Abbey Notre Dame, Wisques

Overnight place for pilgrims walking or cycling the Via Francigena. Recommended by the Organization "Via Francigena". (See bottom line)

The history of the monastery
The first nuns arrived in Wisques in 1889. The first subsidiary of St. Cecilia's, Solesmes, founded by Madame Cécile Bruyère under the impulse of Dom Guéranger, is committed to keeping alive and fertile the heritage we have received. For the past 120 years, despite the events of history – which led us to the Netherlands at the beginning of the 20th century – the nuns have ensured the continuation of their office of praise in Gregorian chant. Prayer, work, brotherly life, silence, lectio divina, form the framework of our days; our private life is completely focused on the search for God.

The monastery today
The community of the Abbey of Notre Dame in Wisques is made up of about twenty sisters of all ages, who are happy to live together fraternally according to the Rule of Saint Benedict. The liturgical life marks the rhythm of our time, all day and all year round.

Working in the vegetable garden, orchard, the workshop for decorating ceramics, knitting, bookbinding, building maintenance and housework, welcoming others to our guest house keeps us busy.

Some details of the monastery
Near the abbey, a former hunting lodge houses our guest house where families, couples, groups and young people come for a time of retreat, silence, study and to share the prayer of the community. It is also one of the stops of the "Via francigena", historical route that connected Northern Europe with Rome in the Middle Ages.

Leonard van Bakel