New Article about the Cistercian Nuns!

[ThyHolyLove]

I was just doing some surfing and I found this article about the Cistercians of the Valley of Our Lady Monastery.

[url="http://www.chnonline.org/2006-08-24/newsstory1.html"]Article[/url]

It talks about their life of contemplation and how they need to build a new monastery. They are also getting 6 postulants this year, praise be to God! The article is part of an effort to raise awareness of the nuns building fund. The super cool part is that their are two audio slideshows at the end : The seem to have a very peacefull and beautiful life. I was so suprised to learn that they make altar bread for 400 parishes! WOW....


Oh. I also had a question about the difference from the Cistercians and Trappists? I know the Trappists are of strict observance, but what makes them "strict" so to speak? Enjoy the article!

[Veritas]

+

VERY cool - Thank you! I loved the slideshows!

[zunshynn]

I know one of the things that they're known for is that they REALLY keep silence. Like they don't talk at all. They may have an opportunity once every ten years to talk. Of course they do use their voices for the office and mass and stuff. I guess they have a special sign language.

There are probably other things too though...

One of the teachers at my school used to be a Trappist monk...

Oh, but to my knowledge, Cistercians and Trappists are actually the same thing... But for some reason Trappist has become their common name

[puellapaschalis]

The Cistercians were founded at Citeaux (the word "Cistercian" comes from the Latin name of the place) as a reform of Benedictinism. They followed the Rule of St. Benedict to the letter - for example, sleeping in dormitories. Later, a group of Cistercians thought that even their reform had "gone a bit soft", and moved to a place called La Trappe and started a "reform of the reform" - hence the Order of the Strict Cistercian Observance, OSCO, Trappists.

At least, that's what I remember from discussions and lessons with some monks, and reading [i]lots[/i] of books. I hope it helps a little.

Love and prayers,

PP

[Sr Mary Catharine OP]

[quote name='zunshynn' post='1051443' date='Aug 27 2006, 02:04 AM']
I know one of the things that they're known for is that they REALLY keep silence. Like they don't talk at all. They may have an opportunity once every ten years to talk. Of course they do use their voices for the office and mass and stuff. I guess they have a special sign language.

There are probably other things too though...

One of the teachers at my school used to be a Trappist monk...

Oh, but to my knowledge, Cistercians and Trappists are actually the same thing... But for some reason Trappist has become their common name
[/quote]

Cistercians talk and have recreation. Trappists don't but I think now they do have times when they talk to each other privately. It's not as strict as it used to be.
Bascially, Cistercians and Trappists are the same thing but they haven't "merged" yet.

The Cistercians in Prairie du Sac have recreation 2x a day. I have a good friend there.
SMC

[she_who_is_not]

Did anyone watch the slideshow? In one picture the nuns were passing Cheerios and Total around the refectory. I didn't know nuns ate cheerios!

[AlterDominicus]

Wow. I was actually going to visit there in July drive isnt long, but I caught strep throat, so we had to cancel.

[Sr Mary Catharine OP]

[quote name='she_who_is_not' post='1051551' date='Aug 27 2006, 12:38 PM']
Did anyone watch the slideshow? In one picture the nuns were passing Cheerios and Total around the refectory. I didn't know nuns ate cheerios!
[/quote]

Cheerios are the staple cereal of nuns--that and corn flakes! :

[Handmaid524]

[quote name='she_who_is_not' post='1051551' date='Aug 27 2006, 12:38 PM']
Did anyone watch the slideshow? In one picture the nuns were passing Cheerios and Total around the refectory. I didn't know nuns ate cheerios!
[/quote]

Yes! awesome slide shows with great music and commentary, on this website there's also a great slideshow that cover the ordination of 5 men!... and it was definately worth watching!

As far as cereal choices go, maybe cheerios are a cloistered thing, because when I lived with the Salesians... they were pretty partial to froot-loops and captain crunch! :

[AlterDominicus]

lol. Its great, breakfast has got to be one of the best meals with religious, I know I spent three days at a convent, and I've been to House of Formation twice...

[she_who_is_not]

[quote name='AlterDominicus' post='1051654' date='Aug 27 2006, 01:45 PM']
lol. Its great, breakfast has got to be one of the best meals with religious, I know I spent three days at a convent, and I've been to House of Formation twice...
[/quote]

Ok, I'm going to
What is breakfast in the convent like? I've been imagining stale break or gruel with weak tasteless coffee. Fruit loops and cheerios were not even on my radar. What about feast days? Eggs Benedict? Ha, Ha! That was joke! Eggs [i]Benedict[/i]. I will stop now. But seriously, I'm all astonishment.

