www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Eastern & Oriental Catholic Monasticism

As many already know, the Christian East has a very deep foundation in the monastic tradition. Both amongst the Eastern and Oriental Churches, we take many of our greatest hierarchs and saints from the monastic ranks, and they have all helped to shape the Church along the way.

And, yet, after the various unias, it seems that the Eastern and Oriental Catholic Churches have downplayed (and/or lost) this monastic focus for a variety of reasons (Latinizations, persecutions, etc.). In spite of these forces, some monastic communities still continue to this day. A number of well-known monasteries are located in North America (such as Holy Resurrection Monastery), but is anyone familiar with Eastern & Oriental Catholic monastic communities outside of North America?

Thus far, I am only familiar with:

1. Monasterio Católico Bizantino de la Transfiguración [facebook.com] (a Russian Greek Catholic community in Pigûé, Argentina)

2. Univ Holy Dormition Lavra [studyty.org.ua] of the Studite Rite (a UGCC community in Lviv Oblast, Ukraine).

3. Mekhitarist Monastery [mechitharisten.org] of Vienna (an Armenian Catholic community in Vienna, Austria).

Besides these three, does anyone know of additional Eastern and Oriental Catholic monastic houses and communities outside of North America?

Thank you for your help!

Messdiener

There is the Mekhitarist Monastery on the island of San Lazzaro (Venice) and the Monastero di Grottaferrata (Rome) and the bi-ritual monastery of Chevetogne (Belgium) to mention just three of the largest!

There are a number of communities in West Ukraine whose members, of both sexes, display an Orthodox manner, believe it or not. They are all rather new, of course. (My university has a book with some pictures listing the different Greek Catholic communities in Ukraine. Quite a few also have a Western vibe -- I assume they are active communities -- which bring to mind Polish religious communities, i.e. young people, but "Western".)

Father, thank you for those! Have you ever visited any of the monasteries you mentioned?

Mark, are you familiar with specific names for any of those Western Ukrainian monastic houses?

Yes, both Grottaferrata (several times) and San Lazzaro (just the once).

I would have to find the book in question at the library. I no longer have borrowing priviledges, but I can look them up in the near future. It is in Ukrainian, which throws me off a little since I once knew Polish well and have been trying to resuscitate my Russian.