Month: June 2019

Leffe Abbey in Dinant, Belgium – Day 6

Today we had power and slightly cooler temps, so all is good again! We are staying just outside Dinant, so it was back on the bus to Leffe for mass. Founded in 1154, it flourished for centuries. The 15th century, however, brought plague, flood and fire. In 1844 the last member of the Leffe Norbertine community died and everything appeared to be finished. However, the Norbertines of Frigolet were expecting to be expelled from their abbey, so in 1902 those members bought Leffe. During World War I, the abbey was turned into a prison for 1800 women. The Norbertine community eventually was able to return to the abbey. In 1929 a fire destroyed part of the abbey of Tongerlo, leaving those Norbertines homeless. They took shelter at Leffe, and eventually Leffe was officially transferred to Tongerlo. In WWII, Leffe was able to hide 40 Jewish children from the Germans. Today, they have 13 members, and are in need of vocations.

  • After mass, Abbot Emeritus Bruno gave us a tour.
  • The choir director, from Canada, kindly sang some hymns in English.
  • It’s rumored that relics from Norbertine Saints Frederic and Siard reside here.
  • The church used to be a barn.
  • Another depiction of Norbert and the spider.
  • There’s a portrait of the Abbot who started the brewery in this room.
  • Lunch with the Norbertines.
  • The exterior of Leffe.
  • We explored Dinant in the afternoon.

Park and Grimbergen Abbeys in Belgium – Day 5

When we arrived at the hotel yesterday, we learned there was a regional power outage, so to all our loyal followers, you will see two posts today! We started our day at Park Abbey. Four Norbertines from Laon founded it in 1129. Park Abbey is known for its 17th century stained-glass windows depicting the life of Norbert, 41 in all. After the French Revolution, the Norbertines had to sell the windows to survive. They are in the process of purchasing them back from private collections and museums around the world. So far, 21 of them have been returned to Park. They are currently being studied and restored, but it was so exciting to be able to see five of them. As you can see in the photos, the abbey is currently undergoing major renovations, so it would be great to go back in four or five years to see it in its completed state.

  • A beautiful walk to the abbey.
  • The abbey entrance.
  • This building was once a stable.
  • Prior Jozef welcomed us and was our tour guide.
  • The church was rebuilt in 1729.
  • The acoustics are amazing.
  • This is across from where the Abbots sit, as a reminder that they are human and all will die.
  • Former Abbots are buried beneath this hatch in the floor.
  • The wood carvings and paintings in the sacristy were exquisite.
  • Five of the famous stained-glass windows.
  • Norbertine books in their archive.
  • A detail of the last supper on the ceiling.
  • These sculptures are wooden carvings coated with a special type of chalk or plaster.

We hopped back on the bus and headed to Grimbergen for lunch at their restaurant and a tour. Founded in 1126, it’s best known in the U.S. for its beer, which is currently brewed by Carlsberg group. They recently found their original Norbertine recipe for beer, and are starting a microbrewery. The first beer should be ready in 2020. In addition to the restaurant, they have a guest house and retreat center on site. The church was spared during the French Revolution, but the Norbertines had to flee. In 1831 they resumed communal living, and in 1951 they founded a priory in Cape Town, South Africa. They currently have 17 members, 11 of whom live at Grimbergen.

  • This facade was meant to be a wall. The front of the church was never finished.
  • This section is the old parish house.
  • We ate here at their acclaimed restaurant, the Fenikshof. They also have the first public observatory, which you can see above the restaurant.
  • Abbot Erik de Sutter gave us our tour.
  • This massive church was elevated to basilica status.
  • The wood in the sacristy is local, and the fresco on the ceiling depicts the life of Norbert.
  • Behind these doors they discovered a tunnel with stairs to the roof. This stone was found in pieces, but the believe it belonged to the abbot from 1244.
  • The Neo-Roman style columns and ceilings in some sections are fake, as shown in this photo.
  • The story of Norbert and the spider.
  • The phoenix.
  • This room is lined with paintings of the Abbots before the French Revolution.

Postel Abbey in Mol, Belgium – Day 4

The bus rides have been fairly quiet, but I think we’re starting to win the jet lag battle. We visited beautiful Postel Abbey for a tour, mass and lunch today. Fr. Benedict greeted us, and we chatted over tea and coffee. Postel generates income through a 28-room guesthouse, and they make and sell their own cheese and products made from their herb garden. They have 23 members, 16 of whom live here. The others live in parishes or elder care facilities. Like other Norbertine abbeys we’ve visited, their members are elderly, and they struggle with vocations. In the 1950s they had approximately 100 members – some were doing mission work in the Congo. In 1970 they started a priory there with more than 50 members that is now an independent canonry.

