24 August 1970
A Benedictine monk arrives at the little chapel of Bédoin, dedicated to Saint Madeleine, in the Vaucluse, on his moped, his kit on the luggage rack. What's he doing here? At a time of renewal and change, he intends to continue his monastic life, quite simply, and, with the blessing of his Father Abbot, to "experience tradition": prayer, silence, manual work, the Latin office and traditional liturgy. What will tomorrow bring? "That's up to God," replies Father Gérard.
27 August
The first applicant arrives at the door of La Madeleine Father, I want to be a monk. - It's impossible here! I have nothing to welcome you." But the young man insisted...
15 November
The applicant returns. A community takes shape. Seven times by day and once by night, God's praise will never cease to ring out.
1971
Monastic life is getting organised. Resolutely. The little priory in ruins was restored. God sent vocations. Soon there were eleven monks.
January 1971
First trip to Rome. Armed with a letter from his Abbot, Dom Gérard asked the Holy See to approve the young foundation. The Sacred Congregation of Religious reassured him: "Do as Saint Benedict did, live the Rule and God will bless you.
25 July 1974
With Archbishop Lefebvre having carried out ordinations at Bédoin, Father Gérard's superior decided to close the fledgling monastery. He made a second trip to Rome to try to find a solution... but it took almost fifteen years!
January 1977
The community is still growing. We sleep in caravans and site huts: La Madeleine is becoming too small. We're going to have to build.
20 september 1978
A thirty-hectare plot of land was acquired between the Ventoux and the Dentelles de Montmirail, in the commune of Le Barroux. The site is beautiful and wild. But building was expensive! So Dom Gérard travelled the length and breadth of France. A huge wave of generosity was generated. Thousands of donations, some of them quite modest, enabled the monks to carry out their audacious project.
1979
Four young girls have gathered around Mother Elisabeth, a Benedictine nun. Following in the footsteps of the monks of Bédoin, they too wanted to "experience tradition". After moving to different locations, they will be able to find a plot of land in the commune of Le Barroux and give birth to the future Abbey of Notre-Dame de l'Annonciation.
21 March 1980
The foundation stone, on which the monastery's motto is engraved, is laid: Pax in lumine "Peace in the light". The monks' mission is to bring a little peace from heaven into people's hearts.
December 1981
Farewell to Bédoin! Two days before Christmas, everyone found themselves "with arms and baggage" in the guest house of the new monastery at Le Barroux. The situation was still a little precarious: no heating, no electricity, the novices camped in dormitories... Services were held in the crypt, which had been inaugurated a few months earlier.
January 1986
After the construction of the monastic buildings, the first wall of the church began to emerge from the ground. The work lasted just over three years.
18 June 1989
Rome grants the monastery canonical status: Dom Dammertz, Abbot Primate of the Benedictines, comes here to promulgate the decree of erection as an abbey, signed in Rome a few days earlier.
2 July 1989
Cardinal Mayer confers the abbatial blessing on the founder, Dom Gérard.
2 October 1989
On the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels, Cardinal Gagnon, surrounded by the Archbishop of Avignon and fourteen other prelates, consecrated the monastery church: five hours of ceremony, and not a minute's rest! Those present could hardly wait... A day in heaven!
28 September 1990
Part of the community travelled to Rome and was received in private audience by John Paul II. "I entrust to your prayers the great intention of reconciling all the children of the Church in the same communion", the Holy Father told them.
10 June 1993
Mgr Defois, then Archbishop of Sens, conferred priestly ordination on one of our young brothers. This inaugurated the list of French bishops who would come to the abbey each year to perform ordinations.
24 September 1995
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and future Benedict XVI, visits the community and celebrates the Sunday conventual Mass in the presence of a large congregation.
25 January 1999
New postulants continued to arrive. The abbey now has more than sixty monks, and it's starting to become too small. Will we have to think about expanding?
21 November 2002
Mgr Descubes, then Bishop of Agen, having given his approval, and with the monks numbering almost seventy, eight of them left to found the Monastery of Sainte-Marie de la Garde at Saint-Pierre-de-Clairac in Lot-et-Garonne. A new adventure began...
25 November 2003
The founder, Dom Gérard, having resigned his abbatial office, the community elected one of its members, Dom Louis-Marie, as its new abbot, who received the abbatial blessing from Cardinal Medina-Estevez on 25 January. The adventure continues!
28 February 2008
Death of our founder and first abbot, Dom Gérard, following a vascular accident.
25 September 2008
The Abbey has joined the Benedictine confederation, whose aim is to promote life according to the Rule of Saint Benedict and fraternal charity between monasteries.
