All Episodes 2007

In the very first episode, Sister Hilda takes us into the hidden world of the Abbey as she welcomes the five women. Each is given her own ‘cell’ and a taste of monastic life. However, waking up at 4am for prayer and having to follow the Rule of Silence, Obedience and Renunciation prove to be a shock for all. Tusa wonders how she’ll be able to cope without alcohol and chocolate, Robyn wonders how she’ll cope without a hair dryer, and Tammy gives up several emotional ‘safety blankets’. Lyn doesn’t know what to expect, and Meg just seems to be happy with some peace and quiet. By week’s end however, the novelty is wearing off and the deprivations of monastic life are beginning to bite. Sister Hilda wonders if they’ll be able to survive each other as well as the demands of a life about to hit them hard.

It’s the final episode of The Abbey and crunch time as our five women learn what it is the nuns really want them to share. It produces unexpected revelations where even the unshakeable Sister Hilda is shocked! Long buried dreams are also examined, and a surprising journey of faith is undertaken. Sister Hilda questions whether some will back away from what’s on offer, and the nuns explore what it means for them in renouncing family, career, and the world outside the enclosure. By day 33, as the women prepare to leave, it’s now clear that each will be taking with them something they didn’t expect to find at the Abbey.