St. Paul's Abbey, Oosterhout

St. Paul's Abbey, Oosterhout, also Oosterhout Abbey (Dutch: Sint-Paulusabdij) is a former Benedictine abbey in Oosterhout, North Brabant, the Netherlands.

St. Paul's Abbey was founded by monks from in Wisques in the Pas-de-Calais who were forced to leave France by the anticlerical policies and popular feeling of the period. The community settled initially in Belgium, at first in Honnay and later in Montignies-Saint-Christophe. The Benedictine nuns of Wisques had already settled in Oosterhout in the Onze-Lieve-Vrouweabdij () and the abbot of Solesmes wanted both communities close to each other in the same town. The monks therefore bought 2 hectares of land nearby but had difficulties with the Dutch architect who was working for the nuns. Eventually the new priory was built under the supervision of the architect Dom Bellot, and proved to be a masterpiece of brick architecture, as well as the architect's first great work. The building was finished in 1907 and the community was raised to the status of an abbey in 1910. Dom Jean de Puniet was the first abbot.

After 1918 the monks were able to return to France if they wished but not all did so, and a number of Dutch monks by that time had joined the community. In the end the restored community at Wisques from 1920 numbered about 30 monks and became a priory under the supervision of Oosterhout. In 1928 Oosterhout and Wisques became independent abbeys belonging to the Benedictine Solesmes Congregation. In 1922 the writer Frederik van Eeden was baptised in this abbey after his conversion.

The monks of Oosterhout remained largely French, including the abbot, but Dutch monks entered in increasing numbers and by 1941 the community consisted of about 100. The abbey businesses also flourished: a farm, poultry-raising, an orchid nursery, a pottery, icon painting and the restoration of artworks. They also specialised in historical and liturgical research.

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