St. Paul Skete

[CelticRebel]

This is a women's monastic community about two hours from me. Would they have worship services open to non-members of the community? I have emailed them for information. I also called but got no answer.

http://antiochian.org/parish/35078

 

[All4Christ]

I would assume so, since St. Tikhon's Monastery welcomes all people to the services, and I think all the monasteries are the same with that generally speaking. Others may have been there and know with more certainty.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Services will probably be open to you, but monasteries tend to be very traditional. You will probably be asked to be in the Narthex or elsewhere, since you are not baptized Orthodox. That may be after the Liturgy of the Word and when the Liturgy of the Faithful begins, I'm not sure. By the time I visited a monastery I was already baptized.

You should also contact them before traveling so far. The monastery I visited, being a women's monastery, had to have a priest visit, so their Divine Liturgy was held typically on Saturday, since the priest had responsibilities on Sundays at his own parish.

But you might benefit from visiting at any time and talking to them.

Hmmmmm .... I'm also thinking - I wonder who serves their liturgy? If there is no Church nearby? Maybe there is indeed a priest closer than you realize? Some questions to answer. Keep calling, or maybe you will get an email reply?

 

[CelticRebel]

I would assume so, since St. Tikhon's Monastery welcomes all people to the services, and I think all the monasteries are the same with that generally speaking. Others may have been there and know with more certainty.

Thanks!

 

[CelticRebel]

Services will probably be open to you, but monasteries tend to be very traditional. You will probably be asked to be in the Narthex or elsewhere, since you are not baptized Orthodox. That may be after the Liturgy of the Word and when the Liturgy of the Faithful begins, I'm not sure. By the time I visited a monastery I was already baptized.

You should also contact them before traveling so far. The monastery I visited, being a women's monastery, had to have a priest visit, so their Divine Liturgy was held typically on Saturday, since the priest had responsibilities on Sundays at his own parish.

But you might benefit from visiting at any time and talking to them.

Hmmmmm .... I'm also thinking - I wonder who serves their liturgy? If there is no Church nearby? Maybe there is indeed a priest closer than you realize? Some questions to answer. Keep calling, or maybe you will get an email reply?

There is an Antiochian church in Memphis, and a mission of that church in Tupelo, MS.

 

[~Anastasia~]

There is an Antiochian church in Memphis, and a mission of that church in Tupelo, MS.

The monastery I visited was about an hour and a half drive for the priests to come from the city. They came in a van every week. When I called the Church, they offered to let me ride with them. I SO WISH I had taken them up on it. Instead, I rode out with my husband, for what I thought would be a nice day together, but he sat in the car while I went in for the Liturgy, and I felt badly and didn't want to make him wait too long, so my experience/visit at the monastery was limited to a quick greeting and the Liturgy, and nothing more. I could have had 3 hours in the car with several priests, which might have yielded some very good discussion.

But then again, I do have a responsibility to my husband as well. He got to eat lunch at a place he'd been wanting to go to out there.

 

[CelticRebel]

The monastery I visited was about an hour and a half drive for the priests to come from the city. They came in a van every week. When I called the Church, they offered to let me ride with them. I SO WISH I had taken them up on it. Instead, I rode out with my husband, for what I thought would be a nice day together, but he sat in the car while I went in for the Liturgy, and I felt badly and didn't want to make him wait too long, so my experience/visit at the monastery was limited to a quick greeting and the Liturgy, and nothing more. I could have had 3 hours in the car with several priests, which might have yielded some very good discussion.

But then again, I do have a responsibility to my husband as well. He got to eat lunch at a place he'd been wanting to go to out there.

I think you did the right thing -- for what my opinion is worth.

 

[inconsequential]

They have services at the skete sometimes but usually, Mother Nektaria is at St. John in Memphis for DL. She came down to Tupelo for our patronal feast on the 28th.

 

[CelticRebel]

They have services at the skete sometimes but usually, Mother Nektaria is at St. John in Memphis for DL. She came down to Tupelo for our patronal feast on the 28th.

Greetings, fellow Mississippian!

Do you know if they have set times when those services are, and who conducts them?

 

[gzt]

Every monastery is different and sketes, in particular, are smaller and more irregular, and the smaller they are, the more likely they are to prefer announced visitors rather than drop-ins. The women's ones are also less apt to have male guests.

 

[CelticRebel]

Every monastery is different and sketes, in particular, are smaller and more irregular, and the smaller they are, the more likely they are to prefer announced visitors rather than drop-ins. The women's ones are also less apt to have male guests.

Thanks!

By irregular, are you talking about the services or the Skete monastery itself?

 

[inconsequential]

You could contact someone at St. John to find out, they would know.

 

[CelticRebel]

You could contact someone at St. John to find out, they would know.

Right. Thanks!

Have you ever visited the Skete monastery?

 

[inconsequential]

Right. Thanks!

Have you ever visited the Skete monastery?

Yes but not for services. My wife's sponsor lives next door so, when we visit her, we usually visit Mother Nektaria as well.

 

[CelticRebel]

Yes but not for services. My wife's sponsor lives next door so, when we visit her, we usually visit Mother Nektaria as well.

You don't have any pictures of the monastery, do you? Is it inside the town or outside in the country? How big is it?

 

[inconsequential]

There may be some pictures online but I don't have any. It is in the country.

 

[CelticRebel]

There may be some pictures online but I don't have any. It is in the country.

Okay, thanks. About how far out of Grand Junction is it?

 

[~Anastasia~]

I think you did the right thing -- for what my opinion is worth.

Very probably. My priest would almost surely say that I did.

I was there to see my husband, so evenings and weekends were his (time not working). While he was at work, I had time to visit friends and go to Church. The only thing was that he knew I would go on Sunday morning to Church, but otherwise, the time was his. So yes, I probably did the right thing, and I appreciated him taking a little time to the side and allowing me to go in the monastery while he waited.

 

[CelticRebel]

Very probably. My priest would almost surely say that I did.

I was there to see my husband, so evenings and weekends were his (time not working). While he was at work, I had time to visit friends and go to Church. The only thing was that he knew I would go on Sunday morning to Church, but otherwise, the time was his. So yes, I probably did the right thing, and I appreciated him taking a little time to the side and allowing me to go in the monastery while he waited.

Yes, give and take is always a good thing in a marriage.

The husband gives, and the wife takes! Sorry, couldn't resist. And I can only get away with writing that because my wife is not looking over my shoulder!

 

[~Anastasia~]

Yes, give and take is always a good thing in a marriage.

The husband gives, and the wife takes! Sorry, couldn't resist. And I can only get away with writing that because my wife is not looking over my shoulder!

LOL! I'm used to hearing that marriage is 50/50 - you put in fifty dollars and get back fifty cents.

But seriously, you know the Orthodox view of marriage is very beautiful. It's wonderful in that one is always putting the best good of the other - especially their salvation - as the highest priority. Selfishness and wrangling for one's own wants has no place in that.

Like in anything else, you have to be wise. It's easy to think that because it's "Church" it's really putting God first. But in this case, it would have been my own desires relating to Church, so ... I think you're right.