12/10/2026
SAN JOSE DEL MONTE CITY, Bulacan, October 12, 2026 — Second-year students of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Faculty of Canon Law visited the Augustinian Contemplative Nuns of the Monastery of Mother of Good Counsel in Carmel Farms, Tungkong Mangga, San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, today, accompanied by the Dean of the Ecclesiastical Faculty of Canon Law, Rev. Fr. Romualdo Cabanatan, Jr., OP, JCD.
The visit aimed to provide the students with a firsthand experience of contemplative monastic life and a deeper understanding of its spiritual, communal, and canonical dimensions, particularly in light of Cor Orans, the instruction implementing the Apostolic Constitution Vultum Dei Quaerere on women’s contemplative life.
From the nuns’ perspective, the encounter offered an opportunity to share the richness of their vocation and the realities of a life dedicated to prayer, community, and contemplation. Their monastic witness highlights that contemplative life is not simply a withdrawal from the world but a distinct way of serving the Church and humanity through prayer, fidelity, and communion with God. Welcoming the canon law students also provided an occasion to foster greater understanding of the contemplative vocation and the ecclesiastical norms that guide and protect it.
The encounter bridged canonical theory and lived experience, allowing the students to appreciate how the provisions of Cor Orans find expression in the daily rhythm, formation, governance, and spiritual commitment of a contemplative monastery. For the nuns, it likewise underscored the value of dialogue between the Church’s legal tradition and the lived experience of those who embrace the cloistered vocation.
The visit reaffirmed the importance of experiential learning in canon law, reminding future canonists that behind every canonical norm is a living ecclesial reality—one that calls for not only juridical understanding but also pastoral sensitivity and profound respect for the diverse forms of consecrated life in the Church.
