Vogelsanck Monastery
From LanceaSanctum
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[edit] Vogelsanck Monastery at Halen
Stay at the Monastery (proxy and otherwise): make sure that ST Limburg and NST Belgium are aware of your character's presence in Halen.
- Currently staying at the Monastery: nobody
Location: Halen, outside Hasselt, Belgium
- The entire Monastery is considered Elysium.
Abbot: After the recent final death of the former abbot, the position remains officially unclaimed at this point. Visitors attempting to contact find that Bischop Laurence de Villenfagne de Vogelsanck is currently running the Monastery.
Overseeing Storytellers: CST-Limburg, NST-Belgium
Basic Info: A monastery of the Lancea Sanctum, devoted to the study of the fundamental Sanctified faith based directly and above all on the Testament of Longinus. Open to all Sanctified for brief sabbaticals (ooc: long-term proxies).
IC contact: Laurence de Villenfagne de Vogelsanck (NPC) played by SThasselt
[edit] About the Monastery
[edit] Monastic Mission
[edit] History of Vogelsanck Monastery
The land upon which rests Vogelsanck Monastery has a history long predating its use by the Sanctified, which came about only very recently.
Early convent (7th century)
- Already in the seventh century there was a small convent at this location, but it was completely burnt to the ground and destroyed by one of the last convulsions of paganism in the region.
The Carthusians and their Convent in Zelem (1329-1796)
- On february 1st 1329 with the gifts from Lord Gerard of Diest and his wife Johanna of Flanders the Sint-Jansberg convent is founded as a Carthusian convent. At the request of the founders the convent is dedicated to John the Baptist.
- From the 16th century the convent gained prestige through the intellectual activities of the monks: their own literary works ("Elckerlyc"), bookbinding and illustration of books.
- However through the years the convent is plagued by attackers and plunderers. This makes the financial situation for the convent very difficult and the prior and the monks often have to flee to Diest where they own a refuge. In 1582 troops of Oranje burn the convent down. In 1616 a few monks start to rebuild the Convent.
- In 1794, when the French first invade the Netherlands the prior and the monks flee for the last time. On september 1796 the convent on the Sint-Jansberg is officially vacated.
Castle lords (1796-1919)
- A few years later in 1798 a certain Libotton buys the convent and several acres of land.
- In 1817 he sells the convent again to junker Johann Eberhard Paul Ernst Gericke van Herwijnen (1785-1845), governor of Nederlands-Limburg from 1840-1845. The church is demolished and Gericke constructs a new wing as a summer residence. The rest of the complex is divided among three farmers.
- In 1830 Gericke sells the property to Hubert-François Fischbach-Malacord (1798-1863), son of a rich tanners family, who spends part of his inheritance to restore the castle as his main residence. In 1837 he becomes mayor of Zelem until his death, after which his adopted son Hubert-David, mayor of Ferrières inherits the property.
- Uninterested Hubert-David sells it after only four years to Ferdinand Eugène de Marmol (1807-1891), who owns it from 1867 to 1883.
- In 1883 Xavier Tibaut (1843-1911) buys the property. He sells it again in 1906 when he is granted a peerage.
- The buyer is baron Edmond Charles Toussaint Whettnall (1843-1913). The castle is inhabited again. After his death, his daughter Mathilde lives in the castle.
- In 1922 the castle falls into serious decrepitude.
Trade school (1919-1928)
- During the last years of the Whettnalls' ownership of the castle, most of the valuables are removed and the inhabitants of Zelem start to despair about the growing decrepitude of the convent.
- At the end of 1920 a few notables of Zelem have the castle furnished as an orphanage and trade school for orphans and the local youth. To this end the organisation "youth education" is created, who becomes the owner of the complex in 1922. The friars of Our-Lady of Mercy lead the school. Several of the local craftsmen (carpenters, tailors, tanners, etc...) teach their trades at the school.
- In 1924 the friars have to quit their educational functions because of (suspected) abuses.
- The school will remain for four more years until 1928, when the murder of a student finally leads to the closure of the school.
Dominican Sisters (1928-1993)
- In 1928 7 sisters of the order of Saint-Dominic arrive from Dinant in the Convent at Zelem. They found the "Monasterium Corpus Christi".
- The first tens of years they have great financial difficulties. To pay support themselves the sisters organise spiritual retreats for women and make the hosties for several parishes nearby.
- On january 28, 1983 the last sister is initiated.
- The maintenance of the convent becomes too much for the old sisters and in 1993 they move to Kontich, near Antwerp.
BVBA "de Kartuizer" (1993-2006)
- The convent is uninhabited for a year, when in 1994 bvba "de Kartuizer" buys the convent. "de Kartuizer" under management of Luk Matthijs organises seminars and parties with special themes in the convent.
The Lancea Sanctum (2006-2008)
- In may 2006 Prince de Mérode agrees with the Lancea Sanctum (represented by Père Salvius) to grant them the lands of the convent. A contract is signed to establish this agreement. The members of the Lancea Sanctum of Domain Limburg bring a nightly visit to the three members of the management of the convent to "convince" them that the presence of the Lancea Sanctum, their Seminar and their Hub of Knowledge would be beneficial to the convent, their organisation and their continued existence. Large sums of money are gathered by the Lancea Sanctum and their supporters to buy the property.
Abandoned? (2008-2009)
- Following trouble with mortal inquisition and strange occurences the Monastery was lost for some time. It was forgotten and for a time it seemed to be as if some force was hiding it.
Lancea Sanctum (2010)
- Under the guidance and supervision of the First Banner in the Order of Saint Daniël the Lancea Sanctum have reclaimed and reopened the Monastery.
When the lextalionis was declared on the First Banner, Laurence de Villenfagne de Vogelsanck reappeared and claimed the Monastery.
[edit] Facilities & Grounds
[edit] Kincaid Chapel
Named after the late Sydney Kincaid, Archbishop of Northern California who graciously donated a fair share of the funds that were needed to buy the grounds of Halen Seminar
[edit] Ballroom de Mérode
The grand ballroom of the seminar is named after Prince de Mérode for his generous donation for the Noviciate and Seminar.
[edit] Park de Béthune
The Park surrounding the Seminar is named after Cardinal de Béthune for his generous donations and his co-operation with Domain Limburg and the Sanctified of Limburg to establish the noviciate and seminar.
You enter the park through a main drive, and you see around you the Kincaid Chapel, the Seminar, and the Hub of Knowledge. The grounds of the park are formal, neatly kept, the flowers are in full bloom, and the plants show no sign of being bothered by the recent lack of rain. There are benches along paths, but no secluded areas.
[edit] Dining room von Stengel
Here Kindred can enjoy the nourishment provided by the Perpetual Bloodflow agreement.
[edit] The Noviciate
In the Noviciate, new Sanctified can get intensive courses in all matters Sanctified, but also Kindred from other Covenants can follow classes here and make use of the guest quarters.
[edit] The Library of the Noviciate
This Library has a wide variety of works and is open to Kindred of all Covenants.
