What your favorite monastic order says about you 🧵 1. Dominicans

Do Nuns Have Phones?

What’s your top storage priority for the next 12–18 months?

Mount Athos, recently visited by Hollywood star Mel Gibson, is home to around 1,400 monks and has been a center of Christian monasticism for over a thousand years. Here are 5 quick facts about this sacred place: Autonomous Monastic State: Mount Athos is a self-governing monastic

What is the Weirdest Thing in a Monk's Cell?

One of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the Middle East is the tomb of St. Charbel Makhlouf, a Lebanese Maronite monk and hermit, located at the Monastery of St. Maron in Annaya, Lebanon. Born in 1828 in the remote mountain village of Bekaa Kafra, St. Charbel entered the

Why Do Friars Have Beards?

Put it into practice: We all need a daily touchpoint with healthy community. If you’re single, come together with friends or family at least four times a week-for conversation, a meal, a walk, or going to church. If you’re married or in a family, come together at least six

In a world aching with isolation, these small acts, sharing a meal, listening, being present—become radical gestures of love.

The wisdom of the Rule still speaks today. Humans are not made to live entirely alone. Daily connection steadies the soul and guards it from despair.

That shared table was more than routine, it was communion. Solitude formed their souls, but community kept their hearts alive.

Even though these early Carmelites were hermits, St. Albert instructed them to gather daily for a common meal: “You are to eat whatever may have been given you in a common refectory, listening together meanwhile to a reading from Holy Scripture.”

In the early 1200s, St. Albert of Jerusalem wrote a short rule for hermits living on Mount Carmel. This became the foundation of the Carmelite Order.

Loneliness is the silent epidemic of our time. Americans are more connected online than ever, yet so many still feel profoundly alone. Here’s how an ancient rule for hermits, written 800 years ago, offers a remedy. 🧵

How do Sisters Get Their Names?

Benedict’s emphasis on discipline, community, and moderation offered a shared framework that unified Europe morally, culturally, and spiritually.

These monasteries weren’t just spiritual centers—they were hubs of agriculture, education, hospitality, and healthcare, stabilizing communities across Europe.

During Europe’s turbulent early Middle Ages, Benedictine monasteries became centers of learning, preservation of knowledge, and culture. They copied manuscripts, taught students, and kept civilization alive. At their peak, there were around 37,000 Benedictine monasteries across

Benedict founded the Benedictine Order and wrote the Rule of Saint Benedict, guiding monks with the principle: “Ora et Labora” – Pray and Work. His Rule created balance in spiritual and daily life.

Benedict of Nursia (c. 480–547) wasn’t just a monk he helped shape the spiritual and cultural foundation of Europe. Let’s see how his vision transformed an entire continent. 🧵

Cistercian Monk's Evening Routine

Why monastics wear a rosary