Several of the Things I'm reading today~

The Faithful Steward, issue 39  This is a 16 page newsletter of the Orthodox Church of N. America!  It has some short articles & interesting write-ups of Orthodox happenings & church issues.

The Biographies of the Prince of Martyrs, St. George the Roman, St. George the Alexandrian & St. George Al-Mozahem.  Edited by Ms. Amani Shawky

Voices: Women for Faith & Family.  --Pentecost Season 2011
  A beautiful looking magazine put together by some Catholic women's group.


Saint Nersess Theological Review, vol. 13 2008.  Journal of the Armenian Seminary
 Lots & lots of compact & heady articles.

30 Days Magazine .... several older issues a friend sent to me recently.  This is a Vatican magazine,
subtitled, "In the Church & in the World."   I love it.  One issue has a great article about the Orthodox Christians and the Holy Theotokos (birth-giver of God).

Immaculate Heart Messenger, Oct - Dec. 2011
Religious Life (from the Institute on Religious Life.)
The Catholic World Report
The American Conservative
The Word  (Orthodox Christian monthly magazine. Beautifully
put together & insightful to read!) 

Light...on a New World   Attractive 1/2 sized Protestant magazine from England.

Parabola   That informative & educational 'New - Age-ish' magazine. Lots & lots
of cool articles on Buddhism.

Adoremus Bulletin  Monthly newspaper published by The Society for the
Renewal of the Sacred Liturgy

Horizons  Newspaper of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma (Ohio)
Saudi Aramco World  Magazine published by the
oil company of the same name. Cool articles on what's happening in the Middle East.

The Melkite Handbook & A Guide for the Domestic Church   A couple of  large sized
books put out by the Melkite Church in MA.

The Journal of the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives   This is really cool!  Just received this from a super cool Rev. at a Buddhist monastery in California.  Great articles & stories!  I can't wait to read more...I've got two thick issues.  Looks like a cut-n-paste punk 'zine!

Pure Land, Pure Mind   This great book is a collection of talks by a Buddhist monk of the
Pure Land sect of Buddhism.  You didn't know there were different sects within Biddhism?
Neither did I until I started exploring that religion.  I obtained about twenty books from these
monks in Taiwan.  All free of charge, of course. Buddhists are just like that!

"Mount Athos Tour 2009 --Monasteries of Mount Athos" [I edited the title slightly for clarity]

I stumbled across this absolutely beautiful video of still shots that a guy made from his trip to Mount Athos, Greece. Wow! This is so beautifully done, it's breathtaking!!! This REALLY makes me want to go to Mount Athos even more. I just got done researching everything I'd need for a visit. Now I'm prepared.....

"The Light of the Desert" Documentary on St Macarius Monastery, Egypt

Such a terrific documentary. I love it.

Video "Quaerere Deum: Documentary of Italian Monastery"

Beautiful & amazing! I truly, truly want to live in a monastery like this.  I think it's been my dream for years now.   And meditating on my life over the past seven years, I am convinced that God has been priming me for this kind of life (though I could always be wrong!)  My interest in books, music, philosophy, women (and lack of them!), etc.  Too many things are pointing to the monastic life.  Of course I may simply be thinking out loud right now.  But in all earnestness, this kind of life looks appealing and amazing to me.  The simple idea of giving up everything to live a life of solitude for the Lord, all feels so natural to me. My personal daily written journal has much more on this topic.  I am not comfortable yet revealing too much here on the interwebz.

Please watch this video if you have 45 minutes to spare from your hectic all-important life.

" Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer " Documentary--

Here we have an excellent movie on prayer & meditation. More specifically, the "Jesus Prayer." It is a prayer of the Eastern Orthodox & Eastern Catholic faith's. Thousands of monks & priests have been saying this prayer since who-knows-when! It is an ancient prayer, and a simple one. "Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen." There is also a great book that recently came out that is kind of the same thing as this movie. It's an interesting read.

The Chronicles of Thomas Frith, O.P.

