Monastery email etiquette

[Matrona]

I need to write an email to a men's monastery in order to ask a question pertaining to products they sell. Should I address it "Dear Fathers" or something like that, and how should I close it?

Thanks to anyone who can help a sistah out...

 

[Barky]

Dear holyz guyz,

HAI! hw r u lol?? hay i wuz wonderin if Iz can buy your stuf LOL!! thx u!

LOL,
Matrona

 

[Matrona]

Dear holyz guyz,

HAI! hw r u lol?? hay i wuz wonderin if Iz can buy your stuf LOL!! thx u!

LOL,
Matrona

LOL! Not quite what I had in mind though.

 

[Khaleas]

Many monasteries have volunteers that help with things too and answer mail etc.
I'd go with Dear Brothers in Christ,
and sign with In Christ,
Being polite and so goes a long way. Don't forget, they're human too and I wouldn't go into too much extra as if they do sell products, then they are probably busy too.

 

[Knowledge3]

I don't think they have Television or Internet access at the monastery. . .

 

[gzt]

I would suggest trying to address it directly to a person, if you can find out who is in charge of the store. If you can't, send to the abbot using the typical formalities for addressing an abbot.

 

[Matrona]

I would suggest trying to address it directly to a person, if you can find out who is in charge of the store. If you can't, send to the abbot using the typical formalities for addressing an abbot.

I can't figure out who's in charge of the store since they don't have an online store, they just do mail order. How do you address an abbot? I've only met an abbess and she's not the type to stand on ceremony.

Sorry... going to slip back to Ignoramus Land.

 

[Matrona]

Oh, I guess there isn't any sense in not saying that the monastery in question is Jordanville. They have tons and tons of faaaaaaaaaaaabulous icons and an icon mounting studio. The only way I've been able to buy from them is to find someone with one of their catalogues and have that person place the order for me. (I am a child of the nineties and don't work well with Ye Olde Mail Order.) I wanted to request a catalogue and I'm willing to pay for it if necessary, I just wanted to be able to address the email correctly to be a polite young Orthodox lady.

 

[Matrona]

Oh, and if anybody has any tips for how to use oil floats that are of the "Thread string through tiny wire hole" variety, I would totally lurve to hear them. Am I a'sposed to cut the string?

 

[Anhelyna]

Aaaaaaah

an 'Old Believer' float

Am I rite ?

 

[Anhelyna]

my lamp is one of those

 

[Khaleas]

Oh, and if anybody has any tips for how to use oil floats that are of the "Thread string through tiny wire hole" variety, I would totally lurve to hear them. Am I a'sposed to cut the string?

I just 'thread the string thru the hole' and let the rest hang into the oil below... that way it stays nice and well... oily... You might have to dunk the end (the one above the hole) in some oil as well to get it nice and soaked. Sometimes you have to trim the string above the hole to get it to light again (esp if you haven't used it for a while and it's picked up some humidity)... other than that you just kinda feed it through a bit more (just a tiny bit) when it burns down to low that the flame is going out...

 

[Matrona]

Aaaaaaah

an 'Old Believer' float

Am I rite ?

No, it's the kind that has a circle-shaped cork with wire arms making an "eye" in the center, but I think it's similar enough to OB floats that you might be able to help.

 

[Matrona]

I just 'thread the string thru the hole' and let the rest hang into the oil below... that way it stays nice and well... oily... You might have to dunk the end (the one above the hole) in some oil as well to get it nice and soaked. Sometimes you have to trim the string above the hole to get it to light again (esp if you haven't used it for a while and it's picked up some humidity)... other than that you just kinda feed it through a bit more (just a tiny bit) when it burns down to low that the flame is going out...

The wicks I bought are like ten inches long though, and my glasses are like votive-candle sized. Is it okay to put the whole long wick in the oil or should I cut the string in half?

 

[Anhelyna]

I was told to soak the wick first and put a wee bit of water in the bottom of the container

 

[Matrona]

Here's the earsie floats:

(Earsie floats and does eat oats and little lamps eat ivy...)

Seriously, does anybody know anything about Jordanville's selling of icons?

 

[gzt]

I typically cut them, since the wicks tend to like disintegrate over time. I would even cut them into like 3-inch pieces.

 

[Matrona]

I was told to soak the wick first and put a wee bit of water in the bottom of the container

I typically cut them, since the wicks tend to like disintegrate over time. I would even cut them into like 3-inch pieces.

Molto coolio. Thanks, y'all.

I know one of the local churches uses Old Believer floats and loooong wicks down in the oil. One time in one of their lamps, the oil-soaked excess wick surfaced and caught on fire, right in front of an icon of St. Herman. (Didn't hurt the icon, though!) Guess I'll have to be careful. I bought this because I keep losing those dang little three-arm metal floats and I figured that since it was bigger it would be more difficult to lose track of.

 

[Khaleas]

The wicks I bought are like ten inches long though, and my glasses are like votive-candle sized. Is it okay to put the whole long wick in the oil or should I cut the string in half?

Yea, cut it a bit, I keep mine at about 4 inches or so...

 

[Mary of Bethany]

I don't know if you can do this with the cork floats, but if you can wind the string (loosely) around one of the arms a time or two, to help keep the weight of the string from pulling it down, it helps, too.

Mary