A Hidden Light. A Joyful Life. All for Christ.

Books about Cloistered Life

Cloister and Community: Life within a Carmelite Monastery by Mary Jo Weaver (2002)

Cloister Talks: Learning from My Friends the Monks by Jon M. Sweeney (2009)

Flowers of The Cloister by Sister Mary Wilfrid La Motte (2011)

Praying the Hours by Suzanne Guthrie (2000)

Inside the Cloistered Life: Personal Letters of a Carmelite Nun by Sr. Marie of the Trinity (2024)

Reflections on Faith: Life in the Cloister by O.S.B. Sister Mary Agnes and Agnes Repplier (2025)

Saint Clare of Assisi: Light from the Cloister by Bret Thoman OFS (2017)

The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris (1996)

The Story Of Saint Clare Of Assisi: Life story and nine days novena, litany, devotions and prayers to the light of Assisi by Cole M. Gabriel (2024)

The Wisdom of the Cloister: 365 Daily Readings from the Greatest Monastic Writings by John Skinner (1999)

Websites about Cloistered Life

A Nun’s Life Ministry (anunslife.org) 

chartreux.org 

Cloistered Life (cloisteredlife.com)

Trappist.net (trappist.net)

YouTube Videos about Cloistered Nuns

A Day in the Life of the Passionist Nuns (Passionist Nuns of St. Joseph Monastery, 2022)

Day in the Life of a Cloistered Nun | w/Poor Clare Sister John Marie #cloister #nun #religiouslife (Kept In Her Heart, 2025)

Hidden: A Life All for God (The CatholicTVNetwork, 2019)

Life in Hidden Light (Carmelite Monastery, 2017)

Passionist Nuns Vocation DVD 2007 (Passionist Nuns of St. Joseph Monastery, 2021)

Real to Reel – Visitation Sisters, Part 1 of 2 (Diocese of Springfield Massachusetts, 2011)

Telling your parents you’re joining the cloister | Poor Clare convent (Kept in Her Heart, 2024)

The Call to Carmel: The Carmelite Nuns of Sioux City (Carmelite Nuns, 2024)

The Charism of the Carmelite Sisters (Archdiocese of Brisbane, 2022)

The web designer who became a cloistered nun (Times of Malta, 2025)

Two #Augustiniansisters say the cloister opens “unexpected horizons” (Rome Reports in English)

YouTube Videos about Cloistered Monks

A Day in the Life: Benedictine Monks of Mount Angel Abbey (MountAngelAbbey, 2025)

Benedictine Monks of St. Anselm’s Abbey: A Day in the Life (Vocations Outreach: Religious Life & Discernment, 2020)

Benedictine Monks (O.S.B.), Aurora, IL, Marmion Abbey [8562] (VISION Vocation Guide, 2023)

Inside a Cistercian Monastery (Rick DeSanctis, 2020)

Small order of monks living hidden lives in South Canterbury hills | Sunday (1News, 2022)

Trappist Cistercian Monks (O.C.S.O.) Peosta, IA, New Melleray Abbey [8642] (VISION Vocation Guide, 2025)

Trappist Cistercian Monks (O.C.S.O.) Piffard, NY, Abbey of Genesee [8641] (VISION Vocation Guide, 2023)

Trappist Cistercian Monks (O.C.S.O.) Trappist, KY, Abbey of Gethsemani [8645] (VISION Vocation Guide, 2021)

Watchmen of the Night – Benedictine Monks of the Barroux Abbey (MaroonLion, 2019)

What’s It Like to Become a Monk? (Journeyman Pictures, 2017)

“Work, Prayer, and Fruitcake: Meet Virginia’s Trappist Monks” (Arlington Catholic Herald, 2023)

Glossary Terms for Cloistered Life

Cell: A monastic term for the individual room of a sister or monk where one can pray and work in solitude, as well as read and rest.

Chapter room: A room near the choir in some communities where the members come together each day for the procession to the choir before Lauds and Matins, as well as for the Solemn “Salve” and community meetings.

Nuns in the choir, wearing mantles and praying the Divine Office. Maybe one of them is the hebdomadary.

Choir: The chapel within the enclosure where the sisters or monks gather for Mass, the Divine Office, and other prayers throughout the day.

