Frigolet Abbey

Frigolet Abbey (Abbaye Saint-Michel de Frigolet) is a monastery, originally of the Benedictine Order, in southern France. It is located on the territory of the commune of Tarascon.

Early history

The monastery, dedicated to St. Michael, was founded, about 960, at Frigolet, by Conrad the Pacific, King of Arles, on one of the numerous hills which lie between Tarascon and Avignon, France. It was successively occupied by the Benedictines of Montmajour, the Augustinians, the Hieronymites, and finally by the Reformed Augustinians.

At the time of the French Revolution, it was suppressed and sold by the French Republic.

Nineteenth century

From that time it changed hands frequently, and was acquired, at length, by Rev. Edmund Boulbon, who purchased it from Rev. T. Delestrac. Edmund Boulbon, b. 14 January, 1817, entered the Abbey of Our Lady of La Trappe at Bricquebec, in 1850. He wished to lead a more active Catholic life. Acting on the advice of his superiors, he left the Trappists and undertook the restoration, in France, of the Order of St. Norbert.

On 6 June, feast of St. Norbert, he received the white habit from the hands of Paul-Armand de Cardon de Garsignies, Bishop of Soissons, at Prémontré. Pope Pius IX approved the project in an audience which he granted to Father Edmund, 4 December, 1856.

With the consent of Georges-Claude-Louis-Pie Chalandon, Archbishop of Aix, Father Edmund took possession of Frigolet, and, having admitted several novices, he commenced community life there. In honour of Our Lady Conceived without Sin he erected a magnificent church, which was solemnly consecrated on 6 October, 1866. The monastery was canonically erected as a priory on 28 August, 1868; and as an abbey in September, 1869, the Right Rev. Edmund Boulbon being its first abbot.

On 8 November, 1880, the abbey of Frigolet was seized and the religious expelled. Eventually, however, they were permitted to return. Abbot Boulbon died 2 March, 1883.

His successor, Paulinus Boniface, named abbot on 10 June, 1883, undid by poor administration the work begun by Abbot Boulbon; but after a canonical visitation by François Xavier Gouthe-Soulard, Archbishop of Aix, he was deposed, and the direction of the abbey entrusted to the Rev. Denis Bonnefoy. Up to this time, the Abbey of Frigolet, with the priories founded by it, had formed as it were a separate congregation with an organization of its own, having no connexion with the other abbeys or the general chapter of the order. This state of affairs was changed by a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Bishops and Regulars, dated 17 September, 1898; and the congregation of Frigolet was incorporated with the order.

Denis Bonnefoy, who was made abbot on 21 March, 1899, died on 20 September of the same year. The religious of Frigolet chose for their abbot Godfrey Madelaine, then prior of the Abbey of Mondaye, Calvados, France, the author of "L'histoire de S. Norbert" and other books. The Abbey sent missionaries to Madagascar, and founded the priories of Conques and Etoile in France, and of Storrington and Bedworth in England. [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12387b.htm] Meanwhile, the French Republic had framed new laws against all religious institutions, and on 5 April, 1903, the religious, expelled from their abbey, took refuge in Belgium.

There, having bought what was left of the former Norbertine Abbey of Leffe near Dinant, they restored it; and continued in the conventual life, in the hope that some day the fathers might be permitted to return to France.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.frigolet.com/ Frigolet Abbey's website]