Athlete captain becomes a canoniker: Ludovic Duee ends volleyball career and joins abbey

Athlete captain becomes a canoniker: Ludovic Duee ends volleyball career and joins abbey

The captain of the French volleyball champion Saint-Nazaire, Ludovic Dueee (32), ended his sports career after the victory of his team in the final against Tours and entered the Abbey of Lagrasse. According to the report of the newspaper "La Croix", Dueee plans to enter the traditionalist community of regular canonists in the Aude Department in Occitania in southern French. During the stay in the abbey during the Corona pandemic, he got to know the community and felt attracted to the dynamics and spirituality of the brothers.

The Lagrasse Abbey in the diocese of Carcassonne practices the liturgy according to the Tridentine rite of 1962, but shows a variety of activities that go beyond the strict image of the traditionalists. The canonists are socially involved by accompanying migrants, visiting sickness and even playing volleyball. Despite the traditional liturgy, the abbey is open to visitors who come into silence every day to pray or visit the monastery bookstore.

Ludovic Duee will initially live as a postulant in the community to get to know the order rule of St. Augustine. After this time, he can enter as a novice for a year and wear the religious costume. After studying philosophy and theology as well as more than five years in the abbey, he can take the eternal vows and become completely canon of Lagrasse. The canon community was founded in 1971 and currently has 39 members. They strive to be an inviting face of the church and to accompany people in their faith.