Soleilmont Abbey
Encyclopedia
Soleilmont Abbey is an abbey
of Trappistine nuns (O.C.S.O., or Order of Cistercians of the Strict Obervance) situated in the forest and commune of Fleurus
, at Gilly
near Charleroi
, Belgium
, founded, according to tradition, in the 11th century, which became Cistercian in 1237. The nuns were expelled as a consequence of the French Revolution
in 1796, but soon re-established themselves in 1802. The community became Bernardine in 1837, and Trappist in 1919.
on the First Crusade
. It was possibly founded as a Benedictine monastery, but the women might simply have lived as secular canonesses and thus been free to resume their married lives, upon the safe return of their husbands. The first recorded reference to a religious house here, however, is in a charter
of 1185.
. On 23 March 1238 Pope Gregory IX
placed the abbey under papal protection, and, at the same time, confirmed the deed of transfer of the abbey to the Cistercians.
To support his request Baldwin confirmed the gift made by his mother, Yolande of Hainaut, to the abbey of a fishpond, a mill and a meadow, and although some further gifts later increased the monastic endowments, the abbey never became wealthy. On account of their lack of resources the nuns were exempted in 1640, for example, from their dues to the Cistercian Order, and their poverty was often mentioned in the assessments of goods that were customarily made at the elections of an abbess
.
Soleilmont was affected by the general decadence of monastic life that took place throughout the 14th century, to the extent that by 1414 it had been decided that the only option was to close the monastery. As a final resort before closure, however, a new abbess, Marie de Senzeille, was sent to Soleilmont from Marche-les-Dames Abbey, another monastery in the County of Namur, to attempt to re-establish order, which she did so successfully that Soleilmont was not only reprieved but became a model for other communities of nuns in the monastic revival of the 15th century.
The 15th century Margot of Hainaut, celebrated for her abilities as a player of jeu de paume
, a precursor of tennis
, spent her later years as a nun in Soleilmont.
Prominent abbesses of the 16th century were Oda de Virsel and Madeleine Bulteau (resigned 1603), whose successor, Jacqueline Colnet (d. 1639), was a friend of Albert VII, Archduke of Austria
and his consort, the Infanta Isabel of Spain
, to whom she gave, from the relics of the abbey, a Holy Nail. She was principally remembered in the region however for twice ending attacks of the Black Death
in the town of Châtelet
, in 1628 and again in 1636, by having the abbey's famous image of Our Lady of Rome carried through the streets.
During the wars later in the 17th century, the nuns of Soleilmont, as a poor community of unprotected women, suffered particularly from harassment and theft by the soldiery.
. However, in the belief that they had moved for no good reason, they then returned to Soleilmont in 1794, just in time to be caught up in the Battle of Fleurus
of 26 June 1794, which was fought literally beneath the abbey walls.
In January 1797 the nuns were expelled from the abbey, but were given the use of a château
at Farciennes
by its owner, and were thus enabled to remain together as a community. Their benefactor also kept watch over the fate of the abbey buildings, which were nevertheless looted and burnt, and he acquired them on behalf of the community, who were thus able to return to them, as tenants, in 1802.
, they were able to buy back the premises, and, in order to generate income, opened a girls' boarding school
. At the same time, under the influence of the nearby Aumôniers du Travail, they became a Bernardine community. This was a new dawn for Soleilmont, both spiritually and economically: they attracted many new vocations, and were able to refurbish and reconstruct the abbey buildings. The times of plenty continued up to World War I
, during which, in 1916, the school had to close.
Order in 1922, under the supervision of Westmalle Abbey
, as their original supervisory community of monks, Aulne Abbey, had ceased to function. Under this new direction Soleilmont again flourished, to the extent that in 1950 they were able to provide the 13 nuns needed to establish the new foundation of Brecht Abbey
.
On Christmas Night 1963 the abbey was completely burnt down, just after the night offices. A completely new monastery was built a few hundred yards from the ruins of the old one, in the woods of Soleilmont, in a totally modern style, which was finished in 1973.
vestments. A dozen or so rooms are available in their guesthouse for the accommodation of women on retreat.
Every year, on the last Sunday of August, the image of Our Lady of Rome is carried in procession round Châtelineau nearby in memory of the protection received by that town in 1628 and 1636 against the outbreaks of the plague.
Soleilmont Abbey has a daughter foundation in Kerala
, India
.
