The Monastic Family of Bethlehem, of the Assumption of the Virgin and of Saint Bruno (or simply Monks and Sisters of Bethlehem) is a Roman Catholic religious order with Carthusian spirituality founded on November 1, 1950, at Saint Peter's Square, Rome, following the promulgation of the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, by the inspiration of a small group of French pilgrims. The Monastic Sisters were founded in France, soon after, and the Monastic Brothers in 1976.
The vocation of the Monastic Family of Bethlehem, of the Assumption of the Virgin and of Saint Bruno communities consists in listening to the Gospel with the Blessed Virgin Mary in the heart of the Church, in love, in solitude, through liturgical life, study, work and poverty. In order to fulfil this vocation more perfectly, the Monasteries of Bethlehem receive Saint Bruno's fatherhood and his wisdom of life.
The first community of Monastic Sisters of Bethlehem began in 1951. The first community of Monastic Brothers of Bethlehem (or Monks) was founded in 1976, in the Chartreuse Mountains. The Monastic Family of Bethlehem, of the Assumption of the Virgin and of Saint Bruno has presently more than 600 members: more than 600 nuns and about 70 monks. They live in 30 nunneries and 4 monasteries of brothers.
Since 2015, the monastic family of Bethlehem is the object of a canonical visit led by Fr. Jean Quris, former Deputy Secretary General of the Conference of Bishops of France and by Sister Geneviève Barrière, Benedictine And former abbess of Jouarre, from 2007 to 2014. This visit follows the "dysfunctions" of certain communities and a lack of distinction between the internal and external fora.
1976 France – Monastère de l’Assomption Notre-Dame – Currière-en-Chartreuse, Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse (Diocese of Grenoble-Vienne)1989 Italy – Monastero dell'Assunta Incoronata – Monte Corona, Umbertide (Archdiocese of Perugia-Città della Pieve)1999 Israel – Monastère de Notre-Dame de Maranatha – Beit Shemesh (Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem)2005 Israel – Monastère de Lavra Netofa – Lavra Netofa, Deir Hanna (Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem)1967 France – Monastère de Notre-Dame de la Gloire-Dieu – Les Montvoirons, Boëge (Diocese of Annecy)1968 France – Monastère de Notre-Dame de la Présence de Dieu, Paris (Archdiocese of Paris)1970 France – Monastère de Notre-Dame de Bethléem - Poligny, Seine-et-Marne (Diocese of Meaux)1971 France – Monastère de Notre-Dame de l’Unité – Pugny (Diocese of Chambéry)1974 France – Monastère de Notre-Dame du Buisson Ardent – Currier-en-Chartreuse, Saint-Laurent-du-Pont (Diocese of Grenoble-Vienne)1977 France – Monastère de Notre-Dame de Pitié – Mougères, Caux, Hérault (Archdiocese of Montpellier)1978 France – Monastère de Notre-Dame du Torrent de Vie – Le Thoronet (Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon)1981 Italy – Monastero della Madonna del Deserto – Monte Camporeggiano, Gubbio (Diocese of Gubbio)1982 France – Monastère de Notre-Dame d’Adoration – Le Val Saint Benoît, Épinac (Diocese of Autun)1982 France – Monastère de Notre-Dame de Clémence – La Verne, Collobrières (Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon)1985 Israel – Monastère de Notre-Dame de l’Assomption – The Mother House, Beit Shemesh (Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem)1985 Austria – Kloster Maria im Paradies – Kinderalm, Sankt Veit im Pongau (Archdiocese of Salzburg)1985 Spain – Monasterio de Santa María Reina – Villanueva de Sigena (Diocese of Barbastro-Monzòn)1987 United States – Monastery of Bethleem – Our Lady of Lourdes – Camp Road, Livingston Manor, Sullivan County, New York (Archdiocese of New York)1988 France – Monastère de l’Assunta Gloriosa – Sari (Diocese of Ajaccio)1991 France – Monastère de Notre-Dame du Saint Désert en Chartreuse, Saint-Laurent-du-Pont (Diocese of Grenoble-Vienne)1991 Germany – Kloster Marienheide - Wollstein (Diocese of Fulda)1992 Argentina – Monasterio de Santa María en la Santisima Trinidad - Merlo (Diocese of San Luis)1993 Canada – Monastère de Sainte Marie Reine des coeurs - Chertsey, Quebec (Diocese of Joliette)1994 Lithuania – Monastère de Notre-Dame de l’Aurore - Paparčiai, Kaišiadorys District Municipality (Diocese of Kaišiadorys)1998 Poland – Monaster Najświętszej Dziewicy na Pustyni - Szemud (Archdiocese of Gdánsk)1998 France – Monastère du Désert de l’Immaculée - Saint-Pé-de-Bigorre (Diocese of Tarbes-et-Lourdes)1999 Belgium – Monastère de Notre-Dame du Fiat - Zutendaal (Diocese of Hasselt)1999 Chile – Monasterio de Santa María del Paraiso – Casilla (Diocese of Valparaíso)2002 Spain – Monasterio de la Cartuja Nuestra Senora de la Defension – Jerez de la Frontera (Diocese of Cadiz y Ceuta)2004 Cyprus – Monastery of Bethlehem, of the Assumption of the Virgin, and of Saint Bruno - Paphos (Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem)2006 Israel – Monastère de Lavra Netofa – Lavra Netofa, Deir Hanna (Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem)2009 Israel – Sanctuaire Notre-Dame de Palestine – Beit Shemesh (Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem)2011 Mexico – Monasterio de las Monjas de Belén – Los Hornos, Valle de Vázquez, Tlaquiltenango (Diocese of Cuernavaca)2013 Portugal – Mosteiro de Nossa Senhora do Rosário – Couço, Coruche (Archdiocese of Evora)
