Christ The Bridegroom

Every life has a purpose

2012-01-25T20:29:00.000-05:00

This year we again organized the Eparchy of Parma's ByzanTEEN trip to the March for Life, which took place on Monday. We were blessed to share the experience with a great group of teens from Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Pennsylvania, along with a few seminarians studying at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pittsburgh. We also met up and marched with teens from North Carolina and priests from various states. Among the hundreds of thousands of people marching to the Supreme Court that day, our group could be heard singing Marian hymns and marching behind a large "ByzanTEENS for Life" banner. Bishop John joined us and gave us his blessing after we sang a few last Marian hymns at the Supreme Court Building.

The theme that continued to reoccur throughout the trip was, "Every life has a purpose." On the way to DC we watched and discussed the movie Simon Birch on the bus, a movie about a teen boy who was very small due to birth defects, but who felt that God had created him that way for a reason and that he would one day be a hero. We also talked about vocations and visited the Eastern Catholic vocations fair at the Ukrainian Catholic Shrine. The teens came up with questions together in their groups to ask the priests, deacons, monks and nuns that they would meet there. This gave them an opportunity to learn about some of the vocations in the Church and to think about what purpose God might have in mind for their lives. Following the vocations fair, we visited the Blessed John Paul II Shrine right next door for the Sisters of Life "You and Me" exhibit. This multi-media exhibit followed the lives of six different people who had to make difficult decisions and found freedom and joy in making the self-sacrificing decision (such as choosing life for his or her baby). It was a very powerful exhibit that caused us to think about our decisions and the reasons why things happen the way they do. It also taught us how much God loves us, not for what we can do but for who we are. We reminded the teens that we were going to the March for Life to tell the world that life is beautiful and that God has given every human being a purpose. We also asked them to think and pray during the trip about what particular purpose that God has given them.

Meeting the Maronite Servants of Christ the Light at the Vocation Fair

We are grateful to Epiphany Byzantine Catholic parish in Annandale, Virginia, for hosting us for a delicious dinner on Sunday night, and to Holy Transfiguration Melkite parish in McLean, Virginia, for hosting us overnight. Compline prayed that night in their beautiful chapel was absolutely heavenly! (Those teens can really sing!) We were fortunate enough to receive tickets to the Youth Rally and Mass for Life at the DC Armory on Monday morning, and enjoyed praying with 10,000 other young people and cheering for Bishop John as he was announced among the concelebrating bishops. Our cheer was heard on EWTN, along with our singing of Marian hymns as we marched by the EWTN camera. We thank all who helped to make this trip possible!

Conor and his sister Sr. Brigid (Sisters of Life) and Sr. Julie and her brother Steven

Eastern Catholic Vocations Fair

2012-01-11T15:09:00.000-05:00

Calling all Eastern Catholics in Washington DC or who are headed to Washington DC for the 2012 March for Life! Please join us at the Eastern Catholic Vocations Fair, hosted at the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family on Sunday, January 22, 2012 from 1-4pm. We will have information available about our community at the Vocations Fair, and we will be attending with our group of March for Life pilgrims from the Eparchy of Parma later in the afternoon. We hope to see you there!

Click here for more information!

Girls' Sleepover Success!

2012-01-09T16:11:00.002-05:00

We want to say a big THANK YOU to all the teens and young adults who attended our Girl's Sleepover at the monastery this weekend - as well as their parents for bringing them! We had a great time praying, eating and having fun with everyone! We started off the sleepover by celebrating Great Vespers for the Sunday after Theophany, which was followed by a traditional sleepover feast of pizza!

All 18 of us around the dining room table!

Then we decorated Christmas cookies, and settled into the living room to watch a few movies. We watched a great documentary on Blessed Chiara Luce Badano, an 18 year old Italian woman who died from bone cancer in 1990 and was beatified in 2010, and had a brief discussion about her life. We played some games, watched another movie, and prayed Compline together.

The Fun Zone.

On Sunday, we began our morning with Matins followed by Divine Liturgy with the traditional Theophany house blessing celebrated by Fr. Stephen Titko. Afterwards, we had brunch with the girls and some of their families. We are grateful for the opportunity to open our home and spend quality time with such a wonderful group of young women. We thank God for the gift they are to us!

Divine Liturgy on Sunday.

Blessing the monastery.

Thank you young people, you rejuvenate the Pope, inspire the Church and refresh a world thirsty for hope and courage.
- Pope Benedict XVI, World Youth Day 2011

New Year's Resolution...daily Byzantine prayer?

2012-01-03T16:30:00.001-05:00

Roman Catholic version: iBreviary

Wishing you had an easy way to incorporate the daily prayer of the Byzantine Church into your daily schedule? While Roman Catholics have a handy compact breviary, we often laugh that the "Byzantine breviary" consists of a whole stack of heavy books! (You should see us packing them up when we have to pray on the road.) This makes it difficult for lay people and clergy to pray the daily prayers of the Church. Well, we are excited to share some news with you that we found in our inbox this morning. This format of prayer is a modified and abbreviated form of what we monastics pray, but we think it is a great way for lay people to participate in the life of daily Eastern Christian prayer, especially if you have a portable electronic device that can open emails. If you are interested, email the contact below today!

Based on the positive feedback we have received to our initial market research, Eastern Christian Publications is going to offer a FREE trial of an electronic Byzantine Daily Office! It will be distributed by email each evening for the following day and contain the texts for morning and evening prayer, and the First, Third, Sixth and Ninth Hours, along with the changeable parts as per the Byzantine Ruthenian Typicon (which we publish too) and the Gregorian date for Pascha. When the calendar dictates, we will also offer a version for the Julian date for Pascha.

You can use it on your desktop, laptop, or any other portable device where you get email. It will be complete and contain all the prayers you need to pray on the bus, subway, at lunch, at a soccer game, dance class, or anywhere/anytime!

If we find enough interest in the FREE trial, we will continue and ask for a modest subscription fee through our website -- only 25 cents/day or $7.50/month.

To receive these FREE 50+ page PDFs with all the Hours for each day, simply send us an email and indicate which calendar you follow. We will send the PDF to you at the email address you use. Send the email request to:

info@ecpubs.com

We ask you to USE the file, and give us your feedback of how it could be improved, or if you like it, will subscribe to it, and recommend it to friends.

Perhaps using some or all of this electronic Daily Office could be a New Year's Resolution for 2012. We have started with January 2nd, and will continue until further notice based on how many sign up and the feedback we get. Thanks for participating! Come and join our electronic prayer group for 2012!

Jack Figel
Publisher

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

2011-12-29T19:50:00.001-05:00

O Bethlehem, receive Christ, for He comes to dwell in you in the flesh, that He may open Paradise for me. Make ready, O Cave, to behold the One who cannot be contained, now wonderously contained in you; for He now is made poor in the wealth of His tender mercies.

In the prayers of the Byzantine Catholic Church leading up to the Nativity of Our Lord and during the celebration of this great feast, the paradoxes of our faith are continually placed before us: "Behold Him who is invisible is now visibly manifest," "As a stranger You have come to Your own," "How shall I nurse the One who gives nourishment to the world?", "How shall I wrap You in swaddling clothes, for You wrap the whole earth with clouds?", "I hold in my arms as a child the One who upholds all," "Behold! The Image of the Father and His unchangeable eternity has taken the form of a servant."

Each day as we meditate on these mind-blowing paradoxes in our liturgical prayer, we are overwhelmed by the love of God for us. But I think that there is yet another reason why the Church points them out to us. It seems that if God humbled Himself so completely to embrace these paradoxes--these seeming contradictions--then we are called to embrace them too! We are called to become poor so that we can become rich, lowly so that we can be raised up. We cannot do what God did in becoming man--in coming down from heaven to the manger--but we are called to stoop into the cave and to meet Him in his littleness. We have to become "little" in order to meet the infinite God!! (Now there is a paradox!)

Just now as I was writing this blog post, a friend encouraged me to read Pope Benedict's Christmas Eve homily (without knowing what I was writing about). It seems that the Holy Father was reflecting on the same thing!

Today, anyone wishing to enter the Church of Jesus' Nativity in Bethlehem will find that the doorway five and a half meters high, through which emperors and caliphs used to enter the building, is now largely walled up. Only a low opening of one and a half meters has remained. The intention was probably to provide the church with better protection from attack, but above all to prevent people from entering God's house on horseback. Anyone wishing to enter the place of Jesus' birth has to bend down. It seems to me that a deeper truth is revealed here, which should touch our hearts on this holy night: if we want to find the God who appeared as a child, then we must dismount from the high horse of our "enlightened" reason. We must set aside our false certainties, our intellectual pride, which prevents us from recognizing God's closeness.... Let us allow ourselves to be made simple by the God who reveals himself to the simple of heart.

It's just my size! Is it for me???

Well, Christmas at the monastery was beautiful! We were so blessed that Fr. Stephen Titko was available and happy to come out to the monastery to celebrate the liturgical services for us on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We found our deepest joy in receiving Christ in the Eucharist, our humble God for whose coming we had been preparing our hearts. We also cooked the traditional Christmas Eve Velija supper and enjoyed it with some friends. We hope that you are enjoying the celebration of this beautiful feast! S'nami Boh! God is with us!

Mother Theodora reflects on her profession

2011-12-19T21:00:00.000-05:00

We recently published our winter newsletter which included a reflection by Mother Theodora about her recent life profession. Due to limited space in the newsletter, she wanted to share more of her personal reflections about the correlation between the liturgical prayers for the feast of the Entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple and the profession service. Here they are!

In the Narthex I laid aside my customary habit and was clothed in the Vlasyaniysa, a white robe similar to the baptismal robe. I took a deep breath and thought, “This is it. How did I make it to this moment?” I knew that it was only through sheer grace. I entered barefooted into St. John Cathedral as the Troparion of the Prodigal Son was being sung:

Haste! Open Your fatherly arms to me,for I have lived like the Prodigal.O Savior, do not despise my impoverished heart,that heart that gazes upon the fathomless wealth of Your mercy.For, I have sinned against Heaven, and before You!

“That’s me” (the prodigal), I thought, as I walked down the aisle to make my life profession as a nun—a woman—broken, unworthy and sinful—yet irresistibly drawn by my Bridegroom to become His bride for eternity. I ached almost three years for this moment and with each prostration, I was filled with an increasing awe at the reality I was entering into.

There were a number of correlations between the liturgical prayers and the profession service. We sang verses from the Aposticha: O virgins, carry candles and lead the way for the entrance of the ever Virgin. Sister Julie and Jessie, who walked before me carrying candles, were the virgins leading my way into the temple. When Anna, which means grace, was graced with the pure and ever Virgin Mary, she presented her into the temple. Mother Anna escorted me down the aisle, covering me with her Mandyas, as she prepared to present me to Bishop John. Today the Theotokos…is being escorted with gladness into the Temple of God, and Zechariah receives her. It was not Zechariah the high priest, but Bishop John who received me before the Royal Doors. Let Joachim be glad and let Anna rejoice exceedingly, because they have offered to God the immaculate Queen as a three year old child. It had been almost three years since this monastic adventure was initiated.

As I stood fully robed before an icon of Christ the Bridegroom, I closed my eyes and was overwhelmed with an indescribable sense of peace and joy. I do not know how long I basked in that state, but I was content to remain in it. When I opened my eyes, I was startled at the fact that I was standing in the front of the Cathedral before hundreds of witnesses. For a moment I thought, “How in the heck did I get here?” At the end of the long service, I turned around to be greeted by everyone and when I gazed at all the people present who have journeyed with me, I was filled with an edifying gift of love and thought, “Aaaah, they are how I got here.”

And the winning caption of our first blog poll is...

2011-12-19T11:01:00.000-05:00

..."Somebody please buy those nuns a taller ladder!"

Thanks to everyone who voted! Coming in for a close second was, "Monasticism is not about what you can DO, it's about who you ARE. Jessie, you are a tall person." (That was my favorite...) Even without a taller ladder, we successfully hung some Christmas lights. (And yes, we really could use an 8 ft. ladder...! hint, hint) Due to the popularity of our first blog poll, we plan to post more in the future! :)

We are continuing with the preparations for the Nativity of Our Lord, which include not only baking, cleaning and preparation for liturgical services, but also, and most importantly, the transformation of our hearts so that we will have a place to receive Him. May you all have a blessed, grace-filled Christmas!

O faithful, let us celebrate beforehand the nativity of Christ; * let us raise up our minds to Bethlehem, * and we shall be raised up in spirit. * We shall gaze upon the great mystery in the cave: * Eden is opening up, and God is coming forth from the pure Virgin. * He is perfect in divinity and in humanity. * Therefore, let us call out: * O holy God, O unbegotten Father, * O holy and mighty One, O Incarnate Son, * O holy immortal One, O comforting Spirit, * O holy Trinity, glory to You! (Stichera for Vespers, Dec. 20)

Celibacy - Chosen in Freedom and Love

2011-12-09T10:56:00.001-05:00

We recently received a comment on our blog regarding celibacy and the Catholic priesthood to which we would like to respond and explain the Church’s teaching on this subject. First, we would like to thank the person who posted their comment. Our growth as Christians comes especially in times of questioning and seeking the truth, so we are grateful for this opportunity to share about the topic of celibacy.

Sr. Julie and Jessie with Seminarian Eric and Fr. Patrick

I would first like to address the issue of when celibacy became part of God’s will for humanity. Our primary example of celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom comes straight from the source – Jesus. Jesus’ entire life was spent in obedience to His Father’s Will and dedicated to carrying out the work of His Father, and during the 33 years He spent on this earth, the Catholic Church teaches that He was celibate.

Jesus also gave a direct teaching on celibacy, found in Chapter 19 of The Gospel of Matthew. The Pharisees questioned Jesus about divorce and remarriage, and Jesus explained to them that divorce was only allowed because of their hardness of heart, so anyone who divorces his wife ‘except for sexual immorality’ and marries another is committing adultery. Because of this, Jesus’ disciples then state that maybe it is better not to marry at all. But Jesus disagrees with them, explaining that there are only some who are called to be unmarried, and says the following:

“But He said to them, ‘All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it” (Mt 19:11-12).

There are a couple of statements Jesus is making about celibacy in this passage. First, celibacy is not for everyone. Being a celibate is a call by God to particular individuals to whom God will give the grace to live out this particular state of life, which is why ‘all cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given.’ Second, celibacy must be freely chosen by the person whom God has called. ‘He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.’ Thirdly, Christian celibacy is not an end in itself, but is a sign of the Kingdom of Heaven. ‘There are eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake’ – men and women who freely respond to God’s call to be celibate for the sake of the Kingdom. These men and women, called by God, serve as a sign or foreshadowing of what our life in heaven will be like, where “in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels of God in heaven” (Mt 22:30). They witness to the reality that all of humanity is created to one day be in total union with God in heaven – and these men and women express that reality by consecrating their lives to God while still on earth, desiring not marriage in this life, but marriage with our Eternal Bridegroom in the life to come.

So, with the ideas in mind that celibacy is a call by God which must be freely chosen for the sake of the Kingdom, we want to look at celibacy within the Catholic priesthood. First of all, celibacy is a discipline of the Roman Catholic priesthood, not a doctrine of the Catholic Church. There are churches in communion with the Roman Catholic Church, in particular the Eastern Catholic Churches such as the Ruthenian Byzantine Church we belong to, that allow for married men to discern and be ordained to the priesthood. Both are valid disciplines and both are in communion with the Holy See in Rome. In both cases though, the key to celibacy or marriage in the priesthood is that it must be freely chosen. No one is forced to become a priest – they must freely choose to enter into discernment, which the Church ratifies by accepting that person into the seminary. With that free choice comes the knowledge that to be ordained a Roman Catholic priest, you must remain celibate or in the Eastern Churches, you may be married prior to ordination but if your wife precedes you in death, you may not remarry. Therefore, marriage is not forbidden, in the case of the Roman Catholic Church, but is freely given up to embrace the gift of celibacy for the sake of building up God’s Kingdom here on earth.

Celibacy is not a burden, but is truly God’s gift to priests and religious men and women. When celibacy is freely chosen in response to God’s call, God provides the grace each day to embrace that life of single-hearted dedication to Him. As priests and religious men and women, we are called to obedience to God’s will for our lives, including celibacy, just as Jesus was called to be obedient to His Father’s will, which also included remaining celibate for His entire earthly life. God asks us no more than He asked of His own Son – that we be willing to freely lay down our lives for one another, just as Jesus has done for us. It is with great joy, ardent love, and much fervor that I proclaim my ‘yes’ to God’s call to celibacy as a nun, in obedience to the wisdom of the Catholic Church, whose foundation is Jesus Christ. Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to Him Forever!

Congratulations, Mother Theodora!

2011-11-26T15:41:00.001-05:00

The nuns of Christ the Bridegroom Community would like to wish a big CONGRATULATIONS to Sr. Celeste who made her life profession as a stavrophore nun and is now Mother Theodora!

Mother Theodora is named for Blessed Theodore Romzha, a Byzantine Catholic bishop marytred for the faith in 1947.

Icon of Blessed Theodore Romzha

In God's providence, this year was named 'The year of Blessed Theodore Romzha' by the Eparchy of Mukachevo. 2011 marks the 10th anniversary of Blessed Theodore's beatification, the 75th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, and the 100th anniversary of his birth.

One account of the life of Blessed Theodore.

Here is a link to the wonderful photos taken by Denis Kucharski!

Or check out the YouTube clips on St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church's YouTube channel:

God grant you many years, Mother Theodora!

Reflecting on our time in New York

2011-11-17T20:30:00.000-05:00

Sr. Celeste and Mother Anna

Sister Celeste:

Life is a mystery, and it was providential that Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery in Otego, New York, graciously tended to the needs of Christ the Bridegroom Community. The Myrrhbearers mentioned in the Gospels tended to the needs of Christ from their personal means (Luke 8:2-4), and the nuns of Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery opened their home and hearts and shared their personal means with us. The Myrrhbearers in the Gospels displayed unyielding courage and were not intimidated by any animosity and fear that permeated the atmosphere. With love, they forged forward to approach the tomb of Christ. The nuns of Holy Myrrbearers emulated this courage with the myrrh of love and conviction. Knowing that they could possibly incur some criticism by hosting us, they still forged forward with love and conviction and allowed us to experience a deeper life of Eastern Christian monasticism.

