The St Silouan Brotherhood already has two members who have departed this life, back from its early days. The Monastery was consecrated in 2015 (see here), and is situated in an ideal location near the Western entrance to Yosemite National Park, possessing fresh running water, relative seclusion, and ample land, with potential for growth. Old, abandoned gold mines dot the steep hills, and the monastery has been busy building a number of individual cells for the brotherhood’s needs.
Currently numbering three, including the Abbot, Bishop Irenei (Steenburg), with some seekers and candidates in various orbits, St Silouan’s Monastery has a most welcoming feel to it, with comfortable guest quarters. Monk Ignatius, the deputy abbot, imparts abundant energy and vision to his delightful walking tours of the grounds; it is easy to see why the monastery has great relations with their neighbors, and a broad group of friends.
Plans call for a chapel for daily services, and a new refectory to better serve the growing needs of the brotherhood and pilgrims, and a main catholicon in the central area of the property.
Visit the Monastery’s diocesan web page for more info, including contact and pilgrimage information. Visit the official St. Silouan Monastery website here. Gallery follows:
The North American Thebaid 