The nuns who pray for mothers who stay awake at night

All the mothers You know that feeling of getting out of bed to tend to a crying baby. Likewise, you all know that exhaustion—which is more noticeable some nights than others. After a long day, just when it finally seems like you can rest, your child needs you. You get up and go to him, of course, but no one can take that exhaustion away…

However, none of these mothers around the world are alone. There is a community of nuns in Los Angeles who pray every night for these sleepless, exhausted women. They are the nuns of the Order of Norbertine Canonesses of the Priory of St. Joseph in Bethlehem, based in California and closely following the lives of mothers around the world.

Every night, when the bells strike twelve, this community of nuns gathers around the tabernacle and offers prayers for the women who are on their feet, changing a diaper, feeding, or comforting a baby.

Time for Motherhood

This cloistered congregation devotes its daily life to a wide variety of tasks, such as making cheese, raising dogs, and selling sheep and cows. But without a doubt, one of their most moving missions takes place in the early morning, during the time they themselves have dubbed the «Mothering Hour.».

For these sisters, this time of prayer is part of the seven hours of the Divine Office they celebrate each day. Waking up at midnight is a way of expressing their constant readiness to encounter God. However, the nuns are also aware that the early hours of the morning can be synonymous with darkness, loneliness, and fear for many people. For this reason, they sacrifice their rest to attend to the spiritual needs of those who need it most, embracing with maternal love those women who watch over their little ones.

Mothers and Nuns

Although this community has kept this tradition alive for years, the world first became aware of their work in December 2023. The initiative went viral after Leanne Bowen, a Catholic watercolor artist, shared her experience on Instagram after praying alongside the nuns during a retreat at the priory.

Since that post, the news has spread like wildfire, bringing deep comfort to thousands of women. Knowing that there is a group of nuns interceding on their behalf has transformed those long, silent hours into a haven of peace.

Now, as they pace back and forth through the hallways of their homes, nursing, rocking, and caring for their children in the middle of the night, these exhausted mothers know they are no longer alone: they are accompanied and sustained by prayer.