There was an immediate bond between the two communities, and through all the prayer, hard work and oneness of heart that developed between us, each monastery was a gift to the other. At the end of our stay, bittersweet farewells were exchanged with tears and embracing, with both communities knowing they were strengthened in their faith and commitment to Eastern monasticism. The nuns of Christ the Bridegroom Community will always be grateful to the nuns of Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery and we look forward to an ever deepening relationship, to be of one heart and one spirit (Acts 4:32).

Though ecumenism between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches remains in dialogue, there is still much to be undertaken for spiritual understanding and unity, and we hope that the bond that grew between us is one more small step towards this goal. We pray that one day we will be one (John 10:17).

Our typikon confirms this commitment: The nuns of this monastery will pray with their whole beings for the unity of all Christians, “So that they may be One as I and My Father are One” (Jn 17:12). They will pray especially for understanding and reconciliation between the Eastern and Western Churches.

The role of monasteries as meeting places for the East and West was emphasized by Blessed John Paul II: “In this regard, I hope that monasteries will make a particular effort, precisely because of the unique role played by monastic life within the Churches and because of the many unifying aspects of the monastic experience, and therefore of spiritual awareness, in the East and in the West” (Orientale Lumen 25).

Sister Julie:

During our time in New York, the word “vigilance” continually resurfaced in my prayer.

Maybe it was because of the goats?

I didn’t always feel like going out to the barn to do the barn chores, but every morning the goats were still there. The four goats we milked every day were bursting with milk, the kid goats were hungry for their bottles and all of the goats were just plain hungry! (As were the dog and cats.) Then at midday, the goats were hungry again. And in the evening, the four goats we milked were bursting with milk again, and again all of the goats were hungry. You see the routine. And unfortunately, they still produced milk and still got hungry even on Sundays! :)

But I learned that vigilance is more than simply persevering in my daily chores (or “obediences”) and even more than showing up for each of the many monastic prayer services throughout the day. Vigilance is being constantly aware of the presence of Christ and allowing myself to be absorbed in that presence.

Doing my chores with Jesus filled me with peace. I experienced a great freedom in carrying out the tasks given to me, especially the physical work. Away from the demands of founding a new monastery, I could simply be a “child”—a novice—and learn how to pray!

I am grateful to the nuns for welcoming us into their home for three months, and I am grateful to God that I have new sisters in New York!

Jessie:

Poverty. Chastity. Obedience. Of the three monastic virtues, I feel like obedience is that last thought about by people outside of a monastery and the most thought about by the nuns in a monastery. I would say that obedience is the most important virtue, out of which the other two virtues flow. In order for a nun to truly live out poverty and chastity, she must first obey the call of her Beloved, who is made visible through the mother of her community, so that she may die to her own desires and become totally fulfilled by her Beloved.

During our time in New York, obedience was a recurring theme for my prayer. In particular, I felt an overwhelming sense of the need to embrace obedience with JOY. I had a great desire to not only complete the tasks I had been assigned, but to do each task JOYFULLY, as if I were doing each task for my Beloved. For a city girl like me, this desire often challenged me, especially when it came to shoveling poop in the goat barn! But there was such a freedom that came with embracing even the humblest of tasks and doing them totally for Jesus. This freedom came from abandoning my own will and accepting Jesus’ will in everything, trusting that He would give me whatever I needed to do what He asked.

"Obedience is not blind, but deliberately seeks to know God's love and to experience the liberation of freely and continually falling into the arms of the Bridegroom with increasing trust" (Monastic Typikon, Christ the Bridegroom Monastery).

You want me to fast NOW?

2011-11-14T12:24:00.001-05:00

Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast (Mt 9:14-15).

We Christians are not yet totally united with the Bridegroom, Jesus, so we fast. We fast, in one sense, as an expression of the hungering of our souls for union with Him. Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our bodies (Rom 8:23). Fasting should stir up this groan—this longing—for heaven; not just a heaven of “eternal rest,” but for the eternal explosion of joy that is union with the God of infinite love.

The Church invites us to fast for forty days before the Nativity of Our Lord. This period of time, beginning on November 15 each year, is called the Nativity Fast, or the “Philip’s Fast” (because it begins after vespers on the feast of the Apostle Philip). During these forty days, we fast because we are waiting for Christ’s coming—liturgically, in anticipation of our yearly celebration of His Nativity, and literally, in anticipation of His second coming. The Nativity is the beginning of God’s union with mankind. At that very specific point in time, the creator of the universe united Himself with human flesh. The One who had always been, became man! “And man is not left alone to attempt, in a thousand often frustrated ways, an impossible ascent to heaven…The Word became flesh, like us in everything except sin. He pours divinity into the sick heart of humanity, and imbuing it with the Father’s Spirit enables it to become God through grace” (Blessed John Paul II, Orientale Lumen, 15).

Fasting shouldn’t be gloomy. We are preparing in joyful anticipation for the Wedding Banquet of heaven! We shouldn’t judge those who use feasting as their way to anticipate the celebration of the Nativity (perhaps God is using this type of joy to lead them to Him), but we shouldn’t be afraid to share with them the concept of fasting as a way of preparing for this feast. Let’s try to share the indescribable joy we experience in celebrating the Nativity after a season of fasting. And if we haven’t experience this joy, let’s fast more intensely, laying ourselves aside and surrendering our will and our desires so that we can welcome the God of the universe into the humble manger of our hearts. He wants to unite Himself to us. He wants us to be ready for the Wedding Feast!

Did Christmas come early?

2011-11-07T12:32:00.000-05:00

We were welcomed home by this "gourd tree" growing near the compost pile...

We're Home!

2011-11-02T20:11:00.000-04:00

Glory to Jesus Christ! Thank you so much for your prayers during our three-month stay at Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery in Otego, New York. We learned so much and are so grateful to our sisters in New York for welcoming us into their home. We look forward to sharing more with you in the near future.

Please keep Sr. Celeste in your prayers as she prepares for her life profession on November 20! All are welcome to the service at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Parma, Ohio, beginning with vespers for the Feast of the Entrance of the Mother of God at 4:00 p.m.

We'll be back!

2011-08-07T22:04:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

We wanted to let you know why you won’t be hearing from us too much (if at all) for the next three months.

We are heading out to Otego, New York, for a stay with the nuns of Holy Myrrhbearers Orthodox Monastery. This experience will be a time of preparation for Sr. Celeste as she prepares for her life profession on November 20th of this year, and it will also be an opportunity for all three of us to learn from an established Eastern monastery. We are grateful to the nuns for enthusiastically welcoming us into their home and community life for these three months!

We are also grateful to those who have offered to work on projects around the monastery and grounds throughout this time that we are gone. We know that the monastery is in good hands!

We are sad that we will not be able to be present to the pilgrims at the annual eparchial pilgrimage at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch (Aug. 13-14) right across the street from the monastery, but God has chosen this time for us to spend with Him and to learn more about the monastic life. He is asking us to trust Him in an even deeper way—to let go and trust that He is taking care of everything. We hope that this time will help us to become better nuns so that when we return we will be better able to love you, to be a witness to you and to uphold the Church in prayer.

As we leave, we are carrying all of you and your needs with us, even if we do not know you. We believe that this time away will help us to draw even closer to you and to the whole Church as we intensify our prayer life, draw closer to Christ and unite our daily work with your efforts and struggles.

We are asking for your prayers also. We rely on the prayers of the people of the Church so that we can continue to be open to God’s will and faithful to Him, especially when difficult challenges arise. Thank you and God bless you!

Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery is part of the Orthodox Church of America (OCA), and their website is www.holymyrrhbearers.com.

Transfigured Vision

2011-08-06T23:59:00.000-04:00

“The world will be saved by beauty.” –Dostoevsky

On a quiet morning as I gaze out the window at the drizzling rain and the hazy trees in the distance, this phrase comes to mind. I see the daisies bent over by the weight of raindrops, the multicolored daylilies adorning the chapel sign and the intricate and rugged bark of the large maple tree. God has given me the priceless gift of seeing the world with the eyes of an artist.

As I take it all in, I am mulling over the reason for art. What comes to me is the longing God has placed in our very beings—the longing for beauty. The artistic ability (in different forms) is a gift given to many of us to draw hearts to God. I think of my love for landscapes, but more especially for the “close up” details. I love to photograph the interior of a flower, a grasshopper perched on a blade of grass or a drop of water on a leaf. The artist focuses our attention on beauty—or rather, teaches us how to see beauty. He teaches us to pause, just as this rainy morning has taught me, to alter our gaze, and to allow the world to be transfigured. The artist teaches us to see, not everything all at once (because this has confused us), but the little, tiny strokes of beauty. From there he opens our eyes to the reality of infinite beauty, purity and holiness. He opens our eyes to God Himself.

The tiny strokes of beauty are ones that we can imitate by our gentleness and silence. And the more we truly see and experience beauty, the deeper our longing for beauty becomes. The more we long for beauty, the more we long for God—for an intimate union with Him. And so in a way, we can say, “The world will be saved by beauty!” It is God Himself who has given it to us, created us for it and is beautiful Himself without flaw. He is calling us to this perfect beauty and to see it in each other, so we can cry out with the bridegroom in the Song of Songs: “You are all beautiful, my beloved, and there is no blemish in you” (4:7).

The process and experience of the artist not only teaches others to see beauty in the world; it also allows the Holy Spirit to work in the artist himself and transfigure him and his vision. This transfigured vision allows us to see the joy and the grace of God that permeates all things, even suffering.

“An all-embracing love…transfigures its object, making the human environment transparent, so that the uncreated energies of God shine through it” (Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, “The Spiritual Father in Orthodox Christianity”).

Blessed John Paul II also has wisdom for us on this topic, in one of his letters to artists:

"Human beings, in a certain sense, are unknown to themselves. Jesus Christ not only reveals God, but fully reveals man to man. In Christ, God has reconciled the world to himself. All believers are called to bear witness to this; but it is up to you, men and women who have given your lives to art, to declare with all the wealth of your ingenuity that in Christ the world is redeemed: the human person is redeemed, the human body is redeemed, and the whole creation which, according to St. Paul, 'awaits impatiently the revelation of the children of God' (Rom 8:19), is redeemed. The creation awaits the revelation of the children of God also through art and in art. This is your task. Humanity in every age, and even today, looks to works of art to shed light upon its path and its destiny” (Letter of Pope John Paul II to Artists, n.14, April 4, 1999).

What a beautiful opportunity we have today to reflect on beauty: the Feast of the Transfiguration!

Ordination Pilgrimage

2011-08-04T16:11:00.000-04:00

We promised that we would share more about what we have been up to this summer, so here you are! Earlier this summer (in June) we were blessed with the opportunity to take a pilgrimage (and it truly was a pilgrimage!) out West, with our destination being Las Vegas (of all places!) for the ordination of Fr. Diodoro Mendoza to the priesthood. Fr. Diodoro is a good friend of ours and it was truly worth it to make the trip, by car, all the way to Las Vegas.

God provided in so many ways for us on our trip. In His providence He arranged for places for us to stay with people we didn't even know (found through mutual friends), but who will now remain our friends. He provided donations, great weather and so many memories. He placed so many beautiful people in our path, connecting us, as He loves to do, with those who would inspire us and those whose lives He wanted us to touch.

The highlight of our trip was Fr. Diodoro's ordination and his first Divine Liturgy the next day, both at his home parish, Our Lady of Wisdom Byzantine Catholic Church in Las Vegas. Our Church has been gifted with an amazing priest! At Fr. Diodoro's first Divine Liturgy it seemed to us like he had been a priest for years--his celebration of the Liturgy and preaching seemed so natural to him--he was made for this! :) It was also wonderful to spend time with the seminarians and all of the people we met.

On our way to Las Vegas we stopped at several National Parks, including Arches, Bryce Canyon, Zion and the Grand Canyon. These excursions were blessed opportunities to enjoy the beauty of God's creation, spend some time in quiet contemplation and speak to other visitors who were curious about our way of life. Some favorite memories include singing "O Joyful Light" at the Grand Canyon as we watched the sun set, hiking at Bryce Canyon and sitting in the silence of the desert at night at Arches National Park.

On our way out and our way back we stopped at Holy Protection of the Mother of God Byzantine Church in Denver and joined the parish for Divine Liturgy. We loved meeting the parishoners and spending time with Fr. Michael O'Loughlin and his family. Our final scenic excursion was Rocky Mountain National Park with Fr. Michael, and then we headed home. On the way home we also stopped at Annunciation of the Mother of God Byzantine Church in Homer Glen, Ill., and joined the parish for vespers and Divine Liturgy for the feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist. God continued to bless us even as we returned home, introducing us to a beautiful family at the parish. We enjoyed our last night of the trip with a cookout with Fr. Tom and these parishioners.

We thank all the amazing people who hosted us or supported us in various ways throughout our trip! It was a much-needed and inspiring pilgrimage, and we will cherish these memories forever!

'Young and Faithful' – Girls’ Camp 2011

2011-07-30T13:56:00.000-04:00

We hosted the 3^rd Annual Life in Christ Girls’ Sleepover weekend July 14-17^th and it was another great success! Our theme was 'Young and Faithful,' which was artfully woven into all the activities by the guidance of the Holy Spirit (and some grunt work by Sr. Julie and Jessie).

Enjoying a meal together by the pond.

The girls were welcomed to the weekend into our new ‘lodge’ out back, the name given to the large tent, since we were finally able to camp out this year. We began with a talk from Lauren Walter, a good friend of Sr. Julie and Jessie, who spoke of the power we have as young people to inspire and the beauty of the gift of our Catholic faith we have received, which we must remain faithful to as we grow. Lauren’s talk was followed by a viewing of the movie A Walk to Remember, and afterward we discussed the importance that one person can have on the world just by remaining faithful to God.

Winning magazine design - 'Girl Talk'

Friday started off with a scavenger hunt to find the “10 Ways You Will Shock the World” with your faithfulness. The girls scoured the grounds of the monastery to locate all the clues, which proved to be tough! We REVEALED that the 10 ways to faithfulness are rooted in LOVE, which we looked at in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13. Sister Celeste gave a talk on Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving, which led into a service project in which the girls wrote letters to elderly nuns in the area, thanking them for their many years of service. We introduced and worked on a magazine cover project, in which the girls had to come up with a title, logo and articles for a magazine which would encourage other teens to stay 'Young and Faithful.' We heard a vocations talk from Jessie, on her journey through high school, college and to the monastery. We were blessed to hear a wonderful talk from Jon and Julie Hauserman about the wonderful vocation of marriage, followed by a great bonfire by the pond.

Saturday we heard a talk from Ishani Peteya, one of our young adult facilitators, about her personal experiences in her faith journey. We also heard from Jessie about the Samaritan woman by the well and the need to be overflowing with Jesus – just like a sponge in a bucket overflows with water! Saturday evening, we had a prayerful evening in the Shrine Chapel across the street with a great reflection by Sr. Julie on the Jesus Prayer and an opportunity to participate in the Mystery of Repentance.

Divine Liturgy at The Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch.

We finished the weekend with a grace-filled hierarchical Divine Liturgy with Bishop John Kudrick, a nice lunch cooked by Mr. Richard Plishka and served by the boys’ camp participants, and an awards ceremony. We were so thankful for the opportunity to spend the weekend with such beautiful young women and we look forward to seeing where the Holy Spirit leads us next year!

A special thanks to the following people who made this weekend possible: Cathy McArdle, Rosalie Mendez, Ishani Peteya, Katherine Szczepanek, Fr. Dennis Hrubiak, Fr. Rich Plishka and Bishop John Kudrick.

Our traditional 'pyramid' picture!

"Bless it Father!"

2011-07-21T21:26:00.000-04:00

On the feast of St. Elias (Elijah), July 20, it is customary to bless vehicles, in remembrance of St. Elias' ascent into heaven in a fiery chariot. After blessing the vehicles present in the monastery's driveway after the Divine Liturgy, the backhoe that was doing some work in the ditch drove by. After shouts of, "Father! Bless the backhoe!" Fr. Rich gave the large vehicle a nice St. Elias day blessing.

We apologize for our lack of posting! It has been a crazy summer! But we promise to post soon about some of our summer happenings. God bless you!

Life in Christ Girls' Sleepover Weekend 2011

2011-06-29T14:53:00.000-04:00

Calling all teen girls! The deadline is fast approaching to register for the 3^rd Annual Life in Christ Girls' Sleepover Weekend, happening July 14-17^th! Registration is due by this Friday, July 1^st, but if you are interested in coming and can’t quite make the deadline, please contact us via email at christthebridegroom@gmail.com or give us a call at 440-834-0290 and let us know you are sending in your registration ASAP!

TEN WAYS YOU’LL SHOCK THE WORLD: REVEALED! during our exciting adventure together as we learn and explore what it means to be ‘Young and Faithful.’ The weekend, open to teen girls, 13-19, is hosted by the nuns of Christ the Bridegroom Community in Burton, Ohio, and led by young adult women. Cost is $75; scholarships may be available. Registration form and information available for download at www.parma.org. Can’t wait to see YOU there!

Please support our Pond Excavation and Repair Project!

2011-06-08T09:10:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

Having a pond on the monastery’s back property has been a joy for us and our guests. It is a peaceful place to pray and relax. We treasure the variety of life and activity that a pond’s ecosystem attracts, including fish, turtles, frogs (LOTS of frogs!), blue heron and other aquatic birds. A few guests have even enjoyed trying their luck at catching some fish, including some very young guests who learned a lesson about the power of prayer (especially prayer to the fisherman St. Peter)! Children who visit the monastery are always attracted to the pond.

