Abbaye Notre-Dame de Timadeuc, Trappist monastery in Bréhan, France.
Abbaye Notre-Dame de Timadeuc is a Cistercian-Trappist monastery in Bréhan, Morbihan. Its light grey rubble-stone walls and dark slate roofs form an asymmetrical facade: a lower left wing with a dormer window and gabled section, and a taller central block with a narrow round-arched window above a recessed arched doorway. A small plaque with dark lettering sits below the upper window, and a large green tree partly covers the right side.
The monastery was founded in 1841 by three monks from La Trappe Abbey and gained official recognition as an abbey in 1847. During World War II, it became a refuge for Resistance fighters and allied pilots fleeing German forces.
The name Timadeuc comes from the Tymadeuc family, whose motto "espoir en Dieu" (hope in God) the founding abbot adopted. The monks sing Gregorian chant, and the community has recorded several discs. Visitors can join the daily offices: vigils and lauds in the morning, sext and none in the afternoon, vespers and compline in the evening, plus Mass.
The monastery offers guest accommodations with single rooms for visitors interested in spiritual retreats within a quiet setting. Meals are served in complete silence, reflecting the contemplative nature of the place.
The abbey's name derives from the Tymadeuc seigniory whose manor was bought for the monastery; Dom Joseph Hercelin also took over the family motto "espoir en Dieu" (hope in God). The neo-Gothic church, rebuilt 1895–1898, has a foundation stone hollowed to hold a lead heart with medals of the Virgin, Saint Joseph, Saint Benedict, Saint Anne and the Guardian Angel.
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