The Chronicles of Thomas Frith, O.P. (link)


  I want to read this book. The life of a Dominican Friar whilst he was traveling around Eastern Europe. I love books like this, particularly chronicling the travels & exploits of an unknown (to me) brother from the Order of Preachers (O.P.). In some ways books like this remind me of all the punkrock travelogue-fanzines I used to read. "In Abandon" done by a kid from Tampa, FL named Mikey, comes to mind. That was a damn good 'zine! God bless you all! ♥♥♥

" The Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer " New Movie!!!

" Athos (Holy Mountain in Greece) " Mezmerizing Singing! Beautiful! Pure Love & Adoration! Mercy! Forgiveness! Compassion!

"One Day in the Life of a Men's Monastery"

Enjoy this fantastic little documentary showing us what life is like in a men's Catholic monastery! I love this video and was super happy to find it on YouTube.

St. Pachomius~

A worthwhile read, lifted from an Eastern Orthodox monastic blog (not sure of the blog's name or whereabouts).






ST. PACHOMIUS  "Place" as a Factor in Salvation 

People love reading & learning about the teachings of the ancient Desert Fathers and Mothers, those holy men and women who forsook earthly life for a life of hardship and struggle so they could focus their entire beings on God and seek to become one with God.  Although many of these men and women lived in monasteries, many of them did not.  From the beginning of their spiritual struggles, they were truly alone in the world with no spiritual guides; if they were lucky, they had their Bible and perhaps a couple of writings from earlier saints.  Usually they did not have even this.

In many ways, we are like those holy men and women of the Early Church.  In today’s world, people who seek the spiritual life are often alone in their quest with no spiritual guides except books or other writings they may have been blessed to collect.  We often wonder how we can find salvation where we are.  St. Pachomius addressed this issue and assures us that, indeed, one’s “place” does not determine one’s salvation.

St. Pachomius lived from 292 to 346, but his relatively brief life had a profound impact on the development of monasticism.  Although Pachomius was a contemporary of St. Anthony the Great, the two apparently never met.  A pagan boy born in the present-day Egyptian city of Esneh, he was drafted into the army to fight in a war at the age of twenty.  In a camp for conscripts near Luxor, Pachomius was visited one night by local Christians who came to the camp to give food and water to the conscripts since life in the camps was very miserable.  After a fruitful conversation with one of the visitors, Pachomius prayed to God that He would deliver him from his plight, he would dedicate his life to serving Him.  Within a few months, the war was over and Pachomius returned to Luxor where he was baptised.  It was in this region of Upper Egypt that Pachomius was to establish the idea of cenobitic monasticism, a sort of “half way point” between living in the world and being a recluse.  Over the ensuing years, thousands of men and women would embrace the monastic life in communities scattered up and down the Nile Valley.

Let us look then at the letters of Pachomius to his disciples and ponder on his teachings of the importance of “place” in the spiritual life.

BEGIN:  Become guileless and be like the guileless sheep whose wool is sheared off without their saying a word.  Do not go from one place to another saying, “I will find God here or there.”  God has said, “I fill the earth, I fill the heavens” (Jeremiah 23:24).  And again, “If you cross over water, I am with you” (Isaiah 43:2); and again, “The waves will not swallow you up” (Isaiah 43:2).  My son, be aware that God is within you, so that you may dwell in his law and commandments.  Behold, the thief was on the cross, and he entered Paradise; but behold Judas was among the Apostles and he betrayed his Lord.  Behold, Rahab was in prostitution, and she was numbered among the saints; but behold, Eve was in Paradise, and she was deceived.  Behold, Job was on the dung heap, and he was compared with his Lord; but behold, Adam was in Paradise, and he fell away from the commandment.

