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Jouarre Abbey

Jouarre Seine-et-Marne Founded in 630

Benedictines Nuns
Lodging20 rooms
StayFrom 1 to 7 nights
Offices6/day

Fourteen centuries, and the prayer continues

Jouarre Abbey, in Seine-et-Marne, is a centuries-old monastery founded in 630 by Adon, today home to a community of Benedictine nuns. They live according to the Rule of Saint Benedict, faithful to the balance of Ora et Labora: six offices mark each day (Vigils, Lauds, Eucharist, Sext, Vespers, Compline), interspersed with work and crafts, including a ceramics workshop, jam production, a religious bookstore, and a shop.

Located 70 km east of Paris and 20 km from Meaux, the abbey sits at the heart of the village, with the countryside just a short walk away. The sisters welcome retreatants with open arms, offering a spiritual retreat lived in close proximity to their life of prayer. Nearby: the 11th-century Romanesque tower, the Merovingian crypt, the Choqueuse forest, and walks along the Marne river.

Learn more about this place

What awaits you

A spirit of hospitalityThe whole community lives this welcome · believers and non-believers alike are welcome
Sung officesSix offices per day · free participation in the church
Spiritual guidance availableMeeting with a sister upon request · introduction to lectio divina
Guest house and quiet spacesAn oratory, library, and park available to retreatants
Meals in silenceLunch and dinner taken in silence, accompanied by music

Practical information

Liturgical offices

Six offices are celebrated each day: Vigils, Lauds, Eucharist, Sext, Vespers, and Compline. Retreatants are welcome to attend freely. An oratory in the guest house is also available for personal prayer.

Meals

Lunch and dinner are served on site, taken in silence but accompanied by music.

Accommodation

The guest house includes 7 rooms with private bathrooms, 3 double rooms with bathrooms, and 10 rooms with shared bathrooms. Bed linens are provided. An audiovisual-equipped meeting room is available for groups.

Library & grounds

Retreatants have access to a library for reading and quiet work, as well as a park for fresh air.

Manual work

It is possible to request participation in gardening work within the abbey.

Stays offered

Short renewal stays (1 to 7 days), retreats for oblates, lectio divina weekends, young adult weekends (ages 18-35), study stays for students, and stays of several weeks to several months.

Getting there

Train

40-minute train from Paris to La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, then bus 40 or 41 (10-minute ride)

Car

1 hour from Paris, via A4

Bike

The truth: it's practically accessible by Vélib!

Location