La Roche du Theil Spiritual Center
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At the crossroads of Ille-et-Vilaine, Loire-Atlantique and Morbihan, the La Roche du Theil welcome and spirituality center receives men, women, youth, families and groups, including scouts and WWOOFers!
With a mission to accompany religious and lay people, the community listens to you, whatever your situation, and can guide you through your discernments and your spiritual journey.
With its 12 hectares of remarkable parkland, the center offers an environment conducive to meditation and spiritual reflection.
Retreats organized by the community
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La Roche du Theil: a history linked to the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (Eudists)
La Roche du Theil is an Eudist welcome and spirituality center, located in a historic place near Redon in Brittany, at the crossroads of the departments of Ille-et-Vilaine, Loire-Atlantique and Morbihan. Its beautiful 19th-century building is set in a 12-hectare wooded park, composed of remarkable and varied plant species, offering beautiful viewpoints.
In 1839 the Eudists took over the college of Redon and bought the estate; the owner then retired to the religious of the Retreat in Redon. In 1850 the congregation established its novitiate there, which became, in 1852, Saint Gabriel Seminary. Expelled in 1905, the Eudists went into exile (Belgium, Canada, Colombia) and only returned in 1932 after expansion and modernization work. Following the integration of seminarians into Parisian universities, La Roche du Theil became in 1964 a house of prayer and spiritual welcome. Today La Roche du Theil is a welcome and spirituality center with a community of priests, sisters, lay employees and volunteers.
The Congregation of Jesus and Mary (Eudists)
The congregation was founded by Saint John Eudes on March 25, 1643. In 1643, Saint John Eudes gathered a few companions to live a double mission to energize the Christian life of all the baptized: to carry the Word of God to live by it and to form priests "according to the Heart of God." What characterizes the Congregation of Jesus and Mary is its double objective: "to collaborate in the work of evangelization and in the formation of good workers of the Gospel." This society of life according to the model of the apostles brings together Catholic priests, deacons and lay people, incorporated or associated, who share their prayer life, their experiences and their apostolic commitments. Saint John Eudes, seized by the love of Christ, carried in his heart the distresses and needs of the men and women of his time: following their founder, the Eudists seek to boldly open paths to grow the Kingdom of God.
For this, fraternal life in community is offered to them as a good means of achieving the perfection of charity toward which every Christian must strive. The Eudists "work for the proclamation of the Gospel and the renewal of faith through the witness of their life, their prayer, their teaching and the accomplishment of various pastoral tasks." The missions entrusted to them are varied: parishes, support for Catholic education, spiritual retreat centers, seminaries, formation of lay people, chaplaincies, etc.
So that evangelization may bear lasting fruit, Saint John Eudes devoted his entire being to the formation of priests. The Eudists work for the formation and awakening of vocations, particularly through formation in seminaries and service to priests.
The congregation is today present in 19 countries on four continents.
At La Roche du Theil there is a community of priests and sisters who participate in the spiritual animation of the center. A place of welcome, accompaniment and prayer, it receives throughout the year pilgrims, families or groups seeking rest and spirituality.
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What to expect during your stay
Many customized spiritual retreat offerings for everyone
La Roche du Theil is a welcome center where everyone finds their place in order to advance spiritually and/or humanly in a supportive setting.
The center welcomes individuals, couples, families, groups (associations, church groups, movements, consecrated persons, baptized and non-baptized…) for times of rest, renewal, festive meals, meetings, student study sessions, …
To "Form Jesus in you," the center offers spiritual sessions/days, retreats, times of renewal and accompaniment, desert times… A program of retreats (individual, couples, family, group...) is offered, but the place also receives groups who organize their own retreat time.
A suitable and supportive place for everyone
Everyone can find what suits them:
- 80 rooms, including 8 accessible for people with reduced mobility, 39 double rooms including 17 with full comfort, accommodating 113 people.
- 5 places of prayer (4 chapels and 1 oratory).
- 8 meeting rooms with a capacity of 8 to 80 people (audiovisual equipment on request).
- 3 dining rooms of different sizes, adapted to the specificity of each group (silence, music…) and quality on-site catering for 10 to 135 meals.
- A lounge, a library
- and above all a remarkable 12-hectare park with 3 areas for setting up tents
The center offers stays by the night, half board or full board.
Geography and activities
La Roche du Theil: greenery as far as the eye can see
La Roche du Theil is located near Redon, in Brittany, at the crossroads of the departments of Ille-et-Vilaine, Loire-Atlantique and Morbihan. The center is 7 minutes from the Redon TGV station, 30 minutes from Vannes, 45 minutes from Rennes and 50 minutes from Nantes.
Authentic, surprising, friendly. The Redon region is full of tourist sites to discover. History has permeated this territory which offers beautiful heritage. Nature magnifies the Redon region through its river, its canal and its waterways, through its departmental natural sites and through its green landscapes.
Endowed with a 12-hectare wooded park, the La Roche du Theil property offers the possibility of a true journey through the geography and beauty of the landscapes that open before you. Hikers, visitors and retreatants plunge into the enchanting world of cedars of Lebanon and the Atlas, sequoias, forest maples, swamp maples, sycamores. Walking times allow you to discover more than 350 species of medicinal plants and edible plants.
Starting from La Roche du Theil and nearby, you benefit from various hiking trails and are located near the Nantes to Brest canal.
Otherwise, visit:
- Île aux Pies and the Nantes to Brest canal: A great natural site, dotted with cliffs, Île aux Pies impresses visitors and sports enthusiasts
- Redon, historic city and port city: is a city located at the confluence of the Nantes-Brest canal and the Vilaine with a maritime atmosphere and historical heritage.
- Megaliths and moors of Saint-Just: A magnificent and enigmatic departmental natural site,
- The Don valley: a small winding river has shaped this steep valley for the greatest pleasure of walkers,
- The Vilaine valley from Langon to Béganne: visitors enjoy the towpath to walk, run, paddle,
- La Gacilly: between art and nature, among the most beautiful villages of Brittany
Practical information
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