translate English to French: These brotherhoods, dedicated to seeking God and to contem­plative prayer, dwelt in the midst of the local Church while yet preserving a good measure of solitude. Within the great Basilian Monastery, a sort of "City of Charity" founded by Basil, the monks and nuns devoted them­selves to the care of the sick, the poor, and the pilgrims.
C'est d'ailleurs ce qui explique l'extrême variété de ses formes.