| La Pairelle | |
|---|---|
 | |
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| Former names | Institut Saint-Bellarmin |
| Alternative names | Centre Spirituel Ignatien La Pairelle |
| General information | |
| Type | Retreat Centre |
| Location | Wepion |
| Address | Rue Marcel Lecomte 25 |
| Town or city | Namur |
| Country | Belgium |
| Coordinates | 50°26′04″N4°51′33″E / 50.43431°N 4.85916°E /50.43431; 4.85916 |
| Completed | 1932 |
| Opened | 1971 |
| Affiliation | Jesuits |
| Grounds | 17 hectares |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Albert Ghequière |
| Website | |
| csilapairelle.be | |
La Pairelle or its full nameCentre Spirituel Ignatien La Pairelle is aCatholic spirituality and retreat centre inWépion,Namur, Belgium. It was built in 1932 by theJesuits and was designed by Albert Ghequière with a chapel built in the Gothic Revival style. It is located off Rue Marcel Lecomte on a hill in the district of Wépion in Namur, overlooking theRiver Meuse. It is the only French-speaking Jesuit retreat centre in Belgium.
In 1611, the Jesuits arrived in Namur and founded the College of Namur at a site next to current Church of Saint Loup in the centre of the city. In 1773, theJesuits were suppressed and the college became the Royal College. In 1831, the Jesuits returned and openedCollège Notre-Dame de la Paix on rue de Bruxelles. Over the next 100 years the college expanded with new faculties and programmes, eventually becoming theUniversité de Namur.[1][2]
In 1932, La Pairelle was built. It was originally the St Bellarmine Institute (French:Institut Saint-Bellarmin). Named after Robert Bellarmine, it was a residence for the training of Jesuits who would study at the Université de Namur. In the building is a chapel in theGothic Revival style. The building was designed by Albert Ghequière who also designed theChurch of the Sacré-Cœur de Saint-Servais inWaterloo andChapel of Saint-Thérèse in Namur. According to theInventaire de patrimoine immobilier culturel ofWallonia, the style of the building is "neo-traditional".[3] From 1935 to 1971, as part of the training for Jesuit missionaries in India, an Indological course, which included the teaching ofSanskrit was taught there.[4]
In 1971, the building was no longer used as aformation centre for Jesuits and instead became a retreat centre. Since then it has offered retreats and courses to people inIgnatian spirituality, which is inspired and taken from theSpiritual Exercises byIgnatius of Loyola.[5]
In 1999, theSisters of Saint Andrew moved into a house called Béthanie, which was once a farmhouse at La Pairelle. They also help with giving retreats at the centre.[5] On 25 September 2022 it celebrated fifty years as a retreat centre with aMass presided by theBishop of Namur, Pierre Warin.[6]
Media related toLa Pairelle at Wikimedia Commons
