Sentence:  The close ties existing between the <WSD>monkery</WSD> and the aristocracy were evident in many cloisters. Superior Stefan, who was expelled from Pechera Monastery, immediately secured the support of many boyars who "gave him from their estates what he needed for himself and for other purposes." 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Monks, considered as a group. (Compare (clergy), (laity).)