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28-517: The abbey was founded around 620 by Burgundofara (Saint Fara), the first abbess. She had been consecrated to God, while yet a child, by Columbanus . With the approval of Bishop Gundoald of Meaux, Burgundofara established an abbey on her father's lands. Eustace of Luxeuil supplied monks as chaplains and to assist in building the monastery. It was a double monastery , the first in France, with communities of both monks and nuns . The main buildings and

56-404: A building, diocesan territory, or a communal or non-communal group of persons—juridical entities under church law). They receive the vows of the nuns of the abbey; they may admit candidates to their order's novitiate; they may send them to study; and they may send them to do pastoral or missionary, or to work or assist—to the extent allowed by canon and civil law—in the administration and ministry of

84-505: A modified form of her religious habit or dress, as she is unordained—females cannot be ordained—and so does not vest or use choir dress in the liturgy. An abbess serves for life, except in Italy and some adjacent islands. Abbesses are, like abbots, major superiors according to canon law , the equivalents of abbots or bishops (the ordained male members of the church hierarchy who have, by right of their own office, executive jurisdiction over

112-531: A nun for 10 years. The age requirement in the Catholic Church has evolved over time, ranging from 30 to 60. The requirement of 10 years as a nun is only eight in Catholicism. In the rare case of there not being a nun with the qualifications, the requirements may be lowered to 30 years of age and five of those in an "upright manner", as determined by the superior. A woman who is of illegitimate birth,

140-727: A parish or diocese (these activities could be inside or outside the community's territory). They have full authority in its administration. However, there are significant limitations. There are exigent circumstances, where due to Apostolical privilege, certain Abbesses have been granted rights and responsibilities above the normal, such as the Abbess of the Cistercian Monastery of the Abbey of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas near Burgos , Spain . Also granted exceptional rights

168-540: Is not a virgin , has undergone non-salutory public penance, is a widow, or is blind or deaf, is typically disqualified for the position, saving by permission of the Holy See. The office is elective, the choice being by the secret votes of the nuns belonging to the community. Like an abbot, after being confirmed in her office by the Holy See , an abbess is solemnly admitted to her office by a formal blessing, conferred by

196-572: The Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), makes clear, abbesses' past spiritual authority was increasingly seen as the "usurpation" of corresponding priestly power, and a solely male privilege. He gives an example of the attitude toward such practice, from the 9th century, which persists in church administrative control into the modern era: Thus, in the Capitularies of Charlemagne, mention is made of certain Abbesses, who contrary to

224-494: The Benedictine Congregation of Mont-Olivet . Since 1980, the monastery has operated as an EHPAD , i.e. a Residential care home for senior citizens, primarily elderly nuns from different monasteries throughout France. 48°48′7″N 2°59′51″E  /  48.80194°N 2.99750°E  / 48.80194; 2.99750 Burgundofara Burgundofara (died 643 or 655), also Saint Fara or Fare ,

252-723: The Cistercian Abbesses of Burgos and Palencia in Spain, who preached and heard confessions of their own religious , characterizing these acts as "unheard of, most indecorous, and highly preposterous." Historically, in some Celtic monasteries, abbesses presided over joint-houses of monks and nuns, the most famous example being Saint Brigid of Kildare's leadership in the founding of the monastery at Kildare in Ireland . This custom accompanied Celtic monastic missions to France, Spain, and even to Rome itself. In 1115, Robert,

280-470: The Catholic Church, greater restrictions on abbesses' spiritual independence gained pace. Instruments of church authority, from papal bulls down to local sanctions, were increasingly used to restrict their freedom to dispense blessings, administer sacraments, including the veiling of nuns, and publicly read the gospels or preach. Such spiritual—and even temporal—authority had in earlier church history, largely been unremarkable. As Thomas Oestereich, contributor to

308-700: The Holy Roman Empire. The oldest women's abbey in Germany is St. Marienthal Abbey of Cistercian nuns , near Ostritz , established during the early 13th century. In the Hradčany of Prague is a Catholic institute whose mistress is titled an Abbess. It was founded in 1755 by the Empress Maria Theresa , and traditionally was responsible for the coronation of the Queen of Bohemia . The Abbess

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336-714: The Pious , it changed to the Rule of Saint Benedict . In 887, the Abbey was sacked by the Normans . The monasteries became increasingly populated by young women from the nobility, and the Carolingian royal family. As the rules were relaxed, a period of decadence followed. Faremoutiers thus declined into the hands of the local lords and mutated into a place of receptions and maintenance of men-at-arms. Around 1094 Philip I of France wrote

364-475: The abbey church were in the middle of a large enclosure; the monastery of the brothers was located outside of it. It was established to follow the strict Rule of Saint Columbanus . The site, an estate belonging to Fara's family, originally known as Evoriacum, was renamed Faremoutiers ("Fara's monastery") in her honour. The modern village of Faremoutiers grew up around the abbey. Jonas of Bobbio , biographer of Columbanus stayed at Faremoutiers in 633. Three women of

392-463: The abbey was very likely established with her father's blessing, and the supposed parental insistence upon her marriage may have been no more than a front, especially if the marriage was proposed by the King. An edict of King Chilperic I a generation earlier had favoured the claims of daughters in inheritance over those of uncles and nephews, making the marriage of an heiress of considerable importance to

420-461: The abbot of Marmoutier and "...asked him to reform the monastery of Faremoutiers because of the nuns' dissolute lifestyle". In 1140 the monastery was destroyed by fire, but rebuilt in 1145. In 1445, at the end of the Hundred Years' War , it was pillaged by soldiers. In the 16th and 17th centuries the abbey enjoyed royal favour, and saw a number of abbesses appointed by the crown. In 1683, at

