Notre-Dame de Surieu Carmel
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Located 40 miles south of Lyon, the Carmelite nuns of Surieu welcome you to a sublime location, on the heights overlooking the Rhône Valley, in an incredible green setting, on the ruins of a 12th-century castle.
Retreats organized by the community
A brief history of the Notre-Dame de Surieu community
The history of the Surieu Carmel begins in Paray-le-Monial, founded in 1901 by the Carmel of Dijon. The community was later transferred to Isère (38) to continue its mission. After a three-year transition period in La Tronche, north of Grenoble, the community settled in 1984 on the Surieu hilltop to ensure a peaceful and secluded contemplative life.
For the community's installation, the municipality provided them with a fully restored Romanesque church, and many neighbors from the surrounding area came to their aid. The monastery was therefore built on the ruins of a medieval castle still featuring several wall sections, a tower, a 12th-century chapel, and unfortunately inaccessible medieval pottery kilns.
The monastery overlooks the Rhône Valley and faces Mont Pilat and its 4,698-foot elevation. The chapel is at the center of the current community, which strives to follow the Carmelite Rule: "meditating day and night on the Word of the Lord and keeping watch in prayer." Everyone can join them there, the chapel is open from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
The community currently comprises 14 Carmelite nuns. At the heart of their prayer life is mental prayer, that is, individual and silent prayer. They thus lead what is called a "contemplative life," in other words, a life with prayer as its primary foundation.
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What to expect during your stay
Experience a retreat and a time of silence above the Rhône
As part of the spiritual retreats they host, reserved for young people ages 18 to 35, the Carmelite nuns invite you to experience their life of silence and prayer. They also offer personal spiritual guidance if you wish.
If you want to clear your mind while helping the community, manual work welcomes you with open arms! In a different vein, more comfortably seated in a good chair, you'll also have the opportunity to discover the life of the Carmelite nuns through a film.
More concretely, the Carmel has a small guest house with several oratories. This is an opportunity to immerse yourself in prayer by sharing times of silent mental prayer with the sisters. There is also a small library. The Carmelite nuns can recommend readings to support your retreat. This guest house is intended to be a place of silence, especially during meals.
The sisters have created pilgrimages (routes with texts for meditation) that allow you to walk from the train station to the Carmel and take walks around the monastery. Don't hesitate to request this when making your reservation!
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2 retreat options for 18 to 35-year-olds at the Surieu Carmel:
- "Souffle" (Breath) weekends
2 or 3 days during the week or on a weekend, alone or in a small group, away from it all, to take time to pause, to step back and reflect on your life choices. Through silence and dialogue in personal spiritual guidance, through prayer times and manual work, the nuns invite you to breathe in the fresh air of the Carmel!
You can discover the spiritual life of the Carmel by watching a film, talking with the sisters, or asking questions about prayer. Depending on your desires, you can lend the sisters a hand through outdoor or manual work.
- Customized retreats
The nuns offer individual retreats. At the Carmel you will find an atmosphere of silence (meals in silence), immersion in the natural setting, and access to a small library. To live your retreat fully, it is recommended to benefit from communal prayer in the chapel by participating in the divine offices.
You also have the opportunity to meet personally with a sister and participate in a manual activity or in nature. In the spirit of sharing this place with everyone, these retreats are limited to 7 days. If this is your first retreat experience, we recommend limiting it to a maximum of 5 days.
Geography and activities
South of Lyon, the surroundings of Notre-Dame de Surieu Carmel
Nestled at the top of a hill, on the Way of Saint James to Compostela, in a natural haven, the monastery offers a space of silence and beauty above the Rhône Valley and facing Mont Pilat.
Located in the small municipality of Saint-Romain-de-Surieu, in the Isère department (38), the monastery is situated 50 minutes by car from Lyon, 1 hour 15 minutes from Saint-Étienne, and 45 minutes from Valence. You can enjoy numerous hiking trails in the surrounding countryside, a sublime hilly and wooded region.
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The many castles and sites to visit, places where Shakespeare or Berlioz lived
Saint-Romain-de-Surieu is located a few kilometers from the town of Roussillon. There you will find the Château de Roussillon, the only Renaissance-style castle in Isère, dating from the 16th century. According to legend, William Shakespeare stayed there briefly. Additionally, you can discover the ruins of the fortified town.
In a village neighboring Saint-Romain-de-Surieu is the Château d'Anjou. You can enjoy the park of nearly 25 acres and the castle, designed by landscape architects Henri and Achille Duchêne (inspired by André Le Nôtre's French-style gardens) during the 19th century. At the end of the 19th century, Sarah Bernhardt admired this "exquisite property."
La Côte Saint André (40 minutes by car from Surieu), birthplace of Hector Berlioz, is a tourist site that boasts numerous castles, mansions, and rich religious heritage. The main town, Vienne, is located about 30 minutes from Surieu and has extensive archaeological heritage.
Finally, for wine enthusiasts, you can enjoy the numerous vineyards of the Rhône Valley. In close proximity to the Carmel are protected designation of origin appellations, such as Condrieu (as well as Rigotte de Condrieu, a goat cheese) and Saint-Joseph. A little further upstream and downstream are respectively Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage. In short, there are many reasons to explore the Carmel area, to the great delight of poets eager for landscapes as well as budding oenologists thrilled to discover some grape varieties!
Practical information
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