New Skete Monasteries News

Our Lady of the Sign by Ida Williams with gratitude to Sister Cecelia for her insights Our Lady of the Sign — Patroness of the Nuns of New Skete As we enter the season of Christmas, when we reflect on God choosing to come among us in the most humble and unexpected way, it feels fitting to remember that the nuns’ monastery is dedicated to  Our Lady of the Sign —the icon that proclaims that very mystery. This image of Mary shows her with hands raised in prayer, the Christ Child revealed within a radiant circle over her heart. The sisters place their life and work under her protection and patronage, trusting her to guide the community and intercede for all who come here. The icon expresses the heart of the Incarnation— God with us —and reminds us that New Skete is meant to be a place of prayer, peace, and hospitality offered in Christ’s name. Just as Christmas celebrates God entering the world quietly and lovingly, the icon of the Sign reveals God dwelling within the ordinary, held in...

  By Carl Patka Every autumn, I have the privilege of volunteering at the St. Francis Day Animal Blessing hosted by the Monks and Nuns of New Skete. The tradition of the Blessing of the Animals originates from St. Francis of Assisi, a 12th-century friar known for his love and respect for all of God’s creations, particularly animals. St. Francis is a cross-over saint, loved and respected by Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox alike. Dog owners from near and far drove up to New Skete on October 4, 2025, to a beautiful fall day for this year’s Blessing of the Animals. They came to have their best friends blessed in an outdoor ceremony that calls on God and St. Francis to bless every creature that breathes—including the dogs and their owners—with a little sprinkling of holy water. We have been blessed with good weather almost every year; one year, we had to move inside the church because of rain, and it was lovely having nearly 100 dogs (and a small goat) inside for the service....

  By Ralph Karow   Before continuing my article we’ll need to recall my thoughts on eternal life being a deeper immersion in the perichoresis of perfectible harmony; otherwise known as the mystical Body of Christ. It’s only one’s spiritual nature that enters the mystical body, yet one’s spirit must be somehow bounded if we are to remain our individual selves. And here’s another reason I prefer the analogy of cells in a body to stones in a building: cells contain a nucleus and organelles within the bounds of a permeable membrane. When we enter into eternity, is our soul with its organelles of rationality, heart, eye, and ear encompassed by a mystical membrane so that it may adhere to and interact with the other cells in Christ’s body? And what other than love could be the force of adhesion? Not just any love, but the threefold love of self, God, and neighbor. When I was with my father at the nursing home, we didn’t talk much, but we certainly shared a heartfelt silent love...

  By Sister Cecelia There is a saying that things come in threes.   Not long ago, Sr. Patricia and I were involved in a car accident. We were not hurt, but the vehicle was totaled. When I learned that two of our parishioners had also had their cars hit quite recently, we could all sympathize with one another. In theory we know we can die at any moment, but this accident made me realize just how vulnerable we all are. What goes through our minds at the time and in the days that follow? For me, I felt exceptionally blessed, not just because neither we nor the other driver were physically hurt, but that many people came to our aid in whatever way they could. I know that not everyone has the same experience. So, what enables some to be so giving and others to seem to turn a blind eye, so to speak, to the needs of others? Haven’t we all been given some abilities to be able to love others, to freely give of ourselves? When the scribe or lawyer asked Jesus what he needed to do ...

  By Karen Gladstone   Whether it was your 20th New Skete Pilgrimage or your first, everyone was welcomed! For many, this annual event is a tradition that gives individuals and families the opportunity to come together from near and far to share in a special day of community.      It was perfect August weather: warm, dry, and not a cloud in the sky. The thin breeze barely shook the pop-up tents that dotted the circular drive surrounding the Transfiguration Chapel. Their shade provided welcome cover for volunteers, guests, and baked goods alike.     The hot sun shone on the procession of pilgrims, clergy, and choir members as they made their way from the lush meditation garden to the coolness of the Holy Wisdom church for Liturgy.   A common sentiment heard throughout this day was “Being at New Skete brings me such peace…as soon as I start the drive up the road, I feel a calmness.”   It’s as if New Skete itself is granting permission...

 The week of July 14th, Br. Christopher, Sr. Cecelia, and Carl Patka, a chapel community member, traveled to Phoenix, Arizona to attend the 21st All-American Council of the Orthodox Church in America. The reasons for a Council of the Church are many. One that affected us specifically as monastics was a request to report what we had done for ourselves and the rest of humanity in the previous three years since the last council. We also were asked to describe our plans for the next three years. Since many areas of church life were giving their reports, the three Stavropegial monastic communities were requested to keep their reports to only five minutes each for the Monks of New Skete, the Nuns of New Skete, and St Tikhon’s. Br. Christopher gave his spoken report first, and it follows. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share briefly with you a bit of the pulse of our life at New Skete, focusing on the monks’ community. We are taking seriously the challenge to create a viable future f...

 By Brother Theophan We live in an age of unprecedented distraction, our inner worlds often resembling a noisy, crowded ecosystem of competing anxieties, looping memories, and a relentless inner narrator. Fragmentation is now the norm—we’re pulled in a dozen directions at once. But what if this isn’t a personal or moral failing? What if it’s simply the natural condition of an unregulated mind and a numb heart—and there exists a reliable, experience-proven path, understood by both ancient wisdom and modern science, to bring harmony to the chaos? In the late 18th century, a monumental anthology of spiritual texts known as the Philokalia (literally, the Love of the Beautiful) was published in Venice. Compiled from the writings of ancient Christian contemplatives, it was never intended for monastics alone, but to make the existential truths of Christianity accessible to everyone. As Metropolitan Kallistos Ware (of blessed memory) observed, the Philokalia’s ultimate aim is to awaken...