Editing Monastery (section)

===Western Christianity===
[[File:Monte Cassino Abbey.jpg|thumb|left|[[Abbey]] of [[Monte Cassino]], originally built by [[Benedict of Nursia]], shown here as rebuilt after World War&nbsp;II]]
In the [[Western Christianity|Western Christian Church]], the life of prayer and communal living was one of rigorous schedules and self-sacrifice. Prayer was their work, and the Office prayers took up much of a monk's waking hours – [[Matins]], [[Lauds]], [[Prime (liturgy)|Prime]], [[Terce]], daily Mass, [[Sext]], [[None (liturgy)|None]], [[Vespers]], and [[Compline]]. In between prayers, monks were allowed to sit in the cloister and work on their projects of writing, copying, or decorating books. These would have been assigned based on a monk's abilities and interests. The non-scholastic types were assigned to physical labour of varying degrees.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

The main meal of the day took place around noon, often taken at a [[refectory table]], and consisted of the most simple and bland foods e.g.,&nbsp;poached fish, boiled oats. While they ate, scripture would be read from a pulpit above them. Since no other words were allowed to be spoken, monks developed communicative gestures. Abbots and notable guests were honoured with a seat at the high table, while everyone else sat perpendicular to that in the order of seniority. This practice remained when some monasteries became universities after the first millennium, and can still be seen at [[Oxford University]] and [[Cambridge University]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

Monasteries were important contributors to the surrounding community. They were centres of intellectual progression and education. They welcomed aspiring priests to come and study and learn, allowing them even to challenge doctrine in dialogue with superiors. The earliest forms of [[musical notation]] are attributed to a monk named [[Notker of St Gall]], and was spread to musicians throughout [[Europe]] by way of the interconnected monasteries. Since monasteries offered respite for weary [[pilgrim]] travellers, monks were obligated also to care for their injuries or emotional needs. Over time, lay people started to make [[Christian pilgrimage|pilgrimages]] ''to'' monasteries instead of just using them as a stopover. By this time, they had sizeable libraries that attracted learned tourists. Families would donate a son in return for blessings. During the [[Plague (disease)|plague]]s, monks helped to till the fields and provide food for the sick.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

A Warming House is a common part of a [[medieval]] monastery, where monks went to warm themselves. It was often the only room in the monastery where a fire was lit.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

====Catholic====
[[File:Mont-Saint-Michel vu du ciel.jpg|thumb|Mont-Saint-Michel vu du ciel]]
[[File:Henrykow former Cistercian abbey 2019 P05 aerial view.jpg|thumb|[[Cistercian Monastery Complex in Henryków]].]]
[[File:595viki Lubiąż. Foto Barbara Maliszewska.jpg|thumb|[[Lubiąż Abbey]].]]
[[File:Krzeszow 03.jpg|thumb|[[Krzeszów Abbey]].]]

A number of distinct [[monastic order]]s developed within Roman Catholicism:

* [[Camaldolese]] monks
* [[Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross]], priests and brothers, all of whom live together like monks according to the [[Rule of St. Augustine]];
* [[Hermits of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel|Carmelite hermits]] and [[Carmelites|Carmelite nuns]] (from the Ancient Observance and [[Discalced Carmelites|Discalced branch]]);
* [[Cistercians|Cistercian Order]], with monks and nuns (both of the Original Observance and of the [[Trappist]] reform);
* [[Monastic Family of Bethlehem, of the Assumption of the Virgin and of Saint Bruno|Monks and Sisters of Bethlehem]]
* [[Minim (religious order)|Order of Minims]], founded by [[Francis of Paola]]
* [[Order of Saint Benedict]], known as the Benedictine monks and nuns, founded by [[Benedict of Nursia]] with [[Scholastica]], stresses manual labour in self-subsistent monasteries. See also: [[Cluniac Reforms]];
* [[Poor Clares|Order of Saint Claire]], best known as the Poor Clares (of all the observances);
* [[Hieronymites|Order of Saint Jerome]], inspired by [[Jerome]] and [[Paula of Rome]], known as the Hieronymite monks and nuns;
* [[Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit]], known as the Pauline Fathers;
* [[Order of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary]], also known as Sisters of the Annunciation or Annociades, founded by [[Joan of France, Duchess of Berry|Joan of France]];
* [[Carthusians|Order of the Carthusians]], a hermitical religious order founded by [[Bruno of Cologne]];
* [[Order of the Immaculate Conception]], also known as the Conceptionists, founded by [[Beatrice of Silva]];
* [[Order of the Most Holy Annunciation]], also known as Turchine Nuns or Blue Nuns, founded by [[Maria Vittoria De Fornari Strata]];
* [[Bridgettines|Order of the Most Holy Savior]], known as Bridgettine nuns and monks, founded by [[Bridget of Sweden]];
* [[Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary]], known as the Visitandine nuns, founded by [[Francis de Sales]] and [[Jane Frances de Chantal]];
* [[Passionist]]s
* [[Premonstratensian|Premonstratensian canons]] ("The White Canons")
* [[Tironensian|Tironensian monks]] ("The Grey Monks")
* [[Valliscaulian|Valliscaulian monks]]

