On Greece’s Santorini, 13 cloistered nuns pray for the world
Cruise-ship tourists crowding souvenir shops and couples chasing the perfect Instagram sunset throng the alleyway outside the Monastery of St Catherine, steps from Santorini's world-famous volcanic cliffs.
Inside this convent on one of the trendiest islands in Greece, a predominantly Christian Orthodox country, 13 cloistered Catholic nuns devote their lives to praying for those visitors and for the world.
It's a crucial if often misunderstood mission within the church, where constant prayer is deemed necessary to support more outwardly engaged ministries.
"In such a touristy island, the last thing one thinks about is praying — so we are the ones who do it," Sister Lucía María de Fátima, the prioress, said on a recent morning.
She and other sisters spoke in the convent's parlour...