Medieval Monasteries
10D Religious Education
Where did they come from?
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St Benedict was the first to start a
monastery as we know it
They grew in popularity through out the
middle ages
At the start of the 2nd Millennium St
Dominic and St Francis also started their
own monasteries
St Thomas Aquinas was a “Dominican
Monk”
Life in a Monastery
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The most important thing in the life of a Monk or Nun in
a monastery is praying
They prayed a special prayer called the Liturgy of the
Hours or Divine Office – these services occur at the
following times:
Matins
2am
Lauds
Around Dawn
Prime
6am
Terce
9am
Sext
Before Noon
None
3pm
Vespers
6pm
Compline
Before Bed
What else?
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They didn’t only pray – since they were
self supporting there were lots of jobs to
do: e.g.
Washing, Sewing, Gardening, Farming,
Cleaning, Building etc.
Sometimes they made money by making
and selling things like Wine, Altar Breads
or Church Linins
Plus Education
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Depending on the Monastery they would
often have an emphasis on learning
This meant they often had exhaustive
libraries and spent much time reading and
writing
This was how St Thomas Aquinas spent
much of his time in the Monastery
New Zealand Monasteries
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Carmalite Nuns – Auckland and
Christchurch
Tyburn Nuns – Auckland
Beatitude Nuns and Monks – Christchurch
Cistercian Monks – Takapau, Hawkes Bay