Male St. Tikhon's Orthodox Monastery, South Canaan, Pennsylvania. Since 2002, the retreat has been hosted by Holy Dormition Monastery. The other difficult aspect of it is denying yourself, and cutting off of the will is a monastic expression, on giving of yourself, the obedience. In the cemetery, a small Romanian style wooden chapel was finished in the summer of 2009 and dedicated to St. Lazarus. Directions From East or West - Take I-94 toward Jackson. There are more scheduled to be printed in the months to come. 29 Apr 2023 15:42:16 In 1934 she received her PhD from Cornell University, and took a position as chair of the Department of English at the College of Saint Benedict, where she remained until 1958. Adjoining properties were also added to the monastery property including wooded and farm lands as well as a residence for the priest of the monastery, which is dedicated to St. Nektarios. Every monastic community, including ours, does some type of work that would provide for the needs of the community. all of these are mysteries only God and His Holy Virgin Mother know. Thank you so much, Mother Gabriella for joining us here and allowing us to interview you here on Ancient Faith Radio. The nuns moved onto the property in January of 1988 and the first Liturgy was served in the farmhouse in April of that year. Ms. Kushiner: A natural question that might follow to this discussion is, well: To whom is the abbess obedient? Try to leave the worries of their everyday life behind. if (l[i].substring(0, 1) == '|') document.write("&#"+unescape(l[i].substring(1))+";"); Ms. Kushiner: Lets go back and talk about your journey again. Exit at Berry Rd, turn left and follow until Berry Rd ends at Rives Eaton Rd. Paisios, who was the spiritual father of Fr. Those are, I think, basic differences. Exit at Berry Rd, turn left and follow until Berry Rd ends at Rives Eaton Rd. Take I-94 toward Jackson. It serves as a spiritual haven, not only for the monastics but also for pilgrims, a place away from the cares and temptations of the secular world, a place for spiritual guidance and growth. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. This is why there are some people who would like, if they had the possibility, to move closer physically to the monastery, where they could have a closer contact with monastic communities. 926); to Lambertown Rd. . Fr. In falling asleep,you did not forsake the world. Telegram | Site Map | That was that particular mission of that community and still is. After a long and tedious search in which they were assisted by a number of friends and acquainteances, they found the Rives Junction property. Aren't the next few sweet photos? And there are no fees for pilgrims who come and stay at the monastery, each contributes according to their own means. The construction of the Gate House and Bell Tower were started in Summer of 2005. The apse is decorated in the style early Christian with the saints portrayed in false recesses. Geographically, Rives Junction is within an hour or two of most of Michigans major cities: Detroit, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor, and of course, Jackson. I pray this will be beneficial for those who listen. Do we realize it or not? Pope John Paul II opened the crypt and tomb 30 June 1985. The monastery is approximately 1/4 mile on the left side. Since 2002, the retreat has been hosted by Holy Dormition Monastery. We read about the lives of those who lived before us, whether monastics or laypeople, but it always as human beings we need those examples to be encouraged in our lives. This is how she made me understand, and I thought I would never Shes trying to discourage me. Nsctoare de Dumnezeu, te mrim.]. Sufficiently wide and level approach or gradually sloping ramp to door; doorway wider than 32 inches, with automatic door or one that is easily opened with . The console has also been completely redone, has three manuals of 56 notes each (C1-Sol5) and concave-parallel pedal of 30 notes (C1-Fa3). Ms. Kushiner: What was the mission of the womens monastery there, Holy Transfiguration in Ellwood City? There was a period of transition from other languages to English. This is how God called me. [Nun chants verse: The Lord is mighty and has done great things for me and holy is his name, and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him. He taught high school in Bucharest for a few years. When you choose to do something, God gives the grace, and its not so difficult, and obviously, its not impossible, but its not given for everyone to live this kind of life. Alexander Earl, which happened on November 6th at St . Mother Benedicta was an older sister of Fr. The roof is made of iron and rests above the entrance of the building that has a square concrete. Were very grateful, and its been a pleasure. What makes a good monastic is one who can bear in ones heart the joys and the sorrows of the world, is one who has reached that level of identifying oneself with the pain and the suffering of the world, with the needs of every Christian who lives in the world. Roman was in the United States at that time, and he invited Mother Benedicta to come and visit him, so Mother Benedicta journeyed to the united States and visited the