During the two years that we have been here, the pond’s aging drainage system has deteriorated at a surprisingly quick rate, especially during this exceptionally wet spring. Water has seeped around the cement overflow drain and has eroded the ground most of the way around it. The water therefore no longer drains out of the pond through the pipe, but flows around the cement slab and erodes the ground. The erosion has created a deep pit that is very dangerous. The draining water flows out of the other side of the dam, down the incline and floods our property and the neighbor’s property. The grass can no longer be cut around this area of the pond because of the danger of collapsing ground. The ground along the side of the pond facing the monastery is also eroding towards the building, and we believe that the ground may be saturated and causing the settling of the foundation on that portion of the monastery.

We would like to fix this pressing problem this summer! After receiving opinions and quotes from several pond excavators, we have chosen a project that includes:

Packing of clay around the existing cement overflow drain to fill and seal the pit and prevent future erosion,
Replacement of drainage pipe, with rerouting of pipe to channel water into the drainage ditch along the street,
Dredging of the inlet to slow the speed of water entering the pond and to reduce erosion,
Lining of the shore with small rocks to prevent erosion.

The project will cost approximately $5,000. If you are financially able, we ask you to please consider making a donation toward this project. Your donation will help to ensure that the monastery grounds will continue to be a safe and enjoyable place to visit.

If you have been blessed with the financial ability to make a larger donation, we would like to let you know that for donations of $500 or more we will have your name engraved on a bench that we will install near the pond after the completion of the project. Donations may be made in memory of a loved one, if you choose.

Donations should be sent to:

Pond Excavation & Repair Project
Christ the Bridegroom Community
17485 Mumford Rd.
Burton, OH 44021

Please make checks payable to: Diocese of Parma Monastery Fund, and indicate that your donation is for the pond project. With questions, feel free to call us at 440-834-0290.

May our Bridegroom bless you abundantly for your generosity in this time of need!

Sincerely in Christ the Bridegroom,

Sr. Celeste, Sr. Julie and Jessie

Christ the Bridegroom Community

Thank you to our Spring Work Day volunteers!

2011-06-07T11:34:00.001-04:00

Spring 2011 Work Day

Our annual Spring Work Day was a huge success (one of the most productive work days yet!), thanks to our energetic group of dedicated volunteers, largely young in age, and thanks to God who, despite the rainy weather forecast, kept the rain away until we were finished working! In the evening we prayed vespers in our chapel and ended with a delicious cookout/potluck. Thank you again to all who helped! Please click on the photo album to see more photos from the day.

Girls just want to be NUNS! - Jessie's Entrance Day

2011-05-28T12:15:00.000-04:00

“Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words:
Forget our own people and your father’s house.
So will the king desire your beauty:
He is your lord, pay homage to him.”
– Kathisma VI, Stasis 3, Psalm 45

These were some of the first words I heard during vespers on Sunday, May 22, a day that I will remember for the rest of my life – my entrance day.

Hello, my name is Jessie Houck and I am the new postulant of Christ the Bridegroom Community! If you didn’t see Sr. Celeste’s post several weeks ago, I am from Akron, Ohio. My home parish is St. Francis de Sales. A former tax accountant turned postulant, I am the newest member of our growing community and could not be more excited to be here!

Sunday was such a wonderful experience for me. I was able to attend mass for the last time at my parish, I joined my parish family for an ice cream social and then we packed up the last few items and hit the road – Burton or bust. My parents and I arrived in time to help with a few last minute preparations before vespers. We were able to spend some quality time with everyone before vespers began. God could not have planned a more beautiful afternoon.

Pure. Paschal. Joy.

The whole vespers service I felt as though the world had slowed to a halt. The room was filled with people who care not only for me, but also for our community, so the love was almost palpable. As I knelt before Bishop John and listened to the words he prayed over me, I felt this great peace well up from within me. Sr. Julie assisted me with the official ‘scarf placement’ (good thing we practiced!) and that peace just seem to overtake my whole body.

Bishop John gave a wonderful reflection on how often we think of the Holy Spirit as ‘coming upon us’ or ‘covering us’ like the scarf on my head, when rather dwells within our being and flows forth to those around us. It was a surreal experience to hear him speak those words while I felt exactly that happening to me! Since it was the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman, I felt as though I was meeting Jesus by the well – or the monastery, as the case may be – and He was seeing me just as I am. Broken. Sinful. Unworthy, but made worthy through His Death and Resurrection. Upon seeing me, Jesus didn’t want to quench my thirst with just any water, but The Living Water. And after encountering Him, I left my water vessels or possessions behind to tell everyone of The Living Water that has quenched the thirst of my soul and is now overflowing!

Jessie's Pastor - Fr. David Bline, Jessie and Bishop John.

Your grace is power, your will forever, your love is a river; overflow in me. – Matt Maher, Overflow

“Loose my debt as I un-loose my hair”

2011-05-10T22:29:00.001-04:00

A reflection by Sr. Celeste about her tonsuring

Behold the Bridegroom is coming in the middle of the night. Blessed is the servant He shall find awake (Bridegroom Matins Troparion). The entire Lenten journey was one of vigilance, patient waiting and expectation. With zeal, we tried to keep the oil lamps burning like the five wise virgins, when even in their sleep they kept vigil for the Bridegroom’s coming (Mt 25:1-13). Deep in our hearts we echoed the words: “I was sleeping, but my heart kept vigil” (Song of Songs 5:2). We waited patiently with confident expectation that God will fulfill our needs and deepest desires: “Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, O Lord, We have waited for You eagerly; Your name, even Your memory, is the desire of our souls” (Isaiah 26:8).

During the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts on Holy Wednesday, the stichera revealed a stark contrast between the harlot and Judas Iscariot: O misery of Judas! He saw the harlot kiss your feet, and he harbored plans to betray you with a kiss. She unbound her hair but he was bound with anger…

While the sinful woman was bringing myrrh, the disciple was conspiring with the lawless. She rejoiced to expend the costly myrrh, while he hastened to sell the Priceless One. She recognized the Master, the Master from whom he drew away; she was freed, but Judas became the enemy’s slave; how awful his callousness, how great her repentance. Grant us such repentance and save us, O Savior, who suffered for our sake.

The harlot recognized you, the Virgin’s Son, as God. She wept for her lamentable deeds and begged you: Loose my debt as I un-loose my hair. Love me as I love You, though I deserve your hatred; and together with publicans I will acclaim You, Benefactor and Lover of mankind.

Bishop John helps Sr. Celeste to her feet

“Loose my debt as I un-loose my hair.” Whoa. My heart leaped and ached at the same time. It was seeking repentance and I keenly realized when I sang that verse, that I was about to take the role of the repentant harlot seeking His love and forgiveness. I was going to literally “unloose my hair” before the Bridegroom for tonsure.

My hair had grown long in the last couple of years. When I removed my scarf and pulled off the elastic, my hair fell onto my shoulders and into my face. I felt an overwhelming sense of liberation and humility as I came forward and knelt before Bishop John. I heard Bishop John’s voice as he prayed, but did not comprehend the words; instead I found myself kneeling before the Lord. The tears of compunction that welled up in my eyes washed Jesus’ precious feet. His feet were anointed with the myrrh of desire to do only His will, then dried with my hair in love. I, like the harlot in Matthew’s gospel, was helping Him to prepare for His passion.

The woman who had fallen into many sins, sensing your divinity, O Lord, assumed the myrrhbearers’ role and mourned, preparing you with myrrh before your burial. She said: Woe is me…Incline to the groaning of my heart as you bowed the heavens when you emptied Yourself. I will kiss Your immaculate feet and wipe them with the hair of my head, those feet whose steps Eve heard at dusk in Paradise and hid herself in fear. Who will search the multitude of my sins or plumb the depths of your judgments? Do not despise me, your servant, O Savior of my soul, for your mercy knows no measure.

After the tonsure, Bishop John reached out his hand to help me up. As I took his hand and rose up I felt like I was being lifted up into new life. As I rose, I could not help but see Jesus’ loving gaze in Bishop John’s eyes and felt redeemed and at peace.

Sr. Julie being received into the novitiate

After my tonsure, he blessed my habit and gave them to me. Before my tonsure, Bishop John prayed over Sister Julie, blessed her habit and gave it to her. Sr. Julie and I left the chapel to don our habits as everyone sang the Bridegroom Troparion.

I waited more than two years to wear a habit again. What a blessing. It felt wonderful to wear the habit again. It also was another piece of the puzzle put in place as we strive to live out our monastic life and follow our typikon:

The nuns will wear a uniform habit, of the traditional eastern style. The habit is an exterior manifestation of an interior reality which humbly celebrates the fullness of monastic life. It invites others to enter the nun’s relationship with Jesus Christ.

The habit contributes to the nun’s endeavor to live her vows: Poverty – The nun enjoys the simplicity of the habit which alleviates unnecessary concerns about what to wear or excessive possession of clothing (Mt 6:31). Chastity – The habit covers the body, revealing the sacredness and reverence of the body made in the image and likeness of God. Obedience – The habit is a constant reminder of a life of joyful repentance and dying to self, in passionate pursuit of union with Christ the bridegroom.

After the Liturgy, we were overwhelmed with joy! I felt very giddy, intoxicated with joy and those present shared this joy with us. The celebration continued with a Lenten meal amid smiles, laughter and prayerful wishes.

Though I shared the role of the repentant harlot preparing the Bridegroom for His passion with tears and myrrh, I anticipated the mixture of tears, myrrh and joy of the Resurrection that the Myrrhbeares would soon share with the world.

Pious women ran in tears to You, O Christ, bringing myrrh to you as dead; but instead, they adored You in joy as the living God and announced Your mystical Passover to Your disciples. (Resurrection Matins Ode 7).

As we continue to keep vigilance, patiently wait on the Lord and anticipate His grace, we pray for vulnerability to do His will and not to interfere with the guidance of the Holy Spirit by our particular demands or expectations of how it should or will be revealed. We pray for perseverance to be vulnerable to the Bridegroom’s desire for us and always be open to His gifts as we wait for His coming, keeping our oil lamps full and burning.

Blessed John Paul II, pray to God for us!

2011-05-02T21:59:00.002-04:00

Icon from Bridge Building Images

It was a joyful day yesterday as we watched on television the beatification of Pope John Paul II, an extraordinary man we never met but one who we feel that we know and is interceding for us and for our monastery.

When we first began to write our typicon (rule of life) over a year ago, I volunteered to attempt to draft up an outline based on the topics found in other monastic typica that we were looking at, while Sr. Celeste worked on writing some of the sections that we knew we would be including. I sat down with my computer and prayed. I decided to pray to Pope John Paul II. And before I even finished my prayer, a book on the table caught my attention. It was Pope John Paul II's apostolic letter Orientale Lumen (Light of the East). This was the apostolic letter that Bishop John had quoted from extensively in his letter announcing and summarizing his vision for a monastery in the Eparchy of Parma. The words of the pope in Orientale Lumen regarding Eastern monasticism are beautiful, and his call to its revitalization, especially in countries of the diaspora, such as the United States, is clear:

With regard to monasticism, in consideration of its importance in Eastern Christianity, we would like it to flourish once more in the Eastern Catholic Churches, and that support be given to all those who feel called to work for its revitalization. (27)

As I looked over the headings for the outline of this apostolic letter, I realized that each of the topics we needed to address in our typicon would fit under the headings the pope used in his letter, such as "Between Word and Eucharist," "A clear look at self-discovery," "A person in relationship" and "An adoring silence." As I typed out each heading, the outline for our whole typicon came together easily!

It is through Orientale Lumen and through our own personal prayer to Blessed John Paul II that we feel his intercession and support for us. And so we are bursting with joy at this big step in the Church's confirmation of his holiness!

Although we only watched the recording of the beatification that my mom had taped for us, we were so excited for our soon-to-be-postulant, Jessie, who was THERE in St. Peter's Square!!! She seized this opportunity to take an exciting trip before she enters! She stayed up all night outside the square, with many other pilgrims, so that she could get inside the square in the morning for the beatification. This is the picture she emailed us from her cell phone. With 1.5 million pilgrims there, it is amazing that she got such a great spot to witness this historic event.

Christ is Risen!

2011-04-30T22:35:00.003-04:00

Bearing torches let us meet the bridegroom, Christ, as He comes forth from His tomb; and let us greet, with joyful song, the saving Pasch of God. (Ode 5, Paschal Canon)

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

Wow, what a crazy and awesome couple of weeks it has been! We could write numerous blog entries about it, (and maybe we will) but we have to start somewhere. On Palm Sunday weekend we hosted the eparchy's young adult retreat and welcomed into our home a wonderful group of joyful young adults. They all enjoyed learning more about discerning God's will for their lives during talks by young adult Cyril Pinchak, SJ, (from my home parish) a Jesuit scholastic. Bishop John celebrated the Divine Liturgy on Palm Sunday at the Shrine chapel across the street and joined us for a closing brunch.

That evening, our friends Michelle and Chrysostom from Raleigh, North Carolina, drove in to stay with us for the beginning of Holy Week. Our soon-to-be postulant, Jessie, was also able to stay with us all week. On Monday morning Bishop John celebrated Bridegroom Matins in our chapel, and a few parishoners from the Cleveland area joined us as well. We just love this service! (I wonder why...) Fr. Stephen Titko graciously made the trip out to the monastery from Parma multiple times during Holy Week to celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, Bridegroom Matins and Matins on Great and Holy Friday with the twelve Gospel readings. It was such a gift to be able to pray many of the services in our own chapel.

Great and Holy Wednesday was a big day for us! Bishop John celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, during which I was received as a novice, Sr. Celeste was tonsured a Rasophore nun and we both received our new habits. Some family members and friends were able to join us, and the joy was just bursting! Sr. Celeste is working on a reflection about this experience to share with you. For me, it was an awesome experience to receive my habit. I truly feel embraced by Christ!

Sr. Celeste, Bishop John and Sr. Julie

On Great and Holy Thursday we attended vespers and the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil at the Cathedral in Parma, at which Bishop John washed the feet of twelve altar servers. On Great and Holy Friday we prayed Matins with the twelve Gospel readings, the Royal Hours and attended the vespers and burial service at St. Andrew parish in Mentor. On Saturday we prayed Jerusalem Matins, finished preparing our paschal foods, packed up the car, drove to the airport to pick up Rosalie--a friend from California staying with us for Pascha and Bright Week, got locked out of the car (oops...that was my fault!), talked to some people in the parking lot as we waited to be rescued, managed to be only 15 minutes late to vespers and the Liturgy of St. Basil at Holy Spirit church in Parma, drove up to Holy Ghost church in Cleveland where we thought we would have an hour and a half of peace before Midnight to arrange our paschal foods in our basket and have some quiet, but instead found ourselves in the midst of frenzied last minute preparations and helped out as much as we could!

Ah...but what a beautiful celebration of Resurrection Matins and Divine Liturgy for Pascha! Holy Ghost church, in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland, has been closed for a year and a half, but it is being reopened as the new site for the Bishop Emil J. Mihalik Byzantine Catholic Cultural Center and hopefully a new men's community! Resurrection Matins and Divine Liturgy that night were the opening events for the church's new future. We processed with candles around Lincoln Park and then entered the church now radiant with the light of the Resurrection, singing Christ is Risen! Youth Choir director Bryan Scotton had put together a choir made up of voice students from local colleges, and the four-part harmony was beautiful! As we came out of the church after Liturgy at 3:00 a.m., the birds were already singing...(they must have known it was Pascha!). Everyone's baskets were blessed downstairs and we enjoyed the delicious foods we had given up for forty days, as much laughter was shared, especially among the young people. We were thrilled to be a part of the joy and excitement, and we ask for your prayers for Fr. Richard Plishka and those who are and will be helping with this new venture. We can't wait to have a brother community! (We hope it is in God's plans!)

Needless to say, after getting to bed at about 6:00 a.m., we slept in a little, and then got ready for a visit from Sr. Celeste's sister Charmaine and her family. We enjoyed the afternoon with them, complete with an impromptu Resurrection procession around the monastery with the kids, a delicious dinner and an egg hunt! After resting a little, we trekked back out to Cleveland for Agape Vespers (and some more eating!) at Holy Ghost church.

It took a couple of days to recover, but Bright Week has been much more restful! We are so grateful to our Bridegroom for the joy He has given us as He has come forth from the tomb, raising us with Him!

Thanks to Jessie's parents, we now have a video camera and captured many clips of action from Holy Week and Pascha. I am now attempting to edit them into a short video to share with you. Unfortunately our computer is a little slow for the editing program, but as long as I don't throw the computer out the window, hopefully we can share it with you soon! Christ is Risen!!!

Lights, Habits, Action!

2011-04-15T16:29:00.000-04:00

Sr. Julie, Claire (co-host) and Sr. Celeste

Recently we enjoyed a little Lenten retreat in the Chicago area at Annunciation parish in Homer Glen, Illinois. The evening we arrived, Fr. Tom Loya, pastor of Annunciation parish, asked us if we would like to be on the radio with him the next day! He was filling in that week for Fr. Anthony Bus, host of a live radio program in Chicago called Winds of Change. We didn’t want to turn down such a good opportunity, so we agreed. We had a blast talking about being brides of Christ, spiritual motherhood and Lent in our first live radio appearance! The archived show (episode #123) can be heard for a limited time on the Show Archives page of the Winds of Change website.

Darlene and Sr. Julie cutting out habit pieces

Currently we are busy preparing for the Byzantine young adult retreat we are hosting this weekend, cleaning and preparing for Holy Week and Pascha, and finding fabric and sewing our official habits! A huge thank you goes out to Paula Plishka from Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, for sewing our formal habits, and to Darlene Hritz (Sr. Julie's mom) from North Royalton, Ohio, for sewing our casual and work habits. It has been quite a challenge for us and our dedicated seamstresses to find good, usable fabrics, and to work with the patterns we had obtained to adjust them to fit us! As with many of the projects we have tackled, it was much more difficult than we envisioned!

