Monastère Sainte-Françoise-Romaine

Monastère Sainte-Françoise-Romaine is a small community of Benedictine nuns in Le Bec-Hellouin, a village in the Eure department of Normandy, France. It should not be confused with the celebrated Bec Abbey (Abbaye Notre-Dame du Bec) nearby – this is a separate, much younger women's monastery, closely linked to the abbey but distinct from it.

How did this community come to exist?

The story begins in 1919, when Jeanne de Wavrechin, a young widow whose husband had been killed at the front during the First World War, went on pilgrimage to Rome. There she encountered the figure of Saint Frances of Rome (Francesca Romana), who in 1433 had founded the community of Tor de' Specchi. Inspired by her example, Jeanne – later known in religion as Mother Marie-Élisabeth de Wavrechin – set out to found a similar community in France. She established it at Cormeilles-en-Parisis, near Paris, in the diocese of Versailles; the first sisters made their monastic profession on 15 August 1925. In 1938 a formation house for young monks was also opened there, following a meeting between Mother Marie-Élisabeth and Brother Paul Grammont, a monk from Mesnil-Saint-Loup.

Why did the sisters move to Le Bec-Hellouin?

Everything changed in 1948, when Brother Paul Grammont and his companions revived monastic life at the historic Bec Abbey, which had stood empty since the French Revolution. The sisters at Cormeilles decided to settle near the reborn abbey, and from 1950 they built their own monastery at the hamlet of Saint-Martin-du-Parc, within the commune of Le Bec-Hellouin. That monastery still stands there today.

What is the relationship with Bec Abbey?

The nuns follow the Rule of Saint Benedict as oblates of Notre-Dame du Bec Abbey, making their profession into the hands of the Abbot of Bec. Every Sunday and feast day they join the monks to sing Mass and Vespers together. Although administratively separate, the two communities share one monastic life in this corner of Normandy.

What does the community do today?

Around 25 sisters of varying ages currently live at the monastery. Alongside prayer and work, in keeping with the Benedictine motto "ora et labora," the sisters run a candle-making workshop, producing liturgical candles, decorative coloured candles and small beeswax figures. This craft has long been an important source of income for the community and is known well beyond Normandy.

Frequently asked questions

Is Monastère Sainte-Françoise-Romaine the same as Bec Abbey? No. Bec Abbey (Notre-Dame du Bec) is a men's Benedictine monastery founded in the 11th century, one of medieval Normandy's most important religious houses. Monastère Sainte-Françoise-Romaine is a separate, much more recent women's community, founded in the 20th century, which settled nearby and is spiritually linked to the abbey as an oblate community.

Who founded the community? It was founded by Jeanne de Wavrechin, known in religion as Mother Marie-Élisabeth de Wavrechin, a war widow inspired by Saint Frances of Rome during a 1919 pilgrimage.

How many sisters live there today? The community currently numbers around 25 nuns of different ages.

What do the sisters do day to day? Besides liturgical prayer, they run a candle-making workshop – from liturgical candles to decorative beeswax pieces – which is their main craft activity and source of income.