![]() |
Dominican Cloistered Contemplative Life in Fátima - Terra de Santa Maria |
Praying at the Heart of the Church
"The way of contemplative life, which you received from Pope Benedict XVI to the Nuns (Rome) June 2010 |
![]() St. Dominic
spoke only to God or of God |
Hidden Preachers of Grace
at the Heart of the Church
“The supreme vocation of the Christian is to encounter,
pray and live the Word. St. Paul’s words, “Woe to me, if I do
not preach the Gospel” (1 Cor 9:16) are particularly resonant
today. Every Christian must see these words as not simply
a declaration but a vocation to serve the Gospel for the
world’s sake. Jesus said, “the harvest is plentiful” (Mt 9:37)…
(Synod on the Word of God Oct. 2008)
In the mystery of life, God Who is the Source and the Supreme End of all, calls some to be Hid more intimate collaborators in the ongoing story of salvation. Among these He calls some to simply BE ...to remain, like Mary, at the feet of the Master...so that they may be all the more eager and receptive vessels of His teaching, His compassion, His mercy and thus become more and more hidden, silent preachers of His grace. As the Ven. Pope Pius XII said: "The vocation of the Nun is fully and completely apostolic: unlimited by circumstances, place or time, it reaches out everywhere and always to all that regards the honor of her Spouse and the salvation of souls." Here in our Fatima cloister we are called to
follow Christ in the footsteps of St. Dominic.
“A city set on a hill cannot be
hidden.” (Mt 5:14)
In their undivided attention to the Father´s word:
"This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”
(Mt 3:17), and in their loving acceptance of that word,
The Monastery is the place guarded by God (Zach 2:9);
it is the dwelling place of His unique presence,
like the Tent of Meeting where he is met day after
day, "where the thrice-Holy God fills the entire
space and is recognized and honored as the only Lord."
(Verbi Sponsa, 8)
There are four main elements that constitute
the Dominican monastic way of life:
Common Life
Liturgical and Private Prayer
Evangelical Counsels - The Vows
Study of the WORD in Sacred Scripture
To observe these faithfully the Nuns are helped primarily by Enclosure and Silence which
are traditional and utterly essential observances on the monastic journey towards:
Union with God.
Common Life
"To live in harmony having one mind and heart in God ." St Augustine


Prayer
"Dominic...believed unquestioningly in the value of prayers of intercession for the success
of the apostolic work. Only in Heaven will we understand how much the prayer of
cloistered religious effectively accompanies apostolic action!" Pope Benedict XVI
Liturgical
The Liturgy of the Hours
“Seven times a day I praise you” (Ps 119) Seven times a day, we gather in choir to pray
and sing the liturgy of the Hours. Daily we are immersed in the Word of God and the official
prayers of the Church. Gradually ever so quietly, we are being formed and molded in our
true selves, into handmaids of prayer."
Private Prayer
Tireless in prayer, the Nuns should have their hearts centered on the Lord.

Desire springing from the love of God is the root of prayer. Through our
personal prayer we become increasingly aware of God’s love and grow in
love of Him. Listening to God in prayer plays an important role in our
contemplative life. The thought of Him is our best thought in the day and
in the night. It follows that penance goes hand- in- hand with prayer in a
life of love, for love grows by giving, proves itself by giving. Love wants to
share the labours and sufferings of the Beloved. A glance at the crucifix
shows us the ultimate example of love that Jesus has set us. It is in the
simple acts of self-denial that we share in the salvific mission of Our Beloved.

Meditation...not in thinking much
but in loving much
Christian meditation is an elevation of the soul to God in
order to contemplate Him. The more we are convinced of His
Love, the greater is the impulse to return love to Him Who has
first loved us so much.
Lectio Divina
"We must continue to listen to His Word"
In the truly monastic sense, Lectio divina
means the prayerful reading of the Sacred Scriptures. It enhances the life
of contemplation and leads the nun to a deeper communion with God and neighbor,
so that “the Word may dwell abundantly in the monastery.”
Book of Constitutions of the Nuns
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament- Perpetual Rosary
kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament uniting
in praise with the Blessed Mother by means of the
uninterupted prayer of the Holy Rosary. There,
before Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament, the
Sisters in adoration, thanksgiving, supplication and
reparation unceasingly intercede for the needs of the world and the salvation of souls.
"Just as in the Upper Room, Mary in her heart, with her prayerful presence, watched over
the origins of the Church, so too now the Church’s journey is entrusted to the loving heart
and praying hands of cloistered nuns.” (Instruction, Verbi Sponsa)
To JESUS through MARY!


Book of Constitutions of the Nuns