Behold, the angels were in heaven, and they were hurled into the abyss; but behold Elijah and Enoch who were raised into the kingdom of heaven.  “In every place, then, seek out God; at every moment seek out his strength” (Psalms 105:4). Seek Him out like Abraham, who obeyed God, who called Him “my friend.”  Seek Him out like Joseph, who did battle against impurity, so that he was made ruler over his enemies.  Seek him out like Moses, who followed his Lord, and He made him lawgiver and let him come to know His likeness.  Daniel sought Him out, and He taught him great mysteries; He saved him from the lion’s gullet.  The three saints sought Him out, and found Him in the fiery furnace.  Job took refuge with Him and He cured him of his sores.  Susanna sought Him out, and He saved her from the hands of the wicked.  Judith sought Him out, and found Him in the tent of Holofernes.  All these sought Him out and he delivered them; and he delivered others also.  END

Good article on monastics & monasteries

Why the Church Needs Monasteries

At times when things become frightening, when we are anxious and afraid, we are comforted to know that prayers are always being said in the Orthodox monasteries, the Rt. Rev. John Abdalah, spiritual advisor to the North American Board of Antiochian Women, told the group at their last meeting.
“It is a blessing to know that we have men and women in the Church who have dedicated themselves to a life of prayer and worship.” As a result, the Church around the world at every hour of the day is praying without ceasing (1Thessalonians 5:17), even when you and I cannot, wrote Fr. Steven Salaris, presbyter of All Saints of North America Antiochian Orthodox Mission in Maryland Heights, Missouri (“Monasticism: The Angelic Evangelic Life,” The WORD, March 2010).
The most important work of the monastery is to pray. “Our entire life and our day-to-day activities are all scheduled around the daily cycle of services,” said Mother Abbess Gabriella of the Dormition of the Mother of God Orthodox Monastery, founded in 1987 in Rives Junction, Michigan. Joy Corey of Antiochian Women of St. John the Baptist Antiochian Orthodox Church in Post Falls, Idaho, and speaker at the first Midwest Antiochian Women’s retreat held in 2006 at the Monastery, discussed prayer in her book, The Tools of Spiritual Warfare:

Prayer is to the Christian what food is to the hungry. Without prayer our spirits die. We become carnal and spiritually dead without nourishment for our soul. Without prayer, we belong to the earth instead of heaven; we lose not only our communication but also our communion with God. Prayer begins when we open our hearts to God and proceeds into silence, the language of heaven. It is in silence that we learn to hear and know God. God is not far away that we need to strain to hear or know Him. God lives within our heart of hearts or the spirit within the spirit, what the Church fathers call the nous. Only with a quiet mind and a quiet heart can one begin to hear the ‘still, small voice’ of God.
“The first major activity of the monastery after prayer is hospitality,” Mother Gabriella said. St. Paul says, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unknowingly entertained angels” (Hebrews 13:2). The monastery is a haven of spiritual retreat from the stress of the secular world, a place for spiritual guidance and growth.

