Join us this Wednesday, July 19, at St Athanasius Orthodox Church in Nicholasville KY

Vespers at 6:30pm, followed at 7:15pm by my presentation on Orthodox Monasticism and a slide show of images from the North American Thebaid Project! This coming week kicks off my Summer travels with a highly anticipated (certainly by me!) mid-week presentation at a thriving parish of the OCA Diocese of the South: St Athanasius Orthodox …

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The Elder Ephraim of Arizona: His contribution to North America

Here is a wonderful spiritual reflection on Elder Ephraim of Arizona and the significance of his establishing 17 monasteries in North America in the Athonite tradition. You can learn more about St Anthony's Monastery in Florence AZ here, which relates the story of Elder Ephraim's monastic life and how he began establishing monasteries in America …

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St. Herman Press publishes new installment for ‘The Northern Thebaid, Vol. II’

The detailed Life of St. Cornelius of Komel presented in the newly published The Orthodox Word #311 provides fresh inspiration for Orthodox monastics and seekers, as well as for a certain pilgrim with a camera... From the announcement on the St. Herman Press website (emphasis added): Vol. 52, No. 6 (311) November-December, 2016 The Life …

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An Outline of Orthodox Monasticism – Part 3

Third and concluding part from the journal, Orthodox America. Part 1 | Part 2  The Monastic Rule The Rule or "Typicon" governing Orthodox monastic life is based upon that of St. Basil the Great (d. 379), which he synthesized from the tradition of the early Desert Fathers. This Rule was later adapted by various great fathers of monasticism …

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Ven. Athanasius, Founder of Coenobitic Monasticism on Mt. Athos

"Orphaned at an early age," this great saint "was raised by a certain good and pious nun." He "imitated his adoptive mother in the habits of monastic life, in fasting and in prayer," and grew to be a shepherd of souls, founding a monastery which thrives to this day, over a millennium later. From this …

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