Why Paray-le-Monial ?
Catholic Universities and Institutes today have a myriad of possibilities for partnering with organizations to organize study abroad programs. So why choose the Académie Cor Iesu in Paray-le-Monial? There are three reasons which make the ACI stand out :
1. A commitment to providing both students and faculty access to resources in whatever their particular academic discipline which enable to them to be engaged in study and research rooted in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition.
2. Person-centered programming in a unique, historic and contemplative location which provide a friendly and hospitable environment conducive to study, research, reflection and dialogue.
3. Participation in a vibrant, dynamic and diverse local church community with intrinsic links to the international church and a wide network of resources to promote academic study and research.
The origins of the town of Paray-le-Monial are found with the establishment of a monastic priory and the consecration of a church on a hilltop in the Val d’Or valley in 977 CE. The priory’s foundation was desired by the abbot of the renowned and historically significant Abbey of St Peter of Cluny, St Maïeul (954-994 CE), as an act of thanksgiving “in recognition of all of the good that God had done for me”.
The son of the first hereditary Count of Châlon-sur-Saône, Hugh I, a canon of the cathedral of Autun, officially donated the priory and the church of Notre Dame to the Abbey of Cluny in 999, after his consecration as the bishop of Auxerre. The church was rebuilt and transformed into the magnificent abbatial basilica during the time of the Abbot of St Peter of Cluny, Hugh of Semur (1049-1109). It is probable that the sites initiated by the monks at that time attracted the populations of the surrounding hills of the valley and that there settlements on the lands of that belonged to the priory were the first residents of Paray-le-Monial.
Thus, from its inception, the town and its social, economic and political life has been organized around the ideals of the monastic life of Cluny as outlined in the Rule of St Benedict to give thanks to God through prayer and spiritual formation, and to promote the dignity of the human person through labor and cultural formation, and the active pursuit of research and learning in organizing ongoing intellectual formation. To this latter end, the Monastery of Cluny had developed one of the most important collections of manuscripts in France and all of Europe in its library.
In 1619, the first Jesuits arrived in Paray-le-Monial after the town started to reemerge following the Plague (1346-1348), the ravages of the One Hundred Years War (1337-1453) and the Wars of Religion (1562-1598). They established a college to foster learning and assured the religious life of the townspeople in the wake of the disruption of the life of the Benedictine monastery. In 1632, the newly founded Order of the Visitation, with the encouragement of the Jesuits, established the first monastery of nuns in Paray-le-Monial (which they still occupy to this day, despite the interruptions of the French Revolution (1798-1823). St Marguerite Marie Alacoque, at the age of 24, entered this monastery in 1671. During her life as a cloistered nun here she experienced the extraordinary graces of mystical visions in which Our Lord manifested to her his Sacred Heart and commissioned her with making known his “heart which has loved humankind so much … as to be consumed in its desire to show them his love.” Once her confessor, the Jesuit Father St Claude de la Colombière, believed the nun, and was gradually able to convince his superiors of the mission that Jesus wanted entrusted to the Society of Jesus to diffuse devotion to his Sacred Heart throughout the world, Paray-le-Monial would be forever associated with the message of God’s love and mercy revealed through the pierced and broken heart of His Son for the redemption and salvation of the world. Ever since, other communities of religious, and other movements for the laity have been founded or drawn inspiration from the spirituality of the Sacred Heart and the theology of God’s Incarnate Love revealed through the Heart of Christ.
In the 21st century, Paray-le-Monial remains the home of a vibrant community of faith and a unique place to encounter the living tradition of the Catholic Church. Each year, countless pilgirms and seekers from around the world make their way to the town for retreats, pastoral activities and sessions of spiritual formation to encounter the particular grace of peace, healing and reconciliation with which this place is embued. The Académie Cor Iesu is founded in continuity with this living legacy of promoting the academic endeavor of the search for truth and eternal wisdom.