Our habits will be blessed and given to us by Bishop John in a private ceremony on Great and Holy Wednesday. It will mark our formal acceptance into the novitiate, and Sr. Celeste will also be tonsured as a Rasophore nun (a "nun of the first degree"). A Rasophore nun does not yet make any formal vows, but she promises to live all aspects of the monastic life. She will receive, in addition to the basic habit, a riassa (outer garment worn for liturgical services) and the monastic belt.

We look forward to the intense and beautiful prayers of Holy Week that will increase in us the longing for Jesus, who we will soon meet coming forth from the tomb "like a Bridegroom!" All are welcome to join us on Holy Monday for Bridegroom Matins, celebrated by Bishop John at 8:00 a.m. (see the "Events" tab). You’ll hear from us again on our blog after Pascha!

A beautiful YES to God!

2011-03-25T15:33:00.003-04:00

Happy Feast of the Annunciation! On this day that we celebrate the "yes" of the Mother of God to the reception of Divine Life within her, we are thrilled to announce another "yes" to God!

A young woman has said "yes" to the Bridegroom's invitation to life in our community! Jessie Houck will become a dokimos (postulant) with our community on May 22. Jessie is 24 years old and is the daughter of Rick Houck and Cathy McArdle of Manchester, Ohio. She is very active in various ministries at her home parish of St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church in Akron, Ohio. Jessie received an accounting degree at The University of Akron in 2008. She has been an accountant for three years at BCG & Company, an accounting firm in Akron. From the beginning, Jessie has been a faithful cohort in our “Christ the Bridegroom adventure” and didn’t even allow a terrible blizzard to stop her from coming to help at our very first work day!

The dokimos (postulant) is one who seeks a trial period of living the monastic life. Jessie will begin to experience the daily life of prayer, poverty, chastity, obedience, hospitality and community life. Her attire will consist of simple black clothes, a black scarf and cross. Through regular prayer, silence and reflection, she will continue to discern Christ’s loving will in her life. Jessie is especially enthusiastic about her relationship with Christ and with those around her. She is very prayerful, thoughtful and playful. We thank and praise God for the gift she is. It is a courageous and awesome leap of faith. Please keep Jessie in your prayers as she continues to be drawn into the joy and mystery of the Bridegroom’s yearning.

The Virgin answered the angel: It seems that you are speaking the truth to me, for you have come as a messenger bringing joy to all. Since the Holy Spirit has purified my soul and body, let it be done to me as you say; may God dwell within me. With you I cry out to Him: All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord! (Ode 8, Matins for the Feast of the Annunciation)

First Newsletter Coming Soon!...Can You Help?

2011-03-14T20:40:00.000-04:00

We hope that you had a blessed first week of the Great Fast. Ours was very prayerful, with some beautiful Liturgies of the Presanctified Gifts.

We are also working diligently on the production of our first newsletter. The first one, I think, is always the most difficult! But we are very happy with how it is taking shape, and we are excited to share it with you. We have two questions for you:

If you are in the area, are you able to join us for our "mailing party" on Saturday, March 26? We need some help folding, stuffing, labeling and sealing the newsletter so that we can get it in the mail! We promise it will be fun! The day begins at 10 a.m., includes lunch, and ends at 3 p.m. (or before, if we finish sooner!) Please RSVP to christthebridegroom@gmail.com by Wednesday, March 23.
Would you like to be on our mailing list? If so, please send your mailing address to christthebridegroom@gmail.com by Wednesday, March 23. (Or after this date--we'll get you on the list before the next newsletter.) If you would prefer to receive the newsletter by email, you may indicate that.

As we enter deeper into this Lenten desert, may we strive to continually empty ourselves in order to be filled to overflowing with the presence of God!

Revisiting Zacchaeus

2011-03-05T20:20:00.000-05:00

Although the pre-Lenten period is nearly complete, and the Great Fast (Lent) begins on Monday, I can’t help but think about Zacchaeus, whose story we heard in the Gospel four weeks ago—the first liturgical sign that the Great Fast is approaching! We’ve heard the stories of the Publican and the Pharisee, the Prodigal Son and the Last Judgment these past few weeks, all preparing us for the state of mind and heart that we will need to begin the Lenten journey, but I have to say that of these pre-Lenten Sundays, Zacchaeus Sunday was the most profound for me this year (and I don’t think it was just because I have empathy for short people…).

It seems that the story of Zacchaeus teaches us about ourselves and about Christ. There is a lot of humility happening in this story. Zacchaeus, a wealthy man, is willing to look foolish in order to see Christ, and Christ, the Son of God, is willing to endure skeptical murmuring by entering the house of a public sinner. Because of the humility of each in that moment, the two—God and Man—encountered one another, and salvation was the result.

What a mystery it is that in the humbling of ourselves we become more like Christ! St. Gregory of Nazianzus said, “What greater destiny can befall man’s humility that he should be intermingled with God, and by this intermingling should be deified” (The Fourth Theological Oration: On the Son, 3).

As the Great Fast begins, let’s enter it with the zeal of Zacchaeus. Let’s stretch ourselves to climb that tree. Jesus is coming to revisit Zacchaeus in us…if we let Him. He desires our conversion. He desires it so much that He’s willing to completely humble Himself to come into the house of our hearts. And then He himself will climb the tree—the tree of the cross.

Weekend Visits

2011-02-25T21:43:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we enjoyed a couple of beautiful opportunities to share with others the joy of our monastic life. On Saturday evening I joined the middle school girls at St. Lawrence Roman Catholic parish in Albion, Pennsylvania, for part of their retreat weekend. I shared my vocation story with them and answered their questions about monastic life. I enjoyed spending some time with these beautiful, energetic girls! (I was invited to speak after randomly meeting their youth group leader at the March for Life a few weeks ago!)

"I'm a nun! I'm a nun!"

On Sunday we attended Divine Liturgy at St. Mary Magdalene Byzantine Catholic parish in Fairview Park, Ohio. We showed our video to parishioners after the Liturgy and then stopped in to each of the classes and spoke to the adults, high school and middle school students and the younger children. We enjoyed playing our "Myth Busters: Vocation Edition" game with the high school and middle school students, and another highlight was dressing up one of the young girls as a nun as we talked to the kids about why we wear a habit! Thanks for the invitation Deacon Dan!

Be sure to visit our updated Upcoming Events page!

On the air and online

2011-02-17T20:37:00.000-05:00

Word on the street this week was, "The Eastern Nuns from Burton were mentioned on the radio!" So after a little searching, we figured out that the shout out on the air was from our friend Fr. Tom Loya on his radio program, Light of the East, broadcast on Catholic radio stations around the country, including our local Catholic station, 1060 AM WILB. In this episode (#333) Fr. Tom was talking about Eastern Monasticism. You can click on the Light of the East link and listen online! Maybe we will be his guests sometime soon and you can hear our voices on the radio!

That same day we were happy to discover that a video was posted on the Eastern Christian Media homepage highlighting our recent trip to the March for Life. The video was filmed and edited by teen participant David Bratnick from the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Great video David! The video will be playing on the homepage for a while and then probably moved to the "ByzanTEEN" page of the website. Take a moment to view this brief video!

"I was sleeping, but my heart kept vigil"

2011-02-15T15:40:00.001-05:00

Song of Songs 5:2

The ByzanTEENS Pray Hard and Make it Big at March for Life 2011

2011-02-04T21:32:00.003-05:00

Sr. Celeste and I again helped to coordinate the Eparchy of Parma's trip to Washington, DC, for the March for Life, an endeavor we find very important, and also one that is a lot of fun and so fruitful! (Although not without a lot of work and stress!--but totally worth it!) Here is a preview of our article which will appear in the February 28 edition of our eparchy's newspaper, Horizons. Enjoy!

“Rejoice, O Stole for those who lack freedom to speak,” the ByzanTEENS and fellow Byzantine marchers sang together as they prayed the Akathist to the Mother of God in front of the Supreme Court building. Completing their chilly but joyful pilgrimage through Washington, DC, January 23-24, 2011, the group of almost 100 Byzantine Catholics and friends stood surrounded by a very visible collection of icon banners, witnessing their unique and expressive faith to the notice of probably thousands of marchers, several bloggers and even LifeSiteNews.com.

The pilgrimage began for the Eparchy of Parma’s group on Saturday, January 22, the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that had made abortion legal 38 years ago. About 50 teens, young adults and adults from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania gathered at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Parma, Ohio, for the vigil Divine Liturgy, followed by pizza, introductions, the assembling of the group’s matching scarves, the painting of a banner and compline (night prayer).

At 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, January 23, the bus load of already sleep-deprived but energetic marchers departed the Cathedral. On the way to DC, the group watched the video “Nine Days that Changed the World,” a recent film about Pope John Paul II’s nine-day visit to Poland in 1979 when the country was under communism. In small groups on the bus, the marchers had the opportunity to discuss the film and make connections between the experience of millions of Poles gathering together during the pope’s visit and the experience they would be having at the March for Life. Luke Iyengar, 16, of Holy Ghost parish in McKees Rocks, Penn., commented to the whole group that although the secular media will distort the facts of the march or ignore it altogether, just as the media did in Poland, he pointed out that his fellow marchers on the bus had cameras and video cameras. “They [the Poles in 1979] did not have Facebook or YouTube, but we do!” he exclaimed, encouraging his fellow marchers to share the truth of their experience on the internet.

When the bus arrived in Washington, DC, the marchers were dropped off at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for an even more intense reflection on historical events that have much to teach modern society. This experience “made me realize even more that we have to speak out and stand up for what is right,” said Darlene Hritz of St. Joseph parish, Brecksville, Ohio. “After visiting the Holocaust Museum I realized how truly precious life is and it made me grateful for all I have,” said Madie Pochatko, 15, of St. Michael parish in Hermitage, Penn.

The marchers then trekked out into the freezing evening to the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. At the bottom of the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in a shivering huddle, teens took turns reading quotes from Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr., further tying together historical events through the words of two of our nation’s great leaders on the respect for life and the rights of all.

The hungry group then arrived in Annandale, Virginia, at Epiphany of Our Lord Byzantine Catholic parish, welcomed by the wonderful hospitality of parishioners and greeted by ByzanTEENS from Epiphany parish, Philadelphia and Long Island, New York. After dinner the teens had time to get to know each other and enjoy card games before they headed back out to DC for Byzantine compline at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated by Bishop William of the Eparchy of Passaic. Hundreds of Roman Catholics also participated in the service. Bishop John, of the Eparchy of Parma, gave the homily, and explained that the unborn teach us that faith is about a relationship with Christ—one that they have not broken as we have.

Third Hour at Epiphany Parish

After the night spent at Epiphany parish, the group prayed Third Hour in the church and was blessed by another delicious meal provided by the parish before heading off to the March for Life. Arriving at the National Mall (the large open space in the center of DC), the ByzanTEENS assembled their icon banners and “ByzanTEENS for Life” signs printed with an icon of the Visitation depicting Jesus and John the Baptist in the wombs of Mary and Elizabeth. The group was among the first thousands of marchers (mostly teenagers and young adults) who were gathering on the Mall near the stage, where politicians and religious leaders were giving speeches. Thanks to a new large banner designed by Eikona Studios and printed and assembled with tall PVC pipes by Epiphany parish, the “ByzanTEENS for Life” were a landmark in the crowd and a popular photography subject. Other Byzantine groups and individuals were able to join the growing group because of the banners, including Bishop John, several priests and a group from Sts. Cyril and Methodius parish in Cary, North Carolina.

As the march began, Parma Youth Choir director Bryan Scotton led the singing of Marian hymns which continued for the duration of the march, drew additional Byzantines to the group and attracted the attention of nearby marchers. Scotton, participating in his first March for Life, was impacted by seeing “so many young people, in our church particularly, standing up for something that is right and true, in a society that is trying so hard to convince them otherwise.”

Young adult Kristin Striker (St. Columbkille, Parma, Ohio) said, “I loved the prayerful intention of the trip. It was more of a pilgrimage atmosphere than just a fun trip.” For Jessie Houck (St. Francis de Sales, Akron, Ohio), the best part of the trip was singing Marian hymns. She said, “It was so great to lose my voice in supplication to our mother for those who cannot speak up for themselves.”

As the marchers ascended the Constitution Avenue hill, marking the last stretch of the march, veteran marchers in the group prodded the others to look behind them. From their viewpoint they could see an incredible stream of hundreds of thousands of people, stretching father than they could see. Zachary Knoblauch, 12, of St. Mary parish in Whiting, Ind. commented, “I was impacted by how many people wanted to stop abortion.”

The march concluded in front of the Supreme Court building, and the group stopped there to pray the Akathist to the Mother of God. Many marchers passing by paused to listen or accepted an invitation to share a book and join in. Andrea Trompak, 16, of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, said, “My favorite part of the march is praying the Akathist in front of the judicial building…I loved being able to share this experience with my good friends and randomers from the march!” An adult participant commented, “One of our young members brought a friend…I saw the two of them singing the Akathist—this was an incredible sight.”

Amidst the estimated crowd of 400,000, the intensity of the Byzantines’ prayer was not unnoticed, as illustrated by the follow-up article by John-Henry Westen on LifeSiteNews.com, a prominent Internet pro-life news service:

“Long after most marchers had dispersed, a group of young people remained across the street from the Supreme Court, heads bowed in solemn prayer. Their sign “ByzanTeens for Life” signified that they were Byzantine Catholics known for their intense and lengthy prayers. Rachel Pawluszka, 16, one of the ByzanTeens, told LifeSiteNews that the best thing about the March for her was meeting so many others, even those of different religious backgrounds, who all share the love and reverence for life.”

As the Akathist was ending, the final marchers filed past and police restored the street to its usual busy car traffic. Hugs were given and goodbyes said as the various Byzantine groups departed for their own ways home, and the group from Parma headed to Union Station for dinner before departing DC. Arriving in Parma at 2:15 a.m. the sleepy marchers managed to wake up enough to sing one more time as they wished “God grant you many years” to their bus driver. The last official word of the trip came from the bus driver, Andrey, originally from Belarus, who exclaimed, to their surprise, “Christos Voskrese!” Even though it was not the traditional time of year for this greeting, (meaning “Christ is Risen!”), they exclaimed in reply, “Voistinu Voskrese!”, and after a trip filled with so much joy and hope, there was a truly tangible sense that “Indeed He is Risen!”

The trip was not only an opportunity to stand up for the dignity of human life but also to share Byzantine spirituality with Roman Catholic friends. “I really enjoyed seeing a glimpse of the beauty of the Eastern Church,” said Striker. Amanda Jancewicz, 13, of St. Ambrose parish in Brunswick, Ohio, commented the day after the trip, “It truly was an awesome and moving experience for me to be a part of the fight against abortion. I enjoyed seeing the differences between the Byzantine and Roman Catholic religions, and hope to continue to be a part of the religious retreats and activities the ByzanTEENS offer. I have enjoyed the trip so much that I am going to be presenting my experience at my school, Saint Ambrose, tomorrow.”

Besides LifeSiteNews, several blogs noted the “ByzanTEENS for Life” and included a picture of the group’s icon signs in their blog entries following the march, including a National Catholic Register blog by Steven Greydanus, a popular blog by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf and the blog “Lead Kindly Light.” The group was also seen on EWTN’s live television coverage of the event.

Signs of an Upcoming Grace-Filled Year

2011-01-03T22:07:00.002-05:00

As we reflect on the events of the past year, we invite you to see them in a glance by taking a look at our "collage" of photos that we sent out with our Christmas letter. (You can click on each to view them in a separate window, and then click on the photo to zoom in). It was hard to choose just a couple of pictures to summarize each month, but it was a blessing to remind ourselves of how God has blessed us and continued to bring forth so much life even in our humble beginnings.

We enjoyed a beautiful celebration of the new year. On New Year's Eve we attended "Help Us Get Our Habits On," a benefit event to support our friends Anna and Amanda in their journey to become TOR Sisters. (If you are interested, visit their website to find out how to support these awesome young women.) Before midnight we returned to the monastery and relaxed with a few friends and then closed the year with some silent prayer of thanksgiving and quietly welcomed the new year as we prayed compline.

On the evening of New Year's Day, God blessed us with a stunning gift--a promise of His continued guidance and His blessing on the new year. The year ahead of us is veiled from our eyes, but the splendor of God's providence pierced through the clouds...literally...in a perfectly clear and full rainbow. What an unusual gift in January, and without a drop of rain to be seen!

May we all trust in the beauty of God's plan for 2011!

All creation is filled with joy today!

2010-12-28T21:50:00.001-05:00

'"All creation is filled with joy today. Christ is born of the Virgin!" (Verses after Psalm 50, feast of the Nativity)

"May the whole universe exalt and leap with joy, for Christ has come to regenerate it and to save our souls." (Aposticha at Vespers)

As we meditated on the mystery of God's incarnation, the meeting of God and Man and the coming together of all creation at the Nativity of Our Lord...it was fitting that our dear cat Scout participated in the festivities. This picture was taken during Vespers on Christmas Eve. She sat in rapt attention like this on the bench for almost the entire service. And at dinner she joined us to partake in one of the twelve dishes of the traditional Velija Supper: the fish. She also seemed to enjoy the straw under the table! It is tradition to feed the animals at or after this supper to remind us that they, representing creation, were present at the birth of Christ--when He took on flesh to redeem all of creation.

Christmas Eve was glorious again this year. Intense...but wonderful! We prayed all of the prescribed services: Matins, Royal Hours, Vespers with the Liturgy of St. Basil, Great Compline and the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. We also prepared the Velija Supper, enjoyed it with some friends and exchanged gifts. By the end of the night I was totally and completely exhausted, but filled and overflowing with joy. It was in this total spending of myself that I was received so many graces and insights into the Mystery of the Incarnation. We are very grateful to Fr. Richard Plishka for making all of these services possible by his presence.

