2 December 2025 

Importance of Silence in Community Life

In the life of a religious community, it is the norm for a leading figure to make periodic visitations of that community to make sure things are in order. As an example, we have here a snippet from the visitation ordinance [i.e. the ensuing report with instructions how to improve things in future] after a visit to the Vincentian community at Castleknock College in 1886.

Father Peter Duff CM, Provincial Superior of the Irish province at that time, when conducting this visitation, witnessed an ‘excellent spirit of union and kind charity’ with the community members’ ‘labour in the discharge of their respective duties’ through ‘unremitting zeal’. He reminded them to ‘make still greater progress in regularity and fervour’ in providing a good example for postulant brothers and ecclesiastics.

Another very significant point of discipline in religious life in those days was silence. Father Duff noted that the Rule of Silence of the lay brothers also set a good example to the other community members, as can be seen in the extract from his ordinance above.