Orval Jeunes en Prière

Are you wondering about the meaning of prayer and want to deepen your faith?

OJP is made for you!

OJP is for young people and with young people who want to learn to pray and find meaning in it:

• discover the Bible and what it can offer you
• experience times of sharing, discovery, and relaxation
• celebrate with other young people in church

Enjoy the setting of Orval: beauty, silence, and peace.

You will have the opportunity to meet the monks of the community and share their search for God with Christians from diverse backgrounds.

We ask participants to commit to the full program, as OJP is not a pick-and-choose experience.

However, some afternoon activities are left to individual choice, along with generous personal time.

Only participation in the Vigils office (at 5:00 a.m.) is optional, for the most motivated among you!

• Concretely, the day begins with morning prayer at 7:30 a.m.
• The morning alternates between moments of biblical introduction, solitude, and group sharing.
• In the afternoon, various activities are offered as options: workshops, manual work in the forest, or an organized walk through the Gaume region around Orval.
• As for meals, each has its own atmosphere: breakfast, served between 6:00 and 8:30 a.m., is self-service and taken in silence with background music.
• The main meal is shared together in silence.

Since OJP takes place within an abbey and with a community of monks, it is structured around the "offices" - the sung prayer of the hours, the times of monastic prayer.

• The musical dimension is also important.
• Singing rehearsals will help everyone actively participate in the community's psalmody.
• Music becomes a concrete element of communion among participants.
• Each day, a single song connects the key moments of the day through a Gospel theme.
• We also want to honor, through this song, the sensibility of your generation, while respecting the style proper to the monastic atmosphere.
• Finally, if you play an instrument, feel free to bring it along.

A specific registration form will be sent to you upon receipt of your request.

• For prayer, it is helpful to bring a Bible, even though we provide one.
• Bring something to take notes with (paper and pen), to jot down points from the introductions or personal reflections that you will share in small groups.
• For accommodation, bring your own sheets or a sleeping bag.
• For clothing, nights can be cool in our region, especially for the Sunday Vigils.
• If you plan to walk, bring appropriate footwear.
• If you think you will take part in manual work, work clothes are welcome.
• Don't forget your musical instrument if you play one, and mention it in your registration!
• To preserve an atmosphere of inner quiet, computers and audio devices of any kind are clearly unnecessary.
• We also ask that you not bring any alcoholic beverages.

Suggested offering:

• 157€ for working adults
• 100€ for students, unemployed, etc., and each according to their means