La Pairelle
La Pairelle or its full name Centre Spirituel Ignatien La Pairelle is a Catholic spirituality and retreat centre in Wépion, Namur, Belgium. It was built in 1932 by the Jesuits and was designed by Albert Ghequière with a chapel built in the Gothic Revival style. It is located off Rue Marcel Lecomte on a hill in the district of Wépion in Namur, overlooking the River Meuse. It is the only French-speaking Jesuit retreat centre in Belgium.
History
Foundation
In 1611, the Jesuits arrived in Namur and founded the College of Namur at a site next to current Church of Saint Loup in the centre of the city. In 1773, the Jesuits were suppressed and the college became the Royal College. In 1831, the Jesuits returned and opened Collège Notre-Dame de la Paix on rue de Bruxelles. Over the next 100 years the college expanded with new faculties and programmes, eventually becoming the Université de Namur.In 1932, La Pairelle was built. It was originally the St Bellarmine Institute. Named after Robert Bellarmine, it was a residence for the training of Jesuits who would study at the Université de Namur. In the building is a chapel in the Gothic Revival style. The building was designed by Albert Ghequière who also designed the Church of the Sacré-Cœur de Saint-Servais in Waterloo and Chapel of Saint-Thérèse in Namur. According to the Inventaire de patrimoine immobilier culturel of Wallonia, the style of the building is "neo-traditional". From 1935 to 1971, as part of the training for Jesuit missionaries in India, an Indological course, which included the teaching of Sanskrit was taught there.