New Skete Monasteries News

B y Sister Cecelia A Symposium, “Deaconesses for the Orthodox Church Today,” took place on November 10-12 at the Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Boston. Sisters Rebecca and Cecelia attended to show their support and to help celebrate the 10th anniversary of the St. Phoebe Center for the Deaconess, which sponsored the symposium. There have been many calls through the years, as far back as 1855, to reinstate the ordained ministry of the order of deaconesses. Much research and many writings have been devoted to this matter, but, unfortunately, little has happened. The ordained female deaconate is part of the history of the Orthodox Church. In antiquity the deaconess ministered to women, much as the male deacon ministered to men.   She assisted with baptisms, took the Eucharist to those unable to attend liturgy, mediated between the faithful and the clergy, and taught, counseled, and guided the faithful on their Christian journey, especially those new to

By Sister Rebecca   Icons are called windows to heaven precisely because they offer us a glimpse into the spiritual world: God’s Time, Eternal Time. In viewing an icon, we actually commemorate the mystery it reveals. The icon of Our Lady of the Sign offers us a mystical vision of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. The name of the Icon comes from the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14: “The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Listen carefully, the virgin will conceive and give  birth  to a  son , and she  will  call his name Immanuel.”   Icon: Our Lady of the Sign, Holy Wisdom Nave   The Icon of the Theotokos of the Sign is commemorated in the Orthodox Church in November.   Here at New Skete Monasteries, we celebrate the feast on a Sunday close to the Feast, so that the members of our chapel community may join in the celebration. One of our very good friends, Jerry Leary, a few years ago sent me a poem he wrote at the time of the commemoration of this particular icon:   Our Lady of th