After founding the Premonstratensian Canons in 1120, Norbert of Xanten decided to gather his disciples in the monastery of Laon, starting the female branch of the Order.

The first nun of the Order, according to tradition, was Ricuera de Clastres, considered by the canonesses as its co-founder.

Although at the beginning the first monasteries of the Order were mixed, that is, composed of men and women, they lived inside the monastery in a reserved place, subject to the authority of the abbot, but only until the drafting of the first statutes of the order the nuns, at the hands of Hugo de Fosses, the first successor of the founder of the Order, in 1131.

In the general chapter of 1140, still under the government of Hugo de Fosses, the separation of the mixed monasteries was decreed, and the rule of life for the nuns was drafted, which was approved in 1147 by Pope Innocent IV. Even so, the Order remained one until the middle of the 20th century.

In 1945 the Constitutions of the nuns were reworked, and the Order was divided into two different institutes, the female branch and the male branch.

Organization

The Order of Premonstratensian Nuns, better known as Premonstratensian Canonesses, are a monastic female Catholic religious order of pontifical right, which have their origin parallel to the Order of Canons founded by Norbert of Xanten in the 12th century.

The nuns of this religious institute are known as Premonstratensian or Norbertine nuns or canonesses and they add the acronym O. Praem to their names.

The Premonstratensian Canonesses constitute a religious order of sui iuris monasteries, that is, even though they form a single religious institute, each monastery is independent and is governed by its abbess.

In them, the cloister is experienced to provide the appropriate space to carry out their contemplative life.

The nuns, apart from caring for liturgical worship, dedicate themselves to personal study and manual work.

The habit consists of a white tunic and scapular, with a black belt and black veil.

In 2015, the Order had about 80 canonesses in monasteries in Belgium, Spain, France and Poland.

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