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susanbherald
Guest
What are the differences in spirituality, life, and forms of prayer between Carthusian, Cistercian, and Carmelite nuns?
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Cloisters
Well-known member
Carthusians are a vocation to solitude in the context of community. They originally started with the Rule of St Benedict, but wrote their own Rule.
Cistercians are a reform of the Benedictines. They follow the Rule of St Benedict. If speaking of the Cistercians of the Common Observance, they originally followed the Charter of Charity.
Carmelites of the Ancient Observance follow the Rule of St Albert of Jerusalem. Discalced Carmelites follow the same, with the addition of the writings of Sts Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Mrs Cloisters OP
Lay Dominican
http://cloisters.tripod.com/
http://cloisters.tripod.com/charity/
http://cloisters.tripod.com/holyangels/id9.html/
Cistercians are a reform of the Benedictines. They follow the Rule of St Benedict. If speaking of the Cistercians of the Common Observance, they originally followed the Charter of Charity.
Carmelites of the Ancient Observance follow the Rule of St Albert of Jerusalem. Discalced Carmelites follow the same, with the addition of the writings of Sts Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross.
Hope this helps.
Blessings,
Mrs Cloisters OP
Lay Dominican
http://cloisters.tripod.com/
http://cloisters.tripod.com/charity/
http://cloisters.tripod.com/holyangels/id9.html/
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Richca
Guest
All the monasteries of the Carthusians are cloistered. There way of life is semi-eremitical, they are more like hermits than the two others, it’s an austere monastic life of prayer, solitude, and silence; less communal activities than the other two; monasteries are typically in ‘wild’ places away from civilization; minimal contact with the outside world; only allow visitors who are interested in a vocation and family visits; their sole occupation is really prayer, the love of God and the search for God; they have a midnight office where they arise from bed to chant in their chapel one of the offices of the Liturgy of the Hours and then go back to bed to arise again early in the morning; the Carthusian Order has been called the Order of Iron. There are no Carthusian monasteries of nuns in the U.S. and only one of the monks in Vermont. I believe they are mostly in Europe. Link for more info:
http://www.chartreux.org/en/index.php
The Cistercians and Carmelites have branches of both cloistered and un-cloistered monasteries. The Cistercians follow the Rule of St Benedict which is a communal monastic life. They eat all their meals together and pray all the offices of the Liturgy of the Hours together and may have a communal recreation period everyday. The Carthusians eat all their meals alone in their cells and pray some of the Liturgy of the Hours alone except on Sundays and Solemities when they also have a communal recreation walking or hiking for a few hours. There is more emphasis on work in the Cistercians than the other two such that they typically provide for themselves I believe through agriculture, farming and other projects. The un-cloistered Cistercians may even run a school or college at their monastery I believe unlike the Cistercians of the Strict Observance (Trappists) who are cloistered. Both orders of Cistercians typically have a guest or retreat house on their monastery grounds for anybody who wants to go there for a few days or longer and make a retreat.
The Carmelites started out as hermits living in community with a life devoted to prayer, solitude, and silence. In time, they got involved in apostolic works. The Discalced Carmelites are a reform branch initiated by St Teresa of Avila and St John of the Cross to a return to the early carmelites life of prayer and solitude. The nuns from the Discalced Carmelites are cloistered. It’s a life dedicated to prayer, solitude, and silence but they have more communal activities ( eat meals together, pray the divine office together, more communal recreation periods) than the Carthusians who are more eremitical. The charism of the carmelite cloistered nuns vow of poverty is that they are more supported through alms. They have work periods through the day but it is structured for the upkeep of the monastery, necessities of daily living, and they may have vegetable gardens and small orchards typically for their own use. They may produce small things such as rosaries or prayer cards that they sell to the public but they rely more on almsgiving for their support like the Carthusians I believe than the Cistercians.
http://www.chartreux.org/en/index.php
The Cistercians and Carmelites have branches of both cloistered and un-cloistered monasteries. The Cistercians follow the Rule of St Benedict which is a communal monastic life. They eat all their meals together and pray all the offices of the Liturgy of the Hours together and may have a communal recreation period everyday. The Carthusians eat all their meals alone in their cells and pray some of the Liturgy of the Hours alone except on Sundays and Solemities when they also have a communal recreation walking or hiking for a few hours. There is more emphasis on work in the Cistercians than the other two such that they typically provide for themselves I believe through agriculture, farming and other projects. The un-cloistered Cistercians may even run a school or college at their monastery I believe unlike the Cistercians of the Strict Observance (Trappists) who are cloistered. Both orders of Cistercians typically have a guest or retreat house on their monastery grounds for anybody who wants to go there for a few days or longer and make a retreat.
