Notre-Dame du Désert Parish Hermitage
A stone's throw from the Breton metropolis, nestled in a verdant setting, the Notre-Dame du Désert Parish Hermitage awaits you for a solitary retreat, away from it all, for a time of rest and contemplation.
Retreats organized by the community
The origins of the hermitage
The hermitage was initiated by the Notre-Dame du Désert Parish Fraternity (which existed from 2005 to 2022), whose roots are primarily parochial. It is therefore not tied to any particular spirituality; its primary mission is to pray for the parishes of the deanery and to help reveal and support the contemplative dimension that exists in the heart of every person. Within this framework, the Fraternity offered times of prayer, days of spiritual renewal, a spiritual reading group, and hospitality in a parish hermitage.
Since the agreement signed with the parish in 2018 and the support of the pastor of Bruz, the Fraternity established a parish commission to design and organize the hermitage project, the first hermitage of its kind in France. The parish dimension and the possibility of customized spiritual guidance are two unique features of this project.
Concretely, the hermitage is a "tiny house," an American concept that appeared in France in the 2010s that allows people to live close to nature. Moreover, these dwellings meet two criteria: local construction and environmentally conscious materials. This concept is therefore fully in harmony with the spirit of the hermitage, which also aims to be a place of renewal in the heart of Creation.
The Desert tiny house was specially designed by the parish to be a hermitage, then custom-developed and built in 2018 by Sébastien and Guillaume, two young wood engineers who partnered to create L'Atelier des Branchés in Saint-Didier (35).
The hermitage is located on the path between Santiago de Compostela and Mont Saint-Michel in the deanery of Saint-Melaine-aux-Trois-Rives. It is rooted in the Christian Catholic tradition, in communion with the parishes of the deanery.
The organization of the hermitage
The Parish Hermitage is affiliated with two parishes: Saint Leonard and Saint Armel on the Shores of the Seiche; the first includes the towns of Noyal-Châtillon, Saint Erblon, Bourgbarré, and Orgères, while the second comprises Bruz, Chartres-de-Bretagne, Pont-Péan, and Laillé.
These two parishes in the Rennes metropolitan area serve 50,000 inhabitants and are experiencing steady growth. Both parishes fall under the deanery of Saint Melaine aux Trois Rives, and the diocese of Rennes, Dol, and Saint-Malo.
What to expect during your stay
Find renewal at the hermitage in contact with nature
The Notre-Dame-du-Désert hermitage offers the opportunity to take time away from daily life, a few hours or a few days, to pause, rest, and find renewal through prayer, reading, writing, with the possibility of fraternal listening or spiritual guidance.
This guidance is provided by a trained laywoman for this service or a priest for the sacrament of reconciliation. The retreat time is therefore free or custom-designed for each retreatant. If desired, the retreatant can garden, there's plenty to do!
The tiny house welcomes one retreatant at a time, wishing to settle into solitude and silence, in a green setting. The site can also welcome groups outdoors (green spaces and picnic tables): diocesan services, scouts, guides, communities, etc.
Moreover, the annual spiritual work day is a time when parishioners, along with former "hermits," take ownership of the hermitage site to care for it and experience a time of fraternity. It is part of the ecological conversion process within the framework of the Green Church label.
It serves a dual purpose, in a holistic approach (because "everything is connected"!):
- spiritual renewal: a speaker comes to discuss a theme related to the hermitage (e.g., Silence and prayer in service of personal encounter with God, Fraternity and Desert, integral ecology, etc.);
- maintenance and gardening: for site upkeep so that it remains simple and beautiful (plantings, pruning, oiling the siding, laying a stone path, etc.).
Plan your retreat time
The tiny house consists of a living space with kitchenette, an oratory, a small library (in the living room), a bathroom with composting toilet, and sleeping quarters in a loft.
It contains all the necessary equipment for a pleasant stay, in complete simplicity. A garden lounge chair is also available to retreatants. There is only one room, and meals are taken independently in the tiny house.
Geography and activities
Some ideas around the hermitage
Located in Pont-Réan, 500 meters from the Vilaine River on a plot of nearly one hectare, the hermitage is in immediate proximity (about a 10-minute walk) to all the shops in the town center.
Many beautiful walks are possible in the area:
- Bodrais pond;
- towpath along the Vilaine;
- Massaye forest;
- Landes quarry;
- natural site of Boël.
We lend a bicycle (bike paths and towpath). Descriptions and maps are available in the welcome binder at the hermitage.
Practical information
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