Monasticism has shaped the spiritual and cultural landscape of Europe since the Early Middle Ages. In the contemporary post-secular pluralistic Western societies, many communities are facing serious problems due to aging and a lack of new members. The panel sketches the challenges of today’s monastic communities, it examines traditional and innovative ways of living a religiously based communitarian life today and reflects on the role of monasteries in contemporary European society. It will especially inquiry into the genuine resources of the monastic tradition for contributing to the development of the cultural, aesthetical, and spiritual heritage of Europe. In this context, the contributions discuss the aspects of social life (Borsotti), art and architecture (Almirall Fuster), ritual practice (Bruckner), and the question of ecology (Prinesdom).Chair: Isabella Bruckner (Pontificio Ateneo Sant’Anselmo)Speakers:Emanuele Borsotti (Pontificio Ateneo Sant’Anselmo), New Monastic Communities: a Legacy to Receive, a Future to ImagineIsabella Bruckner (Pontificio Ateneo Sant’Anselmo), Monastic Provocations: Celebrating and Structuring TimeElisenda Almirall Fuster (Pontificio Ateneo Sant’Anselmo), A Life that Reaches out: Monasticism as a Gateway of Cultural DialoguePeter Prinesdom (Universität Wien), Barrels, Solar Power and Renovation: Ecological and Sustainable Aspects of Monasteries