[Gemma]

[quote name='she_who_is_not' post='1051666' date='Aug 27 2006, 04:10 PM']
Ok, I'm going to
What is breakfast in the convent like? I've been imagining stale break or gruel with weak tasteless coffee. Fruit loops and cheerios were not even on my radar. What about feast days? Eggs Benedict? Ha, Ha! That was joke! Eggs [i]Benedict[/i]. I will stop now. But seriously, I'm all astonishment.
[/quote]

When I was on vocation retreat at the Toledo Visitation, they had high fiber cereals (with the older sisters in mind); coffee; toast; I forget what else. It was not a sit-down meal, meaning they stood on the server's side of the table, and ate "backwards." Since my mind doesn't do mirror images, such was difficult for me to navigate, until one of the sisters said I could sit down.

Lunch--since the Visitation is not bound by fasting (except Good Friday and Ash Wednesday), the meals were plentiful. They made sure the four food groups were represented. I remember one dinner time when they had scrambled eggs. They gave me peanut butter because I was allergic to eggs at the time.

There were two major feast days when I was there--Ascension Thursday and the Feast of the Visitation. I remember at one meal they served Pepperidge Farm 3 layer cakes for dessert. At another time, they put out bowls of hard candy (which someone had given them). I saved some for my bus trip back home.

But, yes, you'd be surprised at what they eat in monasteries these days. We have a better understanding of the body's needs, and according to St. Francis de Sales one should "Take care of your health so that it may serve you to serve the Lord."

HTH.

Blessings,
Gemma

[zunshynn]

[quote name='AlterDominicus' post='1051654' date='Aug 27 2006, 12:45 PM']
lol. Its great, breakfast has got to be one of the best meals with religious, I know I spent three days at a convent, and I've been to House of Formation twice...
[/quote]


[quote]What is breakfast in the convent like? I've been imagining stale break or gruel with weak tasteless coffee. Fruit loops and cheerios were not even on my radar. What about feast days? Eggs Benedict? Ha, Ha! That was joke! Eggs Benedict. I will stop now. But seriously, I'm all astonishment. [/quote]

We have a piece of bread and something to drink for breakfast at OLAM. I'll admit the bread wasn't anything extraordinary (I'm very spoiled when it comes to bread) but it wasn't really BAD per se, and it wasn't stale. I don't know how the coffee was because I don't drink it, but from what I understand OLAM Dad makes sure they're never without good coffee. We also had juice or water. And then they can put stuff on the bread, like jelly, or peanut butter or this really bizarre looking green stuff that Sr. Lauren and Sr. Judith actually seemed to like, but I wouldn't try it. I like my bread just plain.

At first I was like, how can that be all they eat for breakfast?! But really it was fine. It really does hold you over. My stomach was growling alot during Office, but it was ok. And actually I've never been much of a breakfast person anyway.

My first day there I ate breakfast in the parlor, and I had eggs, and some other stuff (can't really remember but it was good) and I'm not sure if that's what they had or not. It was Sr. Christina's first profession, so they might have had something special for that, or maybe they just gave me that to be nice.

I think the primary reason its such a small meal is that there's really no time for cooking before that. Because they wake up and get ready, then have Divine Office, and things to do before Mass, then the Rosary and other prayers, and then breakfast, so there isn't really time to put together a real meal.

[she_who_is_not]

[quote name='zunshynn' post='1051671' date='Aug 27 2006, 02:28 PM']
We have a piece of bread and something to drink for breakfast at OLAM. I'll admit the bread wasn't anything extraordinary (I'm very spoiled when it comes to bread) but it wasn't really BAD per se, and it wasn't stale. I don't know how the coffee was because I don't drink it, but from what I understand OLAM Dad makes sure they're never without good coffee. We also had juice or water. And then they can put stuff on the bread, like jelly, or peanut butter or this really bizarre looking green stuff that Sr. Lauren and Sr. Judith actually seemed to like, but I wouldn't try it. I like my bread just plain.

[/quote]

That sounds like my breakfast!!!

[Sr Mary Catharine OP]

[quote name='she_who_is_not' post='1051666' date='Aug 27 2006, 04:10 PM']
Ok, I'm going to
What is breakfast in the convent like? I've been imagining stale break or gruel with weak tasteless coffee. Fruit loops and cheerios were not even on my radar. What about feast days? Eggs Benedict? Ha, Ha! That was joke! Eggs [i]Benedict[/i]. I will stop now. But seriously, I'm all astonishment.
[/quote]

Breakfast is sort of a modern "consession" in monastic communities. Here we have bread (and now we can toast it, before we couldn't) and there is butter, that spread that is made of yogurt or something, jam and peanut butter. Coffee, tea, cocoa and orange juice. The juice is donated to us by our milkman.

On Sundays and feasts we might have donuts, coffee cake or such if it's been given to us but you don't have to eat it although I weaken more than I should!

All our bread is donated. Sometimes it is fresh...sometimes not!

Fruit is rarely eaten at breakfast except by those who need to have a banana.

The only day of the year we have eggs for breakfast is Easter Monday. We'll I guess you can say Easter Sunday, too because we do color eggs. But on Easter Monday we have eggs and sausage or bacon!!!! I'm told it is an old Northern Italian custom to have eggs on Easter Monday.