Thank you very much.
To all the people, over the years, who have made Champboise a place of welcome, prayer and solitude, I am deeply grateful.
I first visited Champboise in the winter of 1997, when I was a university student, and the Eudists still lived there. It was such a memorable experience; transporting my firewood by sled, tending my fire and walking the snowy paths, accompanied by chickadees. I still remember what I ate, who I was with, what I read and my walks through the forest.
After university I moved out of province and life happened.
More than fifteen years after my first visit I was back in Quebec and recontacted Champboise. I was very grateful to discover that it was still a place of retreat. For the next 4 autumns I spent at least a few days in the silence of Champboise. It has been a very important ritual for me. It has been a time to reconnect with God, with myself, and with silence. I would draw, take photos, write, reflect, read, sit quietly on my porch, feed the birds, walk, visit La Source, Le Vieux Chemin, Les Cascades. I wrote poems about the centennial tree and the cycle of death and rebirth.
A few years ago I brought my sister, during a time of great stress in her life, and it refreshed her.
Champboise holds a special and unique place in my heart.
As Champboise now goes through a new transformation it's an opportunity for me to look back as well as to pause in gratitude. Even though my experiences have been of solitude and silence, I know many people put time, effort and love into Champboise, making it a place of welcome. I am truly grateful to everyone who, over the years, has made it their ministry, to care for the land and to share it with people like myself.
I pray that God bless everyone and guide the future of Champboise.
Sincerely,
Paola Bresba
Champboisé — 40 years of history
The Eudists’ first presence in the Outaouais began with the construction of Saint-Jean-Eudes Seminary in Limbour. Built in 1959, it closed and was sold in 1969. This initial experience in the diocese encouraged the community to find another way of serving the local area. It built a house on Rue Claire in Pointe-Gatineau so that its residents could take on a variety of diocesan ministries: teaching, helping nearby parishes, accompanying our seminarians, and later welcoming people seeking time away for spiritual renewal and personal accompaniment.
In the Outaouais region, in partnership with the Church of Hull and the Eudist family, the aim was to encourage spiritual renewal and the growth of individuals and groups, especially through facilitated sessions and reflection on life experiences in the spirit of the Gospel and its values.
In 1977, Father Michel Hébert discovered Edmond Cosgrove’s farm. The Eudists bought the property and began developing it. Gradually, as modest funds became available, they started building two cabins and renovating “Pain du jour,” the former dairy. The following year, six cabins were added, and the ground floor of the barn was fitted out in the autumn of 1979 and winter of 1980.
On June 1, 1980, Bishop Adolphe Proulx officially blessed the site in the presence of the Eudist Provincial Council.
Over the years, the community continued investing modestly in the property: the barn’s upper floor became the community residence in 1983, and three new cabins were built. Only then did a permanent team take up residence.
In 1985, the present meeting room was built on the grounds. It was inaugurated on August 19 by the Eudist Superior General during his visit to Canada.
To contribute to youth ministry, the centre began a youth programme in 1990 for secondary-school groups aged 16–18, using the “24 hours of silence” format.
To support the spiritual motivation of people already involved in pastoral ministry, the centre also offered longer stays, lasting from a few weeks to several months.
From 1995, in response to recent social changes, the centre welcomed a growing proportion of people who felt distant from religious practice, offering them an experience of solitude and recollection.
The blessing
June 1, 1980
The beauty of the grounds through the seasons
Landscapes and country scenes
Champboisé’s 25th anniversary
A silence that speaks
The chickadees of Champboisé
All you need to do is hold out your hand.
Champboisé’s 30th anniversary
On my path I found a bird’s nest on the ground, in the middle of a field, with no eggs inside; a skull left as a reminder of an animal from long ago; woodpeckers’ nests carved into a tree; a web and a little spider trying to frighten me away to protect the bunch of violets beneath it; a chipmunk watching me with a mischievous look, having granted me a glimpse of its nose; a tiny blue butterfly, like a little patch of sky, visiting the humble meadow flowers; and a new song each day, offered by a bird like another verse of a song that never ends. And when I pray in nature, I suddenly feel it surround me, as though it had come to pray with me and give thanks to the Father who created us.
I arrived here, Lord, torn, anxious, and tired. Little by little, you brought me peace. I cried out to you and went through every mood… Patiently, you loved me to the very depths of my being, where I dare not even look for fear of seeing my failings and shortcomings too clearly. Yet you loved me as I am. Calmly and patiently, you wove your Love within me so that I too might love you with the very love that comes from you. This is what you do with me, Lord: you keep reshaping me; you continue making me your child.
Anonymous
Looking to the Other Side, a sculpture by Béla Simó
A tribute to the Eudists on the beautiful grounds of Champboisé, in L’Ange-Gardien
A public artwork by sculptor BÉLA SIMÓ, installed as part of the Collines et d’eau trail in the MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais, which highlights and promotes the cultural and natural heritage of its seven municipalities.
Walking with poet Jacques Gauthier at Champboisé
“Writer and poet Jacques Gauthier takes us on a pilgrimage in nature in the Collines-de-l’Outaouais, a fertile place where words meet peaceful solitude.”
Radio-Canada
Published on March 10, 2021
Talking about Champboisé
The hermitages of Champboisé: a sanctuary in nature
Pierre Valiquette and Liliane Bertrand — Guests of Ginette Gratton
The Municipality of L’Ange-Gardien acquires Champboisé
In 2012, the Eudists and the Municipality of L’Ange-Gardien reached an agreement on the sale of Champboisé.
Since October 31, 2019, the Municipality of L’Ange-Gardien has owned the 165-hectare site, intended for recreational, tourism, and cultural activities.
Read the article in the daily newspaper Le Droit using the link below.