La Trappe

This celebrated abbey of the Order of Reformed Cistercians is
built in a solitary valley surrounded by forests, and watered by
numerous streams which form, in the vicinity, a number of
beautiful lakes. The location is eighty-four miles from Paris, and
nine miles from the little town of Mortagne in the Department of
Orne and the Diocese of Seez, within the ancient Province of
Normandy. At its beginning it was only a small chapel, built in
1122 in pursuance of a vow made by Rotrou II, Count of Perche,
who, a few years afterwards, constructed a monastery adjoining, to
which he invited the religious of Breuil-Benoit, an abbey
belonging to the Order of Savigny, then in great renown for
fervour and holi-ness; and in 1140 the monastery of La Trappe was
erected into an abbey. In 1147 Savigny, with all its affiliated
monasteries, was united to the Order of C�teaux, and from this
time forth La Trappe was a Cistercian abbey, immediately depending
on the Abbot of Clairvaux. During several centuries La Trappe
remained in obscurity and, as it were, lost in the vast multitude
of monasteries that claimed C�teaux for their mother. But in the
course of the fif-teenth century La Trappe, on account of its
geograph-ical situation, became a prey to the English troops
during the wars between France and England, and in the sixteenth
century, it, like all the other monasteries, had the misfortune to
be given "in commen-dam"; after this the religious had nothing
further to preserve than the mournful ruins of a glorious past.

However, the hour was soon to come when the monastery was to have
a bright return to its primitive fervour. The author of this
reform was de Rance, fourteenth commendatory Abbot of La Trappe,
who as regular abbot, employed all his zeal in this great
enterprise, the noble traditions of the holy founders of C\�teaux
being again enforced. The good odour of sanctity of the
inhabitants of La Trappe soon made the monastery celebrated
amongst all Christian nations. On 13 February, 1790, a decree of
the Government was directed against the religious orders of
France, and the Abbey of La Trappe was suppressed; but the
religious, who had taken the road to exile under their abbot, Dom
Augustin de Lestrange, were one day to see the doors reopen to
them. In 1815, the abbey, which had been sold as national
property, was repurchased by Dom Augustin, but on their return the
Trappists found nothing besides ruin; they rebuilt their monastery
on the foundations of the old one, and on 30 August, 1832, the new
church was solemnly consecrated by the Bishop of Seez. In 1880 the
Trappists were again expelled; they, however soon returned to the
great joy and satisfaction of the working classes and the poor.
Under the able administration of the present abbot, Dom Etienne
Salasc, the forty-fifth abbot since the foundation and the
fourteenth since the reform of de Rance, the monastery has been
entirely rebuilt: the new church, which is greatly admired, was
consecrated on 30 August, 1895. The different congregations of
Trappists are now united in a single order, the official name
being the "Order of Reformed Cistercians", but for a long time
they will continue to be known by their popular name of
"Trappists" (see CISTERCIANS).

Bossuet was a frequent visitor at La Trappe, in order to spend a
few days in retreat with his friend the Abbot de Rance; James II
of England, when a refugee in France, went there to look for
consolation. Dom Mabillon, after his long quarrels with de Rance
visited him there to make peace with him. The Count of Artois,
afterwards Charles X, spent several days at the abbey; and in 1847
Louis Philippe wished likewise to visit this celebrated monastery.
Amongst those who have contributed to the glory of the abbey in
modern times we will only mention Father Robert known to the world
as Dr. Debreyne, one of the most renowned physicians of France,
and held in high repute for his numerous medico-theological works.

EDMOND M. OBRECT
Transcribed by Michael C. Tinkler

In honor of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, Conyers, Georgia


From the Catholic Encyclopedia, copyright � 1913 by the
Encyclopedia Press, Inc. Electronic version copyright � 1996 by
New Advent, Inc.

Taken from the New Advent Web Page (www.knight.org/advent).

This article is part of the Catholic Encyclopedia Project, an
effort aimed at placing the  entire Catholic Encyclopedia 1913
edition on the World Wide Web. The coordinator is Kevin Knight,
editor of the New Advent Catholic Website. If you would like to
contribute to this  worthwhile project, you can contact him by e-
mail at (knight.org/advent). For  more information please download
the file cathen.txt/.zip.

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