MAUMONT ABBEY

In 1817, Pepin of Aquitaine founded a monastery on the site of the present town of Saint-Jean-d'Angély. In 1776, the prior of the Benedictines of Saint-Jean-d'Angély directed Gertrude Coullaud to the abbey of Saint-Malxent where she received the habit in 1777. In 1792, the abbey became national property and the Benedictines had to go into exile. As for Mother Gertrude Coullaud, who had become mistress of novices, she was forced to join her family in Saint-Jean.

The monks left her a sum of money to "rekindle the flame". In 1816, she gathered together a few nuns and bought a small house in Saint-Jean-d'Angély with the funds left by the monks. The Notre-Dame-des-Anges monastery was officially founded in 1827. It would later develop with the abbey of Pradines. In 1957, the Benedictine nuns lacked space and calm and decided to move. In 1959, they moved to the castle of Maumont. The community took the name of Sainte-Marie-de-Maumont. In 1996, they founded the monastery of Sainte-Croix-de-Friguiagbé in Guinea. Today, the fifty or so Benedictine nuns work in its bookbinding workshops (old books, works of art, traditional binding), liturgical ornaments and digital archiving. They have also recorded CDs and DVDs of sacred songs and produced a collection of hymns in French sung and composed at the abbey with the poet Pierre Emmanuel. The reception is open to groups of young people as well as adults, to families, and for individual stays, only to women. The rural setting lends itself to rest, prayer and personal renewal. It is possible to make an individual or group retreat. Groups can request animation by a sister. Stays are limited to between 4 and 8 days. The Community is eager to share its liturgical prayer. Throughout the year, it also offers special times, weekends and sessions (see the themes and calendar on its website). Throughout the year, it offers the possibility for young girls to do an initiation course to the monastic life. Services: in French and Gregorian chant for the mass. Lauds at 7:30 a.m., Eucharist at 8:50 a.m. (10 a.m. on Sundays), Sext at 12:30 p.m., Vespers at 5:15 p.m., Compline at 8:05 p.m., and Vigils at 2:30 a.m. or 8:30 p.m. Reception: the guesthouse has been renovated since 2016 with about twenty rooms, single or double, and a full board reception. Shop: painted, embroidered and glued icons. Workshop open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 12pm and from 2pm to 4:30pm.