Our Lady of Nazareth Abbey, Brecht

History

The origin of the present-day, Our Lady of Nazareth Abbey, begins shortly after the Second World War, when Trappist monks from Westmalle Abbey sought to rebuild a monastery shuttered in 1797, during the French Revolutionary Wars. The original abbey was founded in 1236, and was located in the town of Lier. All that remained of the abbey were the gatehouse and the barn, the other buildings having been demolished by a subsequent owner. The abbey was relocated to Brecht and it opened in 1950, when French nuns from the Soleilmont Abbey took possession.

The abbey retains the name of the former monastery in Lier, celebrating the blessed Beatrice from Nazareth, one of the great Dutch theologians of the 13th century. She was central to the foundation of the abbey and was its first prioress. Beatrice is the author of the oldest preserved work of Christian literature, written in Diets (the ancient Dutch language). The spiritual legacy of Beatrice and the medieval abbey remains cherished to this day.

Food & beverage

Meals are eaten in silence in the guest dining room.

Grounds & Gardens

Visitors can also enjoy hiking along the marked walking routes across the protected moorlands around the abbey.

Other facilities

The sisters adhere tightly to the doctrine of ora et labora (pray and work) and devote themselves to labor in addition to prayer and study. They make liturgical robes, flags and banners, soap products, and decorative candles for sale in the abbey store.