Maredret Abbey
A hidden gem in Belgium nestled in its verdant setting, Maredret Abbey overlooks the Molignée valley. Enclosed by stone walls, the abbey is home to twenty Benedictine nuns who rely on their orchards, vegetable gardens, and gardens for their food and that of their guests, whom they welcome to share their joy and peace!
Retreats organized by the community
A brief history
Following successive waves of destruction of abbeys and monasteries linked to the Reformation in the 16th century and the French Revolution in the 18th century, religious communities had almost disappeared from Belgium. But in the mid-19th century, Belgium experienced a Religious Renewal, driven by families who wanted to support the birth of new religious communities.
This is how the first abbey was founded in Belgium by monks from Germany, from Beuron Abbey: Maredsous Abbey came into being. The first Father Abbot was Father Hildebrand de Hemptinne, a young priest from the city of Ghent who had entered the orders at Beuron. His family financed the construction of the abbey, and twenty years later, it was his younger sister, Agnès de Hemptinne, who founded the first women's abbey in Belgium: Maredret Abbey, located just 500 meters from Maredsous Abbey, was built.
Agnès de Hemptinne left, accompanied by six other young religious, for Solesmes Abbey to undergo two years of formation. It was in 1893 that the seven young religious arrived at Maredret to found the Community of Saints John and Scholastica. Once again, it was the de Hemptinne family who financed the construction of this abbey, on land donated by the Desclée family.
From then on, the young sisters created an illumination workshop, which quickly acquired a solid reputation thanks to their talent in this art. Works from Maredret can be found in various museums in Paris, London, New York, and even the Vatican.
While the community lived enclosed and almost self-sufficiently, the abbey is built on land of about fifteen hectares and surrounded by high stone walls of natural stone from the estate's quarry. This enclosure includes orchards, vegetable gardens, meadows, woods, a garden of medicinal plants, a water spring, and a magnificent farm.
While the abbey had nearly 95 sisters on the eve of World War II, it now has only about twenty religious, from different continents: Europe, Asia, and Africa. It has been since 1960 that they no longer live in enclosure and welcome guests within their community. This new charism of openness to the world reflects their desire to radiate and witness to Christ's Love for everyone through their warm welcome.
The Benedictine nuns of Maredret
The Benedictine community of Maredret wishes to share Christ's message, his peace and his joy around them, not only by welcoming people to their abbey for stays (short or long) but also by organizing spiritual and artistic activities.
Spiritual activities include:
- Prayer times: Eucharist, daily offices, May rosaries.
- Days of spiritual renewal with teachings.
- Days for oblates.
- Days following Saint Benedict or Saint Hildegard.
- Gregorian chant times (notably the Assumption procession).
- Retreat times (led by the sisters or by religious or laypeople from outside the community).
Artistic activities include:
- Activities dedicated to the art of illumination and calligraphy, or even floral art and sumi-e.
- Gregorian chant activities.
The sisters of Maredret have a great devotion to Saint Hildegard of Bingen, a German Benedictine abbess of the 12th century, saint and Doctor of the Church. They try to share her spiritual, theological, medical and medicinal, dietary and culinary, or even gemmological teachings by organizing workshops, courses, days, etc. Certain training days are dedicated to essential oils, herbalism, gardening courses, etc.
What to expect during your stay
Retreats offered at Maredret
Retreat for young women
The religious welcome young women wishing to discover monastic life for retreats of a few days to a week. During these retreats, you will be immersed at the heart of the abbey with the sisters to discover community prayer, the sisters' work, and more generally life rhythmed by work, prayer, and rest according to the Rule of Saint Benedict.
Other retreats
The Benedictine nuns offer many other retreats, including:
- Retreats according to the writings of Canon Caffarel: for boys and girls.
- Retreats with the Watchers of the City: for boys and girls.
- Retreats of the Divine Will: for boys and girls.
