Abbey

monastery which has a larger number of members and which then bears the title of abbey. In the past, certain privileges were attached to this title. This is less true today.

Abbe

Refers to the superior of an abbey. Abba wants to express that he is the father of the community.

Apse

Rounded end of a church, behind the choir.

Brother

Usually designates the monk who has not received priestly ordination. He is a full member of the community in which he lives.

Cellarer

Name given to the person who exercises the function of bursar for the community.

Cenobitism

Communal aspect of monastic life, as opposed to eremitism emphasizing solitude.

Chapter

Assembly composed of all the members definitively engaged and having the right to vote. A certain number of decisions belong to him.

Choir

Part of a church, usually in front of the high altar, where the monastic community sits during services.

Compline

Last prayer time of the day, expressing trust in God and his forgiveness.

Constitutions

Legal texts which, according to the evolution of Church law, specify and adapt the rights and duties of monastic communities and their members.

Cradle

Vault generated by an arch whose curvature is a semicircle.

Dom

Appellation which sometimes precedes the first name and surname of a monk. It is equivalent to Father and is generally reserved for monks who are priests. Those who are not priests are called Brothers.

Exemption

Situation of monasteries which are not directly subject to the jurisdiction of the bishop of the diocese in which they are located. This situation concerns almost exclusively male monasteries.

Gothic

Style widespread in Europe from the 12th to the 16th century, between the Romanesque style and the Renaissance style

Heroicity of Virtues

A quality of holiness in someone.

Incunabula

Print dating from the 15th century.

Kapittel

Uit al de definitief toegewijd leden bestaande zitting en die dus mogen stemmen. die mogen een bepaald aantal beslissingen nemen.

Kerkelijke staat

Macht, beheer van de Paus.

Klooster

Algemene benoeming van de huizen waarin monniken of monialen samenleven. Kloosters kunnen ofwel Abdijen, ofwel Priorijen zijn.

Klooster gelofte

Zijn gelofte afleggen in het monniksleven. Die gelofte is eerst tijdelijk ( drie jaar) en wordt daarna levenslang.

Koor

Deel van een kerk, over het algemeen voor het kerkaltaar waar de monniken de diensten volgen.

Kruispunt van twee spitsbogen

Wat in een gelijkzijdig driekoek geschreven kan worden.

Lancet

Raised third-point arch, resembling a spearhead (especially in “à lancette”)

Lauds

Prayer time, at sunrise, celebrating the praises of God and his creation.

Lectio divina

Meditative and prayerful reading of the Bible, made free of charge, for the pleasure of being in contact with the Word of God.

Matins

Prayer time celebrated early, in the morning, even in the middle of the night, composed mainly of psalms and readings (Bible and texts by spiritual authors). In several monasteries, Matins are celebrated today at the end of the day and then take the name of Vigils.

Monastery

Generic name given to houses where monks and nuns live. Monasteries can be either Abbeys or Priories.

Mousty

Victor Mousty (1836-1876). Born in Saint-Hubert, he was a notary clerk in Namur until 1860. At this time, he enlisted in the pontifical army and led the first Belgian detachment to Rome. He becomes a lieutenant there. In 1868, back in Belgium, he became interested in various Catholic works. After the capture of Rome in 1870, he was hired by the Desclées in Tournai, where he became their confidant. In 1874, he founded the newspaper La Croix, for the support of which the Gantois Joseph de Hemptinne provided the necessary capital.

Nave

Part of a church between the portal and the choir. It is the place where the faithful generally stand.

Neo-gothic

At the end of the 18th century, Romanticism took a fresh look at the Gothic style so decried during the Renaissance and the classical period. From England, the movement will spread on the continent, supported by an abundant literature and presented as bearer of Christian virtues and nationalist values. In the first half of the 19th century, Gothic monuments were the subject of sketchbooks, analyses, publications and restorations. Archaeological societies are created around a common passion for these vast architectural ensembles. Together with this intellectual frenzy, an architectural theory and doctrine appeared. We will therefore build in Gothic in the heart of the 19th century, encouraged in this by the work of famous architects including Eugène Viollet-le-duc, Augustus Welby, Northmore Pugin and Jean-Baptiste Béthune.

Novitiate

Period during which the one who wants to become a monk (nun) is initiated into all the components of monastic life. In general, this period is twelve months.

Opus Dei

Latin name of the Divine Office designating the whole of the common prayer spread over several times throughout the day.Content of the tab

Paleontology

Fossil science. Tab content

Patrology

Complete collection of the works of the Fathers of the Church; synonym of patristic: study, knowledge of the doctrine, works, biography of the Fathers of the Church

Rule of Saint Benedict

Work written by Saint Benedict to organize life in his monastery.

Stability

Commitment of the monk who attaches him to a specific community and not to a religious order in general.

Third point

Which can be inscribed in an equilateral triangle.

Transept

Transversal nave of a church which, by intersecting the main nave, gives the building a cross shape.

Triplet

Ordered association of three elements

Ultramontane

Nineteenth century movement that supports the traditional position of the Italian Church (absolute power of the pope).

Vessel

Part of a church between the portal and the choir.

Vespers

Prayer time, at sunset, celebrating God’s action in the world.

Vigils

Office generally celebrated the night before a feast or a Sunday.