448-416: The bishop in whose territory the monastery is located, or by an abbot or another bishop with appropriate permission. Unlike the abbot, the abbess receives only the ring, the crosier , and a copy of the rule of the order. She does not receive a mitre as part of the ceremony. The abbess also traditionally adds a pectoral cross to the outside of her habit as a symbol of office, though she continues to wear

476-598: The church of Saint Stephen in Meaux. There her brothers Faro and Chagnoald catch her, and are set on killing her for disobeying their father Chagneric, but the timely arrival of Eustasius settles matters. With Eustasius's support, and the approval of Bishop Gundoald of Meaux, Burgundofara established an abbey on her father's lands. First called Evoriacum , it was later renamed Faremoutiers in her honour. Studies of Burgundofara's life, and those of noble heiresses in similar situations, lead some writers to conclude that in fact

504-489: The established discipline of the Church of God, presume to bless the people, impose their hands on them, make the sign of the cross on the foreheads of men, and confer the veil on virgins, employing during that ceremony the blessing reserved exclusively to the priest, all of which practice the bishops are urged to forbid absolutely in their respective dioceses. Similarly, in 1210, Innocent III (died 1216) expressed his view of

532-702: The founder of Fontevraud Abbey near Chinon and Saumur , France, committed the government of the whole order, men as well as women, to a female superior. In Lutheran churches, the title of abbess ( German : Äbtissin ) has in some cases survived (for example, in the Itzehoe Convent  [ de ] ) to designate the heads of abbeys which since the Protestant Reformation have continued as monasteries or convents ( German : Stifte ). These positions continued, merely changing from Catholic to Lutheran. The first to make this change

560-463: The reigning houses. Until the dissolution of Holy Roman Empire and mediatisation of smaller imperial fiefs by Napoleon, the evangelical Abbess of Quedlinburg was also per officio the head of that reichsunmittelbar state. The last such ruling abbess was Sofia Albertina, Princess of Sweden . The abess Hildegard of Fraunmünster Abbey sat in the Imperial Diet among other princes of

588-414: The request of Louis XIV , architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart took charge of the reconstruction of the main building of the Abbey. Anna Gonzague de Clèves-Nevers , daughter of Charles I Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua , was educated at Faremoutiers. The abbey was later tainted by Jansenism , and in the 18th century suffered from an exhausting lawsuit with the bishop of Meaux and continuing economic problems. It

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616-453: The royal house of East Anglia entered the Abbey of Faremoutiers: Sæthryth , the step-daughter of King Anna , Anna's daughter Æthelburh , and his grand-daughter by his daughter Seaxburh , Eorcengota (†660), daughter of Eorcenberht of Kent . Queen Balthild of Chelles was an important benefactress of the monastery, as was Erchinoald , mayor of the palace of Neustria. In the 9th century, as all French abbeys were commanded to do by Louis

644-684: The wider family. The feast of Saint Burgundofara is celebrated on 3 April, probably in error. At Faremoutiers, she was commemorated on 7 December. Abbess An abbess ( Latin : abbatissa ) is the female superior of a community of nuns in an abbey . In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic ), Eastern Orthodox , Coptic and Anglican abbeys, the mode of election, position, rights, and authority of an abbess correspond generally with those of an abbot . She must be at least 40 years old and have been

672-779: Was a friend of Theudebert [King Theudebert II ], a wise man, and a counsellor grateful to the king, and was fortified by nobility and wisdom. ... Columban blessed his house and consecrated to the Lord his daughter Burgundofara, who was still a child, and of whom we shall speak later. Jonas's life of Burgundofara picks up the tale. She is betrothed against her will and falls deathly ill. Her father Chagneric says to Eustasius of Luxeuil , who happens to be present, "Would that she might return to health and devote herself to divine service!" Burgundofara recovers, thanks to Eustasius's prayers, but her father goes back on his word and decides to give her away in marriage. She discovers this, and flees to

700-641: Was suppressed during the French Revolution , and the forty-three nuns were dispersed at the end of 1792. Most rejoined their families. Until 1796 the premises were used as a barracks and thereafter as a quarry. In 1923 Benedictine nuns from the Abbaye Saint-Nicolas de Verneuil settled in Amillis before founding in 1931 a small community on the site of Faremoutier abbey, which remains to this day. The Abbey of Faremoutiers now belongs to

728-408: Was the Abbey of Quedlinburg , whose last Catholic Abbess died in 1514. These are collegiate foundations, which provide a home and an income for unmarried ladies, generally of noble birth, called canonesses ( German : Kanonissinen ), or more usually, Stiftsdamen or Kapitularinnen . The office of abbess is of considerable social dignity, and in the past, was sometimes filled by princesses of

756-617: Was the Abbess of the Cistercian order in Conversano Italy. She was granted the ability to appoint her own vicar-general, select and approve the confessors, along with the practice of receiving the public homage of her clergy. This practice continued until some of the duties were modified due to an appeal by the clergy to Rome. Finally in 1750, the public homage was abolished. During the Middle Ages (7th–10th centuries) in

784-611: Was the founder and first abbess of the Abbey of Faremoutiers . Her family is known as the Faronids, named after her brother Faro . Her name may mean "she who moves the Burgundians". Jonas of Bobbio 's life of Columbanus reports that she was blessed by the Irish monk when a child: Then Columban went to the city of Meaux . There he was received with great joy by a nobleman Hagneric (Chagneric, father of Burgundofara), who

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