Do you like our nun cookies? :)

"O Christ, what shall we offer You for Your coming on earth in our humanity for our sake? Every creature that has its being from You gives thanks to You: the angels offer hymns of praise, the heavens give a star; the Magi present their gifts and the shepherds, their wonder; the earth provides a cave and the desert, a manger. As for us, we offer a Virgin Mother. O God who are from all eternity, have mercy on us." (Stichera at Vespers for the Nativity)

Looking for a fun and interesting way to spend your New Year's Eve? Check out a benefit event, "Help Us Get Our Habits On," to support our friends Anna and Amanda in their journey to become TOR Franciscan Sisters. We'll be there, and so will the TORs!

2nd St. Nicholas Celebration

2010-12-09T21:29:00.000-05:00

Click to view collage in full size

Rejoice, O Radiant Star whose light of miracles shines throughout the world. Rejoice, O Divine Joy to those in sorrow. Rejoice, O Defender of those who are oppressed; for even now, all-holy Nicholas, you still pray to God for us who celebrate your feast with faith and who honor you with zeal and joy. (Stichera for the Feast of St. Nicholas)

What an evening! Almost 50 people packed into our monastery to celebrate the feast of the patron saint of the Byzantine Catholic Church, St. Nicholas. Everyone was instructed to take off their shoes and leave them in a row in the dining room, and after vespers the shoes were found to hold some treats from St. Nicholas. Great Vespers was beautiful, celebrated by Fr. Dennis Hrubiak. It amazes me how beautiful the prayers are for this saint about whom we know very little, and everyone sang together very well. Fr. Dennis blessed my recently completed icon of St. Nicholas at the end of vespers. And then we feasted on an amazing potluck dinner! After dinner, St. Nicholas himself showed up (he looked very much like Fr. Dennis...they must be cousins). St. Nicholas announced the winner of the trivia contest, Jessica Santacrose (congrats!), and gave the correct answers to the trivia questions about his life. He spoke to everyone about caring for the needs of others and of course gave the kids chocolate! We felt so blessed by the presence of so many great people who joined us (even in the snow) to celebrate, some coming from as far as Pittsburgh. We are glad that you can feel at home in our home.

We've finally managed to emerge from the more than 25 inches of snow that we were buried under during the past four days of continuous snowfall! We are learning what it means to live in the Snowbelt! I took a few pictures out the back window this morning. We had to admit that it is quite beautiful!

If you will be near the Parma area on Saturday, come out to the Cathedral (1900 Carlton Rd. Parma, Ohio) and visit us at our table at the St. Nicholas Craft Show taking place there from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. We will be selling our jams, jellies and breads.

May God bless you as you continue to prepare your heart for Christ's coming.

"But Israel does not know, my people do not understand."

2010-11-29T21:32:00.000-05:00

The ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master's crib;
but Israel does not know,
my people do not understand.
Isaiah 1:3

Abbot Leo Schlosser from Holy Trinity Monastery in Butler, Pennsylvania, came recently to give us a short retreat in preparation for the Nativity. He spoke to us about many things regarding monasticism, prayer and preparing our hearts for the celebration of Christ's birth. What struck me the most, however, was his definition of the word vigilance. Vigilance, he said, is "looking for and being aware of God's presence."

During this Nativity fast, it seems very difficult to be vigilant. As the darkness of each day lengthens and deepens, as the busyness of the world increases and captures our attention, waiting and seeking for something--someone--who is very silent and very hidden is often the last thing we are thinking about. It must have been the same for the residents of Bethlehem.

Isaiah reproves the people of Israel, long before the coming of Christ, because the animals in the stable recognize Him, but they (we!) do not.

Bishop John came to the monastery on Saturday to celebrate, in union with Pope Benedict, what the pope named a "Vigil for All Nascent Human Life." Several people joined us as we prayed the Akathist in honor of the Mother of God followed by Great Vespers. I felt that we were honoring the Mother of God for her deep faith and vigilance and asking her to teach us!

Bishop John prayed this beautiful prayer which Pope Benedict had just prayed earlier in the day. We would like to share it with you and ask you to pray it with us. May we "look for and be aware of God's presence" in each human life we come in contact with and in each moment of our day, so that we will be ready to welcome our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into our world and into our hearts.

Lord Jesus,
You who faithfully visit and fulfill with your Presence
the Church and the history of men;
You who in the miraculous Sacrament of your Body and Blood
render us participants in divine Life
and allow us a foretaste of the joy of eternal Life;
We adore and bless you.

Prostrated before You, source and lover of Life,
truly present and alive among us, we beg you.

Reawaken in us respect for every unborn life,
make us capable of seeing in the fruit of the maternal womb
the miraculous work of the Creator,
open our hearts to generously welcoming every child
that comes into life.

Bless all families,
sanctify the union of spouses,
render fruitful their love.

Accompany the choices of legislative assemblies
with the light of your Spirit,
so that peoples and nations may recognize and respect
the sacred nature of life, of ever human life.

Guide the work of scientists and doctors,
so that all progress contributes to the integral well-being of the person,
and no-one endures suppression or injustice.

Gift creative charity to administrators and economists,
so they may realize and promote sufficient conditions
so that young families can serenely embrace
the birth of new children

Console the married couples who suffer
because they are unable to have children
and in Your goodness provide for them.

Teach us all to care for orphaned or abandoned children,
so they may experience the warmth of your Charity,
the consolation of your divine Heart.

Together with Mary, Your Mother, the great believer,
in whose womb you took on our human nature,
we wait to receive from You, our Only True Good and Savior,
the strength to love and serve life,
in anticipation of living forever in You,
in communion with the Blessed Trinity.

Just another week in the life...

2010-11-22T22:30:00.000-05:00

“O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His steadfast love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:33-35. What a week! Well, actually…I was supposed to submit this article a month ago, but have been constantly distracted by other responsibilities…so…okay…I’ll take the responsibility for the negligence.

So…whew…what a week! Monday, October 6, was a full day focused on putting the monastery back in order after a really busy weekend (the weekend of our fall work day). On Tuesday afternoon, I was driving back from my parent’s home, after picking two large boxes of pears for jelly and pear butter. I was less than a quarter mile away from home when someone went through the stop sign at the corner of Nash and Mumford. The driver of the van was approaching the intersection at a high rate of speed, but I thought to myself, “No, he’s supposed to stop.” DAH. I t-boned his van and spun onto the other street. It’s funny now, but wasn’t then, when on impact, not only did the airbags deploy, I was also pelted with the pears from the back seat. I, thank God that I had no broken bones. I was banged up and bruised but nothing too serious. It was my first time to be in an ambulance. When the paramedic saw the condition of the car and some of my “damages,” she convinced me to be “escorted” to the hospital. I thought I was going to sit in the back of the ambulance. Nope. She put a neck brace around my neck, laid me on a back board and totally strapped me down. I must admit, I felt quite silly. Being a passenger in an ambulance was not an item on my “bucket list.” Luckily, there were no lights or sirens. As time has progressed, the pains and aches have subsided and I have one more session of therapy for my neck and shoulder. I should be as good as new, but the car, I’m afraid, will never be, since the adjuster claimed it totaled. So, now we’re a little in limbo for another vehicle. With tongue in cheek, I hope God has an all-wheel SUV in mind!

The next day, Fr. Richard Rohrer, Michelle Sapsara, Chrysostom Rubush, and Chris Watson came from Sts. Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic parish in North Carolina for a visit. Michelle and Chrysostom stayed with us for a few days. It was wonderful to pray, work and laugh with them. They were a phenomenal help! They helped clean and pare loads of pears, picked apples, trimmed trees, helped seal the back wooden deck, cooked, cleaned dishes, did yard work, oh, lots of things.

Then Sr. Julie and I drove to the Byzantine Catholic Cathedral in Parma on Friday for the opening of the Eastern Churches Seminar. Fr. Ronald Roberson, associate director for the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops reflected on the topic “The Current State of Affairs.” Fr. Ronald’s interesting talk opened with a historical background to shed light on some of the advances and obstacles in the dialogue between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches.

On Saturday, October 8, Sr. Julie and I enjoyed a day in Canton, Ohio at the EWTN Family Celebration. The speakers were great and it was just what I needed to hear. As I listened to Raymond Arroyo talk about Mother Angelica’s journey of faith, I found myself nodding as I related to some of her struggles, and my was heart encouraged as he shared the fruitfulness of her perseverance and trust in God’s loving providence. We briefly talked to Mr. Arroyo. He signed a book that we purchased (Actually, as I waited in a long check-out line, someone with whom I struck up a lively conversation offered to purchase it for us). He also gave us a free book of Mother Angelica’s quotes and was delighted and very supportive when he learned of our endeavor to start a Byzantine Catholic monastery.

On Sunday, we enjoyed an inspiring Divine Liturgy in our chapel with Fr. Richard Rohrer as the celebrant. Afterwards, we took a long walked around the shrine and enjoyed the beautiful weather, then went to Blazin’ Bill’s Restaurant for some awesome ribs and camaraderie. We reluctantly said our good-byes and then they departed for their long trek back to North Carolina. It was a great joy and blessing to have them with us, and we wish they weren’t so far away, though they are close in our hearts. When all is said and done, we thank Christ our Bridegroom for His steadfast love and all the blessings that he abundantly showers upon us!

Nun Friends & Upcoming Events

2010-11-11T14:55:00.000-05:00

We recently enjoyed a visit by our friends Mother Anna and Sister Anastasia of Monastery Marcha, a Serbian Orthodox monastery in Richfield, Ohio. We enjoy visiting with our new friends and learning from their wisdom and advice as we establish our monastery. The nuns always have delightful stories to share!

If you will be near Solon, Ohio, this Saturday, please stop in at St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church to say hi! We will have a table at the craft fair where we will be selling our jam, jelly, apple & pear butters, breads and more! We will also be raffling off a beautiful Christmas gift basket. We (especially Sr. Celeste) have been working hard to transform the fruits God has given us into delicious gifts for you and your family!

Details about this and other upcoming events, including a Vigil for All Nascent Human Life and our 2nd Annual St. Nicholas Vespers and Potluck, can be found on our Events Page.

Fall Work Day 2010

2010-10-18T16:06:00.003-04:00

“Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; he gave over the vineyard to caretakers. For its fruit one would have to pay a thousand silver pieces. My vineyard is at my disposal; the thousand pieces are for you, O Solomon, and two hundred for the caretakers of its fruit.” (Song of Songs 8:11-12) There are times when tending to the “vineyard” at our disposal is a bit overwhelming. We were blessed with wonderful caretakers on our workday on October 2, 2010.

What a great day! The weather was cool and damp, and an occasional misty rain throughout the day made the outdoors a little damp, but it didn’t dampen the enthusiasm and energy of the caretakers. A good sized crew of individuals and families came to the monastery for our work day and lamb roast. They trimmed trees, fixed spouting, painted, erected another raised raspberry patch, pulled weeds, cleaned and organized the garages, reinforced our herb garden, planted trees, hauled dead branches, prepared the property for winter and any other things that needed attention.

At lunch time we gathered to break from work and shared stories and laughter. (I wonder if they realized that we really feed them to reenergize them to work more.) During lunch, the two youngest volunteers, Irena and Juliana Pochatko, enjoyed the opportunity to momentarily wear an apostolnik (veil), but I believe the adults enjoyed it more than they.

The chapel was filled with beautiful voices of praise as we prayed Vespers with Fr. Gary Francisko. We thank God for holding back the heavy rains until Vespers. Afterwards we went to the shrine cafeteria to enjoy the lamb roast. It was quite cold, windy and wet, so we gathered inside the cafeteria. Everyone was able to enjoy the delicious roasted lamb and chicken through the generosity of Steve Trudick. They all brought various covered dishes to share which enhanced the camaraderie. We are grateful to God and for the selfless work and love of our caretakers. Their precious friendships and the value of their assistance is greater than two hundred pieces of silver. We look forward to our next opportunity to gather together for the glory of God and enjoy the fruit of our vineyard.

View More Photos of Our Work Day!

Photo of "Sister" Irena courtesy of Denis Kucharski. Thank you! Adorable!

Happy Feast! And Our First YouTube Appearance...

2010-10-01T17:09:00.002-04:00

Icon by the hand of Sr. Julie

O awesome beauty, you are the true prophetic fulfillment for all the faithful. You are the glory of the apostles and the joy of the martyrs, the pride of virgins and a wondrous protection for the whole world. O Lady, with the mantle of your mercy, protect our Church and all the people who sing out to you: Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with you, and through you He grants great mercy to the world. (Stichera from Vespers for the Feast)

Happy Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God! We also have to mention the feast day of one of our favorite saints...St. Therese! :) I think the two feasts coincide beautifully, especially in the third reading for Vespers: "Let whoever is simple turn in here" (Proverbs 9).

Below is a video of ourselves that we found on YouTube! A woman from the website ClevelandPeople.com went around the vocation tent at the Fest (August 8, 2010) asking members of the religious communities if she could record them praying their favorite prayer. So we sang "It is Truly Proper." I don't think it is our best singing voice, but we thought we would share it with you anyway!

A Fruitful Harvest

2010-09-28T19:03:00.001-04:00

Both fresh and mellowed fruits, my lover, I have kept in store for you.

Song of Songs 7:14

Sr. Celeste and I have been enjoying the fruits of our garden, sharing them, canning them, making jam and jelly with them and thanking our Bridegroom for these gifts that He has blessed us with this year. We thank those who provided us with plants and seeds for our garden. This year we started our garden in a different location than last year (closer to the monastery) and downsized it quite a bit (much more manageable!). For various reasons we tried an interesting method of planting each plant in a bag of topsoil or a pot, in rows, on top of landscaping fabric mulched with grass clippings. It may sound strange, but it worked wonderfully for us (no weeds!). We have been blessed with a delicious crop, especially the multitudes of tomatoes!

Seminarian Musil helps to make salsa

We were also blessed with the opportunity to join in the harvest of the fruits of others: blueberries at Deacon Bill Fredrick's house and blackberries at my grandma's. With these berries and other fruits and veggies from our garden we produced many batches of various flavors of jam and jelly. We spent the day last Saturday by selling our jam, jelly and banana and zucchini bread at the ethnic food sale at St. Emilian parish in Brunswick, Ohio, in the morning and at the Carpatho-Rusyn Society's Vatra at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch in the afternoon and evening. We sparked the curiosity of many with some of our unusual flavors, such as raspberry jalapeno jelly, tomato jelly and pumpkin butter. The raised eyebrows which turned into smiles proved that providing samples of these flavors was a good idea...

Selling jelly at the Vatra

As we enjoy the last harvests from our garden we ask for your prayers as we continue to discern God's will in the formation of our monastery and seek to bear fruit that will endure.

We hope you can make it to our fall work day this Saturday! Please remember to RSVP!

Fall Work Day & Lamb Roast Announced!

2010-09-10T12:48:00.000-04:00

Volunteers at last year's fall work day

All are invited to our 2010 fall work day, Saturday, October 2. This year, thanks to the generosity of a parishioner at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch, we will conclude the day down at the shrine with a lamb roast!

Join us for a day of service, prayer, food and fun! Bring friends and make new friends! We need your help with projects such as these: building a raised bed for a second raspberry patch, yard work, repairing downspouts, painting and more!

Schedule:
10:00 a.m.     Work day begins
1:00 p.m.       Lunch (provided)
5:00 p.m.       Great Vespers, followed by lamb roast

Reminders:
-Bring a side dish to share if you are able
-Wear old clothes and dress for the weather
-Please RSVP by Wed. Sept. 29 to 440-834-0290 or christthebridegroom@gmail.com (so we know how many projects and how much food to prepare)

We realize that this event conflicts with the eparchial women's retreat taking place that weekend. We're sorry for the inconvenience, but this was the only date that worked for us! We hope this will give the dads and kids something to do together while the moms are on retreat!

Check out other upcoming events (there are several happening soon at the shrine) by visiting our "Upcoming Events" page. We hope to see you soon!

Monastery Visit in Olympia, Washington

2010-09-03T20:59:00.016-04:00

“I lift my eyes to the mountains—from where will my help come? My help shall come from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1,2) It was a beautiful view! Sr. Julie and I enjoyed the awesome snowcapped Cascade Mountains from the plane during our flight to the Great Northwest. In our quest to seek and fulfill God’s will in our lives, we visited Holy Theophany Monastery in Olympia, Washington at the end of July to pray with the nuns and learn from their experience of monastic life. We were welcomed with open arms and hospitality. Mother Anastasia, abbess of the monastery, willingly shared her wisdom and the history of their monastery and wanted to help us in any way possible. We enjoyed delicious meals prepared by Mother Irene and were inspired by Mother Johanna’s childlike joy.

Fr. Joseph Stanichar, pastor of St. John Chrysostom in Seattle was a gracious host. He traveled to the monastery and drove us to his parish. We shared heartfelt conversations with Father Joseph and his parishioner, Elizabeth, who fed us well, then we all went to the beach to watch the sun set behind the Olympic Mountains and topped off the day with ice cream before heading back.

Sr. Julie and I were also given the opportunity to suit up in bee keeper’s gear and were intrigued by the meticulous and dedicated work of the bees as we watched Mother Irene gently tend to them to start a new hive. Although she was extremely careful, she still was stung. We hope to raise bees at our monastery in the future, but we’ll probably have to stock up on Benadryl.

Blossom, the monastic dog, created some excitement one afternoon when she chased six raccoons up a tree. She had fun barking and jumping at the tree and intimidated the cute raccoons as they cuddled together on a large branch, but they obviously saw no humor in it.

We are grateful to Holy Theophany Monastery and to Fr. Joseph and Elizabeth for their love, prayer and support. We still have a few more places to visit before we discern where God wants us to be for formation, but we continue to trust in the unfailing love and infinite wisdom of our Bridegroom and gaze higher knowing our help will come from Him.

"O You Through Whom Creation is Renewed"

2010-09-01T22:15:00.000-04:00

Litija prayers during Great Vespers

"O You Through Whom Creation is Renewed," a line from the Akathist service to the Mother of God, was the theme for the annual pilgrimage at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch (aka across the street!), August 14-15. We hope that our presence here is helping in some way, along with the hard work Friends of the Shrines and other volunteers, to renew the life at the shrine. But our focus during this pilgrimage weekend was how the Mother of God renews creation through her openness to God and the gift of her Son to the world.