For the past five years the Midwest Antiochian Women of the Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest have sponsored a weekend retreat at the Dormition monastery. About fifty women attend. At a retreat, one of the women reminded us of a story that was in the news: a woman was held against her will for many years by her father. She had given birth to his children and recently she had escaped. The woman at the retreat pointed out that in Church we had been praying for her while she was locked up, because we pray for “captives and their salvation.”
Typically, some of the Midwest Antiochian women arrive at the monastery on Friday evening and attend evening prayer services. On Saturday morning they attend services beginning at 6:30 a.m. and continue through Divine Liturgy, which starts at 9 a.m. There is brunch with Mother Gabriella and the other nuns, followed by a featured speaker who presents a program from noon to 4 p.m. At 6 p.m. they attend the Vigil, combined Vespers and Matins, and on Sunday morning they attend 10 a.m. Divine Liturgy. The retreat is our time to pray without ceasing with the nuns and with other Antiochian Women. It is an opportunity for spiritual renewal, as our life for a few days will be scheduled around the daily cycle of services.
Mother Abbess Christophora of the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration, founded in 1967 in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, said that “living in a monastery, we have an ongoing opportunity to witness pilgrims coming to pray; seekers coming to observe and question; wealthy, poor, sick and healthy entering our doors to offer their prayers to Almighty God. Others phone or write with requests for prayers, comfort or assistance. In each of these moments Christ is present giving His peace, His hope, His love... What a miracle that monasteries continue to exist in our modern, busy and secular world.”
Antiochian Women are happy to support the new Antiochian monastery, the Convent of Saint Thekla at Antiochian Village, and Mother Abbess Alexandra. The building of St. Thekla was the annual project of the Women in 2010 and is still its project for 2011. The parish chapters each raise funds; individuals may also donate. The other Antiochian Orthodox monastic presence in the United States is St. Paul’s Skete located outside Memphis, Tennessee, where Mother Nektaria lives.
It has been said that monasticism is indispensable for the healthy nourishing of an Orthodox Church. The Monastery of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk was the Church’s first monastery in the United States, founded in 1905 in the village of New Caanan, in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. St. Tikhon’s was established in conjunction with a home for the orphaned children of Russians in America. It was also founded as a “mother house” for the monastics who were serving as clergy in the Orthodox Church.
Hieromonk Arseny (Chagovtsev, the future Archbishop Arseny of Winnipeg) felt that the monks serving in the Orthodox North American mission needed a monastery in which to be “acclimatized” to the American situation and where they could return periodically for spiritual renewal. Others not only endorsed the proposal, but also brought up the idea of starting an Orthodox theological seminary next to the monastery. It became known as St. Tikhon’s Seminary and was officially established in 1938.
In recent years many Orthodox monasteries have been started in this country. In all, there are 99 monasteries in the United States and 11 monasteries in Canada, according to the Orthodox Monasteries Worldwide Directory, found online.
Mother Abbess Alexandra of the Convent of St. Thekla wrote in The WORD in September 2009, shortly after the convent was established: “Like other monastic houses in the world we hope that the Convent of Saint Thekla will be an oasis for the faithful to divest themselves of their busy lives and concerns and immerse themselves in the refreshing basics of Orthodox life – remembrance of God – in prayer and work. This focus is gradually acquired through asceticism, or spiritual training... When as a monastic we pray, ‘Lord, have mercy on me,’ we pray not only for our own salvation but for the salvation of all.”

† ROCOR Monasteries Worldwide †

The Lord God blessed the Russian Diaspora to have many monasteries and monastic communities. Some of them moved in their entirety from Russia, for example, Lesna Convent; others became the heirs of the tradition of old Russian monasteries, especially of Pochaev and Valaam; the third kind were established entirely in the New World. The list below is not comprehensive: it does not include all the monastic communities of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, but only the main ones.

Holy Trinity Stavropighial Monastery in Jordanville The monastery was established in 1930 by Archimandrite Panteleimon. The present Superior is Archimandrite Luke (Murianka). The main church was dedicated to the Holy Trinity; the lower church in honor of St. Job of Pochaev; the cemetery church in honor of the Dormition of the Most-Holy Mother of God, and the church on the lake in honor of the Holy New Martyrs of Russia and of St. John of Rylsk. The Monastery includes a publishing house of St. Job of Pochaev, an icon-painting studio, the Holy Trinity Seminary, a library, a Russian cemetery and a historical museum. The main holy object of the Monastery is the copy of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God. In the cemetery are buried Metropolitans Anastassy and Philaret of blessed memory, Archbishops Tikhon (Troitsky), Appolinarii, Averkii (Taushev), Anthony (Medvedev), Hegumen Filimon of Valaam, the icon-painter Archimandrite Kyprian and the murdered protector of the Myrrh-Streaming Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, brother Joseph. HOLY TRINITY MONASTERY P.O. Box 36 Jordanville, NY 13361-0036, USA Tel: (315) 858-0940; fax: (315) 858-0505