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
of Trappistine nuns (O.C.S.O., or Order of Cistercians of the Strict Obervance) situated in the forest and commune of Fleurus
Fleurus
Fleurus is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On January 1, 2006 Fleurus had a total population of 22,221. The total area is which gives a population density of 375 inhabitants per km²...
, at Gilly
Gilly
Gilly is a municipality in the district of Nyon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-History:Gilly is first mentioned in 1179 as de iusliaco. In 1278 it was mentioned as Gillie.-Geography:...
near Charleroi
Charleroi
Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
, Belgium
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...
, founded, according to tradition, in the 11th century, which became Cistercian in 1237. The nuns were expelled as a consequence of 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...
in 1796, but soon re-established themselves in 1802. The community became Bernardine in 1837, and Trappist in 1919.
Foundation
According to the foundation tradition, of which there is no confirmation, Soleilmont Abbey was founded in 1088 by Albert III, Count of Namur, and the earliest community supposedly consisted of women whose husbands had joined Godfrey of BouillonGodfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon was a medieval Frankish knight who was one of the leaders of the First Crusade from 1096 until his death. He was the Lord of Bouillon, from which he took his byname, from 1076 and the Duke of Lower Lorraine from 1087...
on the First Crusade
First Crusade
The First Crusade was a military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem...
. It was possibly founded as a Benedictine monastery, but the women might simply have lived as secular canonesses and thus been free to resume their married lives, upon the safe return of their husbands. The first recorded reference to a religious house here, however, is in a charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
of 1185.
Cistercians
In a document dated 11 January 1237, Baldwin II of Courtenay, Count of Namur, requested that the Cistercian Order accept Soleilmont Abbey, which they duly did, as a dependency of Aulne AbbeyAulne Abbey
Aulne Abbey was a Cistercian monastery between Thuin and Landelies on the Sambre in the Bishopric of Liège in Belgium.-History:Originally it was a Benedictine monastery, founded by Saint Landelinus about 637. Before 974 the Benedictines were replaced by secular clerics leading a common life, who,...
. On 23 March 1238 Pope Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX, born Ugolino di Conti, was pope from March 19, 1227 to August 22, 1241.The successor of Pope Honorius III , he fully inherited the traditions of Pope Gregory VII and of his uncle Pope Innocent III , and zealously continued their policy of Papal supremacy.-Early life:Ugolino was...
placed the abbey under papal protection, and, at the same time, confirmed the deed of transfer of the abbey to the Cistercians.
To support his request Baldwin confirmed the gift made by his mother, Yolande of Hainaut, to the abbey of a fishpond, a mill and a meadow, and although some further gifts later increased the monastic endowments, the abbey never became wealthy. On account of their lack of resources the nuns were exempted in 1640, for example, from their dues to the Cistercian Order, and their poverty was often mentioned in the assessments of goods that were customarily made at the elections of an abbess
Abbess
An abbess is the female superior, or mother superior, of a community of nuns, often an abbey....
.
Soleilmont was affected by the general decadence of monastic life that took place throughout the 14th century, to the extent that by 1414 it had been decided that the only option was to close the monastery. As a final resort before closure, however, a new abbess, Marie de Senzeille, was sent to Soleilmont from Marche-les-Dames Abbey, another monastery in the County of Namur, to attempt to re-establish order, which she did so successfully that Soleilmont was not only reprieved but became a model for other communities of nuns in the monastic revival of the 15th century.
The 15th century Margot of Hainaut, celebrated for her abilities as a player of jeu de paume
Jeu de paume
Jeu de paume is a ball-and-court game that originated in France. It was an indoor precursor of tennis played without racquets, though these were eventually introduced. It is a former Olympic sport, and has the oldest ongoing annual world championship in sport, first established over 250 years ago...
, a precursor of tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, spent her later years as a nun in Soleilmont.
Prominent abbesses of the 16th century were Oda de Virsel and Madeleine Bulteau (resigned 1603), whose successor, Jacqueline Colnet (d. 1639), was a friend of Albert VII, Archduke of Austria
Albert VII, Archduke of Austria
Archduke Albert VII of Austria was, jointly with his wife, the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia, sovereign of the Habsburg Netherlands between 1598 and 1621, ruling the Habsburg territories in the southern Low Countries and the north of modern France...
and his consort, the Infanta Isabel of Spain
Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain
Isabella Clara Eugenia of Austria was sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands in the Low Countries and the north of modern France, together with her husband Albert. In some sources, she is referred to as Clara Isabella Eugenia...
