New Skete Monasteries News

One of the signs of a book that could be deemed prophetic is its continued relevance close to fifty years after its original publication. Olivier Clément’s Dialogues with Patriarch Athenagoras , recently translated from the French by Jeremy Ingpen, is just such a book. Set within the framework of an intimate dialogue between Clément, an outstanding Orthodox theologian, and Patriarch Athenagoras, the Ecumenical Patriarch from 1948 to 1972, this book opens a treasury of Orthodox reflection that we desperately need to hear in our day. The power of the book lies in its ability to let the reader eavesdrop on the interchange of two brilliant thinkers as they reflect on any number of important issues, both spiritual, theological, and cultural.             The book is divided into three parts. The first, “A Man Called Athenogoras,”   gives a historical overview of the Patriarch’s life, helping the reader to understand the context he came from. It is the tale of a bright young man whose gi

  By Sister Cecelia September 1 begins the Orthodox liturgical new year, and that made think of all the NEW things that have happened and will happen in the near future. It is new that the foliage is not very spectacular this year. That is the first for me in over 50 years! For the first time, the eleven apple trees in our orchard produced only one apple because of the late freeze in the spring. For the first time, the three hazelnut trees bore nuts—and with a very bountiful crop. We will roast our own hazelnuts for the first time. It will be a tasty treat. In October the monks welcomed their second novice this year, and that is a welcome new sight. The nuns have recently received several inquiries seeking monastic life—so, new faces soon, perhaps. New faces reminds me that in September a beautiful well-mannered German Shepherd named Tori was lent to me to care for as long as she is in the breeding program.  Our walks are energized by her running gracefully through the fields chasing a