Clappers: A stationary piece of flat wood to which are attached two loose pieces of wood, one on each side. By holding the handle and moving one’s wrist back and forth, the loose boards clap against the stationary one. The clappers is used instead of a bell at certain times during the day.

Collation: The light meal taken in the evening during the time of the monastic fast, September 14 to Easter day.

Communion window: A small opening in the choir grate in some communities used for receiving Holy Communion at Mass as well as for the reception of the veil at a sister’s solemn profession.

Cowl: Choir mantle with long, large sleeves; worn for the Office except for the Little Hours and on warm summer days.

Divine Office: In his Rule, St. Benedict uses this term to indicate the organization of the prayers covering the whole day.

Domestic bell: A small bell used inside some monasteries to call individual sisters or monks who have special duties or offices, such as the prior(ess), subprior(ess), etc. It is also used for some of the Hours of the Divine Office when the tower bells cannot be rung or may not be heard throughout the monastery where the members are working.

Great Silence: The time of strict silence prescribed by the Rule from after Compline in the evening until after Lauds the next morning.

Hebdomadary: The sister or monk whose duty it is to begin and end the Hours of the Divine Office and the Solemn “Salve,” and to lead the prayers at the graces before and after meals. A hebdomadarian is the one who carries out this task.

Lectio divina: A time for prayerful spiritual reading, such as the Holy Bible, the Fathers of the Church, the lives of the saints, spirituality, theology, etc.

Mantle: A long cloak worn by some nuns during Holy Mass and Liturgy of the Hours

Night silence: Silence is kept by the nuns or monks from the end of Compline till the end of Prime the next morning, save in an emergency.

Novitiate: Strictly speaking, this refers to that part of the monastery reserved for the use of those in formation. This initial formation includes from the time one enters the monastery until the end of the second year of simple vows. The sisters or monks in formation are sometimes referred to as “the novitiate.”

Recreation: A time for communal sports and relaxation.

Refectory: A large room where members take their meals in silence.

Stall: The place assigned for a nun or monk in the choir.

Vigils: The night Office, 15 minutes after Compline.

This information is from cloisteredlife.com

Cloistered Saints and Blesseds

*Nota Bene: This list is not exhaustive and does not contain every cloistered saint or blessed.*

Blessed Anne of St. Bartholomew (Discalced Carmelite)

Blessed Antonia of Florence (Poor Clares)

Blessed Cunegundis of Hungary (Poor Clares)

Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi (Trappist)

Blessed Maria Candida of the Eucharist (Discalced Carmelite)

Blessed Maria Gabriela Sagheddu (Trappist)

Blessed Jane Scopelli (Discalced Carmelite)

Blessed Teresa of Saint Augustine (Discalced Carmelite)

Saint Agnes of Assisi (Poor Clares)

Saint Agnes of Montepulciano (Dominican)

Saint Agnes of Prague (Poor Clares)

Saint Andrew Corsini (Discalced Carmelite)

Saint Anselm of Canterbury (Benedictine)

Saint Berthold (Carmelite)

Saint Brocard (Carmelite)

Saint Bruno of Cologne (Carthusian)

Saint Catherine of Bologna (Poor Clares)

Saint Catherine of Ricci (Dominican)

Saint Clare of Assisi (Poor Clares)

Saint Colette of Corbie (Poor Clares)

Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity (Discalced Carmelite)

Saint Euphrasia Eluvathingal (Discalced Carmelite)

Saint Eustochia Smeralda Calafato (Poor Clares)

Saint Hildegard of Bingen (Benedictine)

Saint Jane Frances de Chantal (Visitandines)

Saint John of the Cross (Discalced Carmelite)

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (Visitandines)

Saint Maria Maravillas of Jesus (Discalced Carmelite)

Saint Mary Magdalen de’ Pazzi (Discalced Carmelite)

Saint Mary of Jesus Crucified (Discalced Carmelite)

Saint Odilo of Cluny (Benedictine)

Saint Rafael Arnáiz Baron (Trappist)

Saint Robert of Molesme (Benedictine, Cistercian)

Saint Scholastica (Benedictine)

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) (Discalced Carmelite)

Saint Teresa Margaret Redi (Discalced Carmelite)

Saint Teresa of Ávila (Discalced Carmelite)

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (Discalced Carmelite)

Saint Teresa of the Andes (Discalced Carmelite)

Saint Veronica Giuliani (Capuchin Poor Clare)