The Carmelite community of Jonquières, near Compiègne (France), will close in the coming months after determining the impossibility of continuing due to the aging of its nuns and the absence of vocations. The decision was confirmed on April 21 by Bishop Jacques Benoit-Gonnin.
Currently, the monastery has only six nuns, all of advanced age and without generational replacement. After a discernment process, the community has decided to cease its activity, putting an end to a presence established in this place since 1992.
The closure is framed within an increasingly visible trend in Europe, where numerous contemplative religious communities are disappearing due to the combination of lack of vocations and aging of their members.
A Carmel with More Than Three Centuries of History
The Carmel of Compiègne traces its roots to 1641, when it was founded under the inspiration of Saint Teresa of Ávila, during the full expansion of contemplative life in France.
Its history was marked by one of the most significant episodes of religious persecution during the French Revolution: the martyrdom of sixteen Carmelites, guillotined in Paris on July 17, 1794, after being expelled from their convent.
Before their execution, the nuns offered their lives for months for the peace of the Church and society. Their story inspired works such as Dialogues of the Carmelites, by Georges Bernanos, and the opera by Francis Poulenc, which brought their testimony to an international audience.
A Testimony Recognized by the Church
The Church officially recognized this martyrdom when Pope Francis approved their canonization on December 18, 2024. The canonization was celebrated with liturgical acts in Compiègne and Paris, including a procession that followed the path to the place of their execution. Today, a commemorative plaque marks that place, while in Jonquières their relics are preserved.
Although the community disappears, the closure does not erase the spiritual weight of this Carmel, whose legacy remains linked to the testimony of its martyrs.
Source: Zenit