What is Observership?

Initial enquiry into a possible vocation consists of some visits to the monastery to find out more about Cistercian life.  If a discerner shows a genuine desire to seek God, together with signs of suitability for the Cistercian way of life, they are invited to make an Observership in the community.  During this period they participate fully in the daily monastic schedule of the novitiate, experiencing the rhythm of the Cistercian life with its balance of community and solitude, work and prayer.

The Observership period living with the community is a period of discernment without any commitment on the part of the discerner or the community.  Observers receive spiritual accompaniment and vocation guidance.  It is a time to get to know the community and our way of life at close-hand and a time for us to get to know the Observer.

A mutual recognition of positive signs of a Cistercian vocation together with suitability for our way of life leads to the application process to enter the community as a Postulant, the first stage of the formation journey to becoming a Cistercian nun.