The charism of the Cistercians of the Strict Observance, commonly known as Trappists, is to live a monastic life of deep contemplation, prayer, and community rooted in the Rule of Saint Benedict. Trappists dedicate themselves to silence, manual labor, sacred reading (Lectio Divina), and the Divine Office, seeking an ever-deeper union with God in simplicity, humility, and solitude. Their life is primarily contemplative, offering prayer and intercession for the Church and the world, while also sustaining their communities through prayerful work.

The Trappists trace their identity to the 17th-century reform movement within the Cistercian Order, begun at La Grande Trappe in France, which emphasized stricter observance of St. Benedict’s Rule — including greater silence, austerity, and ascetic prayer. Although they emerged formally as a branch of the Cistercians of Citeaux in the 1600s, the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (O.C.S.O.) was given independent canonical status in the late 19th century. Over time the Trappists expanded globally, founding monasteries in Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa, witnessing to a life focused on prayer, work, and communal stability. They are a monastic order of pontifical right, and their life has influenced monastic renewal worldwide.

O.C.S.O. General Headquarters – Rome, Italy Email: info@ocso.org (general contact — request connection with vocation contact for monks)