La Paix Notre-Dame Priory in Flée
In the heart of Sarthe (72), located in the countryside but slightly elevated, La Paix Notre-Dame Priory enjoys a superb view over the Loir valley and a beautiful, very peaceful setting in direct contact with nature!
Not far from the two cities of Tours and Le Mans, the community of Benedictine sisters living on site welcomes you for a time of retreat!
Retreats organized by the community
La Paix Notre-Dame Priory, a monastery near Le Mans
La Paix Notre-Dame Priory has been located since 1947 on a property in the commune of Flée, in the Loir Valley (southern Sarthe), near the town of Château du Loir, halfway between Le Mans and Tours.
It is an old manor house, the Château de la Vieillère, composed of three 18th-century buildings, built against a hillside, in which are carved numerous troglodyte dwellings.
The community spaces (including the chapter house, refectory, kitchen, among others) include several of these rooms carved into the rock, whose solidity comes from the mixture of flint and tufa stone, and which the community has arranged.
In the 1950s, the community also built a building for guest reception, and in 1968 another for the community. The current arrangement of the chapel dates from 1977, with stained glass windows created at Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire Abbey, which give it a simple, peaceful, and prayerful atmosphere.
The monastic life of the Benedictines of Flée
Founded in 1946 by women who carried the vision of an authentic monastic life but adapted to fragile health, it belongs to the Order of Saint Benedict and to the Notre-Dame de la Rencontre Federation, recently formed in 2022, which unites 17 communities of Benedictine nuns from various backgrounds, 12 in France and 5 in West Africa.
Throughout its history, it has woven fraternal bonds with Notre-Dame de Jouarre Abbey, where the foundresses were formed, Sainte-Marie de La Pierre qui Vire Abbey and Saint-Pierre de Solesmes, whose monks have been precious supports for them. As for any Benedictine community, its main activities are divine praise (that is, communal prayer) and hospitality to guests.
The monastic offices are sung in Gregorian chant. Various works also help the life of the community (vegetable garden, partnership with an herbalist and a ceramist).
What to expect during your stay
A time of spiritual retreat in Flée in Sarthe
The sisters welcome individuals for stays of rest, renewal, spiritual respite, with possible participation in religious offices.
They also welcome organized groups, with their own program and their spiritual directors, but also young people for exam study, couples and families, alone or in groups.
It is possible to request a meeting with the chaplain priest or with a sister, and to participate in tasks of the community's life: peeling vegetables, picking from the garden, gardening, various maintenance work on the property or buildings...
There are also retreat-workshops combining work with materials (clay) and spirituality.
Accommodation at Notre-Dame de la Paix Priory
The guest house (capacity of 10 people) includes on the ground floor a large room for meals and meetings, two rooms for people who cannot climb the stairs, a kitchen (but without the possibility to prepare meals), a shower and toilets.
Upstairs, 4 single rooms and 2 double rooms (one with a double bed and the other with two beds). Shower and toilets shared by the 6 rooms upstairs. All rooms include a sink.
The chapel is accessible to guests and visitors all day. Guests also have access to a small library.
Meals are prepared by the community (capacity of 20 people for meals), brought to the guest house and taken together. It is possible to request to eat separately in silence, and, under certain conditions, to accommodate special diets for medical reasons.
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Geography and activities
The surroundings of Flée Abbey, a typically Sarthe setting
There is a greenway in the immediate vicinity of the monastery, which is near the large Bercé state forest with educational trails, the Lac des Varennes in Marçon, with swimming possible.
Numerous cultural or sports visits and activities are also offered in the region (glass blower, ceramics, horseback riding, bike rides, visits to churches with frescoes, troglodyte dwellings, old mill, etc.).
Practical information
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