(LifeSiteNews) — A recent social media trend shows increasing numbers of Gen-Z women talking about spending the summer in Catholic convents, seeking quiet and spiritual structure over traditional travel or nightlife.
A viral video that sparked broader attention features a young woman describing her experience staying at a monastery under a voluntary “vow of silence” – and her inability to make a second booking due to high demand.
“I booked a vow of silence at a Catholic monastery late last year,” she said. “I went to go book a reservation again at the monastery for the summer and I just got an e-mail from one of the nuns saying, ‘Yeah, we’re actually fully booked… for the next three months.’”
The content struck a nerve, amassing over 140,000 likes. In the comments – which ran to over 1,000 – viewers discussed being unable to make bookings for the same reason and lamenting burnout, anxiety, and the perceived emptiness of modern life. Comments included:
Petra Jelínková
I tried to apply in FEBRUARY to live in an Italian monastery with the nuns this summer and they were already fully booked.Joana 🌙☀️✨
There’s this one monastery in Italy that I’ve been trying to go to for a month in summer for 3 YEARS now. They’re always booked up no room 😭😭😭 we are so cooked.
Though the participants vary in background and belief, the appeal is consistent: a break from screens, noise, and digital overload. Convents offer a predictable routine – early mornings, gardening, shared meals, and structured prayer. Several retreats request silence throughout the day, and many restrict phone use entirely.
While some outlets have framed the movement as a novelty, the pattern reflects a growing disillusionment with the dominant cultural script. In place of curated vacations and social media content, these young women are seeking order, meaning, and detachment from relentless stimulation.
Commentators have suggested that interest may have been sparked by a plotline in the series White Lotus, which sees a privileged woman in her twenties turning to a Buddhist monastery to escape her shallow family life.
But this development follows other signs of renewed interest in traditional religious life. The Wall Street Journal recently reported the increased interest in the Catholic Church among Gen Z and Millennials. Catholic parishes that offer the Latin Mass or Eucharistic adoration have seen notable growth among young adults.
Elsewhere, 2025 has reportedly been a failure for zeitgeist festivals such as LGBT “Pride.”
A shift has been noted by both Catholic and secular observers, with some describing it as a form of quiet rebellion against modernity.
The long-term impact remains unclear. Many of the women responding to the TikTok video appear to be non-Catholics, and seeking retreats rather than vocations. Many will return to secular jobs and city life, but the short-term choice speaks volumes: in a culture of noise and novelty, stability and silence are gaining unexpected traction.