, to whom she gave, from the relics of the abbey, a Holy Nail. She was principally remembered in the region however for twice ending attacks of the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
in the town of Châtelet
Châtelet, Belgium
Châtelet is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, on the river Sambre. As of January 1, 2006, Châtelet had a total population of 35,621. The total area of the municipality is 27.03 km² which gives a population density of 1,318 inhabitants per km². It is composed of...
, in 1628 and again in 1636, by having the abbey's famous image of Our Lady of Rome carried through the streets.
During the wars later in the 17th century, the nuns of Soleilmont, as a poor community of unprotected women, suffered particularly from harassment and theft by the soldiery.
French Revolution
In 1775, Scholastique Daivier (d. 1805) succeeded as abbess, the last abbess of the ancien régime. In 1790, fearing the arrival of the revolutionary armies, she moved the community from Soleilmont, along with the abbey's relics and the image of Our Lady of Rome, first to La Ramée Abbey and later to LiègeLiège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
. However, in the belief that they had moved for no good reason, they then returned to Soleilmont in 1794, just in time to be caught up in the Battle of Fleurus
Battle of Fleurus (1794)
In the Battle of Fleurus on 26 June 1794, the army of the First French Republic under General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan faced the Coalition Army commanded by Prince Josias of Coburg in the most decisive battle of the Flanders Campaign in the Low Countries during the French Revolutionary Wars...
of 26 June 1794, which was fought literally beneath the abbey walls.
In January 1797 the nuns were expelled from the abbey, but were given the use of a château
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
at Farciennes
Farciennes
Farciennes is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On January 1, 2006 Farciennes had a total population of 11,099. The total area is 10.39 km² which gives a population density of 1,069 inhabitants per km². It is located on the entre-Sambre-et-Meuse in the periphery of...
by its owner, and were thus enabled to remain together as a community. Their benefactor also kept watch over the fate of the abbey buildings, which were nevertheless looted and burnt, and he acquired them on behalf of the community, who were thus able to return to them, as tenants, in 1802.
Bernardines
The next three decades were very difficult times: the community was penniless, demoralized and aging, and soon numbered only four. In 1837, however, with the help of the Cistercian nuns of Marienlof Abbey at BorgloonBorgloon
Borgloon is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On January 1, 2006 Borgloon had a total population of 10,152. The total area is 51.12 km² which gives a population density of 199 inhabitants per km². Borgloon gave its name to the former county of Loon.-External...
, they were able to buy back the premises, and, in order to generate income, opened a girls' boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
. At the same time, under the influence of the nearby Aumôniers du Travail, they became a Bernardine community. This was a new dawn for Soleilmont, both spiritually and economically: they attracted many new vocations, and were able to refurbish and reconstruct the abbey buildings. The times of plenty continued up to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, during which, in 1916, the school had to close.
Trappistines
In 1919 the remaining nuns returned to the mainstream Cistercian mode of life, and were incorporated into the TrappistTRAPPIST
TRAPPIST is Belgian robotic telescope in Chile which came online in 2010, and is an acronym for TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope, so named in homage to Trappist beer produced in the Belgian region. Situated high in the Chilean mountains at La Silla Observatory, it is actually...
Order in 1922, under the supervision of Westmalle Abbey
Westmalle Abbey
The Trappist Abbey of Westmalle or Abdij van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van het Heilig Hart , which belongs to the Cistercians of Strict Observance, is located in Westmalle , in the Campine region of the province of Antwerp .The abbey was founded in 1794, but the community was not elevated to the rank of...
, as their original supervisory community of monks, Aulne Abbey, had ceased to function. Under this new direction Soleilmont again flourished, to the extent that in 1950 they were able to provide the 13 nuns needed to establish the new foundation of Brecht Abbey
Brecht Abbey
Brecht Abbey, also known as the Abbey of Our Lady of Nazareth, is an abbey of Trappistine nuns located in Brecht, in the Campine region of the province of Antwerp...
.
On Christmas Night 1963 the abbey was completely burnt down, just after the night offices. A completely new monastery was built a few hundred yards from the ruins of the old one, in the woods of Soleilmont, in a totally modern style, which was finished in 1973.
Today
The present community of about thirty run a farm and a bakery, and make liturgicalLiturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
vestments. A dozen or so rooms are available in their guesthouse for the accommodation of women on retreat.
Every year, on the last Sunday of August, the image of Our Lady of Rome is carried in procession round Châtelineau nearby in memory of the protection received by that town in 1628 and 1636 against the outbreaks of the plague.
Soleilmont Abbey has a daughter foundation in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.