Abbaye de Notre-Dame de Wisques

Abbaye Notre-Dame de Wisques is a Benedictine nunnery standing on a hilltop above the village of Wisques in Pas-de-Calais, roughly 7 kilometres from Saint-Omer. It is a living contemplative community rather than a heritage museum, which shapes how visitors can experience the place.

How did the abbey come to be founded?

The community traces back to 1889, when a group of nuns from the abbey of Sainte-Cécile in Solesmes travelled to Wisques to establish a new house, following the monastic revival launched by Dom Prosper Guéranger. Under the first prioress, Mother Thérèse Bernard, the sisters initially settled in a manor house at the foot of the hill. Five years later the community was raised to the rank of abbey, and the nuns moved up to the hilltop, where the main monastic building still stands today.

Did the nuns ever have to leave Wisques?

Yes, on two separate occasions, for reasons unrelated to monastic life itself. In the early twentieth century, French laws targeting religious congregations forced the community into exile in the Netherlands; the sisters did not return to Wisques until August 1919. The Second World War brought further disruption: German forces occupied the abbey building, and most of the nuns took refuge with the sisters of Notre-Dame de Sion in nearby Saint-Omer. Only ten nuns were permitted to remain on site during that period.

How is this abbey different from the neighbouring Saint-Paul abbey?

Wisques is home to two monasteries standing close together, which can confuse first-time visitors. The men's abbey of Saint-Paul, founded within the same Solesmes tradition, occupies the base of the hill, while the women's abbey of Notre-Dame sits at its summit. The two houses were established independently but share the same Benedictine spiritual family.

What does community life look like today?

Notre-Dame de Wisques remains an active enclosed monastery. As of 2022, the community numbered eighteen nuns, whose days are structured around prayer, work, fraternal life, silence and lectio divina, the monastic practice of reading and reflecting on scripture. Since its founding, the community has maintained Gregorian chant in its liturgy of the hours, making it one of the places where this musical tradition has survived in near-unbroken continuity since the late nineteenth century.

Can visitors stay at the abbey?

The abbey runs a guesthouse that welcomes people wishing to take part in spiritual retreats. A stay allows guests to attend the Latin liturgy and Gregorian chant, join the nuns in prayer, and, in some programmes, take part in manual work alongside the community. This is aimed primarily at people seeking silence and a taste of monastic daily life, not at travellers looking for a guided tour of a historic building.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Abbaye Notre-Dame de Wisques located? On a hilltop above the village of Wisques, in the Pas-de-Calais department, about 7 kilometres from Saint-Omer.

Is this the same place as Abbaye Saint-Paul? No. They are two separate monasteries from the same spiritual family — the men's Saint-Paul at the foot of the hill and the women's Notre-Dame at its top.

How many nuns currently live there? As of 2022, the community counted eighteen sisters.

Can the abbey be visited like a regular monument? It is an active enclosed monastery, so visiting mainly takes the form of a guesthouse stay and participation in retreats rather than a standard guided tour.

What liturgical tradition is preserved here? Gregorian chant, sung in the liturgy of the hours essentially since the abbey's founding in 1889.