Inside the Convent

Stacey Dooley is spending ten days living alongside the nuns of St Hilda’s Priory in Whitby.

Stacey’s life is a whirlwind. She always throws herself into work and has struggled to prioritise her work-life balance. Although she is not a religious person, at the convent she is given the unique opportunity to try to connect to the rhythms of a deeper, slower, quieter and more meaningful way of being. But what are the challenges of living within the strict confines of a convent, where the women have taken vows of poverty, obedience and celibacy?

Stacey must adhere to the nuns' strict timetable, eating meals in silence, learning how to pray and singing in their choir. Very little has changed at the convent in the 115 years since its foundation, but with an ageing population and fewer women being called to the vocation, this way of life is dying out. Stacey explores how the sisters - some of whom have been at the convent for half a century - cope with the rigidity of an old-fashioned, timetabled life, which is so removed from her chaotic everyday existence. Can living with these 23 devout sisters, who have dedicated themselves to a very different set of priorities, give her new insights into her own life that might last beyond her time with them?