monastery in Pennsylvania. Need to update your Directory information? The goal was, and still is that each issue would include articles relating to topics of general interest. We do tell people about the length of the services, and that I learned from one of the pilgrims who, after being in church for a couple hours, said, What do you do in church so many hours? not being used to it. This is the Lords doing and it is wonderful to see. So if we talk about a mission, Mother Alexandras mission was to establish a monastic community, an English-speaking monastic community, in the United States, to have this available for American-born women to come and learn and give the opportunity to become monastics. Instagram | ; to Rt. Telegram | So there are two aspects here that makes the monastic life a hard way of life, but as I said, if we do that, if we can understand and do that whole-heartedly, for the right reasons, its not hard. Three other statues decorate the architrave. Facebook The mailing list for those who receive the journal regularly is over 2700 people, all over the US, Canada, & Europe. And that, again, is quite obvious. John W Konkle Visit Website. Sunday Morning, 5:00 PM Ninth Hour, Vespers, Small Compline I sit and wait. To me, monastics are somewhat of a mystery. Serves as chapel for large gatherings in summer (including, 1992 - By this time, one Romanian nun, three Romanian. The monastery is still functioning and growing. 1999 Spring - Completion of the expansion of St Nicholas house. The sanctuary of St. Gabriel is a very dear place of pilgrimage for young people. So go and find out what it is. The property is located in a small rural town, set in sleepy southern Michigan, about seven miles north of Jackson. (last updated on the 20th of July, 2022) Share this page: Reddit. She was the editor of several anthologies of short stories, including Great Modern Catholic Short Stories (1942), Our Father's House (1945), and Many-Colored Fleece . Ms. Kushiner: When a pilgrim comes to spend time at the monastery, what advice would you give them for staying at a monastery? It is a monastic journal that publishes religious and monastic articles written by the members of the community. While they stayed in Terre Haute, they tried to resurrect a defunct Romanian Orthodox Church in town, but its survival was rather brief. The steady growth of the monastery and the increasing interest in its well-being exhibited not only by Romanian Orthodox but by all ethnicities of the faith led the nuns to embark on a development plan. In 1994 an overall plan for the development of the monastic complex was finalized, and on Bright Saturday of 1995 the blessing and ground breaking ceremony took place for the first construction phase of the site plan: the kitchen and dining hall (Trapeza). Because many have not had that opportunity, or would like that opportunity but really dont know quite what to do. But nevertheless, the most important thing is not to expect anything in particular. 2005 Spring - Nuns' quarters completed; includes living quarters for nuns, library, office space, work rooms, and will provide space for gift shop, receiving room and formal entrance to the monastery. Those are the things that will provide for the income for the benefit of the community, plus a few other things, crafts and prayer ropes, and a few other art things. The Dormition is one of the major holy days in Orthodoxy. So I would say that she was influential in making my decision. The urn containing the mortal remains of St. Gabriel, formerly preserved in the old church, has been translated into the new sanctuary. The Monastery is 1/4 of a mile down the road on the left hand side. The experience that each one has in visiting, in making a retreat at the monastery is always greater and more beneficial than anyone has expected. If they come to help in the kitchen, in the preparation of food or washing dishes or cleaning the dining room, again, they know its a way of offering hospitality to other pilgrims who come. Sufficiently wide and level approach or gradually sloping ramp to door; doorway wider than 32 inches, with automatic door or one that is easily opened with minimum pressure or usher assistance; parking spaces large enough to accommodate vans with access aisle for discharge on either side of van; parking spaces designated with proper signage. Everyone will have a spiritual father for confession and counsel. .sitesearch{display:inline-block; vertical-align: bottom;} #___gcse_0{max-width:400px;} .cse .gsc-control-cse, .gsc-control-cse, .gsc-control-cse gsc-control-cse-en{padding: 0 1em;} .sitesearch table tbody tr td{padding:0;} (function() { var cx = '006785836723642345463:tv6f_errw7w'; var gcse = document.createElement('script'); gcse.type = 'text/javascript'; gcse.async = true; gcse.src = (document.location.protocol == 'https:' ? Its just less comfort, physical comfort, bodily comfort. Our Monastery is located in south central Michigan, seven miles north of Jackson, in the small farming community of Rives Junction, on 200 acres of largely wooded land with an array of wildlife. Tagged. From the North A visit with Mother Gabriella, abbess of Holy Dormition Monastery in Rives Junction, Michigan. Paisios I felt