Randol Abbey
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In Puy-de-Dôme, the monks of Notre-Dame de Randol Abbey open their doors to you, following the Benedictine tradition of generous hospitality. They offer you a setting conducive to contemplation and renewal, promising a calm and contemplative retreat.
Notre-Dame de Randol is located in the heart of the emblematic mountains of Auvergne, guaranteeing a complete change of scenery!
Retreats organized by the community
A brief history of Randol Abbey in the heart of Puy-de-Dôme
For fifty years, Benedictine monks have been living and praying at Randol. The first monks came from Notre-Dame de Fontgombault Abbey in Indre, but several founding monks had first entered Saint-Pierre de Solesmes Abbey, the source monastery of the monastic renewal after the Revolution. The Benedictines of Randol are thus the heirs of these two abbeys.
Throughout the ages, monks have used the architecture and materials of their time. The founders of Randol wanted to place themselves in this same perspective, following a traditional pattern. The result is this modern, original monastery, which light comes to transfigure. The first stone was laid and blessed in 1969, and the first monks took possession of the buildings in 1971.
This is the story of Randol Abbey: a thousand-year-old liturgy in modern buildings, an estate where agriculture and human culture are ordered to contemplation and prayer, and from which peace and joy can radiate for everyone!
The monks of Randol Abbey, in the school of Saint Benedict
The monks of Randol Abbey follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, which calls them to seek God in truth. The Benedictines thus live in community, as in a family, around their Abbot, that is, their Father, in whom they see the representative of Christ.
The monk's day unfolds according to the organization desired by Saint Benedict, with necessary adaptations to the modern world. The main work of the monks is the praise of God through the chanting of the divine office, whose heart is the Mass. Saint Benedict divides each day's time between prayer, the reading of the Bible (called lectio divina, which aims to orient the heart toward God), manual or intellectual work, as well as welcoming guests and visitors.
The community is shaped by the magnificent setting in which the monastery is located, by the human and spiritual fabric formed with the inhabitants of the hamlet of Randol, which now serves the guest house, and by the agricultural and forestry activities it conducts on the estate. The separation from the world that Saint Benedict requires is inscribed in the place: the monastery is surrounded by greenery!
The abbey's motto is "In corde Ecclesiae" ("in the heart of the Church", implying "I will be love"), a quote from Saint Thérèse of Lisieux.
The Father Abbot's motto is "Festinans in montana": "hastening to the mountain", an expression from the Gospel, characterizing the Virgin Mary visiting her cousin after the Annunciation. Indeed, Randol Abbey is consecrated to the Virgin Mary!
What to expect during your stay
Tailored hospitality for every type of stay at Randol Abbey
Faithful to the Benedictine tradition of hospitality, where guests "must never be lacking in the monastery," the monks welcome for a stay of several days individuals, families, groups, scouts or others.
Three forms of hospitality can be considered at Randol Abbey:
- Accommodation at the abbey itself, reserved for men, with lodging and meals included: each person has a room, and main meals are taken with the monks in the refectory;
- Accommodation in the hamlet of Randol, 350 meters from the abbey, for families and women: lodging is provided, but not meals, though cooking equipment is available. Old houses have been converted appropriately. Access to the abbey church is free;
- Accommodation for scouts or guides, who can camp on the estate.
Make a spiritual retreat at Randol Abbey to recharge
What is a spiritual retreat? Making a retreat means withdrawing from the world to, if one is a believer, turn toward God. Silence invites you to find yourself, the natural setting leads to contemplation, the liturgy and reading to prayer, and the community provides a fraternal presence that can be realized in meeting with a monk.
The monks of Randol thus offer a setting entirely conducive to a spiritual retreat, providing calm, silence and nature. Reading, prayer, walking, relaxation, manual work, and meeting with a brother are all possible activities within the monastery.
Guests are invited to participate as much as possible in the various monastic offices that punctuate the monks' day at the church. For retreatants staying inside the monastery, meals are taken with the brothers, in silence, in the refectory.
Geography and activities
Sublime hiking trails around Randol Abbey
In the department of Puy-de-Dôme (63), in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Randol Abbey is located south of Clermont-Ferrand (25 kilometers).
The monastery is surrounded by a natural setting, in the heart of the mountains of Auvergne! Wonderful hiking trails and magnificent walks are accessible from the abbey. Come on, you're only 3 hours' walk from Puy de Dôme!
A magnificent setting in the heart of the volcanoes of Auvergne
Notre-Dame de Randol Abbey has a large estate. Part of it is devoted to dairy cattle farming, whose production is used to make the famous cheese produced by the monks! Another part consists of woods, and the rest is pure nature.
This estate is located between the large very fertile plain of Limagne and the mountain that gradually rises toward Puy de Sancy. This is what is called the "pays coupé" (cut country), cut by numerous small valleys carved by rivers. It is a poor region, but one that enjoys a relatively mild climate, which allowed former inhabitants to make vine growing a main activity.
This geography makes the area around Randol a very beautiful region, with very varied landscapes protected from modern construction.
Practical information
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