The Carmelites started out as hermits living in community with a life devoted to prayer, solitude, and silence. In time, they got involved in apostolic works. The Discalced Carmelites are a reform branch initiated by St Teresa of Avila and St John of the Cross to a return to the early carmelites life of prayer and solitude. The nuns from the Discalced Carmelites are cloistered. It’s a life dedicated to prayer, solitude, and silence but they have more communal activities ( eat meals together, pray the divine office together, more communal recreation periods) than the Carthusians who are more eremitical. The charism of the carmelite cloistered nuns vow of poverty is that they are more supported through alms. They have work periods through the day but it is structured for the upkeep of the monastery, necessities of daily living, and they may have vegetable gardens and small orchards typically for their own use. They may produce small things such as rosaries or prayer cards that they sell to the public but they rely more on almsgiving for their support like the Carthusians I believe than the Cistercians.
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Richca
Guest
(continued)
The cloistered Discalced Carmelite nuns may have their convents either in rural places or even in cities and some may be more strict and traditional than others such as either wearing a full habit or not, or whether they may have some modern amenities such as tv or radio in the monastery where they may be allowed to watch at prescribed times communally or maybe watching a dvd. In the U.S.A., the discalced carmelite monastery of nuns in Valparaiso, Nebraska, are getting so many vocations that they have had to branch out and have started three other monasteries, two in Pennsylvania and one in California. I believe they are more traditional like (full habits, chant the Liturgy of the Hours in latin, favor the EF of the Mass, minimal contact with the outside world) and adhere quite strictly it appears to the rule and way of life began by St Teresa of Avila. They are very ‘cloistered’ and it appears there internet activity even is minimal, they may not have tv or radio either. There are Carmelite branches of sisters who are not cloistered and are involved in apostolic works.
In regard to the Carthusian nun or monk monasteries there is going to be minimal variation or none at all in the way of life and ‘spirit’ among the monasteries. It has been said that this is one order that hasn’t needed to be reformed. The Discalced Carmelite nun and Trappist nun monasteries follow the same way of life but there may be slight variations from one monastery to the next such as in the daily schedule and in the ‘spirit’ of the monastery. A woman contemplating a vocation to one of these orders and way of life has simply to go and see for themselves a particular monastery of nuns they are interested in or a few of them, a vocational retreat. The active (not cloistered) carmelite and cistercian branches and monasteries is probably going to involve active apostolates such as teaching, helping the poor, etc.
The cloistered Discalced Carmelite nuns may have their convents either in rural places or even in cities and some may be more strict and traditional than others such as either wearing a full habit or not, or whether they may have some modern amenities such as tv or radio in the monastery where they may be allowed to watch at prescribed times communally or maybe watching a dvd. In the U.S.A., the discalced carmelite monastery of nuns in Valparaiso, Nebraska, are getting so many vocations that they have had to branch out and have started three other monasteries, two in Pennsylvania and one in California. I believe they are more traditional like (full habits, chant the Liturgy of the Hours in latin, favor the EF of the Mass, minimal contact with the outside world) and adhere quite strictly it appears to the rule and way of life began by St Teresa of Avila. They are very ‘cloistered’ and it appears there internet activity even is minimal, they may not have tv or radio either. There are Carmelite branches of sisters who are not cloistered and are involved in apostolic works.
In regard to the Carthusian nun or monk monasteries there is going to be minimal variation or none at all in the way of life and ‘spirit’ among the monasteries. It has been said that this is one order that hasn’t needed to be reformed. The Discalced Carmelite nun and Trappist nun monasteries follow the same way of life but there may be slight variations from one monastery to the next such as in the daily schedule and in the ‘spirit’ of the monastery. A woman contemplating a vocation to one of these orders and way of life has simply to go and see for themselves a particular monastery of nuns they are interested in or a few of them, a vocational retreat. The active (not cloistered) carmelite and cistercian branches and monasteries is probably going to involve active apostolates such as teaching, helping the poor, etc.
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HeDa
Guest
There is a movie called Into Great Silence about Carthusian monks. You might like to have a look at it. I found it on Youtube. I would guess that life as a nun wouldn’t be that different apart that a priest comes to celebrate Mass with them.
There is another one called The Nun which was filmed in Sweden maybe 10 years ago. It is about a woman entering the Carmelite cloister. I have seen it on Youtube with English text but I have a hard time finding it as only the recent 2018 “nun movie” comes up among an amazing whole lot of crap. I include the link to buy the DVD instead. Maybe your diocese or parish has a copy you can borrow if you are interested.
https://www.ignatius.com/Product.aspx?ModelNumber=NUN-M
There is another one called The Nun which was filmed in Sweden maybe 10 years ago. It is about a woman entering the Carmelite cloister. I have seen it on Youtube with English text but I have a hard time finding it as only the recent 2018 “nun movie” comes up among an amazing whole lot of crap. I include the link to buy the DVD instead. Maybe your diocese or parish has a copy you can borrow if you are interested.
https://www.ignatius.com/Product.aspx?ModelNumber=NUN-M
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