SAINT-ANTOINE MONASTERY

The Seraphic Order, founded by Saint Francis of Assisi, lover of the Lady of Poverty, nearly eight centuries ago, can boast of having a monastery of Capuchins in the heart of Gascony: they are among the last to strictly observe the rule inherited from their founder! Their lives are the simplest, poorest and most hidden, spent in prayer and contemplation, in the least possible comfort. The beard is there to remind us of the closeness of nature, the Creator's gift, and the birdsong, a wonderful harmony! The barn chapel offers magnificent exposed stone walls, as well as the rest of the monastery buildings. The colour of the stone is warm, while the interior of the religious building is rich in its simplicity. The presence of wood in the choir is striking: high altar, stalls, communion table... A beautiful framework left open to everyone still reminds us that the presence of a statue of Saint Joseph, a humble carpenter, is more than justified in such a place!