Lesna Convent of the Most-Holy Mother of God Provemont, France The Convent was established in 1885 at the behest of Archbishop Leontii of Warsaw. The first abbess came to Lesna from Moscow along with five nuns. In 1889 the monastic community was reorganized into a general monastery and had town churches in St. Petersburg, Kholma, Warsaw and Yalta. The nuns taught children and the Convent became a center of Orthodoxy outside of Russia. The Royal Family visited the Convent twice. St. Amvrosii of Optina and St. John of Kronstadt were supporters of the Convent. In 1915, the Convent was evacuated into the depths of Russia—all 500 nunsand over 600 others. In 1917, at the invitation of then-Bishop Anastassy (Gribanovsky), the Convent moved to the Kishinev Diocese, and then to Yugoslavia, to Khopovo. From Khopovo, in 1950, the nuns of the Convent left for France (first to Fourquet, then to Provemont), where they remain to this day. In France, the Convent was frequently visited by St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco the Miracle-worker. The main holy object of the convent is the Lesna Icon of the Mother of God. There also are the relics of St. Afanasii of Brest. The nuns bear a multitude of obediences: singing, cleaning, gardening, candle-making, icon-painting, a bookstore, and also warmly greet many visiting pilgrims. COUVENT DE LESNA 1, rue du Moulin Provemont, 27150 Etrepagny, FRANCE Tel: 33 (2) 32 55 82 66; fax: 33 (2) 32 27 31 75

Monastery of St. Job of Pochaev, Munich, Germany The origins of this monastery arose from the Pochaev Lavra. In 1923, the archimandrite of the Pochaev Lavra Vitaly (Maximenko) exported the historical typography of the Lavra to the Carpathian Mountins. There the monastery of St. Job, from 1924 until 1944, furnished all of the Russian Diaspora with service books and spiritual literature. When in 1944, Soviet forces neared the Carpathian monastery, a large portion of the monks left for Germany, then to Switzerland, and finally to Jordanville. Those monks who did not depart for America, along with new novices and monks, gathered around Archimandrite Job in Germany, near Munich. The monastery went through several phases in connection with the decline of monastic life. In 1981, accompanied by the move to the monastery of the ruling bishop of the German Diocese, it has been renewed. The head of the monastery is Archbishop Mark of Berlin and Germany. The monks manage a variety of obediences: church singing, cleaning, candle-making and publishing. KLOSTER DES HL. HIOB Hofbauernstr. 26 81247 Muenchen, GERMANY Tel: 49 (89) 834 89 59; fax: 49 (89) 88 67 77

Mount of Olives Ascension Convent The plot of land upon which our convent is located was acquired by archimandrite Anthony (Kapoustin) at the end of the 19th c. In 1906 the Convent was recognized by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, and the number of nuns there quickly grew. During the First World War, Jerusalem was declared a war zone and the clergy was expelled. Only in 1919 did the clergy return and the church unsealed. All the care over the preservation of the convent was assumed by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. At the convent, besides the Church of the Ascension, are a chapel of St. John the Forerunner and the trapeza church in honor of St. Philaret the Merciful. The head of the Convent is Abbess Moisseia. The nuns assume many obediences: church singing, cleaning, embroidery in gold and greeting pilgrims. RUSSIAN CONVENT ON MT. OF OLIVES P.O. Box 19229 Jerusalem 91191, ISRAEL Tel: 972 (2) 628-43-73; Fax: 972 (2) 628-23-67

Gethsemane Convent, the Church of St. Mary Magdalene The Church of St. Mary Magdalene was built by Emperor Alexander III in 1888 in memory of his mother. Around this church in Gethsemane Garden in 1934, with the blessing of Metropolitan Anastassy (Gribanovsky), a small monastic community of nuns formed. Some of the nuns established a school in Bethany for Arab girls. Gradually it became possible to organize daily services in Gethsemane and to strengthen monastic life there. The Church of St. Mary Magdalene contains the relics of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna the New Martyr and of St. Varvara. The head of the Convent is Abbess Elizabeth. The nuns have many obediences: singing, cleaning, tending to children and greeting visitors. ST. MARY MAGDALENE CONVENT P.O. Box 19238 Jerusalem 91191, ISRAEL Tel: 972 (2) 628-43-71; fax: 972 (2) 628-63-81

Wadi Fara: the Skete of St. Chariton The Lavra of St. Chariton was the first in the Holy Land. The founder of the monastery in the beginning of the IV c. was St. Chariton the Witness. Now on the place of the lavra is a small men's skete with a cave church. The Skete is under the auspices of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem. THE RUSSIAN ECCLESIASTICAL MISSION IN JERUSALEM P.O. Box 20164 Jerusalem 91200, ISRAEL Tel: 972 (2) 992-88-95

