The French Revolution did not finally destroy the Carmel of Compiègne but the post-Conciliar years did. Closure announced 21 April 2026

Closure of the Compiègne Carmel: The end of four centuries of presence

The six Carmelite nuns residing in Jonquières, near Compiègne, have decided to close their community, bringing an end to nearly four centuries of Carmelite presence in the diocese, the diocese announced in late April. It is sad news for the faithful, yet a legacy and a hope remain.

This is a sad consequence of the lack of religious vocations. On April 21, Bishop Jacques Benoit-Gonnin of Beauvais, Noyon, and Senlis announced the closure of the Compiègne Carmelite community, which has been based in Jonquières since 1992. "With advancing age, dwindling numbers, a lack of new vocations, and the impossibility of finding reinforcements from outside, our Carmelite Sisters of Compiègne have decided to close their community," the bishop stated. Six nuns remain there today; their departure will take place gradually over the coming months.

The Carmel of the Annunciation—founded in Compiègne in 1641 and living according to the Rule of Saint Teresa of Avila—was the 53rd French foundation of its kind at the time. It left a remarkable mark on the Church by giving it 16 holy martyrs: the 16 nuns who were expelled from their monastery during the French Revolution and subsequently guillotined in Paris on July 17, 1794, out of hatred for the faith. For more than 18 months leading up to their deaths, they recited a daily act of consecration, offering their lives to God so that peace might be restored to the Church and the State. Pope Francis approved their equipollent canonization on December 18, 2024. On May 8, a thanksgiving celebration for their canonization took place in Compiègne. Then, on September 13, a Mass was celebrated at Notre-Dame de Paris, followed by a procession retracing the "path of the carts."

In 1835, an attempt was made to restore the Carmel of Compiègne, but it did not last. Finally, on January 18, 1867, a few nuns from the Carmel of Troyes settled on Rue Saint-Lazare in Compiègne. Construction of the monastery took 16 years, spanning from 1872 to the inauguration of the chapel in 1888. In 1992, as the building was aging, the sisters sold the monastery and had a new building constructed in Jonquières, a small village about ten kilometers from Compiègne.

An enduring hope

Father Yann Deswarte—who served for seven years as a curate at the Parish of the Holy Carmelites of Compiègne and joined the Society of Jean-Marie Vianney in Ars this past September—shares his sadness regarding the Carmelites' departure, but also his hope. "It is sad because it marks the end of an era, but I find it beautiful that the Lord allowed for the canonization of the Carmelites before they left. It is a form of fulfillment, and the Lord will bring forth fruit." Father Yann Deswarte used to celebrate Mass at the Carmel once a week and regularly entrusted the parish's prayer intentions to the sisters. "I am truly convinced that the Carmelites held our parish in their prayers and that everything we managed to achieve bore fruit thanks to their prayers. There is real sadness, yet also hope, because now the holy Carmelites will take up the torch!"

Bishop Jacques Benoit-Gonnin also emphasizes the community's profound fruitfulness: "Those who joined them in Jonquières, those who visited them or walked alongside them, know the fruits borne by their silent witness, their faithful prayer, and their hearts open to the intentions entrusted to them," he affirms. "Their presence and their witness will continue to inspire many."

A message of peace

"The message of the Carmelites is a message of peace," says Baudouin Gérard, president of the Friends of the Holy Carmelites of Compiègne. "The association will do its utmost to ensure this message endures." It is a message that has resonated powerfully, especially since the canonization of the 16 Carmelites. "To foster devotion, we organized pilgrimages and symposiums in collaboration with the Carmel; busloads of people came from Paris—it was all a tremendous outpouring of faith and a journey toward peace," recounts Baudouin Gérard. "Sister Alix-Anne, a former prioress of the community, always insisted that the 16 Carmelites absolutely had to be canonized, because the message—'may peace be restored to the Church and the State'—is more relevant than ever today," the association's president reports.

Jonquières is home to a memorial dedicated to the 16 Carmelite martyrs, which draws many pilgrims eager to learn more about these holy women. The site includes the church crypt—where relics are preserved—and a memorial room displaying manuscripts and objects that sustained their life of prayer. As for Baudouin Gérard’s wish? "Naturally, the association would like to avoid desacralizing the site and hopes to preserve the crypt, which attracts so many visitors; these matters will be discussed with the Carmelite Order, the Federation of Carmelites, and the diocese. Personally, I think the site could accommodate another religious community or a faith-based retirement home—and who knows? Another Carmelite community might branch out and settle there in the coming years."

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