Burial Shroud surrounded by blessed flowers

Because the Feast of the Dormition (falling asleep) of the Mother of God fell this year on Sunday of the pilgrimage, we enjoyed the unique treat of celebrating the burial service of the Mother of God on Saturday night. This beautiful service, celebrated in some Eastern traditions, is made up of Great Vespers (evening prayer) and Matins (morning prayer) for the feast, which when celebrated together on the eve of a feast are called the "All Night Vigil." The service also includes a burial procession with the shroud of the Mother of God. Participants can see how this service closely imitates the burial procession that we participate in on Good Friday of Holy Week, including the veneration of the shroud at the conclusion of the service. For Sr. Celeste and me, our favorite part is the chanting of the Song of Songs during the procession!!! The tears were rolling down my cheeks as we walked slowly in the dark, right behind the shroud, as the cantors chanted the words that Sr. Celeste and I pray every evening at the end of compline (night prayer) before we go to bed. The Church was singing to us! It was one of those moments when the stress and difficulties melt away...

Pausing for prayer before Fr. Rich's talk

"Frozen T-shirt" icebreaker

Another great blessing of the pilgrimage was the great group of teens who came to camp out. Sr. Celeste and I helped to organize the teen campout, along with several young adult chaperones. The teens and young adults brought awesome joy and vibrancy to the prayer services and other activities of the pilgrimage. We hope that their presence here will continue to renew the pilgrimage and the shrine as a place of life and prayer, as they return with their friends, families and enthusiasm. The teens immersed themselves in all of the prayer services, enjoyed sports and games out in the field, cooked on the campfire and participated in the procession for the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Sunday with Bishop John. They also trekked across the street to our monastery for Third Hour on Sunday morning and a tour of the monastery. We enjoyed showing them and other pilgrims the progress we have made over the past year, teaching them a little bit about our life and showing our video.

Sr. Celeste's chicken paprikas was a hit again this year, and sold out quickly!

The closing Divine Liturgy with Bishop John on Sunday was beautiful, and the gift of three new subdeacons, ordained during the Liturgy, was given to our Church. Please pray for subdeacons (and our good friends) Greg Loya, Michael Melnick and Robert Cripps as they continue their journey to the diaconate.

I learned during the pilgrimage, as God patiently teaches me over and over again, that I will not be in control, no matter how well I plan out my portion of an event. It is He alone who knows how to bring life, breathing His Holy Spirit into the very midst of our actions and conversations. But we can participate in His life-giving action--in the renewal of creation--by following the example of the Mother of God, for, "Today she places her all-pure soul into the hands of her Son. With her, the universe is filled with joy, and the grace of salvation is given to us" (A hymn at the Litija).

Our First Vocation Table--at the Fest!

2010-08-22T21:57:00.000-04:00

We put together a display about our monastery and participated in our first vocations fair on August 8 during the Fest--a large Catholic family festival in Wickliffe, Ohio, on the grounds of the seminary for the Diocese of Cleveland. We spoke with many families who brought their children through the vocations tent to meet the priests, brothers and nuns who were representing various communities from across the country. We also spoke with several young women who were curious to discover the religious communities that they could look into and ask us questions.

We enjoyed meeting the members of the other communities represented and catching up with friends who stopped by to chat and show their support. Later in the afternoon we joined some friends on their blanket in the field to enjoy a live concert by one of our favorite musicians--Matt Maher!

Thank you for your prayers for our pilgrimage here at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch last weekend. It went very well, and we promise to post some pictures soon!

Summer Youth Events

2010-08-09T22:04:00.002-04:00

This summer has been busy but a blessing to us. We were fortunate enough to be able to attend the ByzanTEEN Youth Rally at Mercyhurst College in Erie, PA, July 8-11. It was great to enjoy a weekend full of prayer, talks, meals, sports and fun (and how could I fail to mention card games?) with 250 energetic teens from across the country. Sister Celeste, who formerly had a big role in the youth rallies as the Director of Youth Ministry for the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, commented, "Being with the teens again was bittersweet. It was thrilling to pray and play with them and bask in their unique energy and love. I miss them dearly, but they're always close in my heart and prayer."

Praying compline each night at midnight was a highlight for us, as well as the impromptu Panachida (prayer service for the deceased) prayed one night for recently departed Metropolitan Basil. The most inspiring moment however, would have to be the procession from the college to Sts. Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic Church, a couple blocks away, and the Divine Liturgy celebrated with all of the bishops. A group of teens had been practicing throughout the weekend to cantor the liturgy, and with the incredible singing and the sense of energy and reverence, we were quite sure we were in heaven!

Two weeks after the Youth Rally we hosted the 2nd Annual Life in Christ Girls' Sleepover Weekend, sponsored by the eparchial Office of Vocations, July 22-25. Teen girls from Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania gathered to pray, have fun and learn about modeling Christ, during the weekend themed "Byzantine Next Top Model: What are you modeling?" Activities such as the "Maze of Life," virtue fashion show skits, crafts and games complemented a talk by Sr. Julie and Jessie Houck on real beauty and being clothed with Christ, a talk by Sr. Celeste on the monastic habit and how we are all called to live in poverty, chastity and obedience, and other talks on the challenges and joys of married life and the importance and joy of the Mystery of Holy Repentance.

The girls seemed to enjoy spending time with us at the monastery. During a competitive game of Spud, participant Rose Hunt from St. Stephen's in Euclid exclaimed, "I never knew nuns could be so crazy!" (We hope it's the good kind of crazy...)

On Saturday we spent a beautiful evening in the chapel across the street, gathered in the dark around an icon of Christ surrounded by candles, meditating on how we had at times failed to model Christ in our lives. One by one we participated in Christ's healing grace in the Mystery of Holy Repentance and returned cleansed, clothed anew in Christ.

On Sunday morning the girls prayed Matins in our chapel and then joined the boys (who were participating in the Alive in Christ Ascetical Boot Camp for Guys across the street at the Shrine) and families down at the Shrine altar for the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy with Bishop John. The weekend closed with a nice dinner and wrap-up awards program.

So, we are looking for a much-needed break! Hmm... In the meantime, please keep in your prayers the annual pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady of Mariapoch taking place across the street at the Shrine this weekend, especially for the teens and young adults who will be camping out. (Good weather would be great!) If you are in the area please stop by! The schedule is available here. You won't want to miss, among other things, Sr. Celeste's chicken paprikas!

Two Monastery Visits

2010-06-24T19:41:00.009-04:00

“But if you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deut 4:29) Seeking God’s will and desiring to experience different monasteries and their way of life and prayer, Sr. Julie and I ventured out to Holy Annunciation Monastery in Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania. Since they are a cloistered community, we weren’t able to interact much with the sisters, but we were able to pray with them in their chapel and were uplifted by their harmonious singing. We stayed in their guest house and shared light-hearted conversations with Sister Emmanuel who graciously served our meals in their guest dining room. They served us their fresh bakery, homemade butter, eggnog and famous cheesecake. We were blessed with fresh cow’s milk daily. We probably gained a few pounds during our visit. Mother Marija gave us a tour of their grounds and proudly showed us their miniature horses which they raise along with sheep, angora rabbits, and two cows.

Afterwards we visited the Holy Myrrhbearers Orthodox Monastery in Otego, New York. We enjoyed the opportunity to pray with the sisters and eat with them. We witnessed their hard work in the garden, barn and fields as they cared for their goats and sheep. We were edified by their joy. I had the opportunity to milk one of their goats. I think I bonded with the goat! Sr. Julie and I also enjoyed feeding some of the baby goats as they guzzled down milk from a bottle. We actually drank the goat’s milk and it was surprisingly delicious! Mother Raphaela offered us two goats to take home with us, but we really aren’t prepared to take proper care of them…who knows, maybe we will in the future, especially in our efforts to rid the massive poison ivy growing in the woods where we hope to have our prayer walk!

We also traveled with the Holy Myrrhbearers to the annual pilgrimage at St. Tikhon Monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania. What a beautiful Divine Liturgy. It was two and a half hours long, but didn’t seem like it. Our holy excursion to Pennsylvania and New York was a wonderful experience. We hope to return again. As we continue to seek God’s will with all our hearts and souls, we are eternally grateful to Christ, our Bridegroom, for all the blessings and love experienced. I believe that the relationships that developed during our brief visit will be life-long and fruitful.

You are welcome to view additional photos from our trip:

Monastery Visits

Eternal Memory, Metropolitan Basil

2010-06-14T14:55:00.000-04:00

Our Metropolitan (Archbishop), Basil Schott, died early Thursday morning, June 10, ending his year-long battle with cancer. He will certainly be missed by the Church. Sr. Julie has fond memories of him when he would stop in at her home parish of St. Joseph in Brecksville, Ohio, when he was the bishop of our Eparchy of Parma (1996-2002), and Sr. Celeste worked with him at the Pittsburgh chancery when she was Director of Youth Ministry for the Archeparchy. Please keep him and his family in your prayers. We will be attending his funeral in Pittsburgh on Friday, June 18.

Please also keep our Church in your prayers and those who will be choosing the new Metropolitan. May the Holy Spirit be poured out on them.

May God grant to His servant the Priest Metropolitan Basil Eternal Memory and Blessed Repose!

Obituary in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
EWTN News

Spring Work Day

2010-06-09T14:40:00.000-04:00

Friends and new volunteers joined us on Saturday, May 22, for a productive spring work day. Projects tackled included weeding and clearing out flowerbeds, mulching, pruning bushes, painting a bedroom, cleaning windows and blinds, finishing various tasks around the house and even cutting down a tree! An afternoon thunderstorm barely slowed the work...we put everyone to work inside! At 5:00 the work was set aside for the celebration of Great Vespers for the Feast of Pentecost, celebrated by Fr. Stephen Titko. Our little chapel was bursting with sound as we commemorated the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and received the blessed bread. Afterward we got the grill going and enjoyed a delicious cookout. God even blessed us with a rainbow as we ate (which Sr. Celeste was the first to spot, as usual!).

A huge thank-you goes out to all who came to share their hands, talents and joy with us! The energy throughout the monastery and grounds was uplifting. Perhaps it was the Holy Spirit?

Please view our pictures from the work day:

Spring 2010 Work Day

Front Page News!

2010-05-08T11:41:00.005-04:00

We are honored to be featured on the front cover of the most recent issue of our eparchial newspaper, Horizons. A big thank-you goes out to editor Lory Nemeth for a great article. We are excited to get the word out about the development of our monastery to the people of the eparchy, and we look forward to our increasing involvement in the life of the Church. As the article states, we invite all to our upcoming spring work day and cookout, Saturday, May 22. Please RSVP! Thanks!

Bishop gives approval of first steps to ‘raise up a monastery’
‘My heart was just burning within me and I knew that was what God was calling me to’
By Loretta Nemeth

BURTON, Ohio — On Monday morning of Holy Week, March 29, following the celebration of Bridegroom Matins in the chapel of the former residence of Mariapoch Sisters Flora and Adalberta, Bishop John gave his approval of the first steps to the establishment of the Monastery of Christ the Bridegroom there. Acknowledging that Julie Hritz and Celeste Strohmeyer have lived a modified monastic life at the residence for over a year and have formulated a draft typicon to govern a monastic community of women, Bishop John asked for their commitment "to continue this endeavor to its canonical establishment and your full membership."

Following their agreement, Bishop John gave them the following permissions:

•to maintain a private chapel, with the privilege that Divine Liturgy served there will satisfy one’s obligation for Sunday and holy days of obligation, and

•to use some of the monastic symbols: to preface their baptismal names with the title "Sister" and to wear a common garb whenever representing the monastery.

Bishop John then blessed the property and presented the sisters with an antimension for their chapel.

The journey to that day began during the time Sister Celeste was a nun of the Sisters of St. Basil the Great, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Province, Uniontown, Pa.

Sister Celeste is originally from Niles and one of 11 siblings. A vocation from St. John Parish in Solon, she worked at Nestle USA for 10 years there before becoming a nun. Sister Celeste was the director of youth ministry for the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh. "I liked where I was," she said, but felt God calling her in a different direction. Unsure of what the direction was, Sister Celeste said it started to materialize through casual conversations with Bishop John about his vision and finally with his open letter to invite the establishment of traditional Eastern monastic communities in the eparchy.

Sister Celeste was given a year’s leave of absence from her religious community to discern this new calling. It was an intense time of "tons of prayers," and the decision to answer this new call was not without heartache. "The decision to leave my sisters – and the teens – was difficult," said Sister Celeste.

Bishop John’s invitation letter also hit home with Sister Julie. "When I was reading the letter, my heart was just burning within me and I knew that was what God was calling me to," she said. Sister Julie was in her final semester at the University of Akron and living on campus at the time she read the letter. After praying about it, she wrote a letter to Bishop John, expressing her interest in a monastic community. Sister Julie is a member of St. Joseph Parish in Brecksville and after graduation lived with her parents and two brothers in North Royalton and continued working at Right to Life of Summit County until she moved into the monastery.

The two women visited Sisters Flora and Adalberta, now at Regina Health Care Center in Richfield, seeking to rent their former residence at the shrine. The elderly sisters were so excited to hear that the home would again be a monastery and that Sisters Celeste and Julie would continue being involved at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch that they just turned the property over.

Sisters Celeste and Julie, along with many, many volunteers, began renovating the house in January 2009. The house was still under major renovation when the women moved in April 3, 2009. They and their helpers pulled down paneling, installed dry wall and tore down a wall to expand the chapel. "New life was generated there," said Sister Celeste, "with people coming in, really giving of their time, giving us things that we needed."

"The first summer we were there, we were already able to help out with activities at the shrine, host the girls’ camp and host two discernment retreats," Sister Julie said.

Their project over the winter and spring was to compose a provisional typicon, a monastic rule of life for the community. The sisters said that their typicon was inspired by John Paul II’s document "Orientale Lumen." In that letter he "encouraged the rediscovery of Eastern monasticism, especially in the United States … and called the church to support these monasteries," said Sister Julie. They also looked at the typicons of other Eastern monasteries. "We made it our own unique typicon by incorporating our own spirituality of the spousal relationship with Christ," she said.

The ceremony on Holy Monday "made us a part of the eparchy as Christ the Bridegoom community and commissioned us to begin it, so we promised to live by what we’ve spelled out in our typicon," Sister Julie said.

Sister Celeste commented on the day: "I felt excitement, more grounded – for me personally, it was neat that I could be called ‘Sister’ again … the bishop’s presence, especially during Bridegroom Matins, that was such a very significant and intimate connection with the eparchy, Jesus Christ, our community … it culminated that sense of unity."

Sister Julie said she "felt kind of nervous about making that commitment," but she said she was also glad that they could "take this step to move ahead with the formation of the monastery. … It was good to have Bishop’s concrete support."

Sister Julie also said, "I felt more deeply our need for the prayers of the church to help us at this time."

The next step for the sisters is to formalize their formation process and who will be assisting them. Once their formation is complete, they will be able to invite other women to join the community; they have been in communication with women who are already interested in the community.

The sisters see their ministry as prayer and hospitality, welcoming people and helping them to understand and nurture the spousal relationship with Christ. Right now, they can host individuals who need to get away and have a personal retreat. Future goals include working with youth and families, especially at the shrine pilgrimages, and to be able to host formal retreats for small groups.

The sisters said their blog (http://christthebridegroom.blogspot.com) has been a good communication tool. They also said Eastern Christian Media (easternchristianmedia.com) was a big help to them in the production of the video on the creation of the monastery. There is a link to the video on Eastern Christian Media’s home page.

The sisters invite helpers to their next work day at the monastery, Saturday, May 22, beginning at 10 a.m. The day will include lunch, great vespers and a cookout. They ask that volunteers planning to attend contact them at (440) 834-0290 or by e-mail at christthebridegroom@gmail.com.

Holy Week 2010

2010-04-12T20:02:00.008-04:00

To share with you a glimpse into our experience of Holy Week at the monastery we put together this brief video. It includes a slideshow of photos from the Palm Sunday weekend young adult retreat and other photos throughout Holy Week, a piece of the video from our commissioning on Holy Monday by Bishop John, recordings of us and the women visiting for the week singing the Bridegroom Troparion and the Hymn of Light from Bridegroom Matins, and a couple of songs from the latest album "Alive Again" by Catholic musician Matt Maher (a monastery favorite!). We hope you enjoy it!

On Holy Saturday afternoon we attended Vespers with the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Parma. We were thrilled to hear a beautiful homily from Bishop John about the Resurrection as the wedding feast for the marriage of Christ the Bridegroom and His Church. Bishop John also mentioned the creation of our monastery and its dedication to this spousal relationship. We would like to share with you the text of his homily:

Pascha … a wedding feast

We have just heard three stories about God freeing his people. He freed the Israelites from the bondage in Egypt. He freed the three young men from the fiery furnace. He freed the whole world from the bondage of sin and death by raising His Son from dead.

The first two seem to be rewards for faithfulness. The last is in anticipation of faithfulness. After he frees us, he calls us to be faithful. This last action is rather difficult to understand. One image that seems to help is that of the wedding of two parties in love with each other. The wedding is certainly not a reward but a pledge.

Monday of this last week, we were blessed with the creation in principle of a new monastery in the Eparchy of Parma. Christ the Bridegroom Monastery is dedicated to God’s love for his people and the relationship that ensues.

In the book of Revelations, we read: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory. For the wedding day of the Lamb has come, his bride has made herself ready.” (Rv 19:7)

Christ the Bridegroom! What a beautiful way to understand the saving action of Jesus Christ!

The Resurrection is the forming of a relationship of give and take. It is an intimate relationship of true love. As Father Stephen reminded us last evening, the passion, crucifixion, and burial are truly our assurance of “no greater love has anyone than to give one’s life for the other.”

