1. Is it true that Trappists take a vow of silence?
Trappist monks and nuns have a reputation of being silent persons. Somehow this impression, which has a certain foundation in reality, has led to the idea that they take a vow of silence, which has never been the case. In the average Cistercian monastery there are three reasons for speaking: functional communication at work or in community dialogues, spiritual exchange with one’s superiors or with a particular member of the community on different aspects of one’s personal life, and spontaneous conversation on special occasions. These forms of communication are integrated into the discipline of maintaining a general atmosphere of silence, which is an important help to continual prayer.
However, silence is included implicitly in one of the promises made by all Benedictines and Cistercians at the time of their monastic profession, five or six years after entering the monastery. They promise “conversion,” that is, fidelity to monastic life, a part of which is the discipline of maintaining an atmosphere of silence, and this requires controlling one’s tongue. Monks and nuns soon discover that speaking is not always the best form of communication. In fact it is frequently used as a coverup. A simple, silent, prayerful friendliness communicates something that goes far beyond words.
2. How is Cistercian life related to other forms of Christian life?
From the very beginning of Christianity the various forms of Christian life have been compared to different organs of a single, living human body which are called to serve each other in diversity and unity. Through the totally unique event of the death and resurrection of Jesus, believing Christians mysteriously form the one Body of Christ. “We are members one of another” (Eph 4:25). The Spirit of the Risen Christ inspires, unifies and, at the same time, diversifies this Body, which is the Church. The Cistercian or Trappist vocation is an integral part of this structure: a fruit of the Holy Spirit, in communion with the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church, at the service of the whole Church and the entire world.
In practice, the different Christian vocations continue the work and presence of Jesus throughout human history. Christ’s healing, teaching, preaching and service are embodied in persons and groups called to these ministries today. Trappists sense that the Spirit of Christ calls them to a life of simplicity, hiddenness, work, prayer, service and hospitality in a particular monastic community. This prolongs the many years of Christ’s hidden life with his family in Nazareth, the moments of his solitary prayer to the Father and the simple existence of his first disciples in Jerusalem. Such a life has been called the invisble “heart” of the Body of Christ.
3. How can I learn more about the life of a monk or nun?
Every human person carries a hidden “monk” inside. We are made for God. Monastic life corresponds to this need to live completely for God, both individually and as a member of a community. Since prayer is at the heart of a monk’s life, you can learn about monastic life at any time by setting aside 10 or 20 minutes each day for your own prayer, meditation and reading of the Scriptures, especially of the New Testament. Prayer like this is especially important if you are searching for your place in life, your vocation, above all if you think that God may be calling you to a monastic community.
Usually the best way to learn even more about a monk’s life is to spend a few days in the guest house of a monastery. It is always good to write or telephone first, in case the guest house is full when you plan to make your visit. Once in the guest house, you can speak freely with the monk or nun responsible for the guests, who can answer any further questions. If you cannot visit a monastery, reading about monastic life is helpful and it is usually possible to correspond with the sister or brother responsible for receiving the guests. Also, most of our monasteries have their own websites, with at least a small amount of information about the life. For address and website information for all Trappist monasteries, visit our Monasteries section.
4. What is the process to become a monk or nun?
When Jesus calls us to follow him, the path is not always immediately clear. Every vocation story is unique and often full of surprises. Because our monasteries are autonomous, the call to Cistercian life is a call to live in a particular community and to follow its customs. For this reason, vocational inquiries are handled by the individual monasteries, not by any central organization. And the process of entering the monastery differs from community to community.
Nevertheless, the stages of our life prior to final commitment are for the most part the same:
- Candidate - A young woman or man visits the monastery over a period of time, and speaks to the vocation director and/or the superior, who help the person discern their call.
- Aspirancy - Before a person gives up job, family, and belongings to enter the monastery, many of our houses ask the candidate to live in the community for a short period, usually at least a month, before returning home to continue the discernment process.
- Postulancy - The candidate enters the monastery and begins to live as a member of the community, receiving instruction from the novice director.
- Novitiate - After some months as a postulant, the man or woman is clothed with the monastic habit and becomes a member of our Order, continuing to receive guidance and instruction from the novice director.
- Temporary vows - After 2 years of novitiate, the novice may be admitted to temporary vows. The years of temporary profession are a time for further study and absorption of the monastic way of living the Gospel, and deeper integration into the community.
- Final vows - After at least 3, and no more than 9 years of temporary vows, the young professed sister or brother may be admitted to final vows, which are taken for life.
If you feel God may be calling you to join us in our way of life, we encourage you to explore our monasteries via this site and the links to the sites of individual communities. When possible, it is usually best to look at monasteries in one’s own country, or where these do not exist, in a similar culture or at least a familiar language. You may use the geographical search to help you find the monasteries nearest you. You may then visit or write directly to the monasteries.
5. Do you have Lay Associates in your monasteries?
There have always been lay people in a more or less close relationship with a monastic community, finding in it an inspiration and a support for their Christian life, and sometimes a group of friends of a particular community. During the last quarter century something new has developed. Lay people have felt called to integrate into their lay vocations – family and professional life, as well as their social and religious commitments – the most fundamental values of the Cistercian life.
These people are known by different names (oblates, associates, etc.); but in general they are called “Lay Cistercians,” and form a group of laity attached to a community of Cistercian nuns or monks. Successive General Chapters, beginning with Holyoke in 1984, while recognizing a movement of the Spirit, have preferred not to legislate concerning them, leaving to each monastic community the care of watching over the evolution of the movement.
These communities of Lay Cistercians have created bonds among themselves, and in 2000 began to hold periodic international “encounters”. Following these meetings, they have sent messages to the General Chapters, to which the Order has responded. In the course of the meeting at Huerta in 2008, they drafted a document describing the lay Cistercian identity, which was communicated to the General Chapters of the same year. The chapters officially recognized the groups as “a lay expression of our Cistercian charism.”
Membership in the Lay Cistercians is handled directly by the individual lay groups. If you would like more information, please contact one of the groups listed on the International Lay Cistercian site.