The area “the Holy Triangle” in Oosterhout is formed by three monasteries – Our Lady’s Abbey, St. Paul’s Abbey and St. Catharinadal – which border on it triangularly. The Norbertinesses of St. Catharinadal moved into the little castle, The Blue Camera, in 1647. In 1901, the Benedictine nuns moved into the boarding school on the Vredeoord estate next door. With the arrival of St. Paul’s Abbey in 1907, the name quickly came into popular use: the Holy Triangle.
Special location
The monumental architecture of the three monasteries is surrounded by large and walled gardens, vast farmlands, old lanes and a vineyard. This unique Brabant cultural landscape was designated a State Protected Cityscape in 2006.
Because all three monasteries are still in function, the area breathes an atmosphere of silence and spirituality. It is an oasis of peace in which the monastic inhabitants have lived for centuries according to church traditions and in communion with God. Their religious way of life is not natural in this day and age. However, the core values and life questions associated with it are still current and occur in everyone’s life. In the studios of monasteries, various crafts and art forms were traditionally used to help shape the monastic ideal. By organizing an art event at this site, the h3h biennial joins this tradition.
Three monasteries
The convents of the Holy Triangle are:
• St. Catharinadal, inhabited by the Norbertine Sisters
• Our Lady’s Abbey, inhabited by the Benedictines
• St. Paul’s Abbey, inhabited by the Chemin Neuf community