(most importantly), updated machinery for the production of gouda. Gouda cheese The nuns order on average about 750 gallons of milk per week from a neighboring Mennonite farmer. Although they do not advertise their two- and five-lb rounds of gouda cheese, they generally sell out their 20,000 pounds by Christmas—and then receive orders for Christmas gift certificates that are ready to ship by February. However, the Sisters never make more than they need to pay the bills—even when more orders pour in than they can fill. In addition to mail-in orders for cheese, customers send in prayer intentions that the Sisters take very seriously. Daily Schedule Following the Rule of St Benedict, in the method established by the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance, the Sisters live a regimented monastic schedule: 3:00 - Rise 3:15 - Vigils (Night Office) private prayer, reading, breakfast, wash 6:00 - Lauds (Morning Praise) followed by half-hour silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament 7:00 - Chapter (conference by superior, community meeting or class) 7:30 - Eucharist, Terce (Mid-morning Prayer) work until 11:00 11:40 - Sext (Midday Prayer) dinner, optional siesta, private prayer or reading 1:30 - Nones (Afternoon Prayer) work until 4:15 5:30 - Vespers - (Evening Prayer) quarter-hour silent meditation, supper, private prayer or reading 7:00 - Compline (Concluding Prayer of the day) followed by strict silence and bed They do not swear a vow of silence, but live in quiet contemplation rather than idly chattering. The Sisters sit in silence for their meals of bread and cheese, listening to one Sister read aloud while they eat. Work varies according to talent and ability. Cheese-making takes place once every 8 days. The monastery has no television and the Sisters do not listen to music or go online, but one Sister of the community is appointed to listen to the radio for prayer-worthy news and to go online to tend to emails and orders for cheese. The monastery is also home to one dog, Skipper, and several cats. See also Trappists Cistercians Rule of St Benedict References External links Monastery Homepage News release 2008 in the Catholic Virginian News release 2009 in the Catholic Herald Trappistine monasteries in the United States Christian organizations established in 1987 Buildings and structures in Albemarle County, Virginia 20th-century Christian monasteries Catholic Church in Virginia Crozet, Virginia History of women in Virginia