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Welcome to

Beguine Link

for Information about Beguines – old and new

The Beguines’ Story

The Beguine Way of Life

The beguine way of life emerged in the 12th century during social and economic conditions that made it difficult for unmarried women to live a secure, fulfilling life outside of the monastery. 

It offered a religious lifestyle without binding vows or strict control by church or civic authorities, built on practical rhythms of self-supporting work, prayer, teaching, and service.   

Between the Middle Ages and the 20th Century, thousands of women found purpose, safety, and identity as beguines.  

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Life In a Beguinage

In some areas, Beguines lived independently or with their families. In others, beguines resided in small homes, convents, or complexes of private dwellings owned or leased by individual beguines called beguinages or “Cities of Ladies”. 

As shown in the video The Beguines, each beguinage contained gardens and workspaces. Most included a chapel.  

Several beguinages in the Netherlands and Belgium have been preserved as UNESCO World Cultural Sites. Others remain in use today as convents or college buildings. 

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Modern Beguines

The Beguine movement dwindled slowly over 800 years as a result of the Protestant Reformation, political turmoil within Europe, wars, and expanded roles for women in civic, business, and professional arenas. 

The original beguine movement ended with the  death of Marcella Pattyn in 2013, the last beguine of the Courtrai beguinage in Belgium.

In recent decades, beguine groups have emerged anew in Europe and in North America. Some adopt a modern approach to Christian spirituality and service;  others are organized to promote secular co-housing projects. 

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Where are beguines found today?

This section lists known English-speaking beguines. Please inform us of errors and updates.

News of European beguines can be found within Silvana Panciera’s blog presented in English, French, and Italian.

 

  • An Croi Beguines
      • A community created to respond with prayer and service to the current spiritual, social and economic landscape, as the original beguines did
      • Gatherings for prayer, guidance, learning, and spiritual sharing are held virtually and in person
      • An Croi is spiritually inclusive (ecumenical), inspired by Celtic Christianity and Franciscan Incarnational Spirituality
      • Single or partnered women are eligible for full membership; men and women may belong as advocates

 

 

  • Community of Saint Anna
      • A global, online, ecumenical Benedictine-inspired community for single/unmarried women created to foster spiritual growth and dedicated to prayer and compassion toward all without exception
      • Meetings are held monthly by Internet meeting technology
      • Contact: Anna Jane at beguine.link@gmail.com

 

  • Companions of Clare
      • A Franciscan-inspired emerging residential beguine community for women in rural Maine dedicated to adoration and thanksgiving
      • Capacity: 6 women residents in the Convent of Peace and Good on the premises
      • The Companions of Clare support ecumenical spirituality, welcoming inquiries from all interested women
      • Contact: Sister Courtney Haase, Guardian at 207-431-2664. More details are available at www.companions of clare.org

 

  • American Beguines – status unknown; no response to inquiry
  • Beguines of Mercy – status unknown; no response to inquiry

 

Why was this website created? 

Beguine.link was developed by Anna Jane, the coordinator of the Community of Saint Anna, to share information with our group members (called “Annas”),  regarding the beguine way of life and its modern revival.

During our research on the beguines, we encountered women around the world who are recapturing the essence of beguine life in modern forms, contributing to a movement that is spreading rapidly in Europe and beginning to develop in other countries. Such widespread interest may suggest that the Holy Spirit is working to re-establish the beguine movement with modern adaptations for circumstances today.

In the process, we discovered a wealth of reputable, thoughtful, and scholarly sources of knowledge about the beguines. We are using this information to guide our discussions while we discern a structure that is fulfilling, flexible, and appropriate for our group and each Anna’s circumstances, as the early beguines did before us.

Since other individuals and groups may be considering the beguine option as well, we offer this treasure trove of information to readers who want to know about beguine history and modern twists on this ancient-but-new approach to a prayerful, practical spiritual life. Any errors or omissions on this site, however, are my responsibility alone.

Please contact Anna Jane if you have information to share or if you or your group are discerning this vocation, so we may continue to learn during this journey together.

May the Lord bless and keep you…and give you peace.

Anna Jane, Coordinator of the Community of Saint Anna

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   For further reading….

