New Skete Monasteries News

By Brother Stavros This year’s Pilgrimage, on the Saturday after the Feast of Transfiguration, was blessed by beautiful summer weather. The day began with Matins, then all the faithful gathered outside on the terrace next to the frog pond and waterfall. After the bell peal, the clergy assembled to begin Divine Liturgy. Priest-monk Marc and archdeacon Peter of New Skete were joined by Capitol District pastors Father Peter from St. Basil’s in Watervliet and Father Terrance from St. Nicholas in Cohoes, and Father Don and Presbytera Jan Augusta from St. Basil’s Greek Orthodox Church in New Haven, Connecticut. The festal antiphons were sung in stages as the procession moved up and then into Holy Wisdom. A church tour followed the Liturgy, and the food truck began offering great Lebanese and Greek lunches. The principal talk was given by Dr. Anton Vrame, Director of the Department of Religious Education for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. He is Adjunct Associate Professor...

Reflections by Brother Luke Our married community, the Companions of New Skete, back in the 1990s, decided to start a dog biscuit business to help support their monastery. Brother Elias created the recipe for the biscuits. This was truly a cottage industry, since all the work was done in the Companions’ residence. They purchased all the ingredients for the recipe, mixed them together and made the dough, rolled it out, and used dog-biscuit-shaped hand cookie cutters to cut out each individual biscuit and place it on large cookie sheets. But that was not all; they also made an egg white wash that they applied to each biscuit with basting brushes. Of course, they also purchased convection ovens to bake the biscuits. The business grew, but it reached a point where they could not keep up with orders. At this time the monks had come to the conclusion that we could not keep up with the sausage-making business, so we thought we could replace that with dog biscuit production. We purchase...

By Brother David When a trainer friend of ours, Marc Goldberg, suggested that we could hold a successful dog seminar, well, we didn’t believe him. OK, we laughed at the idea because we didn’t believe him. “Who would come?” we exclaimed. Then he laughed, “You don’t know? In the world of dogs, you guys are rock stars!” Ummm… rock stars? Anyway, we had the seminar. And it was a success, with the gracious help of Ida and Karen and Scott and Josh and Michael and Scott and Lisa as well as all the volunteers who helped make our guests feel welcome and kept the train of the seminar running smoothly on the rails. Brother Christopher’s talks on the human–canine relationship and the spirituality of working with dogs, Brother Marc’s session on New Skete’s history, Brother Luke’s presentation on his experience of dogs here at New Skete and what his dogs taught him, as well as my sessions on puppy socialization and the rationale for purebred dogs were all well received. Each of the semi...

Reflections by Brother Luke             We recently celebrated the Feast of Pentecost, which brings the Paschal season to a close. Connected with that feast is the celebration of the Holy Trinity, since Pentecost marks the coming of the Holy Spirit and sometimes is referred to as the birthday of the church. Since the Trinity is the centerpiece of both of these feasts, the liturgical texts and scriptural readings for the octave (8 day) celebration highlight this theme, and both the Pentecost and Trinity icons will be prominently displayed in the church. From Genesis 18:1-8 we read about the Lord appearing to Abraham at the Oak of Mamre. This text is often pointed to as the source for the Trinity icon, which shows three figures around a table with the head of the calf in the center on the serving dish. Of note is the care taken in preparing to receive these visitors.           ...

by Sister Cecelia The Man born blind 5 17 15 1 Pt 3:13-22, Ac 9:32-43, Jn 9: 1-39 We just heard the evangelist refer to the believers as Saints. The Greek word Hagios is frequently translated ‘holy’, but the root of the word means different. The Hebrew people were different set apart from the other people of this world. They were chosen to do the work of God. The Hagios are specifically a holy people. They are a different people chosen for the special purposes of God. Christians became the people who are different. That difference does not give us greater honor or prestige but does require of us a greater service. What might that service be? The greatest service we can give is to be the saint we are meant to be. A saint is someone whose life makes it easier for others to believe in God. Are we a living example of Jesus in how we live? In Acts this morning, we witnessed that Peter did not say I heal you, but Jesus Christ heals you. And when he approached Tabitha he prayed for her t...

By Brother Stavros On Pentecost Monday, New Skete had the honor of a visit from the 103rd Archbishop of Canterbury, now Lord George Carey, and his wife, Lady Eileen. They were here in the area to be with the Community of St. Mary, who have a convent near Greenwich and are celebrating the 150th anniversary of their founding, and Mother Miriam, their superior, was eager to show the archbishop their monastic neighbors. The party included Fanuel Magangani, Anglican Bishop of Northern Malawi, from central Africa, and two other nuns from St. Mary’s. They stopped first at Our Lady of the Sign Monastery, where Sister Cecelia, prioress, showed them around the sisters’ monastery. They were very taken with the cheesecake bakery! On arriving at Holy Wisdom church at New Skete, the monks and nuns sang some Pentecost hymns as the two bishops were led by Brother Christopher, prior and priest-monk, into the altar, where they venerated the Holy Table. Brother Christopher gave a brief welcome...

By Brother Stavros The recent shooting of church members gathered in the sacred precincts of their historic church for a Bible Study session is yet another episode of hate, intolerance, and violence that afflicts our culture with frightening regularity. For the victims and their friends and families, for the city of Charlestown, we pray: Be patient, Lord, with our slowness to repent; dispel our blindness to human need and suffering and our indifference to injustice and cruelty; save us from false judgments and prejudice and from contempt for those who differ from us, for all of us are your children; we beseech you, hear us and have mercy. We cannot exclude the perpetrator from our prayers, that he may find repentance and forgiveness, and not serve as an incitement to others: Merciful Savior, move us to new and creative efforts to uproot all traces of hatred, arrogance, lust for power, and fanatical absolutes, beginning with whatever lurks in the hidden corners of our own m...