The Emmaus Monastery - Velp

Before the Redemptoristines settled in Velp in 1858, there had already been a monastery next door for more than two centuries. The Emmaus Monastery was founded in 1645 by the Capuchins, an order that emerged from the Franciscan tradition of simplicity and poverty. They came here after being expelled from ’s-Hertogenbosch, in search of a new place to live their faith in silence and service.

The monastery was built in a quiet, rural area. Behind the walls, the brothers lived modestly: they prayed, worked in the garden and supported the people in the village.

Remarkably, the Emmaus Monastery is still in use today. After several years of vacancy, six Capuchins returned in 2025, coming from different countries. In this way, the centuries-old monastic tradition of Velp lives on in a new form.

In the garden you’ll find, among other things, a small 17th-century plague house and the burial site of the brothers. The monastery church (one of the few Baroque churches in the Netherlands) is open daily from 8:00 to 18:00 for silent contemplation or prayer.

Photo: ©Amal Ahmed BHIC 1953-000663