Sainte-Justine Monastery

Sainte-Justine Monastery was a Canadian Trappist monastery in Sainte-Justine, Les Etchemins , Québec , Archdiocese of Québec from 1862 to 1872 .

history

In 1862, at the suggestion of Louis-Théodore Bernard (1819–1888), Trappist monks from the Petit Clairvaux monastery under the leadership of André Leyten came to Sainte-Justine, Province of Canada , to found the Notre-Dame du Saint-Esprit (of the Holy Spirit) : Chaudière Appalaches . The construction of the monastery was completed in 1867, but the strict rules of life of the Trappists proved to be incompatible with the harsh climate. A total of 60 monks from Europe and Canada were admitted, but most of them left the monastery after a short time and the death rate was disproportionately high. Therefore, the monastery was closed in 1872 by Archbishop Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau . A monk (Henri de Brie) was the first pastor to stay in Sainte-Justine (until 1885).

In the ten years of their settlement, the Trappists built a sawmill and an agricultural production facility and supported the new settlers with their know-how. In Sainte-Justine, the Société du Patrimoine de Ste-Justine-de-Langevin has set itself the task of researching the city's Trappist origins.

literature

• André Vermeirre: L'immigration des Belges au Québec. Les éditions du Septentrion, Sillery 2001, ISBN 2-89448-301-5 , pp. 55-57.

Web links

• Brief history of Sainte-Justine Monastery, French
• History of the Trappists in Canada, French
• Mention of the Saint Esprit Monastery on the Trappist homepage, without further information

Coordinates: 46 ° 24 '37.9 "  N , 70 ° 20' 53.4"  W.