Notre Dame du Calvaire Abbey

Notre Dame du Calvaire Abbey was a Trappist/Cistercian monastery situated in Rogersville, New Brunswick, Canada. Its establishment in 1902 was a direct response to the anticlerical movements in France, with Father Marcel‑François Richard, the parish priest of Rogersville, inviting Cistercian monks from the Abbey of Our Lady of Bonnecombe in France to found a new refuge. Father Richard generously donated land and some existing buildings to facilitate this endeavor.

The founding monks, led by Dom Antoine Piana, arrived in October 1902. The following year, in 1903, the monastery was formally incorporated by an Act of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, operating under the name The Model Farm and Agricultural School of Rogersville, N.B., suggesting an early emphasis on agricultural training and development.

A significant development occurred in 1904 when a group of Cistercian nuns established a second monastery, Notre-Dame de l'Assomption Abbey, located a short distance south of Notre Dame du Calvaire Abbey. This expansion highlights the growing presence of the Cistercian order in the region.

After over a century of operation, Notre Dame du Calvaire Abbey officially ceased to function as a monastic community in May 2024. The closure was a consequence of sustained low recruitment, with only three monks residing at the monastery at the time of its dissolution. The site's history reflects a journey from a spiritual refuge to an agricultural institution before its eventual closure.