Penboc'h Spiritual Center
.webp)
In Brittany, in the heart of the Gulf of Morbihan, the Penboc'h spiritual center offers peaceful and inspiring spiritual retreats. In an enchanting setting, visitors can participate in varied retreats, professional reflection sessions, and restorative breaks, alone, with family or as a couple.
With comfortable accommodations, multi-purpose rooms and quality meals, Penboc'h embodies the perfect harmony between spirituality, pristine nature and warm hospitality, offering a memorable experience!
Retreats organized by the community
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
%20(1).webp)
.webp)
A brief history of the Jesuits and the Penboc'h spiritual center
The Penboc'h spiritual center originated from the initiative of Father Pillon, first rector of Saint-François-Xavier College in Vannes, who wished to establish a country house for the institution.
In 1862, Father Félix Martin acquired the Penboc'h farm and built the Saint Joseph chapel in 1864, intended to become a pilgrimage site for sailors. Under Father Cor's rectorship in 1869, development work continued with the construction of the dwelling house and a terrace in 1873.
In 1975, Penboc'h transformed into a spiritual center, and in 2014, under the direction of Provincial Father Jean-Yves Grenet, it expanded its focus to become a place of renewal, of spiritual retreats in the Ignatian tradition, while also reaching out to the economic, nonprofit and political world.
The center also opened to people experiencing vulnerability, offering a meeting space and acceptance of physical, professional and family vulnerabilities. Thus, Penboc'h became a multi-purpose place, blending spirituality, social engagement and welcoming of vulnerabilities.
The philosophy of the Penboc'h spiritual center
Penboc'h is a Jesuit spiritual center that offers various retreats. People come here to withdraw in solitude and silence for a few days, to gain perspective, to step away from the whirlwind of ordinary life.
Seeking and finding God in all things. By remembering the past in faith, we can through reflection, read a path there and see where God has led us. God speaks to me through his Word and through the events of my daily life. And I become attentive to listening. Our entire life is thus an opportunity to encounter God, to discover his presence at work, to follow him and to move forward to serve him.
Decide freely. Sometimes, it's a decision to be made that brings the retreatant. By becoming attentive to the interior movements that inhabit us, desolation, consolation, Ignatian spirituality helps us discern and choose with full knowledge and through a free decision. It is in the meeting of two wills, of two desires, God's and ours that the decision is made that leads us to happiness.
Unifying our life in the footsteps of Ignatius, this encounter with God happens at the deepest part of our being. The true encounter with God liberates and allows us to unify our life. Everything becomes possible when we are loved by God and when we move forward with his help.
Through the means of the Spiritual Exercises. It's a bit like a laboratory where I will experience what helps me find what I desire and seek in the deepest part of myself. And I will learn to decipher what is happening, to use it to serve God. Each person is helped in their journey, through spiritual guidance, but also through sharing among retreatants.
In conclusion: I don't come to Penboc'h to recharge my batteries which a week after the retreat would need recharging again, but to find renewable energy. May my ordinary life be a source of renewal! How can I expose myself to the sun, to God's love to receive each day's energy? Making a retreat is a responsible ecological act: may I not exhaust my soil, but may I practice interior permaculture to find the Lord. I aim for the sustainable through the Spiritual Exercises. Lasting joy and lasting peace!
A Jesuit community to welcome you
Penboc'h is a Jesuit spiritual center, a work of the Society of Jesus. The Society of Jesus is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in 1540. It brings together nearly 14,000 Jesuits worldwide, including 3,300 in Europe.
Living in community, they carry out very diverse missions, educational, social, pastoral while striving to integrate reflection, prayer and action. Their fifteen-year formation aims to make them, following Christ, men of encounter and reconciliation. They wish to contribute with others, to a more human and more divine world and help everyone find God in all things.
Here are the 4 universal apostolic preferences of the Jesuits for 2019-2029:
- Showing the way to God through the Spiritual Exercises and discernment.
- Walking with the poor and the excluded of our world as well as with people wounded in their dignity, by promoting a mission of reconciliation and justice.
- Accompanying young people in creating a hope-filled future.
- Collaborating with others for the care of our "Common Home."
The team of 5 residents includes 2 Jesuit priests as well as 2 nuns alongside a laywoman. This resident team forms the living heart of Penboc'h.
Additionally, the commitment is also carried by a team of 10 dedicated staff members, under the direction of the lay director.
The strength of Penboc'h also lies in an impressive team of volunteers, numbering approximately 120 people, among whom 80 are spiritual directors and facilitators, while others dedicate themselves to welcoming, park maintenance, floral decoration of the house and oratories, as well as various handyman activities.
In sum, this vibrant and committed community gives Penboc'h a human and spiritual dimension, embodying the values of the Society of Jesus and contributing to fulfilling the spiritual center's mission.
What to expect during your stay
A spiritual stay at the Penboc'h spiritual center
The activities at Penboc'h are based on Ignatian spiritual pedagogy and align with the four priorities of the Society of Jesus (that is, the Jesuits).
The annual program of retreats and sessions includes:
- Pauses and spiritual retreats, individually or in groups of varying duration, most often between 1 and 8 days.
- Weekends and sessions around married and family life, for couples or families.
- Sessions around professional life, 2 to 3 days, particularly for young professionals.
- Thematic sessions such as "caring for our common home," etc.
- With, as a cross-cutting theme, special attention to people's vulnerabilities.
Some groups also come outside the program, for a day of reflection, for an autonomous camp in the park, MEJ or scouts, for example.
Hospitality at the Penboc'h spiritual center
The Penboc'h spiritual center offers a welcoming and comfortable setting for its visitors, with various facilities adapted to their spiritual and practical needs
Comfortable rooms :
- The center has approximately 40 rooms, single or double, all equipped with bathroom and toilets for a comfortable stay.
Functional buildings:
- The "Habitation" Building: it houses the majority of rooms and offices for spiritual guidance.
- The "Rencontre" Building: located on the 1st floor, it offers meeting rooms with a stunning sea view. The garden-level dining rooms, named Logoden, Drenec and Boëdic, evoke a cruise in the gulf. Meals can be taken in silence or in conversation, depending on the retreat program.
Places of prayer:
- Saint Joseph Chapel: a central place for communal prayer times, with an emblematic cross in the choir.
- Oratories in each building: spaces such as the Job and Isaiah oratories are available for individual and silent prayer moments, essential during retreats following the Spiritual Exercises.
Limited connectivity:
- Wifi is available but its use is limited. Visitors are encouraged to disconnect their mobile devices for complete immersion in the spiritual experience.
Geography and activities
Arradon (56610) and the Penboc'h spiritual center
Around Penboc'h, located in southern Brittany by the sea on the Gulf of Morbihan, in the picturesque town of Arradon, unfolds a world of beauty and spirituality. Just 8 km from Vannes, a historic fortified city known for its half-timbered houses, this region offers a rich palette of experiences for visitors.
The picturesque paths around the center invite meditative walks, revealing exceptional views of the gulf and allowing immersion in nature's tranquility. Nature lovers will be delighted by the surrounding moorland, while the gulf shores offer perfect moments for contemplation and renewal.
For those interested in history and culture, the region abounds in historic sites, with numerous megaliths and traces of Gallo-Roman settlement evoking the Veneti War and the Gallic Wars. The coastal villages, like Arradon, are rich in maritime traditions and local culinary delights.
Visitors can also explore the islands of the Gulf of Morbihan by boat, discovering a rich ecosystem and unique charm. These surroundings of the Penboc'h spiritual center, combining pristine nature and cultural discoveries, offer a diversity of enriching and memorable experiences.
Practical information
Discover more locations
