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| Dominican Nuns
 It could be argued that it was the nun’s branch of the order that was the first established. When Bishop Diego, an early companion of Dominic’s, realized that Catholic families were entrusting their daughters to the care of the heretical sects that had sprung up in France, he acquired an abandoned church at Prouille and turned it into a monastery for converts from these sects. The monastery was in operation by 1206. It quickly became the locus of prayer for the success of the preaching mission and the center for the itinerant preaching friars. There are now about 4,000 Dominican nuns worldwide living in 234 Dominican monasteries, about 17 of which are in the United States. In keeping with the ancient tradition of the order, the nuns live a life of contemplation and silence.  |