A recent Eucharistic Congress in Washington, D.C., called the paschal mystery a "Sacrifice of Enduring Love." Cardinal Justin Rigali stated in a homily: "The wedding feast has begun, and we, the church, his bride, … are here to acknowledge the power of his blood and to proclaim the spousal covenant in which this blood has forever linked us to himself" (Sept 11, 2009).

This spousal relationship, like all human marriages, develops from a desire to get to know the other person, through the wedding to the fullness of intimacy. The holy passion of Christ served to establish our relationship. The Day of Resurrection celebrates our wedding. The descent of the Holy Spirit takes us through the full intimacy of marriage. This is indeed "the wedding day of the Lamb." The Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, is the bridegroom and we, the church, his bride.

“The wedding feast has begun” but it is not over. Each time we gather for the Holy Eucharist we unite ourselves to the Lamb. Those who participated in the “Heaven on Earth” seminar last Saturday know that the bread of the Divine Liturgy that, together with the wine becomes the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, (that bread) is called the Lamb. The Lamb that Father Richard reminded us on Holy Thursday is broken but not divided – food that unites through its sacrifice. It is the Lamb which becomes our Holy Communion with God.

Because we, the church, are wedded to Christ the Bridegroom, we are invited to share in the radiant glory of the resurrection. The Bridegroom calls us so lovingly and so tenderly as we hear in the Old Testament book of Song of Songs: "Come, my beloved, my beautiful one."

“The wedding day of the Lamb has come, his bride has made herself ready.” Even if we haven’t taken full advantage of the 40-day preparation period, even if we haven’t started, let’s start now to "make ourselves ready." All God asks is what he offers us – a mutual "sacrifice of enduring love." As we accept this spousal relationship, we will be ever the bolder to proclaim: Christ is risen! Indeed he is risen!

The Beginning Continues

2010-04-01T11:19:00.018-04:00

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

Pasch so delightful, Pasch of the Lord is the Pasch--most honored Pasch now dawned on us. It is the Pasch! Therefore, let us joyfully embrace one another. O Passover, save us from sorrow; for today Christ has shown forth from the tomb as from a bridal chamber and filled the women with joy by saying: "Announce the good news to My Apostles." (From the Paschal Hymns)

We pray that you and your families enjoyed a beautiful Pascha and will continue to rest in the light and joy of the Resurrection! The past few weeks have been very busy for us, but we immersed ourselves in the spirit of Holy Week and the Resurrection as best we could, with the grace of God! During Palm Sunday weekend we hosted a young adult retreat, and during Holy Week several women discerning monastic life joined us for discussion, prayer and to experience our life. We will post pictures soon from these experiences.

Holy Saturday fell this year on April 3, the first anniversary of the day we moved into the monastery! We are so grateful to God for all the blessings (and the challenges!) of this past year, and we look forward to continued growth.

Also, on Monday of Holy Week, Bishop John visited to celebrate Bridegroom Matins and officially commission us to begin this monastery and become part of the Eparchy of Parma! It was especially significant because Bridegroom Matins was the first service we celebrated in our chapel one year ago. The text of this commissioning is below. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to move forward in the development of our monastery.

Bishop: Blessed is our God, now and ever and forever.

Response: Amen.

Bishop: In 2008 I issued a call for the establishment of monasteries to complete the ecclesial activity of the Eparchy of Parma. I identified this property, a gift from Sisters Flora and Adalberta, Sisters of Mariapoch, to be a monastery of nuns. For over a year you have resided here, living a modified monastic life and, with the help of many others, improving the property. From your experience, combined with the shared experience of other monasteries of women, you have formulated a draft typicon to govern the life of nuns in a monastery to be established here at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch in the future. You have expressed a desire to continue this endeavor to its canonical establishment and your full membership. And so I give approval of these first steps to the establishment of the Monastery of Christ the Bridegroom and I ask you

Bishop: Are you aware of the expectations presented in the typicon, that was given initial approval, and are you willing to try to live according to it?

Celeste, Julie: I am.

Bishop: Are you willing to represent the monastery appropriately as you continue formation into the monastic way?

Celeste, Julie: I am.

Bishop: Are you willing to welcome others into the community?

Celeste, Julie: I am.

Bishop: Do you acknowledge that your involvement in this monastery is one of formation and discernment and that, until formal formation begins, you do not have canonical standing as a monastic?

Celeste, Julie: I do.

Bishop: Are you willing to grow in the spiritual life toward a possible full entry into the monastic way?

Celeste, Julie: I am with the help of God.

Bishop: I, as Bishop of Parma, assure you that the eparchy will provide you every support at our disposal. To lay the foundation upon which the monastery will be built, I grant you the following permissions. I give you permission to maintain a private chapel, with the privilege that Divine Liturgy served here will satisfy one’s obligation for Sunday and holy days of obligation. I give you permission to use some of the monastic symbols: you will preface your baptismal name with the title “Sister” and you will wear a common garb whenever representing the monastery.
Although not graced with vows, your living the life of the evangelical virtues will identify you with the monastery and the monastery will be identified as an appropriate means of grace. Because the monastery has no canonical status, all real property and its contents, unless specifically identified, remain the property of the eparchy. By following the typicon you will live a chaste life. To be able to maintain obedience to this way of life, we must identify one person to serve as guardian of the common life, a role satisfied in a monastery by the hegumena or abbess. To that end, are you, Sister Celeste, willing to serve in this role until such time that the monastery will be established and a hegumena identified?

Sister Celeste: I am.

Bishop: May God be blessed by this endeavor and may He bless the monastery with properly motivated nuns and may he bless each of us with proper discernment.

Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.

Response: Lord, have mercy.

Bishop: Almighty God, creator and fashioner of all, who made Heaven with understanding, and founded the earth on its firmness: Look down on your servants Sister Celeste and Sister Julie, who, together with myself and many others, desire, in the might of Your strength, to raise up a monastery. Establish it on a firm rock, and, according to Your Divine Voice in the Gospel, found it so that neither wind nor water, nor anything whatsoever may be able to harm it. Be well-pleased to bring it to completion and bring those who desire to be members thereof to live lives worthy of Christ the Bridegroom, and to be delivered from the snare of the adversary.
For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, Father Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever.

Response: Amen.

Bishop: This property, as it is, and as it may become, is blessed with the sprinkling of this Holy Water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Response: Amen.

Longing for Paradise

2010-02-28T16:08:00.004-05:00

Adam formerly sat before the gate of Paradise weeping, * and with his head buried in his hands, he cried out; * O merciful Lord, have mercy on me, a fallen one. (Ikos of the Canon, Matins of Cheesefare Sunday)

We do not have doors yet on the iconostas in our chapel (actually we only have two tall icons…though a design has been drawn up!), but if we did, we would be praying before these closed doors each day remembering our exile from Paradise.

The Great Fast, or Lent, is all about this exile. The Sunday before the fast begins, called Cheesefare Sunday (because it is the last day we eat dairy products before the fast) or Forgiveness Sunday (because at the end of vespers that evening, which marks the beginning of the fast, we forgive each other), the theme is the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. We remember the sin of our first parents and our own sin, and in the prayers of Matins we call out to Paradise itself:

O pleasant meadows, O sweetness of Paradise, * you trees planted by God, * let your leaves, as so many eyes, pour out tears for my nakedness * and my estrangement from the glory of God. (Ode 4 of the Canon, Matins of Cheesefare Sunday)

Why are we called now to remember this particular chapter in our history?

It is because God is calling us to Himself, and He wants us to long for the Paradise we have lost. Before we experience His Resurrection, we must know why we need this Resurrection.

The prayers of the Church will take us on a journey. Especially in the Old Testament readings during vespers and the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, we will travel from the Garden of Eden, through the whole book of Genesis, to the beginning of Moses’ mission.

As we listen to these stories we will see in them glimpses of our own sinfulness, our own tendencies to choose our own paths instead of God’s, and our own longings to be reunited with Him. The story of Adam and Eve’s expulsion from Paradise is especially appropriate, because we do not have anything to strive for unless we realize that we have fallen—fallen from a state of great dignity and glory. How will we hear God calling us to Himself if we do not know that we are separated from Him?

The 40 days of the Great Fast are a journey through a spiritual desert, just as the Israelites wandered for 40 years through the desert, exiled by their sins. We can reflect on many similarities: Our deserts are full of difficulties and temptations similar to the struggles faced by the Israelites; we will come face to face with ourselves and fall in our weaknesses just as the Israelites grumbled against God and fell into to the worship of idols; we are fed by the Eucharist at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts just as God provided manna for the Israelites; and at the end of our journey we know that the Resurrection awaits us, just as the Israelites entered into the Promised Land.

At Forgiveness Vespers, which begin the Great Fast, we softly sing part of the Resurrection Canon as we forgive each other. We will sing this Canon at Resurrection Matins in its full splendor, but we are given a little taste now so that we long for more.

It is your joyful task to continue to reflect on all that God is speaking to us during this journey through the desert. May we all recognize our longing for Paradise and know that this longing is a great gift.

O delightful Paradise, * share in the sorrow of your fallen master, * and, by the whispering of your leaves, beseech the Creator * not to keep you closed forever; * O merciful Lord, have mercy on me, a fallen one. (Ikos of the Canon, Matins of Cheesefare Sunday)

For additional Lenten reflections, we recommend listening to podcasts by Fr. Thomas Hopko at Ancient Faith Radio: http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/hopko

A Witness of Life and Joy

2010-01-28T20:42:00.005-05:00

We had a great time at the March for Life this year with the teen group we organized through the eparchy. Instead of writing a new post, I'll just post my article which will appear in the upcoming edition of our eparchy's newspaper, Horizons. You can click on the collage above to zoom in.

The ByzanTEENs joined a massive convergence of people celebrating life and praying for an end to abortion at the 37th Annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., on Friday, January 22.

Departing the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Parma, Ohio, at 5:30 a.m., the sleepy teens, many of whom would be attending the march for the first time, did not quite know what they would be experiencing. When the group of 13 teens, 10 young adult and adult chaperones and one priest (Fr. Mychail Rozmarynowyz, St. Basil, Sterling Heights, Mich.) stepped out of the Metro station in the center of D.C., a scene of an estimated 300,000 people stretched out in front of them.

“It was a very life changing experience to see all of the people there supporting the same cause,” said Rachel Pawluszka, a teen from St. Basil in Sterling Heights, Mich.

“Seeing all of the other people there at the March got me to think about what we were marching for,” said Cathedral teen David Bratnick. This year’s march took place in the midst of the national health care debate, in which federal funding of abortion is the major issue at stake. Many signs read, “Abortion is not Healthcare.”

The group met up with Bishop John, Fr. Richard Plishka and several of the Byzantine seminarians and marched to the Supreme Court building, following an icon of the Visitation depicting Jesus and John the Baptist in the wombs of their mothers. The young adults led the singing of Marian hymns using portable speakers.

“Everybody was asking questions about the icons, which I thought was cool,” said Pawluszka.

At the Supreme Court building various groups paused to sing or pray in their own unique expressions as the mass of marchers continued to pour around the corner and in front of the building. The ByzanTEENs stopped at the edge of the crowd to share their own gift by praying the Akathist to the Mother of God, led by Bishop John.

Numerous marchers paused at the circle of Byzantines to listen for a while to the words and melody of this beautiful prayer. One man planted himself next to the icon sign holding a sign of his own that read: “When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe John leapt in the womb…(Lk 1:41)” He smiled at the group as he stood there, knowing that his sign described this icon perfectly. In this and in so many ways, the group was united to all of the many other marchers.

Just as the Akathist was finished the march ended. The group ate dinner nearby and then returned to the Supreme Court building, which was now lit up against the black sky. The marchers were gone and the streets had been returned to their usual car traffic. The teens sat in front of the steps as young adults Jessie Houck and Julie Hritz gave a reflection and led the group in prayer.

The group stayed overnight at Epiphany of Our Lord Byzantine Catholic Church in Annandale, Va., where they prayed compline at night with Bishop John and third hour in the morning. On Saturday the 23rd, the group explored several of the Catholic sites in D.C., including the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center and the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America. For lunch the group took a break at the Ukrainian Catholic Monastery of the Holy Cross.

The trip concluded with vespers and Divine Liturgy at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The beautiful Liturgy was celebrated by Bishop John in the Byzantine chapel, and attracted the attention of pilgrims visiting the various chapels in the Basilica. Many stopped to experience part of the Liturgy.

Bratnick enjoyed capturing the trip on video along with young adult Jenny Forkal. “I plan to edit the video with Jenny at the Eastern Christian Media Studio,” he said, and he hopes to incorporate the funny moments of the trip along with the serious.

Pawluszka said, “I would tell someone who wants to come next year to bring their walking shoes because it’s going to be a blast. There were so many cool things that we did this year and next year should be even better!”

On Video!

2010-01-02T19:17:00.004-05:00

We are thrilled to announce that our first video has been completed and is now online! The video is a beautiful summary of the purpose of a monastery and our hopes for this one, and features a few of the volunteers who have been helping us. It was quite a bit of work to put together, but it was a great learning experience and we had a blast!

A BIG “thank you” goes out to Bob Kasarda and the people of Eastern Christian Media and Gemini Productions for sponsoring, filming and editing the video, and for posting it on their home page! Please visit http://www.easternchristianmedia.com/bridegroom.html to check it out! Running time is 9 minutes.

We would also like to share a couple of photos from our first Christmas Eve at the monastery. It was a gloriously joyful day packed with prayer, cooking, laughs and time with friends. In addition to praying Matins, Royal Hours and Great Compline, Bishop John joined us in the afternoon to celebrate Vespers and the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil. We also held the traditional Christmas Eve Velija Supper, complete with twelve dishes representing the twelve apostles, straw under and on the table reminding us of Christ’s birth in the manger, and other meaningful traditions. As the Mother of God treasured in her heart the birth of her Son and the visit of the shepherds, we also will always treasure the memory of this Christmas Eve.

What does St. Nicholas have to do with Christmas?

2009-12-14T21:11:00.003-05:00

The feast of St. Nicholas gives us something interesting to think about. On this day we might find gifts in our shoes, gather together with family and friends to celebrate, enjoy a dinner after Liturgy and encounter a visit from the white-bearded “St. Nicholas” dressed in his bishop’s attire. This feast comes in the middle of our “Philip’s Fast,” or “Nativity Fast,” our time of preparation for the birth of Christ. Isn’t it interesting that the feeling of Christmas is tangible on this feast day? We haven’t reached the Nativity, but we glimpse it! Why?

What is it about St. Nicholas that causes this phenomenon? We barely know any facts about the life of St. Nicholas. He wasn’t a theologian and we don’t have a word that he wrote, he isn’t known for any ascetical feats of fasting and he wasn’t a mystic, a prophet or a martyr. There are plenty of legends about the life of St. Nicholas, such as his slugging of the heretic Arius at the first ecumenical council in Nicea or his anonymous gift dropped through the window of a young woman without a dowry. All we know for certain is that he was a fourth-century bishop of Myra in Lycia, known for his defense of the true faith and his good works. We may never know if the particular stories about him are perfectly true, but it doesn’t matter. All we need to know is that he was good!—He possessed the goodness of God Himself.

On the feast of St. Nicholas we participate in the goodness, generosity and joy of this saint by imitating his virtues and receiving the fruits of these virtues from others. Fr. Thomas Hopko explains in his book The Winter Pascha, “The Messiah has come so that human beings can live lives which are, strictly speaking, humanly impossible. He has come so that people can really be good. One of the greatest and most beloved examples among believers that this is true is the holy bishop of Myra about whom almost nothing else is known, or needs to be known, except that he was good. For this reason alone he remains, even in his secularized form, the very spirit of Christmas.”

Sr. Celeste and I hope that this joy and goodness was evident at our St. Nicholas celebration on the evening of December 5. We were certainly uplifted by the singing in our packed chapel for Great Vespers and the spirit of joy throughout the evening. Guests covered our kitchen counter with delicious potluck dishes, joyfully sang “O who loves Nicholas the saintly,” played games with the kids and enjoyed a visit by “St. Nicholas” himself! It was a glimpse of the joy of the Nativity—the joy of heaven!

As we complete the fast and the journey to the Nativity, may we seek little moments of interior silence to prepare a peaceful place in our hearts for Jesus, who desires to rest in us and give us His joy, so that we might overflow in generosity and love. Our prayers are with you!

A much-needed retreat

2009-12-10T13:49:00.006-05:00

God is with us! We have embraced and carry that prayer in our hearts as we continue to renovate and organize our future monastery. Even though our “monastery” is a prayerful, joyful and peaceful place, each room has its particular distractions of work yet to be accomplished. We were in need of less distraction and a little more peace and spousal prayer. So Julie and I traveled to Ellwood City, Pennsylvania for a five day retreat at the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration. What a blessing. Mother Christophora and the other mothers and sisters were very warm and welcoming and generously showered us with hospitality. We were uplifted by their beautiful voices of harmony and strengthened as we prayed with them in their holy chapel filled with icons from floor to ceiling.

We stayed at one of the houses on the grounds and enjoyed the gift of silence. At times we listened to CDs of various speakers, mostly of Father Thomas Hopko and Mother Christophora. We also had time to paint icons. I finished one and Julie started another. Even though some days were cold and rainy, we each made an effort to take walks on the grounds. We often visited Reverend Mother Alexandra’s grave (A.K.A. Ileana, Princess of Romania). I especially enjoyed spending prayerful time with her. Since she was the foundress of the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration, I especially felt drawn to be with her and humbly asked for her guidance and intercession. I felt bolstered by her motherly presence.

At the end of the retreat, we were refreshed and ready to trek back to Burton, Ohio. We are grateful to the mothers and sisters of the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration and thank Christ our Bridegroom for the intimate encounters, energizing peace and all the blessings undeservedly received. God is (without a doubt) with us!