While in English most [[mendicant Order]]s use the monastic terms of monastery or [[priory]], in the [[Romance languages|Latin languages]], the term used by the [[friar]]s for their houses is [[convent]], from the [[Latin language|Latin]] ''conventus'', e.g.,&nbsp;({{langx|it|convento}}) or ({{langx|fr|couvent}}), meaning "gathering place". The [[Franciscans]] rarely use the term "monastery" at present, preferring to call their house a "friary". {{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

====Lutheran====
After the foundation of the [[Lutheran Church]]es, some monasteries in Lutheran lands (such as [[Amelungsborn Abbey]] near [[Negenborn]] and [[Loccum Abbey]] in [[Rehburg-Loccum]]) and convents (such as [[Ebstorf Abbey]] near the town of [[Uelzen]] and [[Bursfelde Abbey]] in [[Bursfelde]]) adopted the Lutheran Christian faith.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.medievalhistories.com/kloster-ebstorf-convent-bad-bevensen-near-luneburg/|title=Kloster Ebstorf|work=Medieval Histories |date=8 August 2014|language=en|access-date=20 November 2017|quote=The monastery is mentioned for the first time in 1197. It belongs to the group of so-called Lüneklöstern (monasteries of Lüne), which became Lutheran convents following the Protestant Reformation. […] It is currently one of several Lutheran convents maintained by the Monastic Chamber of Hanover (Klosterkammer Hannover), an institution of the former Kingdom of Hanover founded by its Prince-Regent, later King George IV of the United Kingdom, in 1818, in order to manage and preserve the estates of Lutheran convents. |last1=Histories |first1=Medieval }}</ref>

In 1947 Mother [[Basilea Schlink]] and Mother Martyria founded the [[Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary]], in [[Darmstadt, Germany]]. 

In 1948, [[Bavaria]]n Lutheran priest Walter Hümmer and his wife Hanna founded the [[Communität Christusbruderschaft Selbitz]].

In 1958, [[Arthur Kreinheder]] established The Congregation of the Servants of Christ at St. Augustine's House in [[Oxford, Michigan]]. It is a Lutheran monastery in the Benedictine tradition.<ref name="Fischer1990">{{cite book |last1=Fischer |first1=Linda Kristine |title=The Geography of Protestant Monasticism |date=1990 |publisher=University of Minnesota |page=274 |language=English}}</ref> Strong ties remain with this community and their brothers in Sweden ([[Östanbäck Monastery]]) and in Germany the ([[Priory of St. Wigbert]]).<ref>[http://www.svenskakyrkan.se/klostren/OSTANENG.htm Östanbäck monastery] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813114047/http://www.svenskakyrkan.se/klostren/OSTANENG.htm |date=13 August 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.wigberti.de/ |title=Priorat St. Wigberti: Unser Kloster |access-date=29 August 2011 |archive-date=27 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110827033038/http://www.wigberti.de/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 

In Germany, [[Communität Casteller Ring]] is a Benedictine Lutheran community for women.<ref>[http://www.schwanberg.de/index.php/communitaet-casteller-ring-ev.html Communität Casteller Ring] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110911174924/http://www.schwanberg.de/index.php/communitaet-casteller-ring-ev.html |date=11 September 2011 }}</ref>