Notre-Dame de Joie at Pontcalec (Dominican Sisters of the Holy Spirit)
At Pontcalec, the Dominican Sisters of the Holy Spirit lead a religious life whose primary mission is teaching.
They also welcome anyone seeking renewal and offer an ideal setting for a spiritual retreat in the heart of Brittany, on a verdant estate of about twenty hectares! A refreshing change of scenery guaranteed!
Retreats organized by the community
On the lands of Brittany, the history of the Pontcalec estate
The Pontcalec estate's first owners were the barons of Hennebont, who ceded the seigneury to the dukes of Brittany in 1281.
In the following centuries and through alliances, the lands passed into the hands of great Breton families. In 1657, the land of Pontcalec was erected into a marquisate by King Louis XIV for the benefit of Alain de Guer.
The Pontcalec estate owes its fame to the conspiracy during which the Breton nobility attempted to rise up against royal power. This uprising ended in failure. The Marquis of Pontcalec took part in it and was beheaded in Nantes in 1720 with three of his companions.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Armand de Guer, sixth and last marquis, established a glassworks and then an iron processing plant. The joint-stock company of this enterprise took the name "Compagnie des Hauts Fourneaux et Forges de Pontcalec" in 1825. But it went bankrupt and the estate was bought by the Cossé-Brissac family. It was they who built the current château in 1882.
The Dominican Sisters of the Holy Spirit, religious dedicated to the service of teaching
During World War II, German crews from the Lorient submarine base occupied the premises until the Liberation, and the Pontcalec woods were the scene of many Resistance actions.
On October 11, 1955, the estate was sold to Father Victor-Alain Berto, a priest of the Diocese of Vannes, who installed there the Institute of the Dominican Sisters of the Holy Spirit, founded in 1936-1938 to dedicate themselves to welcoming orphans in the region at the "Foyer d'enfants Notre-Dame de Joie".
At the edge of the château park, there is also the Saint-Anne-des-Bois chapel, built in 1865 by the Countess of Cossé-Brissac at the birth of her daughter after three boys, in accordance with the promise she had made to Saint Anne. Small in size, the chapel was originally designed for the exclusive service of the château lords. But it now welcomes many pilgrims and visitors throughout the year.
What to expect during your stay
Notre-Dame de Joie, the motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters of the Holy Spirit
The Institute of the Dominican Sisters of the Holy Spirit was founded around the Notre-Dame de Joie ministry, which was dedicated to welcoming orphans during the 1939-1945 war and beyond.
Its founder, Father Victor-Alain Berto, a philosophy teacher in Pontivy and then director at the Vannes Seminary, called upon some of his older students to help him care for these poor children. This also corresponded to the desire of these young women who aspired to dedicate themselves to God's service in an educational work. They gradually committed themselves to a common life in the Dominican form. The community welcomed vocations and founded several schools in France.
Currently, the community has about 90 Sisters, spread across four different locations. Pontcalec is the Motherhouse.
In 1974, the community opened a College-High School by installing buildings in part of the property, in the Pontcalec woods. It is a boarding school for young women, Saint Thomas Aquinas Institution.
The sisters can welcome in their guest house:
- groups of young people, for a session or a camp of senior guides;
- young women for exam revision;
- individual female retreatants for a time of discernment, renewal, or rest.
Activities that punctuate the day at Pontcalec
The divine offices, sung in Gregorian chant, daily Mass in Latin, classes to teach students, and personal study and prayer punctuate each sister's day. The park and château also require a number of material tasks and maintenance work such as gardening or handyman work.
Retreatants can attend the offices or Mass, and enjoy the calm and peace of the place.
The Sisters offer to make one of the guest houses available to visitors, allowing them to experience a stay in autonomy, without particular activities. There are 3 guest houses available to accommodate retreatants.
A large house with 16 beds with:
- a ground floor (toilets, equipped kitchen, large living room-dining room);
- a 1st floor (3 showers and 2 toilets, 4 bedrooms: 3 with two single beds and 1 with a double bed and a single bed);
- and a 2nd floor (2 toilets and 1 shower, 3 bedrooms with two or three single beds).
A small house for 3-4 people with:
- a ground floor with an equipped kitchen, a bathroom with bathtub and shower, toilets, a living room.
- upstairs: 2 bedrooms, one with 1 double bed, the other with two single beds.
A large, more rustic house (ideal for hosting scout groups or youth retreats), with:
- a large room and a kitchen on the ground floor, a shower and toilets upstairs, as well as 5 bedrooms.
A school of life at Pontcalec!
The Dominican Sisters of the Holy Spirit offer young women between 21 and 30 years old the opportunity to spend a defined period (from three to nine months, depending on each person's availability) to live alongside them!
An opportunity during this school of life year to have the experience of service in a school and of life with a religious community.
The sisters offer spiritual, intellectual (philosophy, theology courses), and human formation for those who will attempt the experience. It is a privileged opportunity to reflect on one's future with the help of the sisters' guidance. So, ready to take the leap? If so, don't hesitate to contact them!
Geography and activities
Pontcalec: a place for spiritual retreat and renewal in Morbihan
In the heart of Brittany, the Pontcalec estate is located in the heart of the Pontcalec state forest, in the Scorff valley, 10 minutes from the town of Plouay, renowned for its bicycle races.
The Motherhouse is located about 30 minutes from the first beaches of the Gulf of Morbihan (Larmor-Plage, Guidel...), only 30km north of Lorient.
The nearest SNCF train station is in the town of Hennebont, about 25 minutes away by car. There are bus shuttles that connect the Hennebont station to the town of Plouay or the village of Berné (CTRL lines n°40 E or 15). The same line also serves Lorient station, located 35 minutes from Pontcalec by car.
Mountain biking and bats: activities and places of interest around Pontcalec
The Scorff valley offers visitors and residents of the region a rich playground for walks and outdoor activities: fishing, kayaking, hiking on foot (GR trails) or mountain biking, mushroom picking…
Two kilometers away is the village of Kernascléden, known for its very beautiful church in flamboyant Gothic style, in which one can admire splendid 15th-century frescoes and murals, very well preserved. A colony of bats has taken up residence in the church tower! This is why, right next door, visitors can visit the Bat House where they will learn all about the mysterious world of these ladies of the night.
The region is also known for its towns of character: Pont-Scorff, Hennebont, Le Faouët... where cultural and spiritual walks are possible all year round.
Pontcalec is located about an hour from the sanctuary of Sainte Anne d'Auray, which attracts pilgrims all year round, and 1 hour from the city of Vannes.
Practical information
Discover more locations
