It is unclear when Matines was first occupied, but the stone of the inner arch beneath the Maison Issaly is from the Renaissance period and the flagstone cellar under the Maison Besse shows vestiges (hearth) of an earlier, probably single-storey dwelling. It is likely that the dwellings would have been

Matines has been a family home for nearly 30 years. We have two adjacent and interconnecting houses. This allows space to welcome guests on a self-catering basis. The end house, Maison Besse, has a large kitchen with open fire, a sitting/reading area, double bedroom and bathroom. This is not

Matines faces East, so the sunrise greets us most mornings and gives the lieudit its name. We also see some beautiful sunsets, particularly from the hillside behind the house. Matines is also the word used for the first prayer of the day in the monastic order - Matins in English.

'Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth' Matthew 5:5 What a contrast between the modern and original meaning of this word. modern definitions include: 'docile, overly compliant, spiritless, yielding, tame. Mild, deficient in courage, submissive and weak.' Biblical definitions are found in

We found an old cross at the entrance to our house. It needed some attention, to reset it in its base, and reposition it. We believe it was first placed by our neighbour's mother, Madame Périan, who lived in the house nearest the road, which is now our

'Nous portons ce trésor dans des vases de terre' The mural at the front staircase was a project in July 2021. Instead of the bright colours of the front mural, this one is designed to blend much more into the stone, using the oules, the traditional preserving jars,

'From the rising of the sun to its setting, the Lord's name is to be praised.' Psalm 113:3 We lived with a dreary concrete wall for many years, and I always dreamed of restoring the original stone. However, this proved impractical, and the only option

A simple liturgy which we use in our Oratoire on a regular basis. It uses words from the Celtic saints and is inspired by the rhythm of prayer used at Ffald-y-Brenin, Wales.

We chose a run-down mas, or collection of farm buildings in 1994 as a family home. We found leaky rooves, primitive kitchen and bathroom facilities, scary wiring, an overgrown garden - and huge potential! Nearly 30 years later, the project has become more than a home, and the House of