English

Dates

There are several ways to undertake the formation offered by Hautecombe Discipleship School.

Summer School : 6 weeks in summer, which include the Spiritual Exercises retreat and the festival Welcome to Paradise. Possibility to follow in various different languages!
Find out more here
Semester 1 : from October to December
The essence of Hautecombe Discipleship School packed into 3 months!
Semester 1 & 2 : from October to June
A longer programme to give time to be transformed and to be deeply rooted in Christ. This programme of 9 months is particularly relevant for those discerning important questions for their life following Jesus.

Biblical and theological formation

The aim of the programme is to allow each person to deepen their faith and widen their vision of the world and of the Church. There is a new topic for each week, which is tackled through teaching, question and answer sessions with the speaker, and group work. This formation is supported and nourished by a Bible-reading series.

Examples of topics: Christology – Saint Paul – The Psalms – Anthropology – History of the Church – Life in the Holy Spirit – Moral Theology – Islam – Ecumenism – Genesis – The Sacraments – Sin and Salvation…

Prayer and discernement

Prayer is at the heart of HDS. It is where we encounter God, where we listen to his word and welcome his gifts. Through daily silent prayer, liturgical prayer, the Eucharist and liturgical prayer, and worship evenings, each person is invited to experience and be transformed by God’s love.

The spirituality of the Community is rooted in the Ignatian tradition. In keeping with the tradition of Saint Ignatius, spiritual accompaniment and times of personal review are of central importance – helping the individual to grow in their relationship with God and in discerning their call, step by step. Spiritual accompaniment with a brother or sister of the community takes place once a week.

The Spiritual Exercises retreat is included in the programme of Hautecombe Discipleship School, an important and singular time to listen to and by guided by the Lord.

Community life

Daily life is shared with the brothers and sisters of the Abbey. Community life is an essential element of Hautecombe Discipleship School. It is where we can experience joy, reconciliation, and freedom. In concrete terms, community life plays out through meals together, service, and times of sharing in small groups.
Sharing groups (made up of around 8 people) are an opportunity to speak, listen, and journey with others about the joys and difficulties experienced following Jesus.
Participants, who come from over 15 different countries, learn to build bridges between their different cultures, and to work for peace and unity. The challenge of community life is to live out Jesus’s commandment, “Love one another as I have loved you.”

« I arrived at Hautecombe knowing very little French. But, through learning another language, where I couldn’t control or follow everything because of my lack of language, I learned a lot about love and about myself.
I experienced what ‘loving your neighbour’ means – people confirming through gestures to be sure that I had understood! There were also moments where I wasn’t able to speak or participate in conversations, where I really had nothing. I learned to laugh at myself when I couldn’t speak well, and I learned how to express my love for others without words. »

Orsi, Hungary