Notre-Dame Saint-Eustase Abbey
Eyres-Moncube Landes Founded in 966
Notre-Dame - Saint-Eustase Abbey, located in Eyres-Moncube in the heart of the Chalosse region in the Landes, is home to a community of ten Olivetan Benedictine sisters, affiliated in 1948 with the congregation of Sainte Marie du Mont-Olivet. Heirs to a history that began in 966 in Lorraine, the sisters have been established in this village in the Landes since 1985, living according to the Rule of Saint Benedict and dividing their time between prayer and work ("Ora et Labora"): tending an orchard and a vegetable garden, producing apple juice and jams, and running workshops for santons and the making of religious habits.
Nestled in a green, rolling countryside overlooking the Gabas valley, the monastery offers views of the Pyrenees from within the enclosure on clear days. Withdrawn from the world yet warmly welcoming, the sisters receive those who come seeking times of spiritual renewal, in a setting conducive to contemplation and inner quiet.
What awaits you
Practical information
Offices
The sisters celebrate the Divine Office seven times a day, from Lauds at 7:00 a.m. to Vigils at 9:00 p.m. Guests are free to attend. Masses and offices are sung in Gregorian chant.
Meals
The sisters prepare meals for their guests (lunch and dinner). Meals are shared together, fostering meaningful encounters. Guests may also choose to be self-sufficient, individually or as a family. For groups, a fully equipped kitchen is available.
Accommodation
The guest house includes two renovated buildings less than 50 m from the main house: a traditional Landes farmhouse (5 rooms) and the former press house (6 rooms, large meeting room). Each building has a fully equipped kitchen. Bed linens provided.
Manual work
Guests may offer their help according to the abbey's needs: garden maintenance, clearing land, fruit picking, odd jobs, sewing...
Groups and retreats
The abbey welcomes self-sufficient groups of up to 25 people. It also organizes one or two spiritual retreats per year for students and young professional women on the theme of femininity.
Extended stays
For retreats lasting more than a week, a three-bedroom apartment above the gatehouse is made available to young women (exam preparation, thesis writing, discernment). A studio also welcomes a priest seeking renewal.
Getting there
The nearest train station is Mont-de-Marsan (20 km)
From Saint-Sever, take the D944 then turn left onto the route de Laferouere
Along the banks of the Gabas