L’Ermitage: Since 1999, Fondacio has been based here, to promote spirituality but above all training, healing and mutual aid. A whole range of proposals to get involved, to go on a journey, in the footsteps of integral ecology advocated by “Laudato Si”, the encyclical of Pope Francis.
History of the Hermitage
The Hermitage of Madame de Pompadour.
The Maison de l’Ermitage, located in the heart of the city of Versailles, was built in 1746. King Louis XV asked to detach six hectares from the park of the Palace of Versailles to build a hunting lodge there, which he offered to Madame de Pompadour. Delighted to retire from court life, she nicknamed it: “her little gem ” or her ” Hermitage “.
A ” Laudato Si’ ” Center
“Everything is linked, and the genuine protection of our own life and of our relationship with nature is inseparable.
brotherhood, justice and fidelity to others”.
Art. 70 of the encyclical Laudato Si’, Pope Francis.
On this site, Fondacio France seeks to live this ecological coherence where social justice, personal and spiritual development, relationship of Man to nature are thought together. Training, projects, spiritual life and partnerships unfold to allow everyone to enjoy and deepen their relationship to themselves, to others, to nature with God.
Living Fraternal Bonds
“All creatures are related, and all of us as beings need each other. “.
Laudato Si’, art -42, Pope Francis.
A long tradition of hospitality for this house: even before the arrival of Fondacio on this site in 1999, the Auxiliary Sisters were already welcoming various groups, family celebrations and marginalized people.
We continue in this same dynamic welcoming groups from various backgrounds, whether professional, associative, family or social. The choice to establish a residential center (CHRS) in the very heart of the house, in its center is a concrete sign that we can surround, cherish, give a place of choice to those who have been heckled for a moment in their journey. of life, sometimes rejected.
Beyond the accompaniment by a qualified professional team, it is a whole network of fraternity which is offered through regular meetings to forge links with others: Thursday activities, fraternal Sundays and also times of respite, holidays, healing are offered.
Fraternal life is one of the most beautiful gifts we have received. Fondacio runs more than 25 sharing groups in Ile-de-France that meet once a month. These sharing groups are places of rereading. They allow us to receive our life as a gift, to catalyze our energies for the future.
The connection with others is also played out in the team commitment in many projects. There is so much joy in giving oneself to many to build a more humane and fairer world!
It is also through meetings near the coffee machine or during a meal that new projects are born! A real fraternity is lived between employees, volunteers and committed in Fondacio. Some people passing through thank us for the benevolent welcome, the contagious peace received!
Get closer to nature
“The inhabitants of this planet are not made to live deprived of physical contact with nature. “.
Laudato Si’, art -44, Pope Francis.
For years, in partnership with the neighboring parish, a team of volunteers (Gardening and spirituality) comes once a month to recharge their batteries and take care of the park.
On the site, a chicken coop promotes waste management while promoting the joy of living.
In partnership with the association les colibris de Versailles, our neighborhood neighbors can come and deposit their compost in our park or garden a plot of land. A way to share simple joys, to cultivate the wonder of nature! We thus support several objectives pursued by Les Colibris: concrete implementation of solutions for reducing waste, promoting biodiversity in a spirit of conviviality and mutual aid.
Young people from an IME (Medico-Educational Institute) in the neighborhood and their educators have the joy of gardening in our park.
The project to transform part of the site into a market gardening area and thus provide our catering service with garden vegetables while working on the integration of migrants is progressing.
Between respect for nature and social justice, we are also concerned about the consumption choices to be made to build a more humane and fairer world. L’Ermitage hosts the association’s storage facilities, the Comptoir du Potager , on its site. Through this partnership, we wish to promote and support consumption patterns that are more respectful of producers and our planet. We share the values defended by this association: a way of life and thought where the notion of sustainability prevails over that of productivity, where attachment to the land, conviviality and solidarity are shared values. A weekly distribution is ensured at the Ermitage. Thanks to a solidarity contribution from customers of the Comptoir du Potager , our social structures benefit each week from a solidarity basket of seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Commercial partnerships have also been set up to recover unsold items and thus allow the public to benefit from our solidarity activities.
Connect with yourself
“The immense technological progress has not been accompanied by a development of the human being in responsibilities, in values, in conscience. “.
Laudato Si’, art. 105, Pope Francis.
The setting itself invites inner peace and all of Fondacio’s pedagogy, rooted in the Christian tradition, invites everyone to an inner life favoring the emergence of our own vocation, the deployment of the best of ourselves, to give ourselves in the world.
For this, we favor spaces and prayer times open to all. Every meeting begins by taking everyone’s inner weather. In order to promote this inner life, Fondacio has developed a whole team of people trained in listening. Spiritual companions will know how to be attentive to everyone in order to embrace all the dimensions of our lives, in the light of God ” These moments of listening are an undeniable support which brings clarity and strength to my life” . Several therapists also receive within our walls, for individual or couple interviews.
Taste the presence of God
“In every creature dwells his life-giving Spirit who calls us into relationship with him. “.
Laudato Si’, art -88, Pope Francis.
We believe that the treasure that God has shared with us is relationship: relationship to Him, to ourselves, to others, to all of creation. We deploy several ways to connect with God:
- Spaces of silence, because ” silence is the cradle of God ” (Maurice Zundel).
- Spaces for prayer in community, open to all: our faith and our spiritual life are strengthened by this community life.
- Spaces to learn more about the Bible and live from it (in workshops, during the day, on courses) as well as spiritual retreats.
It is also the spiritual accompaniment to learn to see that God does not come to join us elsewhere than in the reality of our lives.
“Christian spirituality proposes growth through sobriety. One can live intensely with little.”.
Laudato Si’, art. 223, Pope Francis.
Link to the source https://www.ermitage-fondacio.fr/notreprojet.html
