What is it like inside a cloistered monastery?

[Michie]

Have you ever wondered what a monastery or convent really is like inside? Read on to know what the different rooms are like and what they’re called.​

A cloistered monastery or convent is a place where monks and nuns dedicate themselves to prayer, silence, penance and work, following a rule of life that helps them to seek God and serve Him with their whole being, separated from the outside world. These monasteries have an architecture and layout that favor community life and intimacy with the Lord.


Learn about a monastery’s spaces, their uses and their names:

1CHURCH OR CHAPEL​

The church or chapel is the center of the monastery, where the monks or nuns celebrate the liturgy of the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours. It’s the place where they meet Christ present in the tabernacle and in the Word.


It’s traditionally divided into two parts: the choir, where the Liturgy of the Office (also called the Divine Office) is prayed, and the nave, where the mass is celebrated. The choir is often separated from the nave by a grille or a lattice that allows the religious to participate in the liturgy without being seen by the faithful who come to the church.

More contemporary monastic chapels may not conform to the traditional layout.

2CLOISTER​

Continued below.

What is it like inside a cloistered monastery?

Have you ever wondered what a monastery or convent really is like inside? Read on to know what the different rooms are like and what they’re called.

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