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In the United States the renewal of Catholic education has been underway for about thirty years, and there are some great success stories. But in Europe, the picture is more uneven.<\/p>\nIn the United States the renewal of Catholic education has been underway for about thirty years, and there are some great success stories. But in Europe, the picture is more uneven.<\/p>\n
Over the past few years, there has been growing excitement about the renewal of Catholic education in France. Important new projects, like those supported by Pierre-\u00c9douard St\u00e9rin and the STEMA Foundation, offer real hope. Ambitious initiatives such as the Acad\u00e9mie Saint-Louis de Chal\u00e8s seek to restore the idea of a Catholic education rooted in culture, discipline, and spiritual formation \u2014 often looking towards Anglo-Saxon models for inspiration.<\/p>\n
This new energy is a blessing. But it is important to remember that this movement did not begin yesterday.
It builds on the quiet, often heroic work of pioneers who, over the past twenty-five years, have kept the flame alive under difficult conditions.<\/p>\n
Among these pioneers are four schools that shaped the first wave of renewal in the early 2000s:<\/p>\n
Institut Croix-des-Vents<\/strong>, founded by Beno\u00eet Maisonneuve in S\u00e9es, Normandy (2001),<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Chavagnes International College<\/strong>, founded in the Vend\u00e9e (2002),<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Coll\u00e8ge Frassati<\/strong>, opened in the Vosges (2007),<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Acad\u00e9mie Musicale de Liesse<\/strong>, opened in the Aisne (2014).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Each of these institutions has sought, in different ways, to revive the ideal of a Christian liberal education<\/strong>, with a rhythm of community life, sport, music, prayer, and academic excellence, often inspired by the British model of boarding education.<\/p>\n Sadly, Coll\u00e8ge Frassati<\/strong> has recently been forced to close by a decision of the French authorities. This is in the context of a recent intensification of French state interest in the private education sector, and the recent ban on homeschooling.<\/p>\n Today, as new projects rise, it is vital to honour and support those who have fought for many years<\/strong>, often with limited means and under great pressure, to make Catholic education a living reality.<\/p>\n The Institut Croix-des-Vents<\/strong> had opened in a former minor seminary in Normandy that we ourselves had visited as a possible site. The projects of Chavagnes and S\u00e9es were born almost simultaneously, each in their own way reflecting the dream of an education where faith, culture, and discipline were not seen as enemies, but as natural allies.<\/p>\n In the years that followed, Patrick Girard<\/strong>, founder of the Coll\u00e8ge Frassati, visited Chavagnes around the time he launched his own school. Later, Vianney Chatillon<\/strong> visited Chavagnes before founding the Acad\u00e9mie Musicale de Liesse<\/strong> \u2014 drawn by our emphasis on music, liturgy, and the formation of the whole person.<\/p>\n It was a small but determined wave. In 2005<\/strong>, I received a letter from the local state prosecutor (Procureur de la R\u00e9publique) informing me of the immediate closure of the school<\/strong>. There was no warning, no hearing, no investigation \u2014 simply a declaration. I responded respectfully, demanding clarification of the legal basis for such an action, and requesting all relevant documents under freedom of information law. \u00a0Twenty years later, we are still waiting for a reply.<\/p>\n Shortly after the election of Benedict XVI<\/strong>, an official from the Renseignements G\u00e9n\u00e9raux <\/strong>visited the school. (They are like a French version of MI5 or the CIA). He came, he said, merely for a friendly conversation, but it soon became clear that the authorities were monitoring us for signs of “sectarian drift”<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Around 2010<\/strong>, a new challenge arose. In 2013<\/strong>, the local municipality announced plans to build a road directly through our grounds<\/strong>, cutting the school off from the countryside, destroying our park, and surrounding us with traffic.\u00a0 At a public meeting, when I raised concerns for the safety of the pupils, an elected official retorted that I did not care about their safety.\u00a0 Thanks to the support of our community and a favourable report from the commissaire enqu\u00eateur <\/strong>(a planning inspector), the plan was eventually abandoned \u2014 but not without months of stress and uncertainty.<\/p>\n The French legal framework for volunteering is notoriously fragile: At the time, the notion of Service Civique<\/strong> (created in 2010) did not yet exist. Back then, however, URSSAF demanded \u20ac160,000<\/strong> in back contributions of social security. The judges showed a spirit of realism and humour. In the end, I was completely exonerated<\/strong>. The years of COVID-19<\/strong> brought new trials. In 2021<\/strong>, following the tragic explosion in the port of Beirut<\/strong>, we reached out to Lebanon. In 2022<\/strong>, with the outbreak of war in Ukraine<\/strong>, we did the same: In May 2022, a massive inspection descended: In the end, the social workers’ report was positive. Over these twenty-five years, I have learned many lessons.<\/p>\n It is tempting, when facing repeated challenges, to fall into an “us versus them”<\/strong> mentality \u2014 to view every official as an enemy and every inspection as persecution. Most of the French authorities we have encountered have been well-intentioned<\/strong>. Equally, on our side, it is essential to guard against a martyr complex<\/strong>. We must hold fast to our mission \u2014 an education centred on Christ, on prayer, on the love of culture, and the service of truth<\/strong> \u2014 but we must also engage patiently with the world around us.<\/p>\n Today, Chavagnes faces another crucial moment. We have adapted, we have persevered, and we are determined to continue serving the boys entrusted to us with love and fidelity. If you believe in the importance of what we are doing \u2014 if you believe that education rooted in prayer, culture, and courage matters \u2014 please consider helping us.<\/p>\n To make a donation (tax-deductible in France for Income Tax or ISF, or with Gift Aid in the UK), or just to find out more, please contact: In the UK, you can donate directly to the Catholic Boys Education Trust<\/strong>, a UK registered charity. They transfer funds to us to finance bursaries and scholarships. This helps to free up exisiting funds to be used for the building projects. If you send a donation to CBET, please email cbet@chavagnes.org<\/a> at the same time, especially so that CBET can send you a Gift Aid declaration if you are a UK tax payer .\u00a0 (The bank details for CBET are as follows … Bank : Metrobank. Account name; Catholic Boys Educational Trust Sort code : 23 05 80. Account # 45064832).<\/p>\n
The disappearance of Frassati is a stark reminder: building and sustaining schools like these in France remains a fragile and difficult task.<\/p>\n
\nThe Early Years: Planting Seeds<\/h1>\n
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When we founded Chavagnes in 2001, and the College opened its doors to students in September 2002, there was almost no public awareness in France of the possibility of creating Catholic boarding schools along these lines.<\/p>\n
We worked without great resources, without powerful sponsors, and with very little margin for error.
At Chavagnes, our daily life was built around the rhythm of prayer<\/strong>, study, and communal life \u2014 a spirit that still animates the College today.<\/p>\n
\nTwo Decades of Dialogue, Challenges, and Perseverance<\/h1>\n
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Our journey has not been without battles.<\/p>\n
Our conversation touched on the curriculum, finances, and even the form of the liturgy we celebrated.
He seemed reassured when I mentioned my acquaintance with Cardinal Ratzinger, recently become at that time Pope Benedict XVI. In the end, although he claimed not to be investigating a file, he admitted that he would report to the prefect \u2014 and that his report would be favourable.<\/p>\n
The Rectorat de Nantes<\/strong> (the local office of the Ministry of Education) wrote to inform us that all our teachers would now be required to hold a Master\u2019s degree <\/strong>otherwise they could not continue teaching. In fact most of our teachers did then and do now have Masters or Doctorate degrees … but not from French universities. Knowing this was a misunderstanding (the requirement only applied to new hires in state schools), I wrote back to request clarification. No answer ever came, and the issue quietly disappeared.<\/p>\n
\nThe URSSAF Affair: Defending the Spirit of Service<\/h1>\n
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Perhaps the most exhausting ordeal came in 2006<\/strong>, with a major URSSAF<\/strong> inspection.
They challenged the presence of volunteers at Chavagnes \u2014 young graduates, retirees, friends \u2014 who had come to help, often for nothing but board and lodging.<\/p>\n
volunteering must be completely spontaneous, without subordination, and has little formal protection.
This reflects a deeper cultural tension:
since the Revolution, the French State has tended to view private initiatives in education and health with suspicion<\/strong>, seeking to maintain full control over these sectors.
Although parliamentary debates have acknowledged these contradictions, real risks for small institutions remain.<\/p>\n
Today, at Chavagnes, we have adapted, welcoming Service Civique volunteers<\/strong> and short-term volunteers under more appropriate legal frameworks \u2014 always ensuring compliance with child protection regulations through checks with the Rectorat de Nantes, <\/strong>the local branch of the Ministry of Education.<\/p>\n
We fought back, and the matter eventually reached the Tribunal de Grande Instance<\/strong> in La Roche-sur-Yon.<\/p>\n
Without wishing to set a legal precedent, they recognised that Chavagnes was not simply a school<\/strong>, but a “lieu de retraite et d\u2019accueil”<\/strong>, a place animated by profound religious motives.
They acknowledged the sincerity of the volunteers, including my own mother, who had helped without receiving a penny \u2014 and who, as our lawyer reminded the court, had also come to rebuild France after the war as a young woman, in the same spirit of generosity.<\/p>\n
But the experience was traumatic, exhausting, and costly \u2014 a reminder of how vulnerable small faith-based institutions can be, even when acting in good faith.<\/p>\n
\nAdapting to New Challenges: COVID, Lebanon, Ukraine<\/h1>\n
Forced to close, like so many others, we reopened to find our enrolment devastated:
from nearly fifty boys before the pandemic to just eleven day boys and nine boarders.<\/p>\n
Thanks to generous supporters, we were able to welcome a dozen Lebanese boys, offering them a haven of stability and education in a time of national crisis.<\/p>\n
welcoming over forty-three Ukrainian boys<\/strong>, many with their mothers, some housed with families in the village.
The school was full again \u2014 but our very generosity attracted further scrutiny.<\/p>\n
the Commission de S\u00e9curit\u00e9 (Health and Safety)<\/em>, the Red Cross, social workers, and the \u00c9ducation Nationale.
The boys, newly arrived and still learning French, were interviewed individually with translators, without the presence of a teacher.
At the same time, health workers handed out medical kits \u2014 including, absurdly, condoms to boys as young as ten, which we immediately confiscated.<\/p>\n
The boys spoke of the safety and welcome they had found at Chavagnes.
Still, the aftermath included new administrative demands:
a complete diagnostic\u00a0 report of the site, costly works to bring everything up to ever-evolving legal standards, and new building obligations.<\/p>\n
\nLessons Learned<\/h1>\n
But I believe this is a mistake.<\/p>\n
Their perspective is different, yes \u2014 and they often underestimate the stress their interventions cause to small institutions.
But their role is real and necessary.<\/p>\n
Bitterness serves no one.
Dialogue, persistence, professionalism, and calm faith have often turned opposition into understanding \u2014 and led, ultimately, to a better and stronger school.<\/p>\n
\nToday\u2019s Challenge \u2014 and an Invitation<\/h1>\n
Following the latest inspections, we have been obliged to undertake major building works \u2014 the first tranche alone representing \u20ac600,000<\/strong>.
Without these works, our future is at risk.
We are racing against time to complete them.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
But we cannot do it alone.<\/p>\n
soutien@chavagnes.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
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