Subscribe to this RSS feed
May 13, 2017

Quebec Trappists renew spiritual life in their eco-friendly abbey

Abbot Andre Barbeau of Val Notre-Dame Cistercian abbey in Saint-Jean-de-Matha, Quebec, holds a jar of larch needles, used in salads and soups produced at the abbey and sold in its gift shop.

SAINT-JEAN-DE-MATHA, Quebec – When the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance left Oka, Quebec, to escape suburban sprawl, they left behind an oversized, aging building.

Published in Canada
March 5, 2015

German archdiocese plans new residents for old abbey: refugees

Left: Beuerberg Abbey choir stalls in Beuerberg, Germany as seen Jan. 9. The 12th-century monastery will house up to 60 refugees from Syria, Iraq, Nigeria, Afghanistan and other conflict zones. Right: Sister Maria Lioba Zezulka, prioress of the Visitandine order, and Gabriele Ruttiger, head of strategy and organizational development for the Archdiocese of Munich, pose for a photo inside the abbey Jan. 9.

BEUERBERG, Germany - Cold winter light is streaming through the ancient windows of Beuerberg Abbey. It plays on the wood of the empty choir stalls, shimmers on the bronze hand bell of the prioress. Everything is quiet and ready for the next prayer.

Published in International