Description: An introduction to the oldest Catholic religious Order (Cistercians/Trappists/Trappistines), its spiritual values, and wisdom--and how to inquire of a monk or nun from a specific monastery what living in monastic community is like and whether life in the monastery/abbey may be of interest.
We are the Cistercians of the Strict Observance, a religious order of the Roman Catholic Church, also known as "Trappists" or "Trappistines". For more than nine centuries we Cistercians have witnessed to the gospel of Jesus Christ by a cloistered, communal life wholly ordered to contemplation. Within the enclosure of the monastery, forgotten by the world, we joyfully embrace an ascetic discipline which fosters conversion of life to the pattern of Christ's life of prayer, sacrifice, and loving service to our
Our website intends to answer the needs of men and women discerning a call from God to be a Trappist monk or nun. If what you see and read here awakens in you a desire to follow Christ in the silence and solitude of a Trappist monastery, know that this is God working in your heart in response to our prayers. Please contact us and be assured that we are ready to offer you our love and assistance in your discernment process.
© OCSO: Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance