www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Monasteries

I have looked at the following monasteries through their web pages:

Holy Resurrection (Ruthenian--California)
Holy Transfiguration (Ukrainian--California)
Christ the Good Shepherd (Ruthenian--California)

Can anybody give me personal comments, advice, stories, etc. concerning these monasteries? i.e. If you've visited them, what are they like? Where can I go for traditional Eastern Catholic monastic life? Thanks!

In Christ,

+Тимофей, рабъ Божій

Have you considered Holy Transfiguration Skete at Jacob's Falls (Eagle Harbor), MI under the Ukrainian Eparch of Chicago? www.societystjohn.com [societystjohn.com]

Ryszard in Michigan

Holy Transfiuration up in Northern California is a good center of Eastern monasticism. They do all of their services in English. Try also Mother of God Studite Monastery near Toronto. http://www.motherofgodmonastery.ca/ They also are Ukrainian Catholic but I think they do most things in Ukrainian.

Timothy, by all means get your self down to Holy Resurrection Monastery. Hegumen Nicholas and the other monks are 100% committed to the Holy Father's programme (a la Orientale Lumen) to be EASTERN Catholics. They are very de-Latinized and traditionally Byzantine. I spent several days there around Thanksgiving 2000 and they are among the happiest days of my life. A good friend of mine plans to join them this fall.

GO NOW.

Dear Timothy,

Personally, and as someone who has been in a few monasteries, I think that it is important to spend some time in a few before assessing a given community's relevance for one's life.

The monastery Fr. Elias mentioned is a Byzantine Rite Benedictine monastery where one works with one's hands making all sorts of marmalades and jams, in the spirit of that (great) spirituality.

They are very Byzantine as are the others. I'm sure the Ruthenian monastery is very Byzantine, but as to who holds the world championship, that is up to you to decide.

Language is also an issue and the traditional Ukrainian monasteries sometimes use Church Slavonic.

Slavonic is a beautiful language that is not dead, but living since so many millions still use it world-wide to pray.

It also has an inner harmony that makes it easy to pray and sing with.

But you'll have to see what is good for you.

Alex

There is also Holy Trinity Monastery in Butler, PA. It is in the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh.

Joe Prokopchak
archsinner

Alex,

Thanks for your advice. I love Slavonic, and read it easily (in its original Cyrillic alphabet). I use it for 3/4 of my prayers, morning and evening. I love to pray with it. My parish uses it sometimes in Liturgy, which I like. I find it easier to read sometimes in Cyrillic than "latinica"...

In Christ,

+Тимофей, рабъ Божій

Timothy,

Might I suggest the first thing you should do (if you have not already done so) is to find yourself a good spiritual director? He or she would of great benefit in assisting you to discern your vocation.

Best wishes,

Admin

Hi Admin,

I do have somewhat of a spiritual director, whom I trust, but he happens to live far from me and hasn't personally met me. I don't really know how to find someone closer. I'd prefer a hieromonk, but a "white" priest (to use the old Russian term) would be fine too. Any advice that you or anyone else can give (or a suggestion of a person...) would be appreciated.

Thanks,

+Timothy, servant of God

Michael,

Thanks for your reply about Holy Resurrection Monastery. I feel that, if and when I would enter the monastic life, the first place I want to see about is HRM. I have contacted them for vocation information, and wait upon their reply...

In Christ,

+Timothy, servant of God

And may you find and do the will of God in this short life........

Dear Timothy
If you are interested in real authentic traditional eastern monasticism I would highly recommend Holy Resurrection Monaster which is located in the desert of Southern California near Newberry Springs.

I have visited several times. It is a wonderful place of prayer and the desert has its own beauty.

Stephanos I

I am truly leaning towards Holy Resurrection Monastery...and feel that it may very well be that God is guiding me to be there at some point in the future. Right now I am looking forward to receiving vocational information from them...

+Timothy, servant of God

Christos Voskrese!

Dear Timothy, if you love Slavonic you should visit the Mother of God monastery in Orangeville, Ontario. This is a Studite monastery that still uses some Slavonic at Vespers, Matins and Compline in addition to Ukrainian and English and to my knowledge is the only Eastern Catholic monastery in North America that is strictly on the Julian calendar. I have visited twice for retreats and it is a wonderful place. Their all-night vigil begins at midnight on great feasts and lasts darn near all night. HRM and HTM are also wonderful places. May our God who loves mankind through the prayers of the blessed Studite monastic fathers Klementy Sheptytsky and Leonid Feodorov guide you in your monastic endeavors.
Subdeacon Randolph Peter, a sinner

Timothy-

I have never been to HRM, but met Father Nicholas when he first came here from Austrailia and was in Northern California. I know that anything he does is very Eastern.

I have been to Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Northern California many times and make bi-anual retreats there. It is a Studite Monastery, with some latinization. HTM was the pioneer Monastery for our churches in the west which began in the late seventies and is also set in a very serence and spiritual setting, the mountains of Northern California.

If you like to pray in Old Slovanic, might I suggest the Univ Lavra in Ukraine. This is the mother house of the Studites and is quite an extraordinary place. I spent Great Lent and Pascha there in 1999 and it was life changing.
I don't know if you are looking to go that far though.

You definately want to explore both HRM and HTM if you are interested in California.

Glory to IC XC
ALity