The Sisters of Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, a group of Cistercian nuns in southeastern France, have turned to selling cleaning products to cover the soaring electricity costs of their mountain abbey. Located in the Ardèche, the abbey is surrounded by 445 hectares of mostly woodland. The nuns began this venture to manage the high expenses, including an electricity bill that runs at €5,000 a month, despite their efforts to conserve energy.
The nuns, who moved into the abbey 18 months ago after the departure of Trappist monks, have started producing and selling cleaning products made from their own spring water and essential oils. These products are available online and in local shops, providing a much-needed income stream to sustain the abbey.
The abbey, which had been home to Trappist monks for 170 years, was once visited by the Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson. He stayed there in 1878 during his 120-mile hiking journey through the Cévennes mountains, an experience he recounted in his book “Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes.”
Since moving in, the original eight sisters have been joined by four new recruits, bringing the average age of the order to 41 years. Unlike their predecessors who led a life of silent contemplation, the nuns have embraced a more active approach. They combine their prayer routines with soap production and document their daily activities on social media. Their products, sold under the brand name Air des Neiges with the slogan “a breath of nature in the home,” include 400 bottles of cleaning fluids sold through the abbey’s shop and online.
To achieve energy self-sufficiency, the sisters have also launched a €100,000 crowdfunding campaign. The funds will be used to install solar panels on the abbey roof, generators in the streams on the property, and explore geothermal energy options.
Sister Marine, speaking to TF1 television, highlighted their innovative approach to sustaining the abbey and changing perceptions of monastic life. She noted that people often view monastic life as austere, but the sisters’ activities, such as making snowmen and tobogganing, showcase their joy, freshness, and simplicity. This approach aims to show young people that monastic life can be fulfilling and joyful.
The Cistercian order traditionally emphasizes three main activities: liturgy, manual labor, and reading. For the Sisters of Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, work has become a vital part of their routine, blending traditional monastic values with modern entrepreneurial efforts to ensure the abbey’s sustainability and invite potential new members to their way of life.