a little embarrassed, telling him, I didnt remember much of saying, Lord, have mercy during the day. Among the famous visitors of the shrine, Pope John Paul II and the then prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Joseph Ratzinger. Then the abbess is obedient, in some aspects, to the whole community, because an abbess is an abbess of a community, and we work together. Take Route 127 south to Berry Road exit. After I entered the monastery in Romania, and I was a novice to Mother Benedicta, then it was only four years later that I was asked if I would come to the United States with her to help with the monastery in Pennsylvania. On August 15 of that year, at the feast of the Holy Dormition, Mother Gabriella was installed as the second abbess. Just allow yourself to be in the presence of God when you go to the monastery, and allow God to speak to you. This monastic journal, entitled The Burning Bush, is distributed to over 2700 people, throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. Parish Meeting Room/Hall: Accessible entrances, parking, curb cuts and ramps to accessible entrances and restroom facilities adapted for wheelchair users for at least one meeting room. Albanian - Carpatho-Russian Greek - Ukrainian Palestinian/Jordanian. And by your prayers,you deliver our souls from death. After five years as the first abbess of the monastery, Mother Benedicta retired from those responsibilities in 1992. On the contrary, she emphasized the difficulty within the life, that it is a hard life. A two acre area was allotted to be used as a burial place for Orthodox Christians. The advice is that you take one verse, maybe, that you hear in the service, of the songs of the prayer, and meditate on it for a length of time until another verse and another word from what is read again touches your heart, and then meditate on that and pray. At the bottom of the church, the ground floor there is the crypt with the body of the saint. She was given a visa to visit him after so many years of separation. [citation needed], Among authors whose work she respected were J. F. Powers and Flannery O'Connor;[1] She also introduced such writers as Frank O'Connor, Sean O'Faolain, Mary Lavin, and Bryan MacMahon to American audiences. Mother Abbess Gabriella of Holy Dormition Monastery in Michigan will be giving an Advent Retreat for people in the Bluegrass area this Saturday, from 9am to 2pm at St. Andrew Orthodox Church in Lexington. In January of 1988, the Monastery began its permanent life in Rives Junction, Michigan and was dedicated to the Dormition (falling asleep) of the Mother of God. DirectionsFrom East or West- Take I-94 toward Jackson. Instagram, RSS & iTunes 41; to London-Grove Twp. I was a stone, A rock, placed in a garden chiseled and carved emptied to be filled. So the guest house is important. Yes, I was finishing high school. Exit at Berry Rd, turn right and follow until Berry Rd ends at Rives Eaton Rd. We believe if we grow spiritually, if we deepen our spiritual relationship with God, if we deny ourselves, then in that we follow Christs example of sacrifice for the world. It is located in the center of the church, resting on a marble platform that has diamond-shaped; while the apse is recognizable from a reddish glass decoration. The Church has been deprived of a pipe organ from the year of completion until 2012, when it was decided to provide the structure with a tool that was also adapted to the large size of the Church itself. In 2006 a gift shop (lower floor) and museum (upper floor) attached to a stone bell tower were completed. Mother Gabriella: The abbess, of course, first of all, has to be obedient to God, to the holy Gospel, the teachings of the holy Scripture, and then the spiritual father. Attempted to resurrect a defunct Romanian Orthodox church, failed. On August 14-16, 2015, hundreds of faithful from near and far were welcomed by Mother Gabriella and the Sisterhood of the Dormition of the Mother of God Monastery, Rives Junction, MI, for the community's annual pilgrimage. You can catch groups of deer wandering around happily. It is a martyrs life. And its not really that hard, because its a life that we choose to live. 215-587-3500 Mother Gabriella: Generally speaking, every Orthodox monastery has the same mission, of being a place of prayer, a place for those who are called to live the monastic life, for their own salvation and for the salvation of the world. At end of exit ramp, turn right. Maybe those are two separate questions. Roman through his imprisonment, as part of a member of the family. We thank you for carrying the burden with us and may God grant you many years unto Salvation. Ms. Kushiner: So if a woman were interested in becoming part of this monastic community as a monastic, what would you say to her? Our particular community does a variety of things, although the community is small in numbers, we do some iconography, some mounting of icons that people buy for their own homes; we do some sewing of vestments and altar covers and cassocks for priests. The Orthodox Monastery of THE DORMITION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD Founded 1987. (Rt. Cost ($15/person, $25/couple, $5/student) 55 1 comment 5 shares Share . Assistive