Bonne-Espérance Abbey (, ) was a

Premonstratensian The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular in the Catholic Chur ...

abbey that existed from 1130 to the end of the 18th century, located in Vellereille-les-Brayeux in the Walloon municipality of

Estinnes Estinnes (; ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. On 1 January 2006, Estinnes had a total population of 7,413. The total area is 72.73 km2 which gives a population density of 102 inhabitants per km2. ...

province of Hainaut A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provin ...

Diocese of Tournai The Diocese of Tournai () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Belgium. The diocese was formed in 1146, upon the dissolution of the Diocese of Noyon and Tournai, which had existed since the 7th century ...

, in present-day

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

History

The abbey owed its foundation to the conversion of William, the only son and heir of Rainard, the Knight of Croix. William had followed the heretical teaching of Tanchelm, but

Norbert of Xanten Norbert of Xanten, O. Praem (c. 1080 – 6 June 1134), also known as Norbert Gennep, was a German Catholic bishop who was the Archbishopric of Magdeburg, Archbishop of Magdeburg, founder of the Premonstratensian order of canons regular, and is ...

brought him back to

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. In gratitude his parents, Rainard and Beatrix, gave land to Norbert for the foundation of an abbey at Ramegnies, while William followed Norbert to Prémontré. Ramegnies having been found unsuitable, Odo, the first abbot, led his young colony to another locality in the neighbourhood. "Bonne-Espérance" is

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

for "good hope". A legend says that when Odo saw the place that became the site of the new abbey, he exclaimed: "Bonæ spei fecisti filios tuos" ("O God, Thou hast made Thy children to be of good hope"). Another explanation of the name is it refers to the veneration here of the statue of Our Lady of Good Hope. The abbey grew and Odo was succeeded by Philip of Harvengt, a significant theological writer. fr, whose defence of her virginity has been described by Abbot Philip, was a Premonstratensian nun in a subordinate house at Rivreulle under the direction of the abbot of Bonne-Espérance.

Suppression

In the time of the forty-sixth and last abbot of Bonne-Espérance, Bonaventure Daublain, the abbey was twice occupied and pillaged by the

French Revolutionary Army The French Revolutionary Army () was the French land force that fought the French Revolutionary Wars from 1792 to 1802. In the beginning, the French armies were characterised by their revolutionary fervour, their poor equipment and their great nu ...

, in 1792 and again in 1794, when the community was dispersed. At the time of its suppression the abbey counted sixty-seven members. Although they wished to live in community, they were not allowed to do so during the French Republic, nor after 1815 under King

William I of the Netherlands William I (Willem Frederik; 24 August 1772 – 12 December 1843) was King of the Netherlands and List of monarchs of Luxembourg, Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1815 until his abdication in 1840. Born as the son of William V, Prince of Orange, ...

. The last surviving religious gave the abbey to the

Bishop of Tournai The Diocese of Tournai () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Belgium. The diocese was formed in 1146, upon the dissolution of the Diocese of Noyon and Tournai, which had existed since the 7th century ...

for a diocesan seminary.

Church

The church is still Norbertine in its appearance. In 1616 or 1617 the remains of Saint

Frederick of Hallum Saint Frederick of Hallum ( West Frisian: Freark fan Hallum) (c. 1113 – 5 March 1175) was a Premonstratensian priest and regular canon, founder and first abbot of Mariengaarde Abbey in Friesland in the Netherlands. He was also the parish priest ...

were brought here from the Premonstratensian in the Netherlands to save them from the

Calvinists Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyterian, ...

. The relics were concealed in Vellereille during the French Revolution. In 1938 they were moved to near

Dinant Dinant () is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Namur Province, province of Namur, Belgium. On the shores of river Meuse, in the Ardennes, it lies south-east of Brussels, south ...

. The church stillas at 1911 contains the statues of Saint Norbert, of Saint Frederick, and of two Premonstratensian bishops of Ratzeburg, Saints Evermod and Isfried. At the time of the suppression the statue of Our Lady of Good Hope was hidden; and when peace was restored, it was brought to the church of Vellereille of which one of the canons of Bonne-Espérance was the parish priest. In 1833 it was solemnly brought back to the abbey church, or, as it is now, the seminary church.

Notes

References

*Annales premonst., The Life of St. Frederic *Decleves, Notre Dame de Bonne-Espérance Attribution *

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonne-Esperance Abbey Christian monasteries in Hainaut (province) Wallonia's Major Heritage Premonstratensian monasteries in Belgium 1130s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1130 establishments in Europe 1794 disestablishments in the Habsburg monarchy 1794 disestablishments in the Holy Roman Empire Disestablishments in the Austrian Netherlands 12th-century establishments in Belgium