The Cistercian monastic lives with other sisters or brothers, being purified and strengthened by the community for the life-long labor of prayer. Each of our monasteries has its own customs and daily schedule, but common to all is the practice of rising before dawn to begin the day with liturgical prayer and returning to church periodically during the day for further prayer together. At other times, as we work, we try to keep an atmosphere of silence, to help us grow in the practice of continual prayer. Our monasteries are normally located in the countryside, surrounded by natural quiet and beauty, keeping us close to the earth of which God has made us stewards.