These are not the nuns we are familiar with, called apostolic nuns, who teach or minister to the poor. These sisters spend their days in silence and isolation, giving up not only the outside world but often whatever gives them pleasure, however small.
They don't speak, except during short work periods, recreation time in the evening and during mass, when they sing and pray aloud. Their hymns sound sweet as twenty-odd women – ages ranging from 33 to upwards of 80 – sing in harmony, and their prayer is deep and heartfelt.
They go about their day in absolute silence save for prayer and two brief recreational periods, talking only when necessary. The Sisters take vows of obedience, poverty and chastity, dedicating their lives to communing with God and praying for the outside world.
Enclosure means once a nun is part of the order, she cannot leave unless the Pope agrees. Being a Poor Clare also means that the nuns of this order live in silence. In Malayalam, this convent is called “minda matham” or the silent convent.
Myth #1 — Nuns take a vow of silence
You'll never be able to speak again!!” This is one of the most common “nun myths,” and also one of the most easily answered. No, nuns do not take a vow of silence — if you have any doubts on that point, just stop by our monastery some time during recreation!
The Trappists, officially known as the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (Latin: Ordo Cisterciensis Strictioris Observantiae, abbreviated as OCSO) and originally named the Order of Reformed Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe, are a Catholic religious order of cloistered monastics that branched off from ...
As with the canons, differences in the observance of rule gave rise to two types: the canoness regular, taking the traditional religious vows, and the secular canoness, who did not take vows and thus remained free to own property and leave to marry, should they choose.
Each night, these nuns allow themselves no more than three hours of sleep. Their calling is an extreme one: to stay inside the walls of their convent and spend their days and nights in prayer and silent contemplation.
A papal cloister, the strictest form, means the cloistered monk or nun does not leave the monastery, only under a few exceptions. They remain in their religious community for life.
The nuns then retire to their cells and are to be in bed by 9:00 p.m. They may read or do some quiet work before they lie down on their straw mattresses or thin rug mats for a few hours of peaceful slumber only to rise again at 12:30 a.m. for a new day of Poor Clare life in Corpus Christi Monastery.
You must take a vow of obedience, which means you commit to following the faith and your religious leaders. You may be required to take a vow of silence. You must wear modest clothing when not wearing your nun's habit. Catholic nuns, as decreed by Pope Francis, are not allowed to use smartphones or social media.
Vow of Chastity (or Celibacy)
The vow of chastity, or celibacy, means that Catholic nuns and sisters do not marry or engage in romantic behavior or sexual acts of any kind. This vow frees her from the demands of an exclusive human relationship so that she can give all her love to God and through God to all people.
Masculine gender of nun is monk.
Despite the common misconception, no major Christian monasteries or religious orders take such a vow. However, most monasteries have specific times (magnum silentium, work silence, times of prayer, etc.) and places (the chapel, the refectory, etc.) where speaking is prohibited unless absolutely necessary.
Contemplative Women's Monasteries
We are an enclosed, contemplative community of nuns in Goonellabah, New South Wales, Australia, whose lives are dedicated to prayer for the needs of the Church and the whole world.
Each faith and order sets its own requirements for those who want to become nuns. A woman who wants to become a Catholic nun, for example, must be at least 18 years old, be single, have no dependent children, and have no debts to be considered.
Most orders of Christian nuns require that you must be at least 18 years of age, and usually no older than 40 (though there may be few exceptions).
The nuns pray the Divine Office together in choir five times a day, spend an hour and a half daily in mental prayer, do spiritual reading for at least a half hour a day, observe silence except during Recreation which is after dinner and supper; and engage in a variety of work: maintenance of the monastery, gardening, ...
If nuns do "fall in love," what do they do? Yes, as a human and as a woman it is natural for a religious to fall in love with someone, or someone to fall in love with her.
Retired nuns continue to serve through the ministry of prayer. A willingness to remain active reflects the years of busy lives they lived. Most will serve until they no longer can. Sisters are constantly praying for those in need, often taking turns on the hour during times of crisis.
In ordinary conversation, the terms "nun" and "sister" are used interchangeably. Both nuns and sisters are addressed as "Sister." In popular culture, the term "nun" is often more widely accessible and immediately understood to refer to women who have professed the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
Most people use the term nuns to refer to both nuns and sisters, but there are some significant differences. Nuns' lives are spent in prayer and work within their convent or monastery. Sisters are more active in the world, engaging in many different kinds of work, most often for people who are in great need.
Typically, a woman has been a nun for many years before becoming an abbess. In the Catholic church, the male superior of monks is called an abbot.