Paray Dominican Monastery
The Paray Dominican Monastery, dedicated to the Holy Rosary and the Sacred Heart, is located just a short distance from the pilgrim city of Paray-le-Monial. In a rural Burgundian setting, 14 nuns welcome you to find renewal in the many sanctuaries nearby.
Retreats organized by the community
The Order of Preachers or Dominican Order
The Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers, better known as the Dominican Order because it was founded by Saint Dominic, was established in 1215. As early as 1206, Saint Dominic had created a women's monastery near Toulouse.
Saint Dominic gave his new monasteries the Rule of Saint Augustine with the idea of creating a community of fraternal life dedicated to work and prayer for the entire world.
In France, there are three key moments in the history of the Dominican Order:
- 1) The first relates to the strong development of the order in the Rhine valley during the 14th and 15th centuries.
- 2) The second period occurred in the 17th century, when a renewal was promoted under the leadership of Brother Sébastien Michaelis and about twenty new monasteries were created.
- 3) Finally, Father Henri-Dominique Lacordaire (1802-1861) led the restoration of the order in France after the Revolutionary years.
The Dominican nuns
"To establish oneself with one heart in the perpetual memory of God, this is the goal to which the entire life of the nuns is ordered." - Constitution of the Dominican nuns
The Dominican nuns join in the preaching mission of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) through a life devoted to prayer (communal and personal), study, community life, work, and hospitality, so that through their search for God and their search for unanimity, they work for the common good. Joy is a characteristic of this religious family, as is their concern for nourishing faith through intelligence and the search for truth. Study participates in contemplation and results in the joy of sharing with others what has been contemplated ("To contemplate and share with others what has been contemplated" is one of the mottoes of the Dominican nuns).
From the Basque Country to Burgundy: The Monastery of the Holy Rosary and Sacred Heart
Located in Paray-le-Monial, site of the apparitions of the Sacred Heart to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, a pilgrimage city with three monasteries, the monastery was founded in 1929 by a Dominican monastery in the Basque Country.
During a celebration near the reliquary (casket containing the relics of a saint) of Saint Margaret Mary, a Dominican father had the inspiration to bring a community of Dominican nuns dedicated to praying the Rosary and to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Located away from downtown Paray, the Dominicans enjoy peace and quiet, halfway between the sanctuary and the chapel of Our Lady of Romay, a small Marian pilgrimage site. Built on sloping land that was once part of the Cluny Priory estate, of which only the magnificent basilica remains today, the monastery enjoys a superb view of the Mâconnais hills and, more distantly, the Lyonnais hills.
The community currently includes 14 nuns, ranging from 33 to 100 years old! Devoted to personal and liturgical prayer, they engage together in study, living a fraternal life, as Saint Augustine intended in the Rule they follow, which is meant to become a reflection of Trinitarian life, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
As nuns of the Order of Preachers (an order of preachers), their primary mission is to pray for the apostolate of their brothers and sisters in active ministry, so that the Word they preach may bear fruit in hearts...but not only for them!
Besides essential daily activities (cooking, cleaning, laundry) and maintaining their property, the monastery depends on the guest house, the making of albs, their crafts (herbal teas, sewing, cookies, etc.), and various small additional activities.
What to expect during your stay
Spiritual retreats with the Dominican nuns
The nuns offer their guests the opportunity to participate in their divine offices, to meet with a sister upon request, and to share meals with guests. Depending on the length of the retreat and the sisters' availability, personalized spiritual guidance may be offered.
While the nuns do not organize preached retreats, several sessions and activities are offered by nearby communities in Paray, particularly by the chaplains and the Jesuits, including the Feast of the Sacred Heart in June, the Feast of Saint Margaret Mary on October 16, several themed weekends, and the Rencontres de Paray every first Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the month.
The Dominican guest house
The guest house is located in a building immediately adjacent to the monastery. Three double rooms, six single rooms, and a dormitory with five beds allow the Dominicans to welcome up to twenty people. The rooms do not have individual bathrooms; only a sink is present in each room.
A kitchen can be used by retreatants, as well as a small dining room. A room is available for groups. Finally, a chapel is accessible.
Meals, which are not taken in silence, are served in a dining room reserved for retreatants. However, it is possible to take your meal in silence, separately, for those who wish.
Geography and activities
Paray-le-Monial, pilgrim city
The city of Paray-le-Monial has approximately 10,000 inhabitants and is located in the Charolais, in southern Burgundy. The city is crossed by the Bourbince as well as by the Canal du Centre which connects the Saône to the Loire. A bike path and pedestrian trail have been developed between the two waterways. A medium-sized city with a modest economy, it is its countryside that is renowned for its agriculture and especially its cattle farming, particularly of Charolais cattle. To the west is the city of Moulins, prefecture of Allier; to the east, Mâcon, prefecture of Saône-et-Loire; to the northwest the diocese to which Paray-le-Monial belongs, Autun; and finally to the northeast, Chalon-sur-Saône.
The monastery is in immediate proximity to the many sanctuaries (seven minutes on foot, three minutes by car), including the Visitation Monastery with the relics of Saint Margaret Mary, La Colombière Chapel with the reliquary of Saint Claude La Colombière, Saint John's Chapel with perpetual adoration, the Cluniac basilica, and the chapel of Our Lady of Romay. The activities organized by the chaplains are therefore also very accessible (presentation of the Paray message, Holy Hour, etc.).
Paray has two museums: the Eucharistic Museum of the Hiéron, which offers both a permanent collection and temporary exhibitions, and the Paul Charnoz Ceramics Museum.
During the summer period, the Emmanuel Community organizes 3 to 5-day sessions in a park facing the Basilica (see the sessions website); the "Jésus festival" (Christian music festival) usually takes place in early July.
It is also possible to visit the Romanesque chapels in the surrounding area (about 20 minutes by car), Cluny and Taizé an hour away by car, the chapel and viewpoint of the Suin hill (40 minutes by car), Verosvres (birthplace of Saint Margaret Mary, 40 minutes by car).
Practical information
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