Sélignac Charterhouse - Maison Saint Bruno
In the foothills of the Revermont at the edge of the Jura mountains, not far from Bourg-en-Bresse, 1 hour from Lyon and Geneva by car, stands Sélignac Charterhouse!
Set in a wooded environment blending fields and forest, this historic site and monument welcomes you for a time away from the world's hustle and bustle to make a silent hermit retreat!
Retreats organized by the community
The history of Maison Saint Bruno, Sélignac Charterhouse
In 1084, Saint Bruno, accompanied by a few companions, settled in the heart of the Chartreuse mountains.
Solitude, silence, and fraternal communion are the distinctive marks of the way of life they established. Around 1145, religious women decided to follow the same rule of life as the Carthusian monks.
A Charterhouse was thus founded at Sélignac in 1202. After 800 years of Carthusian monks' presence, Sélignac Charterhouse was entrusted in 2001 to lay Christians, placed under the spiritual authority of the Father General of the Carthusian Order, called to continue a presence of prayer and hospitality in the spirit of Saint Bruno.
Surrounded by 180 hectares of forest, Sélignac Charterhouse is a place apart, essential. The great silence and solitude of the Charterhouse can lead to an experience where one discovers more than a haven of peace: the place of heart to heart with God.
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Life at the Charterhouse yesterday and today
These few words of Christ still resonate in the walls of Sélignac Charterhouse:
"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Matthew 6:6)
Life at Sélignac Charterhouse seeks to remain very close to the spirit of a Charterhouse. Life is organized around the prayer times of the Church (divine offices or Liturgy of the Hours), times of personal prayer, and Mass on Sundays and Mondays.
What to expect during your stay
Coming on retreat to Sélignac Charterhouse
For eight centuries, monks have lived and prayed within these walls. Today, in this same tradition, if you have the desire to live a desert time, to begin a spiritual journey, to nourish your faith in Christ, Sélignac Charterhouse offers you several types of retreats.
- "Charterhouse" retreat
Following Saint Bruno, experiencing the silence and solitude of the cell to find renewal and contemplate. A retreat inspired by the Carthusian way of life.
- "At the brothers' rhythm" retreat
A retreat that combines spirituality and service: prayer and service to the Charterhouse.
- "A day at the Charterhouse"
To help enter into the spirituality of the desert, taking time to savor a day at the Charterhouse...
Spiritual direction is always available.
Hospitality for living a hermit's life, at the Carthusian rhythm
Sélignac Charterhouse has several hermitages around the cloister, called cells, each consisting of a small house and a garden.
The retreatant who enters the Charterhouse is thus entrusted with a small house served by a cloister. This hermitage has two rooms (an "Ave Maria" and a cubiculum), a small workshop and woodshed, and a garden.
The essential aspects of the Carthusian monk's and nun's life take place there. This hermitage is the place for personal prayer, reading, study, meals, rest, and manual work.
The Charterhouse also has several rooms (brothers' rooms) that overlook the main courtyard where the various workshops of the house are located: carpentry, bakery, kitchen, shoemaking, etc.
The retreatant can devote themselves to God, read, meditate, but also engage in an activity on the property or walk in a verdant setting if the heart desires.
The house invites a peaceful and calm rhythm where it is good to settle in a bit. Meals are taken in solitude in the place where you are staying.
PLEASE NOTE: arrivals on Sundays are not possible!
Geography and activities
Enjoy the surroundings for hiking and spending time in nature
It is possible to participate in activities on the property such as preparing firewood bundles for winter, cutting wood, maintaining the vegetable garden...
Beautiful walks with panoramic viewpoints are accessible from the Charterhouse!
Practical information
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