The Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance
The Order has its origin in the monastic tradition of evangelical life expressed in the Rule for Monasteries of Saint Benedict of Nursia. The founders of Cîteaux gave this tradition its distinctive form, and the monasteries of the Strict Observance steadfastly defended its principles.
In 1892, the three congregations of the Strict Observance were united into a single order, known today as the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance. Find out more about Our History.
A Life of Contemplation
Our Order is devoted to a life of prayer and contemplation. Within the monastery, monks and nuns live a peaceful, hidden life shaped by a steady daily rhythm, dedicating themselves entirely to the worship of God through solitude and silence, continuous prayer, and joyful penitence. Through simplicity and stillness, we create space to listen for God’s presence, serving him in a way that is both humble and noble.
A Life of Community
As Cistercians, we seek God and follow Christ, living together under the Rule and with the guidance of an abbot or abbess. These stable communities are schools of fraternal love where we strive to be of one heart and one mind. Everything is shared, and each person helps carry the needs of the other. In this way, we fulfil the law of Christ, share in his sufferings, and live in the hope of eternal life.
A Place of Formation
We see the monastery as a school of the Lord’s service, a place where Christ is present in our hearts through the liturgy, through the teaching of the abbot or abbess, and through our shared life together. Guided by God’s Word in both heart and action, we learn to stay attentive to the Holy Spirit, to seek purity of heart, and to remain mindful of God’s presence in every moment.
Walking the Desert Path
We are following in the footsteps of those whom God once called into the desert. Living in separation from the dominant culture, we are able to become strangers to worldly behaviour, with a way of life that embraces:
- Solitude and silence, seeking the interior quiet where wisdom is born
- Self-denial, in order to follow Christ
- Humility and obedience, resisting pride and sin
- Simplicity and labour, pursuing the blessedness promised to the poor
- Generous hospitality, sharing with our fellow pilgrims the peace and hope freely given by Christ
An Expression of the Mystery of the Church
Each monastery is a living expression of the Church, where nothing is preferred to the praise of the Father’s glory and the detail of our shared life is shaped by the teachings of the Gospel. By remaining faithful to our monastic life, we offer a quiet service to the Church and to the whole human family.
We seek to remain in harmony with all God’s people, sharing a longing for Christian unity. Each community of the Order is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is both Mother and symbol of the Church in faith, love, and perfect union with Christ.
Rooted in Christ
At the heart of Cistercian life is our love for Christ and our desire to be in close union with him. Only through this personal love for the Lord Jesus can the gifts of the Cistercian vocation come to life. By placing nothing above him, we find the strength to persevere in a life that is ordinary, obscure and laborious, trusting that he will lead us all together into eternal life.