Cloistered nuns of Santa Chiara exploit the Internet with the aim to find new vocations. "Seclusion is an extraordinary world yet to be discovered": this is the excerpt of the message that the Portici nuns are spreading to the outer world. This cloistered order was founded in 1310 in Naples by the Queen of Maiorca Beata Sancia as "a safe haven for young Neapolitan girls willing to give themselves to the Lord in a life of hiding, silence, prayer and offering."
Santa Chiara nuns are seeking new vocations and they are acting through the Internet, a new media for the Santa Chiara cloister. The thirteen nuns are now using the Internet to spread the word, with the aid of all the priests from Naples. "Please, explain who we are and what we do," they say in their message to pastors and to the world, "And let the people discover about our lives in prayer, seclusion is an extraordinary world yet to be discovered and unfortunately we can't help you in accomplishing this task." Portici mother abbess, Nunzia Emanuela, a 61-year-old cloistered nun, talks about her cloister life. The mother abbess live with thirteen nuns; they work from dawn 'til dusk, they pray and help the elder sisters (two of them are more than 90 years old). "We are understaffed in a big cloister," so the idea came to light: why shouldn't they use the Internet to find more sisters?
"Cloistered life in Naples is enjoyable and cheerful," they say, "This is a daily extraordinary adventure, even if we know that, being stared from the outside, our lives seem different. There are many young women bringing vocation in their heart, but they are not aware of it."
So the cloistered nuns have decided to create an email address which should be useful for every request to get in touch with them. If anyone wants to know more about their life, the address to speak with them is clarisse.napoli@virgilio.it. Don't worry: cloisters' computer usage is kept under control and should be authorized by the mother abbess. Mother Nunzia Emanuela stresses out that she often asks the young nuns to check mail and communications, but sometimes they also use the Internet to search news from all over the world. "In any case, we use this media with a lot of moderation and attention, as we are, even if updated, still cloistered."