  1. Stirler, Gael. (2008). The Beguine Women’s Movement of the 13th Century: A Mystic Sisterhood Without Vows. https://stores.renstore.com/history-and-traditions/the-beguine-womens-movement-of-the-13th-century
  2. Howard, Evan B. (2019). The Beguine Option: A Persistent Past and a Promising Future of Christian Monasticism. Religions. 10(9), 491. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel10090491
  3. Neel, Carol. (1989). The Origins of the Beguines. In Judith M. Bennett, et. al., (Eds.). Sisters and Workers in the Middle Ages. University of Chicago Press.
  4. Deane, Jennifer. (2008). Beguines Reconsidered: Historiographical Problems and New Directions. In Monastic Matrix, Commentaria 3461.
  5. Barnhouse, Lucy. (Host). (2018, January 13). How to Be a Beguine. Episode 167. [Audio podcast episode]. Footnoting History.  https://www.youtube.com/c/FootnotingHistory/search?query=beguine
  6. Myers, Glenn. (2011). Seeking Spiritual Intimacy: Journeying Deeper with Medieval Women of Faith. Intervarsity Press.
  7. Panciera, Silvana. (2021). The Beguines: Women in Search of Sanctity Within Freedom (2nd ed.). (G. Keen, Trans.) E-book. https://www.amazon.com/Beguines-search-sanctity-within-freedom-ebook/dp/B00HWFFINK
  8. Geary, Patricia (2020, February 21). Beguines of Medieval Europe: Mystics and Visionaries. [Blog]. Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart. https://www.greynun.org/2020/02/the-beguines-of-medieval-europe-mystics-and-visionaries/
  9. Swan, Laura. (2016). The Wisdom of the Beguines: The Forgotten Story of a Medieval Women’s Movement. Bluebridge.
  10. Kittell-Queller, Emily. (2014, August 20). Beguines and work. [Blog post].  http://emilykq.weebly.com/blog/beguines-and-work
  11. Panciera, Silvana. (2013, November 24. The Beguines. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toJp9c-LXys&t=34s
  12. Stoner, Abby. (1995.). Sisters Between: Gender and the Medieval Beguines. https://www2.kenyon.edu/projects/margin/beguine1.htm
  13. Stabler Miller, Tanya. (2020, September 4). Beguines. World Religions and Spirituality Project.  https://wrldrels.org/2020/09/04/beguines/
  14. Cybulskie, Daniele. (Host). (2020, March). Beguines with Tanya Stabler Miller. [Audio podcast episode]. In Medievalists.net. (Episode 52). https://www.medievalists.net/2020/03/beguines-with-tanya-stabler-miller/
  15. Simons, Walter (2001). Cities of Ladies: Beguine Communities in the Medieval Low Countries, 1200-1565. University of Pennsylvania Press.
  16. Sanna, Ellyn. (2011). Hazelnuts of Grace: Selections from Julian of Norwich (Deep Thoughts in a Nutshell). https://www.amazon.com/Hazelnuts-Grace-Selections-Thoughts-Nutshell/dp/193721110X/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8Anamchara.
  17. Keen, Graham Francis. (2022). LIER and TURNHOUT, April 2022.  (Self-published). Contact him at grahamfranciskeen@gmail.com for the complete article.
  18. Meyer, Joyce (2015, August 25). The Beguines pave the way for us to think courageously and creatively about the future of religious life. [Blog post]. Global Sisters Report. https://www.globalsistersreport.org/blog/gsr-today/beguines-pave-way-us-think-courageously-and-creatively-about-future-religious-life
  19.  Massey, Peter Galen. (2013). On the Death of Marcella Pattyn, Age 92, Last of the Beguine [Blog post] https://petergalenmassey.com/2013/05/05/on-the-death-of-marcella-pattyn-age-92-last-of-the-beguine/
  20. Panciera, Silvana. (2022). Beguinal movement: To know beguines and beguinages of yesterday and today. [Blog]. https://beguines.info/?lang=en. Note the excellent video in this website that explains the history of the beguines through text and photographs, and identifies new beguine movement groups in Germany, Austria,  Switzerland, and France.  
  21. Bock, Pauline (2019, October 19). Mystical research, seeking perfection, and helping the poor: How a modern-day Beguines community was formed in the heart of Brussels. The Brussels Times. https://www.brusselstimes.com/74340/mystical-research-seeking-perfection-and-helping-the-poor-how-a-modern-day-beguines-community-was-formed-in-the-heart-of-brussels.
  22. Haase, Sr. Courtney. (2020, August 7). An emerging beguine community in the Franciscan tradition. [Blog]. Vocation Blog. https://vocationblog.com/?s=Companions+of+Clare

 

Note:   This list includes only a small sample of available literature on the beguines. Most of the sources in this list contain extensive bibliographies for further study.

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