Sr Mary Catharine gives us an insight into the life of a cloistered Dominican nun.

Anyone who knows anything about the Dominican Order knows that their mission in the Church is preaching and teaching. Dominican friars and apostolic sisters serve on every continent of the world and many secular priests and laity are associated to the Order and its mission by belonging to the Fraternities of St. Dominic (commonly known as the “Third Order”.

What comes as a surprise is that at the heart of this vast family of St. Dominic are the contemplative nuns whose hidden lives of prayer and penance are “an example of that reconciliation of all things in Christ which the brethren proclaim in their preaching of the Word”. [1] 

In fact, it was ten years before the Order was founded that St. Dominic gathered together nine women, most of whom who were converts from the Cathari sect, in the abandoned church of St. Marie in Prouilhe, France. From the beginning St. Dominic intimately associated these nuns and the monasteries founded afterward with the Holy Preaching.

This is why the nuns are the feminine complement to the friars. By a life of contemplation, the nuns in the cloister give birth to the Word of God which is flung out on the seedbed of the world by the preaching of their brothers. For the contemplative life in the Order of Preachers isn't just about my life of union with God but contains an apostolic dimension that calls out to Him in solitude and silence. Like their Father, St. Dominic, the nuns carry within the innermost sanctuary of their compassion all sinners, the downtrodden and the afflicted. Like Esther, they go before the King pleading for the salvation of all. Like Moses, they raise their arms in prayer while the battle rages below.

Primarily, the nuns live the traditional monastic observances of community, prayer and penance, lectio divina study and work. Exteriorly, the day to day life is quite ordinary. The life revolves around the praise of God in the celebration of the Liturgy: Holy Mass and the chanting of the Divine Office. The monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary like most American monasteries enjoys the privilege of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and some monasteries, this one included, joins to it the contemplation of the mysteries of the Rosary.

In a family spirit, striving to be of “one mind and heart in God” the nuns share all things in common. This also means the quotidian praise of manual labor such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, gardening, bookkeeping and sewing. Handicrafts such as rosary making, weaving, making of soap, lotions and lip balms help support the monastery although primarily we are dependent on Divine Providence and the generosity of benefactors. You can be sure that any talent a woman brings to the monastery will not be hidden under the proverbial bushel basket! 

An observance unique to the Dominican Nuns is that of the study of Sacred Truth. Not only does study nourish contemplation but “it removes the impediments which arise through ignorance and informs the practical judgment”.[2] The life-long pursuit of sacred study also encourages a deeper communion among the sisters. Because the study of sacred truth is not always easy, fidelity to this monastic observance can be a form of asceticism.

By profession the Dominican nun is consecrated totally to God. This consecration gives profound meaning to her life which often seems like a waste to the world. Through growth in charity she becomes ever more configured to Christ Crucified who is her Spouse. Filled with love, she participates in his deepest desires. St. Dominic’s cry, “O Lord, what will become of sinners!” becomes her cry and the intensity of this longing mysteriously wins souls to God.  Every moment of her life, no matter what she is doing is offered as a holocaust, a sacrifice of praise to God.

No less than the friars, sisters and laity, the contemplative nuns “contemplate and give to others the fruits of their contemplation”. For the nuns this is primarily through simply “being”. Their life is a silent preaching, a witness to the world that God has created each human person to share in the love-life of the Triune God. The nuns also preach through writing, music, arts and crafts and yes, even blogging! In 2004, the Summit, NJ, USA Dominican monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary became pioneers, launching MonialesOP (Nuns of the Order of Preachers) sharing a window into their contemplative life. Four years later it is growing strong, attracting nearly 257,000 visitors since its inception.

For over 800 years Dominican Nuns all over the world have called upon God in solitude and silence, free for God alone. There are monasteries in every continent except one, Australia. For many years it has been the hope and prayer of the friars of the Australian Province and of many nuns, especially in the USA, that a monastery will be founded soon. Perhaps WYD 2008 will be the grace for many young women to hear the voice of Christ say, “come follow Me as a Dominican contemplative nun” and a monastery in Australia will be a reality! 

Sr Mary Catharine of Jesus, OP is a cloistered Dominican Nun of the Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary, Summit, NJ, USA www.nunsopsummit.org. She is the author of a novel, Amata Means Beloved (iUniverse 2003) and many articles in Catholic journals and newspapers. Currently she serves her monastic community as Novice Mistress. She can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . The monastery blog, MonialesOP, can be found at www.monialesop.blogspot.com.