Russian Orthodox Convent of Our Lady of Kazan "Novoye Shamarino," Australia The Convent was founded in 1956. With the arrival from China of an enormous number of refugees, including those in monastic orders, a piece of land was purchased and a monastic building and church were built upon it. Mostly elderly nuns settled there. It seemed that the Convent would die out, but in 1980 a stream of youn novices began to join. In 1983 a new church was built in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, along with housing. An old-age home was build alongside the Convent with a Russian library. Nuns perform their obedience by singing, in the garden and in tending to the elderly. OUR LADY OF KAZAN CONVENT 32 Smith Road Kentlyn, N.S.W. 2560, AUSTRALIA Tel: 61 (2) 4625-7054

Monastery of St. Edward the Martyr, England In 1979, Archimandrite Alexei, an Englishman by birth, received a blessing from the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia to receive the relics of the martyred King Edward and to erect a proper home for them. King Edward, in many ways similar to SS Boris and Gleb the Martyrs, was cruelly martyred in the Xth c. In 1982, a small brotherhood settled at a cemetery in the city of Brookwood, and gradually turned the old Anglican church into an Orthodox one. This church now contains the relics of St. Edward. The Brotherhood conducts services in English, Greek and Church Slavonic and primarily serves the needs of those newly converted to Orthodoxy among the English, and also publishes a journal, The Shepherd. ST. EDWARDS BROTHERHOOD St. Cyprian's Avenue Brookwood, Woking, Surrey GU24 OBL, ENGLAND Tel: 44 (1483) 487 763; e-mail: theshepherd@mac.com

Stavropighial Convent of the Dormition, "Novo Diveevo" The Convent is located some 60 km from New York City. The founder and builder of this monastery was Protopresbyter Andrian Rimarenko (starets Nektarii of Optina died under his epitrachelion). In 1949, with the arrival in America of a multitude of refugees, Fr. Adrian decided that it was necessary to have a spiritual center. A former Roman Catholic monastery was built and a Russian convent was founded. Soon after an Orthodox church was built in honor of St. Seraphim of Sarov. The largest Russian Orthodox cemetery is located at the site along with a home for the aged. The convent has many sacred things: a full-length portrait of St. Seraphim of Sarov painted during his lifetime, a cross from the Ipatiev House and the cell icon of the Mother of God that belonged to St. Amvrosii of Optina. The head of the Convent is Abbess Irina. RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CONVENT "NOVO DIVEEVO" 100 Smith Road Nanuet, NY 10954, U.S.A. Tel: (845) 356-0425; fax: (845) 356-8250

New Kursk-Root Icon Hermitage, Mahopac, NY In 1949, some 60 km from New York city a plot of land was purchased for the establishment of a church and summer residence for the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. It was given the name iNew Kursk-Root Hermitage,i in honor of the old Kursk-Root hermitage destroyed by the bolsheviks, where the Miracle-working Kursk-Root Icon was found. A small monastic community grew at the site, which held several Councils. At the present time only a priest and some workers live there. The Synodal Candle Factory is housed on the property. RUSSIAN ORTHODOX MONASTERY 1050 Route 6 Mahopac, NY 10541, U.S.A. Tel: (914) 628-4975

Convent of the Protection of the Mother of God, Bluffton, Canada At first, in 1953, the Convent was a skete of the Convent of Our Lady of Vladimir in San Francisco. It is located in the far north of the Province of Alberta. Subsequently, due to the decline of monasticism in the Vladimir Convent, the property was handed over to the Diocesan Administration of the Canadian Diocese, and in 1980 a monastic community, now independent, was formed. The Convent has a winter and summer church and a cemetery. There has been a recent influx of young novices. The head of the Convent is Abbess Amvrosia. HOLY VIRGIN PROTECTION CONVENT RR #2 Bluffton, AB T0C 0M0, CANADA Tel: (403) 843-6401

