooms including one with a double bed, another with twin beds, and two smaller ones. Each has a sink and there are toilets and a shower on the floor.
The guest house also consists of a central building connected to the community, equipped with an elevator, and comprising:
- 2 studios (one of which is for two people)
- an "apartment" with two bedrooms and a separate kitchen
- 12 rooms equipped with a sink and toilet, 2 of these rooms also having a shower
- two dining rooms
- a living room with television
- another parlor-lounge
- a large meeting room with internet access
- an oratory
Meals are usually taken at the guest house, either all together or in two dining rooms depending on who is there. The community can also welcome you for shared meals that are taken in silence.
Geography and activities
What to do and see around Gouarec Monastery?
Located in a rural area, in the heart of Brittany, in the Côtes d'Armor, at the border of Finistère and Morbihan, the site offers the possibility of long walks along the Nantes to Brest Canal or in the Liscuis heights. Hiking and cycling are very popular activities in the monastery's surroundings! Lake Guerlédan also offers some water activities.
The town where the monastery is located, with barely 1,000 inhabitants, is bordered by waterways, the Blavet and the Doré, and constitutes the river stage along the Nantes to Brest Canal with a very welcoming campground. Many associations are present and there is no shortage of activities in the summer!
Finally, the sisters are also 10 minutes by car from Bon-Repos Abbey, a former Cistercian abbey that has undergone major restoration work and which can also be reached on foot via the canal (about 1 hour).
The Valley of the Saints in Carnoët, accessible by car (40 minutes), also attracts many visitors!
Practical information
Discover more locations
