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Baldwin of Forde (? -1190) see Fathers

Bellefontaine :

Nine Hundred Years of Monastic Life

The origins of the Bellefontaine abbey are poorly known. When was it founded? Perhaps at the beginning of the 12th century, judging by its list of abbots. Or perhaps at the end of the 11th century, judging by the ancient stones that are set in the buildings’ current foundations.

Founded then, toward 1100, in the diocese of Poitiers, Bellefontaine depended successively upon the diocese of Mazeillais, in 1317, then de la Rochelle in 1648, and since 1802, the diocese of Angers.

A diversity of monastic communities inhabited Bellefontaine: Benedictines from the very beginning until 1642, Feuillants until 1790, and finally, Cistercians-Trappists since 1816.

The Benedictines, first occupants of this abbey in the 12th century, remained there for three centuries, and during that time their community lived in silence and peace. Then the wars of religion threw this all into confusion and the monastery was pillaged.

Following the death of the abbot in 1598, the abbey was held in commendam, which led to progressive disorder and the beginning of religious decadence. On the 7th of December 1642, the monastery was transferred to the Feuillants.

The abbey regained celebrity, but by the 18th century the number of monks decreased; by 1790 there were only four left. In 1794, the remaining buildings were set on fire, the nation sold one part of the congregation’s goods and the rest were allotted to hospices.

Charter of Charity: :

Stephen Harding, third abbot of Cîteaux, drew up a document of which it is said, " its whole content so breathed love that almost nothing else is seen to be treated there than this "Owe no man anything except to love one another" (Rom. 13:8)" The great contribution which this strikingly original document made to monastic life was to set up a new kind of organization between monasteries. (....) The rights and duties of each house were clearly described. (....) Each year also, all the abbots had to meet at Cîteaux, the Mother of the Order, in order to discuss the observance which must so be regulated in every monastery that it reflected the way the rule was understood at Cîteaux. This meeting was the General Chapter, an institution which inspired other religious orders, and which eventually became widespread in the Church. ( Reference: André Louf, The Cistercian Way, Cistercian Publications, 1989).
Today the General Chapter is held every three years.

Chouteau, Dom Jean-Marie :

At the end of the 19th century, Dom Jean-Marie Chouteau was abbot of Bellefontaine. At that time the political situation in France was rather hostile toward religious communities. On the 6th of November, 1880, the monks of Bellefontaine had been expulsed. Thus the monastic community was eager to take initiatives to ensure it had a place of refuge in the event of further aggressions from the French government.

With this context in mind, Dom Chouteau arrived in Montreal on the 8th of April 1881. He quickly entered into an agreement with the superior of the Grand Seminaire of Montreal regarding a suitable piece of property and construction of the monastery.

Father Guillaume Lehaye was sent by Dom Chouteau to preside over the difficult beginnings of Notre Dame du Lac. In 1886, he resigned. His successor, delegated by Dom Chouteau, was Father Antoine Oger. The foundation quickly developed and the piory was elevated to the rank of abbey. On the 28th of March, 1892, Dom Chouteau presided over the abbatial election. The community chose Dom Antoine Oger as its abbot. Dom Oger received the abbatial benediction from Monsignor Fabre on the 29th of June, at Montreal’s Notre Dame Cathedral.

Cistercian  :

Cîteaux, Abbey of Our Lady of Cîteaux :

On the feast of Saint Benedict, March 21st 1098, 21 Benedictine monks from Molesmes, including Robert their abbot, leave their opulent abbey and withdraw into the desert of Cîteaux. They fervently desire to be faithful to the Rule of Saint Benedict. They leave Molesmes because the Cluniac usages, in their eyes, seriously strayed from the letter of the Rule. These usages, even in the smallest details, might imply a prevarication against their holy vows.

The three founders, Saint Robert, Blessed Alberic and Saint Stephen Harding, were able to clearly and precisely define and establish the legislated position of the abbey, norms regarding individual and corporate poverty, hospitality, lay brothers, future foundations, balance in monastic life, etc.

The Charter of Charity is the outstanding work of Saint Stephen; it essentially allows each monastery to be autonomous and to expand as needed, all the while maintaining juridical accountability and supervision to prevent it from straying.

Commendam :

The commendam system came into being in the fourth century. In practice, an outsider, who might never even see the monastery nor even become a monk, was appointed by the ecclesiastical authorities as abbot of a monastery so that he could collect its revenues. The Avignon popes in the fourteenth century made common use of this system, which led to the appointment of commendatory abbots and the monasteries were said to be held In Commendam.

Commendatory abbots were frequently indifferent to the needs and requirements of the monastic life. This abuse contributed to a progressive decline and decadence of monastic life, and to the ruin of monasticism in the 18th century.

Compline :

Compline comes from the Latin completorium which means completion. This prayer, the last of the canonical hours, completes the monastic day, after which all retire to bed. It is Cistercian practice to sing the Salve Regina as the final prayer of compline. At the conclusion of compline the abbot blesses each member of the community as they file out of the monastic church.

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De Rancé, Armand Jean le Bouthillier (1626-1700) : celebrated     commendatory abbot and 17th century reformer of the Cistercian Order

De Rancé was born in Paris. By 1637 he was canon of Notre Dame at Paris and commendatory abbot of five benefices, including the abbey of La Trappe. His conversion began in 1657, and by 1664 he made his profession as a Cistercian. Following this he returned to La Trappe as a regular abbot.

De Rancé's contribution to the spirituality of the Cistercian Order is unique. It is best summed up as : La Trappe. De Rancé handed down his heritage through the life of this community. A coherent Trappist life, joining clear and solid principles with a simple and prudent austerity. It reflected his character: only asceticism of the heart must motivate asceticism of the body.

Without de Rancé's remarkable personality, the Trappist experience would have failed. But what is most astonishing is the continuation, after his death, of his creation, without interruption or weakening, under the guidance of effective though by no means exceptional superiors.

Dom Augustin de Lestrange reclaimed this spirit of de Rancé when he led his brothers into exile in 1792. He returned in 1815 to take possession of the ruins of La Trappe. 

Divine Office

This is the traditional term for the Liturgy of the Hours, the communal choral prayer of the monastic community. St. Benedict, in his Rule, describes this prayer of the monastic community as "opus Dei"- "The Work of God":

On hearing the signal for an hour of the divine office, the monk will immediately set aside what he has in hand and go with utmost speed, yet with gravity and without giving occasion for frivolity. Indeed, nothing is to be preferred to the Work of God. (Rule of St. Benedict, 43.1-43.3)

The term Divine Office may also refer to the whole public prayer of the Church, or to the special prayers assigned to a given day, or to a particular canonical hour.

Each ‘hour’ is comprised of psalms and readings from Scripture. Cistercian monks and nuns pray communally seven times a day: at Vigils, Lauds, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline.

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