Certain retreats organized by people outside the community are sometimes hosted at Maredret Abbey ("Great is the mystery of faith!", "On the path to the perfection of charity with Saint Thérèse of Lisieux", etc.).
Retreat schedule
During retreat times, retreatants are spiritually accompanied by the facilitators.
Retreatants participate fully in the community's life and are expected to help set the table, clear the tables, do the dishes.
Those who wish can help in the abbey's vegetable garden.
For retreats dedicated to young women, they benefit from special listening and accompaniment times. They will also be involved in the community's life, in the kitchen, in the vegetable garden, with the animals, in the shop and the library. They can also take singing, musical instrument, illumination, knitting, or even sewing classes with the sisters. In short, they are fully integrated into the community's life.
The abbey's guest house
The abbey's guest house is located in the abbey buildings (in blue stone of neo-Gothic style) and has about 60 beds. Single and double rooms are located in the different wings of the abbey. It is in these rooms that the sisters once slept when they were still numerous (95 religious in 1940). The rooms are very simple and sober and contain one or two single beds, a sink, a wardrobe, a desk, a chair, and an armchair. The bathrooms (shower, toilet, bath) are at the end of the hallways.
The atmosphere is peaceful and charged with history and prayer. An oratory is available to guests for a heart-to-heart with the Lord, night and day. A lounge for reading, a small library, different rooms of different sizes for meetings, classes, conferences, workshops, or other activities complete the abbey. Guests can also enjoy an ornamental garden and the verdant setting in which the abbey is located, conducive to walks in nature, through woods and meadows.
The abbey church is particularly remarkable and has exceptional acoustics, many musicians come to rehearse their recitals there. Each year, Maredret Abbey hosts the International Academy of Gregorian Chant, which gives a concert there at the end of their workshop. The church is open to visitors every day.
Breakfast, lunch (12:45 p.m.), and dinner are served in the guest refectory, and prepared by the guest sisters on site. Guests are invited to help clear, do the dishes, and set the tables. The sisters take their meals in their own refectory. A large part of the fruits and vegetables come from the abbey's vegetable garden and orchards. It is also possible, upon request and for groups, to order a meal composed of the delicious recipes of Saint Hildegard of Bingen.
Geography and activities
A brief geography lesson
Nestled in the Molignée valley, a small river that flows into the Meuse, Maredret Abbey is located in the heart of the Walloon (and therefore French-speaking) province of Namur in Belgium. It overlooks the village of the same name from the top of the nearby hill, surrounded by woods, meadows, and fields. It is like a hidden gem in a verdant setting where perfect silence reigns, except for the melodious song of birds. This effect of beauty and peace will surely win you over as soon as you pass through the main entrance gate. But many places also await you around the abbey.
In the nearby area, you will find:
- Many hiking trails (you can take a look at Komoot or Cirkwi).
- Maredsous Abbey just 500 meters away, which is a twin abbey of Benedictine monks. You can eat there, visit the church, the cheese factory, and the microbrewery.
By bike, you can:
- Take the bike path from the village of Maredret and pedal to the Meuse or to the Sambre, about twenty kilometers away. This bike path is renowned as one of the most beautiful in Belgium. You will follow the Molignée valley and cross bridges and tunnels, the ruins of Montaigle castle, several abbeys, and cliffs.
- Discover Bambois Lake (sandy beach, playground, cafeteria, themed gardens, small museum).
By car, you can discover:
- Namur, its citadel, its park, its theater, or even cinemas and restaurants.
- Dinant, its citadel as well, its bridge, its boat trips on the Meuse, the Leffe museum, its theater, or even its collegiate church.
- The Warnant Snail Farm (guided tour of the snail farm with tasting of different dishes made with snails).
- The Bioul Castle (visit of the exhibition on wine production, visit of the vineyards, tasting of different Bioul wines, visit of the park).
- The Gardens of Annevoie (magnificent gardens with countless natural fountains, operated without pumps, but only thanks to an extremely ingenious system).
Practical information
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