The first word of the Rule of Saint Benedict is “Listen.” Fourteen centuries later, it still guides Cistercian communities through a balanced life of prayer and work, solitude and communion, love of God and love of neighbor.
For Saint Benedict, attentive listening is the beginning of wisdom and the path to true freedom, shaping a life rooted in the Gospel and open to God's transforming presence.
Saint Benedict presents God as a loving Father who invites each person to incline the ear of the heart. Monks and nuns are pilgrims and seekers of God. Humility, the Gospel, and a listening heart lead to a life of joy, freedom, and communion with Christ.
Prayer is a personal encounter with God. Following the example of Jesus, it is born in silence, nourished by trust in the Father, strengthened through thanksgiving, and renewed before life's important decisions.
Like the prophet Elijah, who recognized God in the gentle breeze rather than in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, we discover that God speaks quietly to the heart. Prayer therefore asks for freely offered time, silence, and an attentive spirit.
Prayer is not only our response to God; it is also God's loving invitation, patiently waiting for us to receive His peace and to share it with others. Throughout the Gospel, Jesus teaches us to pray above all by His example: withdrawing into silence, praying in secret with humility, giving thanks, and entrusting Himself completely to the Father.
Following Christ's example, Saint Paul encourages believers to "pray without ceasing," allowing prayer to become the quiet rhythm of everyday life. Through faithful prayer, the heart is gradually transformed, learning to see with the eyes of Christ and to grow in love of God and neighbour.
The day begins at 4:00 with Vigils and meditation. Lectio follows at 5:00, Lauds at 6:00, and Mass with Terce at 7:00. Work begins at 8:30; Sext is prayed at 12:10, None at 14:15, followed by study, meetings, and further work. Vespers and meditation are at 17:30, and Compline closes the day at 19:30.
Through this faithful rhythm of prayer, work, study, and silence, each day becomes a continual offering to God, following the ancient monastic tradition of sanctifying time through the Liturgy of the Hours.
The monastery has vegetable and flower gardens and produces modest quantities of coffee and pepper. Alongside cooking, cleaning, and maintenance, the sisters package spices and organic products for export.
Manual work lies at the heart of Cistercian life. Through simple and faithful daily tasks, the sisters support the community, serve those in need, and share in God's creative and redemptive work.
By the work of their hands, the sisters remain connected to the wider world, offering the fruit of their labour in a spirit of service, solidarity, and gratitude.
Following the example of Christ, who lived a humble life of work in Nazareth, everyday labour becomes a path of prayer, simplicity, and communion with God.
Community life brings joy and strength, but also calls for patience, self-knowledge, forgiveness, and openness of heart. The sisters do not choose one another; they receive one another as a gift from God. Different cultures and life stories are gathered into one body, where each person's gifts help build communion.
To live true fraternal life, each sister learns to recognize both her strengths and her weaknesses. Aware of her own fragility, she becomes more able to understand, accept, and patiently bear the weaknesses of others.
Fraternal life calls for attentive listening, mutual respect, and generous forgiveness. As the Psalm says: "How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity." (Psalm 133)
Like every human family, community life includes both joys and trials. Yet when love, humility, and forgiveness remain at its heart, it becomes a path of peace, growth, and communion in Christ.
Within the monastery grounds, a hermitage welcomes those seeking a longer and more solitary retreat. Guests may spend several days or even weeks there in silence and prayer, close to nature and in communion with the praying community.
It offers a peaceful place to deepen one's relationship with God while sharing, from a distance, in the rhythm of the monastery's prayer.
For more information or to arrange a retreat, please contact us.