Maison Saint Joseph d'Allex
Maison Saint Joseph in Allex is a welcoming space open to all those wishing to experience a time of inner pause, a Christian retreat, or a quiet stay in a peaceful and fraternal environment.
In the heart of Drôme, the vast wooded park, historic buildings, and daily presence of a religious community give it a unique atmosphere conducive to prayer, silence, and meaningful encounters.
Retreats organized by the community
A Spiritan heritage spanning more than a century
The history of Maison Saint Joseph begins in 1875 with the founding of the Œuvre des Petits Clercs de Saint Joseph, an apostolic school intended to train future missionaries of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit.
After several relocations due to the political constraints of the era, the institution permanently settled in Allex in 1920, in the former residence of the La Tour du Pin family.
For nearly 80 years, this place welcomed generations of young men, offering a solid formation open to the world and inspired by devotion to Saint Joseph, patron of the universal Church.
When the apostolic school closed in 1999, the site began a new mission, becoming a welcoming center open to all, managed by the Accueil Saint Joseph d'Allex association.
Even today, spiritual life remains vibrant thanks to the community's daily prayer, Sunday celebrations, and numerous local pastoral activities.
The Spiritan Museum of African Arts, located on the grounds, bears witness to the cultural and missionary richness of the congregation.
The Spiritan community of Allex: a missionary presence open to the world
The Congregation of the Holy Spirit, founded in the 17th century, today brings together nearly 2,600 religious present in about sixty countries.
The Spiritans are committed to serving diverse populations in a spirit of hospitality, dialogue, and fraternity. Their mission takes shape in simple but essential actions: spiritual guidance, education, solidarity, pastoral life, and the promotion of local cultures.
The Allex community is composed of five religious living on site. Their daily life revolves around community prayer, shared meals, and a wide variety of apostolates:
- welcoming groups,
- managing the sanctuary,
- providing spiritual guidance,
- celebrating the sacraments in connection with the parish,
- coordinating solidarity activities, and
- managing the Spiritan Museum of African Arts.
What to expect during your stay
Retreats and spiritual guidance
Maison Saint Joseph does not directly offer organized spiritual retreats but welcomes groups that wish to lead them.
Guests can participate in the community's offices and request spiritual guidance or the sacrament of reconciliation.
This setting makes Maison Saint Joseph a suitable place to experience a spiritual pause or deepen one's faith.
Guest house: spacious buildings adapted for all
The facilities at Maison Saint Joseph can accommodate families, groups, communities, associations, or individuals seeking rest.
Accommodation
- 23 rooms with private bathrooms (2 beds)
- one family room with 5 beds
- A set of cubicles with 2 to 4 beds, totaling 30 beds, with shared bathrooms
- 7 rooms with 2 to 8 beds and shared bathrooms
- 7 rooms with 3 beds adapted for people with disabilities
Meeting rooms
- Large rooms: Madagascar (150 m²), Sénégal (120 m²), and Brésil (120 m²), equipped with modular furniture
- Madagascar and Sénégal rooms: integrated sound system and video projector
- Bourbon, Maurice, and Papouasie rooms (60 m² each)
- Kitchen relay for group autonomy
- Bourbon room equipped with a piano
Meals
The kitchen prepares meals on site. Meals, served cafeteria-style, are shared in the five dining rooms.
The park
The 3-hectare park includes a pond, meadows, wooded areas, and a community garden space. This natural environment is perfectly suited for camps or gatherings, with dedicated facilities (kitchen relay, restrooms).
The Spiritan Museum of African Arts
This exceptional museum preserves a great diversity of artifacts from daily life and the sacred originating from equatorial Africa (19th-20th centuries). Masks, statues, ritual objects, and popular art pieces bear witness to the richness of cultures encountered by missionaries.
Geography and activities
Geographic setting: a Drôme village between mountains and rivers
Located in the Drôme valley in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Maison Saint Joseph enjoys an ideal environment for a Christian retreat or a renewing stay.
Allex is a hilltop village of 2,500 inhabitants with all essential services: shops, restaurants, doctor, pharmacy, school, and town hall.
The highway is 15 km away and the TGV station 30 km away.
Activities and places of interest in the area
Visitors can enjoy numerous activities accessible on foot, by bicycle, or by car:
- The Drôme river (2 km)
- The Ramières nature reserve
- Hiking in the hills and Vercors massif
- Cycling routes: VéloDrôme (2 km) and ViaRhôna (15 km)
- The town of Crest (10 km), its medieval heritage and iconic tower
- The classified village of Mirmande
- The town of Die, gateway to the Vercors
These varied landscapes offer a perfect setting for a spiritual retreat combining contemplation, nature, and silence.
Practical information
Discover more locations
