News

Many people joined the monks for the divine services of Great and Holy Week and Holy Pascha a few weeks ago. Plenty of more pictures here!

"Unless the Lord build the house in vain do the builders toil" (Psalm 127:1).

In early March Father Maximos visited our sister monastery, Holy Theophany, in Olympia, WA. The nuns hold an annual series of Lenten talks on Saturday afternoons, and Mother Anastasia asked Fr. Maximos to speak about the divine office.

Great and Holy Monday, April 21
6:00 AM Bridegroom Matins and First Hour
9:00 AM Third Hour with Gospel
12:00 PM Sixth Hour with Gospel
3:00 PM Ninth Hour with Gospel & Typika
4:00 PM Presanctified Liturgy
8:00 PM Great Compline

Weekdays

Western Christians and most Eastern Catholics in the USA begin Lent next week and will celebrate Easter on March 23. Our monastery is one of a few Eastern Catholic communities in America that celebrate Pascha on the calendar observed by Orthodox Christians (as well as Eastern Catholics in most of Europe and the Middle East). On this calendar Easter in 2008 falls on April 27, with Great Lent beginning on March 10.

Eve of Nativity
Monday, December 24, 2007

9:00 AM Royal Hours
4:00 PM Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great
6:00 PM Holy Supper and singing Christmas Carols
8:00 PM Great Compline

All about our nuns' monastery: Holy Theophany in Olympia, Washington.

On October 5 through 7 the Monastery hosted its annual pilgrimage in honor of the Mother of God, "Searcher for the Lost." Photographs, courtesy of pilgrim Ted Hewitt, can be found here.

Have you ever wondered why Eastern Christians pray so frequently for the forgiveness of "involuntary sins"? Here is Father Maximos' reflection on the question in the form of his MA thesis recently defended as part of his program at the Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute, part of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.

Comments gladly welcomed.

"We Eastern Catholics have now reached the point of stability and maturity where we can offer much to the universal Church. The treasures of which we have to give are not financial, but of a rich spiritual and liturgical presence. I encourage Catholics of all traditions to support this appeal for The Anastasis Dialogue in order to help us, the "Eastern lung" of the Church, play its role in bringing more abundant life to the whole Body of Christ."

The news is not so good, I'm afraid. We have taken the liberty of copying a general letter from the Dogarus. Thank you for your prayers. Donations can still be made via the "Make a Donation" button on the left, just write "TWINS" in the item section of the Paypal form. More news here.

Dear family and friends,

Our sisters of Holy Theophany Monastery in Olympia, Washgington have sent some more photos from the recent tonsures there.

We have placed these photos here, in our photo album.

"I have had the privilege of spending Holy Week and the Easter Triduum at Holy Resurrection Monastery in 2007. I believe such experiences should be made more available to every Catholic: clergy, religious and faithful. Please support the establishment of the Anastasis Dialogue so that the Orientale Lumen (the Light from the East) will be more accessible to all Catholics in the USA."

Earlier this summer (the feast of St. Andrew of Crete, to be exact) a tiny, dehydrated Australian Shepherd (what we call a "Blue Heeler") puppy found its way to our courtyard. "Just what we need around here," said Father Moses, "another Aussie." Naturally, then, we had to keep him, and Ozzy has been postulating ever since. He is thriving under our care, as you can see from these photos.

News from the Monastery, visitors, articles by monks and more.

Help fight road rage with John Henry Newman! Download a complementary mp3 file of John Henry Newman's popular sermon on Holiness, as read by Father Maximos. Click here to listen, or right click the link and choose "Save Target As" (10MB MP3 file) to download to your computer.

Latest word from Father Alin and Preoteassa Claudia is that the girls are still recovering from their latest surgeries. Unfortunately they have to battle some infections on and off. Please keep them all in your prayers. You can also help the family financially by clicking the "Make a Donation" button on the left of the screen and type "TWINS" in the item section of the Paypal form.

Various writings by monks.

On May 19 Father Abbot Nicholas was driving from working a farmers' market (where we sell our Monks' Oven baked goods) back to the monastery. About 50 miles from home, way out in the desert, the minivan he was driving suddenly caught fire!

Father Nicholas had the good sense to pull over immediately and exit the vehicle. Within minutes it was fully engulfed leaving, when it was all over, nothing but a burnt-out shell. Thank God, Father was unhurt. Some passing motorists came to his aid and called the Highway Patrol and local fire department.