  • The deer are “just for decoration.”
  • The tower has 51 bells.
  • We were later joined by Abbot Frederic, who gave us a tour of the grounds.
  • In Latin above the doors: Here the dead are living and the mute speak. This section of the building was added in 1960 and houses the library.
  • Floreffe abbey founded Postel.
  • Postel’s coat of arms.
  • These windows depict Norbertine vows.
  • The aromatic herb garden.
  • The stained glass windows in church depict the life of Norbert.
  • Items for sale in the shop.
  • Postel used to make beer, but sold that operation.

St. Catherine’s Monastery in Oosterhout – Day 3

It’s a beautiful walk down a tree-lined lane to St. Catherine’s Monastery. Almost 700 years ago, seven daughters were given permission to join the Order of Prémontré. The location of the monastery changed several times throughout the centuries, until 1647 when they moved to their present location in Oosterhout. In 1954, the sisters began restoring and preserving antique books to generate income. The economic downfall in 2008 seriously affected the income from their book work. In 2012, the sisters declared they would stay at the monastery, and they would stay there together, but they needed a new source of income. They decided to start a vineyard on the property, and after developing a business plan, the community supported them. All the sisters voted on decisions throughout the process, in order to stay true to who they are as Norbertine sisters.

  • We were welcomed by Sister Maria Magdalena.

In addition to the vineyard, the sisters also started a guesthouse. There are 14 rooms that can be used for retreats and other events.

  • Sister Norberta joyfully led our tour of the property. After lunch we attended service in this chapel.

The vineyard was planted in 2015, and last year was their first harvest. They grow six different varietals, and bottled 11,000 bottles of white wine their first year. On Saturday they release this year’s wine, and have grown to 55,000 bottles.

  • The roses at the ends of the rows signal when something is wrong with the grape vines.
  • In addition to the vineyard, they tend beautiful gardens.
There are tasting areas and a store on-site.
  • The bag design was inspired by the sisters’ habits.
  • They saved us some of last year’s wine to sample.

Berne Abbey – Day 2

After breakfast at the hotel, we rode the bus to Berne Abbey, founded shortly after Norbert’s death in 1134. This current location has been home to the Norbertines since 1857. In the late 1800s, they had a large number of vocations, which allowed them to send three Norbertines, including Bernard Pennings, to Wisconsin in 1893. Berne would send 26 Norbertines in all, which led to the purchase of St. Joseph Parish and the founding of the college.

  • We were met by Fr. Peter, who gave us an introduction to the abbey.
  • The exterior had many interesting details.
  • We had coffee and tea, along with an interesting conversation about the current state of Catholicism in the Netherlands.
  • Past Abbots’ stones in the courtyard.
  • We attended mass with the Norbertines.
  • Carved wooden statue of St. Augustine.
  • After mass and lunch, Fr. Joost gave us a tour.
  • Detail of a large painting of all the coats of arms. The De Pere Abbey also has this painting.
  • Every day this clock needs to be wound. The two bullets on the wall start near the ceiling and descend to the floor.
  • The courtyard outside the Norbertine’s rooms. In the 1950s and 1960s, they had 200 members. They currently have 25, including two young Polish novices.
  • The is a bookstore on-site that, of course, sells Berne Abbey beer.
  • Variety packs available for purchase.
  • Of course we had to taste test!

Welcome Dinner Cruise – Day 1 in Amsterdam

After a few travel and luggage snafus, we all managed to gather in Amsterdam. A dinner cruise was the perfect way to get to know each other and see the sights. Enjoy the photos!

  • Our dinner cruise hosts.
  • Photos of the group.
  • Some views along the canals.
  • The value of a houseboat is based on its location. Some sell for upwards of $1,000,000 euros!
  • The food did not disappoint!
  • The food was precariously brought aboard the boat.
  • The city is an interesting mixture of modern and historic architecture.
  • We ate dessert as the sun set.

Welcome!

Tour participants representing St. Norbert College staff, faculty, alumni, board of trustees, donors and friends will be gathering in Amsterdam on June 25. Be sure to follow along on our 2-week journey through the Netherlands, Belgium and France, visiting sites of Norbertine significance.

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