Rettel is located on the Mosel River near Germany and Luxembourg. I call it a border town. What/who is a vicar in a monastery? Is he the head of the monastery? Is he a Monk or Priest? RETTEL: Extracts from the book of the Bishopric Trier archives; "Siedlung und Pfarroraganisation im altem Erzbistum" (Settlement and parish organization in the old Archbishopric Trier). ...The church, St. Laurentius and the Abby of St. Sixtus in Rettel. According to the saying, the founder of Rettel was Effetia, who is supposed to have been either a sister of Carl the Great, the historic search knows nothing; or who could also have been a sister of Hildegard, the second spouse of Carl the Great. The monastery, a woman's monastery at its origins, is supposed to have been consecrated in honor of Pope Sixtus by pope Leo III, who was in Germany in 799 and 804. There is a Carolingian foundation. ...The gentlemen/sires of the near Burg Sierck, probably as loan from the Dukes of Lorraine, had residence over Rettel in 1193. The abbey seems to have been destroyed at the beginning of the 15th century. On intervention of Margaretha, the wife of Duke Karl II of Lorraine, the abbey was given in 1431 to the Carthusian monks. ...The monastery building was transferred 1467 to the Dechanten/dekant of the country chapter of Perl which should form a Klerikergemeinschaft/cleric's society with 5 ecclesiastics/clergymen. ...The Visitation/Inspection Report from 1743 offers following details for the parish of Rettel: ...The Carthusian Order was, in reason of its exclusive right on the territory, responsible for the choir and nave of the church. The Prior of the Carthusians, a vicar who lived in the Carthisian building, had the patronage right and command, to take care of the souls. ...During the re-organization of the church in French times (1802), Rettel stayed as a parish (succursale) of the canton Parish of Sierck. One of my great grandmother's came from Rettel, a small Lorraine village, now France.. Alice