The Solesmes Congregation is an association of monasteries within the Benedictine Confederation headed by the Abbey of Solesmes.
History The congregation was founded in 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI as the French Benedictine Congregation, with the then newly reopened Solesmes Abbey, founded by Dom Prosper Guéranger, O.S.B., who wished to re-establish France's ancient and rich presence of monastic life, which had been wiped out by the French Revolution. The first foundation of the new congregation in 1853 was Ligugé Abbey, founded by St. Martin of Tours in 361. In course of time other daughterhouses were founded from Solesmes: in 1880 the Abbey of Santo Domingo de Silos in Spain, Glanfeuil in 1892, and Fontenelle in 1893. These four were old monasteries restored.Alston, George Cyprian. "Abbey of St. Solesmes." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 23 March 2015 The congregation's first monastery of women was St. Cecilia's Abbey, Solesmes, founded in 1866 by Guéranger and Cécile Bruyère.
Some of the monasteries of the congregation, especially in France, use the pre-conciliar Latin liturgy, and most of them focus on Gregorian chant. One of its abbeys, Santo Domingo de Silos Abbey, became internationally famous when an album its monks recorded in 1973, Chant, became a huge hit when re-released in 1994, peaking at #3 on the U.S. album charts.
List of houses
(with dates of establishment within the congregation)
Monks
Solesmes Abbey, France, 1833 Ligugé Abbey, France, 1853 Marseilles Priory, now Ganagobie Abbey, France, 1856 Santo Domingo de Silos Abbey, Spain, 1880 , France, 1889 , Paris, France, 1893 St. Wandrille's Abbey, France, 1894 Clervaux Abbey, Luxembourg, 1890 Kergonan Abbey, France, 1897 St Benoît du Lac Abbey, Quebec, Canada, 1912 Quarr Abbey, England, 1922 , Madrid, Spain, 1939 Schoelcher Priory, Martinique, 1947 Fontgombault Abbey, France, 1948 St. Benedictusberg Abbey, Netherlands, 1951 Leyre Abbey, Spain, 1954 Valle de los Caidos Abbey, Spain, 1958 Keur-Moussa Abbey, Senegal, 1961 Randol Abbey, France, 1971 Triors Abbey, France, 1984 Gaussan Abbey, France, 1994 Palendriai Priory, Lithuania, 1998 Clear Creek Abbey, Oklahoma, United States, 1999
Nuns
St. Cecilia's Abbey, Solesmes 1866 Wisques Abbey, 1889 St. Michael's Abbey, Kergonan, 1898 Ste Marthe sur le Lac Abbey, Quebec, Canada, 1936 St Cecilia's Abbey, Ryde, England, 1950 Keur-Guilaye Priory, Senegal, 1970 Le Carbet Priory, Martinique, 1977 Immaculate Heart of Mary Abbey, Vermont, United States, 1981
References
Sources Solesmes Congregation (website of Solesmes Abbey)