In Épernon, the community of the Sisters of Christ is looking for a future for the priory of Saint-Thomas, a vast property which it bought in 1936, in the heart of this town in the north of Eure-et-Loir, 45 minutes from Paris.
The four nuns who reside there maintain a tradition of hospitality and accommodation, for business seminars or individuals.
But with the Covid, the activity has been damaged.
“We therefore looked for ways to find additional income to sustain our premises, while continuing our welcoming and support missions,” explains Sister Guénolée, who spent nearly 20 years in Épernon.
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The idea is to transform part of the priory into a “senior” residence, to accommodate retirees wishing to spend peaceful days in the heart of a pretty park.
To carry out its project, the congregation contacted the Maison d'Alliance, a structure which has set itself the task of transforming occupied or disused religious buildings into beguinages for retirees.
In Épernon, "ten to twelve comfortable apartments" of one or three-bedroom apartments are planned, with the possibility of living a retreat imbued with spirituality if desired, around the chapel and the hearth, or quite simply to enjoy 'a fraternal atmosphere, centered on mutual aid between neighbours, sharing and conviviality, to break the loneliness, specifies Sandra Rozette, in charge of studies.
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"There are obviously no criteria for choosing future tenants, but people have to be respectful of the cult," she adds.
For the moment, the operation is still in the reflection phase, and the congregation should make a decision during the summer.
A public information meeting will be organized on site on June 9 for those who are interested.
And if the project is validated, it will then take two years of work before the opening of the beguinage.
www.prieure-saint-thomas.fr