Fontgombault Abbey
Encyclopedia
Fontgombault Abbey is a Benedictine monastery of the Solesmes Congregation
located in Fontgombault
in the département of Indre, in the province of Berry
, France
.
, near the spring or fount of Gombaud. In the 12th and 13th centuries the abbey experienced vigorous growth and established twenty or so priories. In the 15th century the abbots of Fontgombault had numerous ponds excavated, as was also done at the abbeys of Saint-Cyran and Méobecq, thus contributing to fish husbandry in the Brenne
region. The abbey was sacked and laid waste by the Calvinists in 1569, and was not restored until the end of the 17th century, when Dom Andrieu accomplished the task. In 1741 however the Benedictine community, reduced to five members, was replaced by a community of Lazarists
, who established a seminary here and used it as a center for missions in the region.
The buildings were partly destroyed during the French Revolution
, when the monastery was nationalised and sold off. It was eventually bought back for religious uses by the Trappists
in 1849, who succeeded in re-establishing it as a viable community by redeveloping its agriculture and setting up a kirsch distillery.
But in 1905 the Trappists were expelled from France under the Association Laws and the monastery was secularised and sold off for a second time. The purchaser was Louis Bonjean, who set up a button factory in the premises. At his death in 1914 the buildings were put to use as a military hospital for wounded soldiers of the Belgian
army, which it remained until 1918. The Trappists who were expelled in 1905 went on to form the Monastery of Our Lady of Jordan, Oregon
in the United States
.
From 1919 to 1948 the premises was used as a diocesan seminary, which closed for want of vocations.
community. It is now the most populous of Solesmes' foundations, with over a hundred monks, and has in its turn founded another three religious houses in France — Randol Abbey
, (1971), Triors Abbey
(1984) and Gaussan Priory
(1994) — as well as Clear Creek Abbey (elevated from a priory in 2010) in the United States
in 1999. Mass
is celebrated in Latin using the traditional pre-Vatican II rite as in the 1962 Roman Missal
.
Being part of the Benedictine Solesmes Congregation
, Gregorian chant
is at the heart of the community's liturgical practice, and recordings of the monks chanting are available at the abbey shop.
Solesmes Congregation
The Solesmes Congregation of the Benedictine Confederation was founded in 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI as the French Benedictine Congregation, with the newly reopened monastery of Solesmes Abbey under Dom Prosper Guéranger at its head. The Congregation's first nunnery was St...
located in Fontgombault
Fontgombault
Fontgombault is a commune in the Indre department in central France.-References:*...
in the département of Indre, in the province of Berry
Berry (province)
Berry is a region located in the center of France. It was a province of France until the provinces were replaced by départements on 4 March 1790....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
History
In 1091 Pierre de l'Étoile founded a Benedictine monastery on the banks of the Creuse RiverCreuse River
The Creuse is a 264 km long river in western France, a tributary of the river Vienne. Its source is in the Plateau de Millevaches, a north-western extension of the Massif Central...
, near the spring or fount of Gombaud. In the 12th and 13th centuries the abbey experienced vigorous growth and established twenty or so priories. In the 15th century the abbots of Fontgombault had numerous ponds excavated, as was also done at the abbeys of Saint-Cyran and Méobecq, thus contributing to fish husbandry in the Brenne
Brenne
Brenne has the following meanings:* An historical region in the south of the Berry of France* A regional natural park, the Parc naturel régional de la Brenne in the Indre département of France...
region. The abbey was sacked and laid waste by the Calvinists in 1569, and was not restored until the end of the 17th century, when Dom Andrieu accomplished the task. In 1741 however the Benedictine community, reduced to five members, was replaced by a community of Lazarists
Lazarists
Congregation of the Mission is a vowed order of priests and brothers associated with the Vincentian Family, a loose federation of organizations who claim St. Vincent de Paul as their founder or Patron...
, who established a seminary here and used it as a center for missions in the region.
The buildings were partly destroyed during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, when the monastery was nationalised and sold off. It was eventually bought back for religious uses by the Trappists
Trappists
The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance , or Trappists, is a Roman Catholic religious order of cloistered contemplative monks who follow the Rule of St. Benedict...
in 1849, who succeeded in re-establishing it as a viable community by redeveloping its agriculture and setting up a kirsch distillery.
But in 1905 the Trappists were expelled from France under the Association Laws and the monastery was secularised and sold off for a second time. The purchaser was Louis Bonjean, who set up a button factory in the premises. At his death in 1914 the buildings were put to use as a military hospital for wounded soldiers of the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
army, which it remained until 1918. The Trappists who were expelled in 1905 went on to form the Monastery of Our Lady of Jordan, Oregon
Monastery of Our Lady of Jordan, Oregon
The Monastery of Our Lady of Jordan, Oregon was a Strict Observance Cistercian monastery in the community of Jordan in Linn County, Oregon, United States, founded in 1904 and lasting for about six years.-History:...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
From 1919 to 1948 the premises was used as a diocesan seminary, which closed for want of vocations.
Present foundation
In 1948 the empty buildings were restored to the site's original purpose when 22 monks from Solesmes Abbey settled it afresh as a BenedictineBenedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
community. It is now the most populous of Solesmes' foundations, with over a hundred monks, and has in its turn founded another three religious houses in France — Randol Abbey
Randol Abbey
Randol Abbey is a Benedictine monastery situated at Randol near the village of Saint-Saturnin, Puy-de-Dôme department, in the Auvergne mountains of France....
, (1971), Triors Abbey
Triors Abbey
Triors Abbey is a Benedictine monastery situated at Châtillon-Saint-Jean in the Drôme, Rhône-Alpes, France.It was founded in 1984 as a priory of Fontgombault Abbey in an 18th century château bequeathed to the monks for that purpose. Major building works took place from 1990. Triors was raised to...
(1984) and Gaussan Priory
Gaussan Priory
Gaussan Priory is a Benedictine monastery situated at Bizanet in the Aude, France.-Cistercians:The site was originally established in the 12th century by the Cistercians as a grange of the nearby Fontfroide Abbey...
(1994) — as well as Clear Creek Abbey (elevated from a priory in 2010) in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1999. Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
is celebrated in Latin using the traditional pre-Vatican II rite as in the 1962 Roman Missal
Roman Missal
The Roman Missal is the liturgical book that contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church.-Situation before the Council of Trent:...
.
Being part of the Benedictine Solesmes Congregation
Solesmes Congregation
The Solesmes Congregation of the Benedictine Confederation was founded in 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI as the French Benedictine Congregation, with the newly reopened monastery of Solesmes Abbey under Dom Prosper Guéranger at its head. The Congregation's first nunnery was St...
, Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services...
is at the heart of the community's liturgical practice, and recordings of the monks chanting are available at the abbey shop.