Listening Device (ALD): Church is equipped with ALD for sound system. Some people find obedience quite difficult. Romanian Episcopate. From 1988 on the tiny community slowly but steadily began to establish itself. That Fr. Sunday Evening, 6:00 PM Unction Service on one FRIDAY of each month. Saturday: 5:00am - Matins, First Hour, Third Hour, Sixth Hour, Typica. Sister Alexandrina, now the professed nun Mother Apolinaria, who, like Mother Benedicta, Fr Roman and so many others, had experienced many years of repressive treatment at the hands of the communist regime. Mother Gabriella, abbess of the Holy Dormition Monastery, addressing the parish retreat on the topic of repentance. ! From December 2-3, 2011, St. Cyril Orthodox Christian Church in The Woodlands, Texas, hosted a symposium titled "Toward an American Orthodox Church." Following is a collection of lectures from that symposium. It is located in Rives Junction, Michigan. I probably need to explain a little bit how this came about. 5:00 Matins, First Hour, Third Hour, Sixth Hour, Typica. They spent almost nine years in Ellwood City. The church has a basilica plan with a monumental facade made up un.ripiano punctuated complaint double column group containing three each arranged in a triangle. Roman was in this country that Mother Benedicta came to visit him, and then the nuns got this idea of inviting Mother Benedicta to come to this country. It is the prayer of the nuns, and God always sends help. The retreat began in 1987 with the ladies meeting at the Vatra and cooking their own meals. So in that respect I was very blessed to have those people around me. Of course, we explain what the conditions are and basically that one has to be free of family obligations, of financial restrictions, and those are very important things. Holy Dormition Orthodox Monastery :: Rives Junction, Michigan :: Email Us. To whom are you obedient? Report To Pastor Previous 5 Years (PDF)Report To Pastor Prior 5 Years (PDF), U.S. Census Report 1 - Age, Hispanic Origin and Race (PDF)U.S. Census Report 2 - Catholic Share of Total Population (PDF)U.S. Census Report 3 - Age, Age Cohorts (PDF)U.S. Census Report 4 - Family and Household Relationships (PDF), 2023 Archdiocese of Philadelphia 222 North 17th Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 215-587-3500, 2023 Archdiocese of Philadelphia 222 North 17th Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 215-587-3500 Mobile. St. Gabriel's shrine. Originally the Monastery's home was in Terra Haute, Indiana, and was dedicated to St. Andrew the First-Called. Will I ever be filled, used to hold a body, for which I have been cut? ], [Nuns chant in response: More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim, who without loss of virginity gave birth to God the Word: true Birth-giver of God, we praise you!]. And because monastic communities are somewhat removed from the world, from the noise of the world, from the activities of [the] everyday world, then it provides a place also for pilgrims to come and find rest and peace and a word of counsel and of comfort. Cleopas, whose life has been translated into English and circulates among the Christians in this country, was our spiritual father, the familys spiritual father. History[edit] The Orthodox Monastery of THE DORMITION OF THE MOTHER OF GOD Founded 1987 Location 3389 Rives Eaton Rd, Rives Junction MI 49277-9739 . 3389 Rives Eaton Road Our Monastery is located in south central Michigan, seven miles north of Jackson, in the small farming community of Rives Junction, on 200 acres of largely wooded land with an array of wildlife. Its one of those things that is hard to explain. Mariella Gable, OSB (18981985) was an American academic, writer, and literary critic. The primary goal of this design and construction effort was to add the necessary spaces to accomodate the physical growth of the monastery. RT @DecaniMonastery: In the courtyard of the Serbian Orthodox church in Novo Brdo (#Kosovo), four dogs were poisoned by a local Kosovo Albanian captured by video camera Four dogs were poisoned and died in the courtyard of the #Serbian #Orthodox #Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God Show more . Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}423101N 133927E / 42.5169N 13.6575E / 42.5169; 13.6575. Lambertown Rd. Line; to PA-MD State Line; to PA-DE State Line; to Old Kennett Rd. Mother Gabriella: If anyone expresses a desire to join the monastic community, we advise the person to come and visit first, and find out for herself what it is and what that particular monastic community is, because its two ways: one needs to be accepted in the community, and the other part of it is one needs to fit within that particular community. This was followed by a guest house which was completed in the Fall of 2001. On the Feast Day of the Dormition that year, by the grace of God and with the blessing of His Grace Bishop Nathaniel, Mother Gabriella was installed as the new and second Abbess. In the courtyard of the Serbian Orthodox church in Novo Brdo (#Kosovo), four dogs were poisoned by a local Kosovo Albanian captured by video camera Four dogs were poisoned and died in the courtyard of the #Serbian #Orthodox #Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God Show more . That was in Mother Benedicta visited in 76, and we immigrated to the United States in 78, two years later. To all this can be added the work that is necessary to sustain the life of the community and to offer generous hospitality to all visitors. Mother Gabriella: I dont think I had, although I had visited the monasteries as a pilgrim. We began by going to visit the monastery of Holy Dormition, where we were greeted by Mother Gabriella and Mother Macrina, who impressed upon the pilgrims how we can take aspects of monastic life and implement it in the midst of the world. Completion of the new guest house took place in November 2001. In the Romanian traditions the monastic settings have always been the centers for education. A second dome of the church is in the original temple, one used by St. Gabriel in life. Western monastics, they are more involved in the daily life of the people of the society in teaching, counseling, nursing, that aspect of life, working with the people, among the people. dormitionmonastery.org. Over the years, other projects have been accomplished including the construction of a large garage, a monastic prayer skete in the woods, and a monastic workshop with an iconography studio. At the altar, there are marble Baroque dcor of the Crucified Jesus and the Holy Spirit venerated by two women, including Mother Teresa of Calcutta. This page has been accessed 42,578 times. It was just It was a life for me to learn and to explore and to grow into it. I never thought of it, and I did not think that I would do something like that, but with that question I thought of it. Mother Benedicta grew up in the monastery all her life, so this way of life was her way of life, and it was very natural. It also houses the library, work rooms, and office space. Romanian Episcopate, PO Box 128 Holy Dormition Monastery of the ROEA OCA located in Rives Junction, MI Fr. Try to meditate. This vision had to be fulfilled through a monastic structure; not by importing or re-creating a glorious past, but by drawing on the traditions of the past that keep alive the Orthodox faith. Ms. Kushiner: Ive heard that monastics say its a hard life but its a life that contains much joy. At end of exit ramp, turn left. Years back, Mother Alexandra was considered to be a pioneer of monasticism in this country because there were only maybe two other monastic communities in the United States at that time. Line; to U.S. Rt. Location 3389 Rives Eaton Rd, Rives Junction MI 49277-9739, Mailing PO Box 128, RIVES JUNCTION MI 49277-0128Address, Email dormitionmonastery@dormitionmonastery.org, Website http://www.dormitionmonastery.org, Abbess V Rev Mother Gabriella (Ursache), Monastery Rev Fr John KonklePriest jwkonkle@gmail.com. The story of the monastery began in 1978 when Mother Benedicta and Mother Gabriella left the monastery of Varatec in the northern part of Romania and came to the United States to join the community of nuns at the Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Ellwood City, PA. 517-962-9294. Check the monasterys website for further information. Superior: Igumen Sergius (Bowyer). Search, Learn more about the Orthodox Church in America. Then I went to visit, and that was the beginning of my journey. Rives Junction, MI 49277 Above the transept is a slender and slim celestial dome in diameter. In 1993 an open air pavilion was built that serves as a Chapel for the Dormition Pilgrimage and other large gatherings during the summer months. [Nuns chanting in Romanian]. Friday Evening, 6:00 PM Vespers with Litiya, Matins and First Hour. As God has a plan with each one of us, so he has a plan with a few to live the monastic life, to dedicate, to serve him, to serve the world in this respect. To that a few other activities have been added, such as making prayer ropes, decorating eggs, mounting icons, hand painting icons, speaking engagements and hosting many retreats at the monastery for groups of all ages. Church: Accessible entrances, curb cuts, ramps and parking near accessible entrances for churches with parking lots. There have been various interventions to allow installation in the Sanctuary and to get to the phonic available today. Mother Benedicta assumed the position of Abbess and Fr Roman became the Spiritual Father. This is how Fr. They like to offer their time and effort and whatever talents they have to contribute to the work of the monastery, again, for the benefit of other people. Roman often came toencourage the clergy wives with a short word. God spoke through her. ; to Hillendale Rd. Ancient Faith Radio takes you to Rives Junction, Michigan, situated between Lansing and Jackson, in an isolated and tranquil section of the country. At the side of the facade there are two buildings that house the Brotherhood of San Gabriel and cover the church proper. Of course, they need to understand and respect the monastics, their hours of quiet and work. Holy Dormition Monastery, Rives Jct MI - The North American Thebaid Holy Dormition Monastery, Rives Jct MI I am very pleased to finally be posting a new gallery of images from my pilgrimage to the Dormition of the Mother of God Orthodox Monastery in Rives Jct MI (OCA, Romanian Archdiocese).