motherhouse

Motherhouse is the principal house of a religious order or congregation. It serves as the community's home base, administrative center, and seat of governance. The term is most commonly used in Catholic religious life but is also found in various Anglican and other Christian communities, and less often in secular or humanitarian orders. The motherhouse is typically the residence of the order's superior (for example, the abbess, prioress, or superior general) and houses offices, archives, and treasuries that coordinate the order's operations across its provinces or missions. It is also usually the place where novices are received, formation programs are conducted, and permanent vows are taken. In many orders the motherhouse contains a chapel, refectory, infirmary, and guest facilities and may function as a center for education, retreat, and outreach.

The term emphasizes the "mother" role of the house as origin and support for local houses, missions, and members. Not every religious house is a motherhouse; communities with multiple provinces may designate a central house as the motherhouse, while some orders maintain a separate headquarters or generalate in a different city. In modern times, demographic and organizational changes have led to consolidation, adaptive reuse of former motherhouses, or shifts in how and where governance is exercised.