Annunciation Convent in London, England The Convent was established in 1954 with the blessing of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco the Miracle-worker for spiritual education. The Convent had its origins in the Holy Land. The head of the Convent with a group of nuns was forced to undergo a barrage of bullets while fleeing their monastery near Jerusalem during the Arab-Israeli war of 1948. The nuns suffered great need, illness and misfortune in their exile for 6 years, until, following 2 years of warm hospitality at Lesna Convent in France, Divine Providence brought them to England. HOLY ANNUNCIATION CONVENT 26 Brondesbury Park London NW6 7DL, ENGLAND Tel: 44 (181) 459 02 63

Transfiguration of the Savior Skete, Bombala, Australia This small monastic community is located in the mountains of Australia. The Skete was founded with the blessing of Archbishop Paul (Pavlov) in 1982. One of the main goals of the Skete is the spiritual nourishment of pilgrims. Not far from the Transfiguration Skete the Presentation Convent was established. The head of the Convent is Abbess Anna. The head of the Transfiguration Skete is Archimandrite Aleksei. HOLY TRANSFIGURATION MONASTERY Richardson's Road Bombala, N.S.W. 2632, AUSTRALIA Tel: 61 (2) 6458 3009

Holy Cross Skete, West Virginia, USA The Hermitage of the Holy Cross is an English speaking monastic community of the Russian Orthodox Church outside of Russia. The Brotherhood currently includes eight monks, three novices, and candidates for the novitiate. The Hermitage was founded in 1986 in House Springs Missouri by Hieromonk Kallistos (+1992). After Fr. Kallistos reposed in the Lord, the monastery was accepted as a spiritual dependency of Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY. In May of 2000 the community was moved to a rural property in West Virginia. Archimandrite George of Jordanville acts as the spiritual father for the community, which is headed by Hieromonk Seraphim. The brotherhood supports itself through the production of church incense, liturgical chant recordings, soap products, hand-painted icons, and the sale of books and other church goods. Hermitage of the Holy Cross RR 2 Box 2343 Wayne, WV 25570-9755 USA Phone - (304)849-2072 Fax - (304)849-2016 www.holycross-hermitage.com/

Convent of St. Elizabeth, near Jordanville The Convent was established in the 1980s and attempts to follow the monastic order of SS Martha and Maria in Moscow. The nuns sew vestments, paint icons, and prepare candles and incense. The head of the Convent is nun Ioanna. COMMUNITY OF ST. ELIZABETH 1520 State Rte 167 Mohawk, NY 13407, U.S.A. Tel: (315) 858-2208

All-Merciful Saviour Monastery Vashon Island, WA English-speaking brotherhood. The Abbot is Igumen Tryphon. All-Merciful Saviour Monastery P.O. Box 2420 Vashon Island, WA 98070-2420, USA Tel: (206) 463-5918 Website: http://www.vashonmonks.com/

CONVENT OF NATIVITY OF THE VIRGIN MARY Wayne, WV CONVENT OF NATIVITY OF THE VIRGIN MARY P.O. Box 698 Wayne, WV 25570-0698, USA

MONASTERY OF ARCHANGEL MICHAEL Tel: (304) 849-4697 Superior of the community: Hieromonk Kosma P.O. Box 554 Marrickville, N.S.W. 2204 Australia

PRESENTATION SISTERHOOD Bungarby, NSW, Australia Superior of the community: Abbess Anna. PRESENTATION SISTERHOOD Rennie's Road Bungarby, N.S.W. 2630, AUSTRALIA Tel: 61 (2) 6453-6272

SAINT NICHOLAS MONASTERY Saint Nicholas Monastery is a female monastic community of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. The Monastery chapel is dedicated to the Holy Prophet and God-seer Moses. The nuns speak English and Spanish, with Liturgical services celebrated mainly in English and Slavonic. Of the many sacred treasures with which the Monastery is blessed are sacred relics of the Precious Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Veil of the Mother of God, Saint Nicholas, the Holy Apostles, and others. The Archimandrite John Memorial Library houses more than 10,000 volumes. Obediences include iconography, sewing, receiving pilgrims, candle making, library cataloging, and operating a Monastery bookstore. The head of the Monastery is Abbess Andrea 1340 Piney Road North Fort Myers, FL 33903 U.S.A. Tel: 239-997-2847