Melleray Abbey
An emblematic religious heritage site of the Nantes region, Melleray Abbey stands as a living witness to more than 900 years of history.
After nine centuries of Cistercian monastic presence, it is the Chemin Neuf Community that since 2015 has continued the vocation of prayer, fraternal life, and hospitality at this place which, for nearly a millennium, has had as its primary calling to prepare those who pass through to seek and praise God through liturgy, meditation, and work.
Retreats organized by the community
The Chemin Neuf Community at Melleray Abbey
At Notre-Dame de Melleray Abbey, approximately thirty people currently live. One of the distinctive features of the Chemin Neuf Community is the shared life and commitment of couples as well as priests, brothers, and sisters consecrated in celibacy. Families and single people therefore live here in a space and rhythm that respects their state of life.
At the abbey, the brothers and sisters come from about fifteen different countries! Through its international character, the community seeks to witness to God's love by seeking unity through our reconciled diversity.
A dynamic, ecumenical and international community
The Chemin Neuf Community is a Catholic community with an ecumenical calling: Protestant, Anglican, Evangelical, Orthodox, and Catholic Christians live and pray together so that Jesus' prayer may be fulfilled: "That all may be one, so that the world may believe." Present in about thirty countries, it draws its roots from the Ignatian tradition and the experience of the Charismatic Renewal.
Most of the brothers and sisters of the Community have a professional activity, while others work full-time in service to the Church: evangelization, schools, dispensaries, theological and spiritual formation, parishes, student residences, individual or couple retreats, etc.
Ecology and fraternity at Melleray Abbey
Since its foundation, Melleray Abbey, faithful to the monastic tradition, has sought to live in harmony with creation.
In 2015, Pope Francis, addressing all the inhabitants of the earth, wrote an encyclical letter on care for our common home: Laudato Si' (Praise Be to You). He calls everyone to undergo deep conversion toward "an education and an ecological spirituality." It is in this perspective that the Chemin Neuf Community committed itself in 2016 to the path of integral ecology, which calls for gratuity, creativity, and communion.
The members of the community are committed to living in strong fraternity with the outside world by maintaining multiple exchanges (guests, friends, volunteers, retreatants, and suppliers) as part of their community life.
What to expect during your stay
Alone or in a group: give yourself a retreat at Melleray Abbey
Melleray Abbey offers two format options:
- Individual hospitality: seeking a renewing place to pray, rest, or study for an exam, you are welcome at the abbey to spend time apart! Whatever your age or faith, on weekdays and weekends, the brothers and sisters of the Chemin Neuf Community are happy to host you and share with you the community's daily prayer life: the offices, Mass, and Eucharistic adoration.
- Group hospitality: parishes, chaplaincies, religious institutes, Church movements and services, you are welcome at the abbey! Hospitality for groups of all ages and all faiths can be organized, on weekdays and weekends, for times of reflection or recollection.
Experience a customized spiritual retreat at Melleray
The guest house has quiet and comfortable rooms overlooking the park, equipped with bathrooms and large desks. Some of them have toilets. The abbey has 17 single rooms and 16 double rooms.
The guest house offers 4 meeting rooms of varying sizes for groups up to 80 people. The layout can be adapted to your needs to ensure maximum flexibility. A video projection room is also available with about fifty seats.
The abbey provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Meals are prepared by us using, according to the seasons, produce from the abbey's vegetable garden and orchard. Two dining rooms are available for groups, with a capacity of 80 people. A kitchen can be made available to groups who wish to prepare their own meals. Large green spaces are accessible for relaxation while enjoying nature, as well as the church and various oratories.
Geography and activities
Melleray Abbey and the town of La Meilleraye-de-Bretagne
In the department of Loire-Atlantique, located 50 kilometers north of Nantes, Melleray Abbey is in the town of La Meilleraye-de-Bretagne (44520). It offers a refreshing and peaceful setting. Several activities are available to you:
- Walks, hikes through the fields, moors, and forests near the abbey;
- 10 km away, the town of Moisdon-la-Rivière and its remarkable old forges, once ironworks from the 17th century;
- 20 km away, the medieval city of Châteaubriant and its castle, both a medieval fortress and Renaissance building, witness to ten centuries of history.
Practical information
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