In our cities, we see many churches emptying, with attendance mostly consisting of elderly people. We read about the decline in the number of priests and religious throughout much of the West. Conversely, it is clear that many people are thirsty for hope and are looking for something new in their lives. During the Jubilee Year, people of all ages, nationalities, and backgrounds came to Rome. Some came consciously; others, to a lesser extent. They came to draw from the living source of the Gospel, which the Church offers so that many may renew their life of faith. From this faith comes the hope that brings newness, initiative, and a future when every certainty seems to collapse.
We see the Abbey of Tre Fontane along Via Laurentina in Rome as a place of hope. Not only is it a jubilee church, but the male monastic community of the abbey and a small group of sisters in the adjoining house, which stands next to the Church of the Martyrdom of St. Paul, are also developing a life within it.
A brief historical overview
The small but lively and welcoming Trappist community lives in a particularly evocative location, thanks to the church commemorating the site of St. Paul’s martyrdom in 67 AD. Two centuries later, in 298, Zenus and 10,000 other Christians were martyred during the Diocletian Persecution. The monastery became a place of memory and holiness when the relics of St. Anastasius were brought there by Greek monks from Cilicia. Around the 11th century, Armenian monks were replaced by Benedictines, and from 1140 onward, by Cistercians. The abbey church was dedicated to the martyrs Vincent and Anastasius.
The Cistercians arrived in a challenging location: a marshy, malarial area. They constructed the new buildings according to the style conceived by St. Bernard. They faced many hardships in their efforts to establish the community.
The architectural structure of the church and monastery is one of the few places in Europe that remain exactly as St. Bernard of Clairvaux intended. Only the stained glass windows, which were redone in the 1930s, are recent. The frescoes depicting the apostles on the supporting columns of the main nave were also created after the Cistercian era.
The marshy terrain, malaria, the lack of means of subsistence and vocations, and the difficulty of integrating with Roman society marked the early days. What followed was no easier. After a long period of decline, the site was entrusted to the Franciscans in 1826, but remained abandoned until it was handed over to the Trappists in 1868.
Today
From the bustling Via Laurentina, a narrow avenue lined with holm oaks and eucalyptus trees winds its way to the abbey church. There, you are immediately enveloped in silence and greeted by the imposing statue of St. Benedict, who invites you to: Pax.
A large square and a portal dating back to the time of Charlemagne lead to the Cistercian abbey church. To the right is the Church of Scala Coeli, which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The community of the Little Sisters of Charles de Foucauld resides up on the hill. An avenue of eucalyptus trees lines the road to the Church of the Martyrdom of St. Paul, and a short stretch of this road reveals Roman-era cobblestones. A small building to the left of the church is home to six Trappist nuns.
Since 2019, a house of sisters has been joined to the monks’ community. The sisters are present at liturgical celebrations and provide support in terms of organization, work, formation, and welcoming guests to the guesthouse. The Trappistine community of Vitorchiano has taken responsibility for this “annex” house. This initiative has received strong support from the vicariate of the Diocese of Rome.
The integration between a male house and a female community seems to represent well the face of the local church and that of the Trappist Order with its two branches, male and female, and a global openness that fits into multiple cultural contexts while maintaining its contemplative identity. The support of the Abbot General, Dom Bernardus Peeters, is fundamental to this initiative.
Over the years, we have witnessed the active collaboration between the brothers and sisters present at Tre Fontane. The entry into the monastery of a young Roman man who is about to make his final vows to belong to the community and the Order, of a postulant; and, currently, the arrival of a monk from Indonesia, Dom Maximilianus, as superior, and two Nigerian brothers to help the community are signs of vitality. The collaboration has also led to better and more effective organization in monastic work and in welcoming guests.
Confirmation that the path taken could bear fruit for the Church of Rome came in two forms: first, in 2023, the visit of Tawardos II, Pope of the Copts, after he met with Pope Francis, which resulted in the inclusion of the 21 Coptic martyrs killed on February 15, 2015, in the Roman Martyrology. Second, on November 5, 2025, the updated Ecumenical Charter was signed following the joint work of the CCEE and CEC. The working group participated in an ecumenical liturgical celebration in the Church of the Martyrdom of St. Paul before meeting with the Holy Father the following day.
If we receive one message of hope from this experience, it is that the way forward in the arduous task of living through the difficulties history places before us is faith in the promise of life that the Lord gives us. This faith is in accord to a charism that becomes life for us and for those we encounter, and supporting our efforts both “for” and “in” communion.
First published in the Vatican Governorate Newsletter of December 2025
