[JUDY] VALENTE: Monasteries such as this one stand in contrast to the prevailing culture. They value community over competition, service over self-interest, and in a world of Internet, cell phones, and 24-hour talk, they stress listening and silence.<\/p>\n
ANNE] SHEPARD: It\u2019s a way of life here. It\u2019s an absence of noise and clutter, and we come together first, and we\u2019re just silent. We\u2019re in the presence of God. It\u2019s not a deadly silence. It\u2019s a very reverent and beautiful silence. We don\u2019t need noise to be productive. It\u2019s just the opposite. We don\u2019t need noise to communicate. It\u2019s just the opposite.<\/p>\n
Monastic life is a life of living together in prayer and community. We as Benedictines, we monastics\u201d\u201dwe\u2019re not founded to do a particular work. The particular work of a monastery is community, and believe me, that\u2019s hard work. Living with 165 women is hard work.<\/p>\n