Part 1 of 3. The Abbey puts the monastic life to the test in this special three-part Compass presentation, as we follow five ordinary Australian women who spend 33 days and nights living the life of an enclosed Benedictine nun. Never before has the outside world entered the cloisters of the Abbey, until they allowed the ABC unprecedented access within their monastery walls. From very different backgrounds, and with very different views about spirituality, these women will leave behind their busy lives to embark upon a search for meaning, God and the self, behind the walls of the enclosed order. Will the women be able to cope with the 4am wake-up calls, the seven daily visits to the Abbey church, and the 1500-year-old Benedictine rule of silence, obedience and renunciation? In episode one, Sister Hilda takes us into the hidden world of the Abbey as she welcomes the five women. Each is given her own 'cell' and a taste of monastic life. However, waking up at 4am for prayer, having to give up their worldly goods, abide by the daily schedule of work and prayer, and live silently prove to be a shock for all. 23-year-old Tusa wonders how she'll cope without alcohol and chocolate. Robyn wonders if she can do without her hairdryer, and Tammy gives up several "new age" safety blankets such as her self-help books, tarot cards and incense. Tassie-based Lyn doesn't know what to expect, and Meg just seems content to have found some peace and quiet away from her hectic life as a full-time mother, not to mention full-time carer of a special needs child. By week's end, the novelty is wearing off and the deprivations of monastic life are beginning to bite. Sister Hilda wonders if they'll be able to survive each other as well as the demands of a life about to hit them hard!