"I belong to my Lover, and for Me He yearns": Our 2nd Monastic Retreat

2009-10-16T10:16:00.004-04:00

“I belong to my Lover, and for Me He yearns.” This aching yet tender verse from Song of Songs was the theme for our second retreat for women discerning monasticism. Our retreat began with silence as we quietly watched “Into Great Silence,” a two-hour and forty-five minute movie (documentary) of life at the Grande Chartreuse, considered one of the world’s most ascetic monasteries located in the French Alps. Philip Gröning, producer and filmmaker, lived in the monks’ quarters for six months and filmed their daily prayers, tasks, rituals and rare outdoor excursions. “Into Great Silence” is more of a meditation than a documentary. Silence and reflection was integrated throughout the week as we experienced the rhythm of prayer, meals, work and recreation of monastic life.

One of the highlights of the retreat was a road trip. We visited Monastery Marcha, a Serbian Orthodox monastery in Richfield, Ohio. Upon our arrival, Sister Anastasia warmly greeted us with great hospitality. She offered a traditional sweet candy and Serbian coffee. She explained that this particular tradition of hospitality goes back centuries when people took great lengths to visit the monasteries and were tired from their long and difficult travels. The hegumena (abbess), Mother Anna, an 87 year old nun immediately lit up the dining room with her entrance and genuine joy and “spunk.” We listened intently as she shared many stories of her life and her simple yet great wisdom. Sister Anastasia led us to their chapel and shared her love, wisdom and support for our endeavors for our future monastery. The holiness and aching love for Christ was clearly present at Monastery Marcha.

We hope that the women went home from the retreat refreshed, and yet instilled with a greater ache for union with God, knowing that they belong to Him and He yearns for union with them.

Fall Work Day

2009-10-13T20:30:00.004-04:00

A group of great volunteers joined us for a fall work day on Saturday, October 10. They enthusiastically helped us with repainting the trim around the house, cleaning gutters, raking leaves, repotting house plants to bring inside, weed-wacking, cleaning window sills, working on the chapel walls and other projects. We are so grateful for their help and were encouraged by their joy.

In the evening we prayed vespers in our chapel and then enjoyed a cookout and bonfire in the back yard. It was amazing how the food seemed to multiply! We talked, laughed and kept warm around the fire. Sr. Celeste and I were asked to “tell a story,” and it was a joy for me to realize that we already have stories to tell about the development of the monastery. (On October 3 it was six months since we moved in!)

You can click on the collage of photos from the work day to see it in full screen. You’ll see the photo in the upper right corner of the Fetsko family being interviewed on video. We are working on a short video about the monastery with Bob Kasarda of Eastern Christian Media (http://www.easternchristianmedia.com/), which Bishop John will take with him on his parish visits. Please pray for this project, and keep an eye out for it soon!

“O you through whom Joy will shine forth”

2009-09-28T20:50:00.004-04:00

Now that we live here across the street from the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch, we were excited during our first summer to get involved with the annual eparchial pilgrimage at the shrine. During this year’s pilgrimage, August 15-16, we attempted to revive an abandoned custom of camping out on the grounds. It was a humble start, but we hope it will grow in the coming years. Most successful was the program we organized for teens. Approximately 30 teens and young adults camped out on Saturday night, prayed with us in our chapel, enjoyed a cookout and games, listened to two talks on the theme “O you through whom Joy will shine forth” and participated in other prayers and activities during the pilgrimage. We were especially proud of the youth choir which sang the Akathist to the Mother of God on Saturday evening. The teens were all a pleasure to be with and pray with.

On Sunday morning we gave tours of our house to pilgrims and then invited all to pray the 6th Hour with us in our chapel. The chapel—and the foyer outside of it—were packed, and the singing was incredible. We were so blessed to pray with these awesome pilgrims.

The pilgrims enjoyed the beautiful hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Sunday afternoon and Sr. Celeste’s delicious homemade chicken paprikas afterwards! Thank you to all those who joined us for the weekend or who prayed for its success.

Boys' and Girls' Camps

2009-08-27T13:14:00.010-04:00

We are a little behind on our posting for the summer, but we would like to continue to share what we have been up to...

In July the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch (across the street from us) was the site of the 2nd Alive in Christ Ascetical Boot Camp for Guys, and the "apartment" side our monastery was the site of the 1st Life in Christ Girls' Sleepover Weekend.

Although we were obviously not part of the staff for the boys' camp, we did enjoy the benefits of the boys' service project! As we waited outside for the boys to arrive, we spotted them coming in procession, shortest to tallest, carrying flowers! Each boy, along with the adult leaders, deacon and priests, presented us with a flower as camp director Fr. Rich Plishka introduced them to us. It was one of the most adorable things I've ever seen! We then quickly set them to work... We assigned each of the three teams of boys to a different project around our grounds and provided them with the necessary tools. Then we judged the teams on their ability to work together, work quickly, complete the project, etc. (The points we gave them were included in the weekend-long competition between the teams.) They were so cooperative and helpful, and we had a blast with them! The boys completed their visit with the praying of 6th hour in our chapel. They could certainly sing! We were also invited to attend their closing Divine Liturgy with Bishop John and the boys' families and a dinner at the pavilion.

The following weekend we hosted the 1st girls' camp (or technically girls' sleepover weekend...but the girls want to camp outside next year). Our theme was "Truth or Dare or Dare to Live the Truth." Sr. Celeste and I gave one of the talks, on religious life. We started out with a game we made up called "Myth Busters: Vocations Edition," to open up dialogue about the "myths" of religious life. The theme of our talk was "Give me an undivided heart." We explained how religious life is an opportunity and special call to live a radical life of dedication to God, without the distractions that come with married life. Whatever vocation they are each called to, we told them, will bring joy and fulfillment. And if God is calling them to religious life, He will not take away their wills and personalities, but will actually allow them to be more fully themselves.

We had a lot of fun with the girls, hanging out around the campfire, eating the first meal at our new dining room table, painting picture frames and attempting to make a human pyramid. We were also inspired by them as we spent Saturday evening in the chapel across the street in quiet prayer and reflection by candlelight with time for the Mystery of Holy Repentance. Most of the girls listed this experience as their favorite of the weekend. We closed the weekend with Divine Liturgy with Bishop John, cantored by the girls, and a dinner at the pavilion. We look forward to the camp next summer!

(You can click on the girls' camp collage to see it on a full screen)

A Colorful Transfiguration

2009-08-10T15:54:00.010-04:00

O Christ, You have clothed yourself completely in the nature of Adam, thereby refashioning what had been corrupted. Through your becoming human, You transfigured and glorified our nature. (Matins for the Feast of the Transfiguration, Ode 3)

As we harvest the vegetables in our garden, we are continually amazed by the beautiful plants and multitude of fruit produced by each small seed. Numerous spiritual lessons can be learned from a garden, but as we celebrate the Transfiguration of Our Lord, we contemplate especially the transfiguration of each plant from flower to fruit, and how we are also being transfigured into the beauty of God.

On the Feast of the Transfiguration, August 6, the Byzantine Church observes the tradition of blessing fruit. Above is a picture of our fruit basket, which we were quite proud of! Some of its contents were harvested from our garden (and some from the grocery store)!

Our garden is flourishing, especially the weeds! We have been enjoying cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, green beans, broccoli and the first of the tomatoes. Our first canning experience of the summer was dill pickles. The garden has been difficult to keep up with, but we are grateful for all the blessings.

We ask for your prayers this weekend as we welcome pilgrims to the shrine for the Eparchy of Parma’s pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady of Mariapoch. We are especially excited to welcome the group of teens coming to camp out. If you are in the area, please join us!

The unchangeable nature of God, when united with human nature, shone forth with a brilliant light. It revealed to the apostles of Christ a reflection of the immaterial divinity. (Matins for the Feast of the Transfiguration, Ode 5)

Christ Our Hope: Our Eparchy's 40th Anniversary

2009-07-21T14:55:00.008-04:00

Forty years of hope were confirmed in a weekend of grace, joy and community. Hundreds of faithful gathered at the Byzantine Catholic Cathedral in Parma, Ohio, June 26-28, to celebrate 40 years of hope in our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ.

The faithful shared their particular parish history through creative displays. We also had a display and made fresh lemonade in the hope to raise a little income, but even more, to refresh those present and make known the hope and presence of our future monastery. A soft-serve ice cream machine was also donated which helped to enhance our humble enterprise. All in all it was an enjoyable success.

There were activities for all age groups as well as various liturgical services throughout the weekend. The climatic highlight was the beautiful, outdoor hierarchial Divine Liturgy celebrated by Bishop John Kudrick. Metropolitan Basil Schott of the Metropolia of Pittsburgh presided and Metropolitan Nicholas of the Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of Johnstown, Pennsylvania attended. Other bishops from the Metropolia and Roman Catholic bishops were also present. The magnificent white tent enveloped an impressive temporary iconostas and more than 800 people who sang in praise with one voice and soul.

The entire event created an intense anticipation of greater hope for the future. We praise and thank Christ Jesus our Bridegroom for the past 40 years and rely in His love and benevolent wisdom in a future overflowing with hope. God is with us!

The Year of the Priest

2009-06-18T14:55:00.005-04:00

Pope Benedict XVI has declared June 19, 2009 to June 19, 2010 as the "Year of the Priest." Monastics are called in a special way to pray for priests, who are working directly with their flocks. During this "Year of the Priest" we will pray for specific priests, deacons, deacon students and seminarians of our eparchy each day of the week. We would like to share with you the prayer that we will pray communally each day. We invite you to print it out and pray along with us!

O Lord Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, Who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, and are completely without sin, hear our humble prayers on behalf of Your priests, deacons, and those studying for the priesthood and deaconate [N].

Strengthen and enliven those whom You have called to be leaders and servants to Your people here on earth. Give them a deep faith, courageous hope and a burning love for You which will ever intensify in the course of their priestly lives. Through Your Grace may they steadily grow in holiness and wisdom and become partakers of Your divine nature. May they never take for granted the gift of participation in Your Holy Mysteries, and always be in awe before Your true presence at Your holy table.

We ask that they always be vigilant and willing to defend the Gospel to the ends of the earth. May they embody Your sacrificial and all-consuming love, and instill in each person they encounter an unquenchable desire to seek and attain Your unfathomable love and promise of eternal life.

Grant them good health of soul, mind and body and that they zealously use their God-given gifts for the glory and honor of Your Kingdom. Sustain them in their fatigues and labors; give them patience and good counsel in their pastoral cares. Console them in their pains; fortify them in their combats, and keep them safe from the traps of the Evil One.

Comfort and overwhelm them with Your hope in times of loneliness, trouble and sorrow. Encourage them to see these experiences as opportunities to share in Your passion and be witnesses of joy, truth and integrity. Transform complacency into ardent conviction and excitement; discouragement, frustration and cynicism into courageous hope and positive thoughts, words and actions; desires for power and attitudes of entitlement into vulnerability to Your life-giving will and majestic power; anger and self-pity into passionate justice and the selfless sacrifice of Your love; ignorance and prejudice into wisdom and understanding. Cast out and heal the paralysis of fear and transform it into actions of perfect love.

Fill them with the gift of Your Holy Spirit, that they may be worthy to serve blamelessly at Your holy altar, to proclaim the gospel of Your kingdom, to sanctify the word of Your truth, to offer gifts and spiritual sacrifices, and to renew Your people by the washing of rebirth. In Your goodness grant that they may receive their reward of good stewardship at the time of Your second coming. We beseech You through the prayers of the most holy Theotokos and all the saints, for blessed and glorified is Your most honored and magnificent name, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.

"When it's more than curiosity": Our first retreat!

2009-06-02T13:08:00.003-04:00

The future monastery itself was still in “renovation mode.” Doors and windows were missing their casings, molding absent at the base of the floors, doors removed from their hinges, a few rooms still in need of a few coats of paint, single light bulbs hanging from the ceilings, and kitchen cabinets removed from their normal stance waiting to be painted. All this and more could have created a distracting environment, especially for a retreat, yet the seemingly unfinished surroundings created a sense of newness and inspired excitement for the potential of monasticism in the Eparchy of Parma.

Thirteen men and women from North Carolina, Washington, DC, Texas, Indiana, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Ohio gathered at the future Christ the Bridegroom Monastery in Burton, Ohio, across from the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch. Everyone seemed to instantaneously bond.

The retreat overflowed with intense prayer and laughter, questions and answers, silence and singing, holy embraces and sharing personal stories and hopes, new and rekindled friendships, a lively camaraderie of good food and taking turns washing the dishes, and above all, a desire to grow closer to God and to know and fulfill His loving will. All of this helped make the vision of Eastern monasticism in the Eparchy of Parma closer to a reality.

During morning prayer, the window in the sanctuary allowed the bright sunlight to pierce through clouds of incense in defined rays of light. Even more exhilarating was the union of spirits and voices during prayer and Divine Liturgy that transformed a yet-to-be completed chapel into a heaven on earth experience.

Fr. Elias O’Brien, O Carm., talked candidly about monasticism and welcomed questions and dialogue from the retreatants. Bishop John Kudrick visited on Saturday, celebrated Vespers, listened to the stories of those gathered, and shared his vision for monasticism in the eparchy as each participant eagerly listened.

The retreat was a blessed event and went smoothly, until one of the men took a shower after the retreat. He unknowingly closed the recently painted door with a missing doorknob. As the participants stood talking in the foyer, knocking was heard on the wall. One of the men recognized that the knocking was an S.O.S. in Morse Code. After much laughter and a little ingenuity, he was rescued from captivity.

The sense and blessing of newness, excitement of a potential monastery and the awesome wonder of God’s will yet to be revealed stirs and grows in the heart of the Eparchy of Parma.

"Today is the springtime of our souls"

2009-05-11T13:59:00.003-04:00

Today is the springtime of our souls, * because Christ is risen as a sun from the tomb on the third day. * He has dispelled the dark winter of our sins; * let us sing to Him, for He is covered with glory. (Matins of the Sunday of Thomas, Ode 1)

Walks around the monastery and the shrine are often accompanied by my chotki (prayer rope)…and my camera. Discovering each flower that pushes through the dirt and each tree that bursts in blossoms has been a thrill. Branches that were bare when we moved in are now flowing with life, and each is a surprise.

I thank God for the gift of new life as I play with my digital camera’s macro feature and photograph water droplets hanging from the lilacs and honeybees pollinating the redbud tree. If God designed the smallest detail of each tiny petal and each insect’s wing, He certainly has a plan of beauty for our lives.

There is life inside the monastery too. Volunteers continue to help us paint, clean, and finish other tasks, and also pray with us. They energize us! This weekend we will welcome several men and women who will come for our first retreat for monastic discernment. They are coming from Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Texas! Please pray for them!

It was difficult to choose only one photo for this post! Some of the others are in the slideshow to the right. God bless!

Christ is Risen!

2009-04-16T14:57:00.007-04:00

Indeed He is Risen!

Not only was the “Bridegroom” imagery present during Holy Week, but during Bright Week (the week after Easter) we sing every morning during Resurrection Matins about Christ coming forth from the tomb “like a bridegroom.”

“Bearing torches let us meet the bridegroom Christ, as He comes forth from His tomb; and let us greet, with joyful song, the saving Pasch of God.” (Ode 5)

This was an especially meaningful Holy Week and Pascha (Easter) because it was the first we celebrated in our monastery! In fact, Holy Week was the first week we spent here. We moved in on the Friday before Palm Sunday with the help of a few friends.

We prayed in our monastery for the first time on Saturday morning—matins for Lazarus Saturday—in the foyer at a little icon corner we set up. God’s providence was brilliantly clear to me when I realized that three years ago, right after praying matins for Lazarus Saturday at a discernment retreat, was the moment I felt God calling me to religious life! And now it was that very prayer that was our first in the monastery.

On Sunday evening we prayed vespers at Bishop John’s residence and had our icon of Christ the Bridegroom blessed, along with our cadillo (censor). On Monday morning we set up our chapel temporarily so we could pray there, even though the walls are still bare drywall. Fr. Rich Plishka brought our icon and prayed Bridegroom Matins with us. How beautiful it was to see our icon carried around the altar and placed on the icon stand as we prayed for the first time in our chapel, singing “Behold, the Bridegroom is coming in the middle of the night…”

Holy Week was spent praying the services in our chapel, the parish across the street and other churches, and baking the Easter foods. Good Friday was an especially beautiful and prayerful day. Fr. Rich came out again, with Seminarian Jaroslav from Slovakia, and we prayed Matins with the 12 Gospel readings and the Royal Hours. Our little chapel was filled with the Passion story and incense. We also prepared our chapel for the burial and Resurrection by making do with what we could find, including a “tomb” for the Plaschanitsa (burial shroud) which we constructed with cardboard boxes and cloth! Considering the situation, our chapel is beautiful!

We celebrated Resurrection Matins at my home parish in Brecksville on Saturday night and Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning at the Shrine parish across the street from us. The rest of the day was spent visiting with family and friends.

We hope you and your families had a glorious celebration of Our Lord’s Resurrection! (And we wish our Orthodox brothers and sisters a blessed Pascha this Sunday!)

"Behold, the Bridegroom is coming..."

2009-04-02T15:27:00.006-04:00

Jesus Christ is the divine Bridegroom of the Church. He became incarnate, took on our flesh and came into the world to betroth Himself to His bride with the price of His blood. He invites us, woos us to come to His beautiful garden, His bridal chamber, to envelope us in His love, life, joy and peace (Ephesians 5:25-27). He yearns to be intimately one with each of us, His Bride (Song of Songs 7:11).

The icon of Christ the Bridegroom portrays the selfless love for Christ’s Bride, the Church (Isaiah 54). He is dressed in royal colors as the betrothed King, complying with Sacred Scripture’s account of His mockery by the Roman guards before His crucifixion. The crown is a symbol of His marriage to the Church; the rope, a symbol of bondage to sin, death and corruption which Jesus untied by His death on the Cross; the reed, a symbol of His humility.

During Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week, we celebrate Bridegroom Matins. We sing:

Behold, the Bridegroom is coming in the middle of the night. Blessed is the servant he shall find awake. But the one he shall find neglectful will not be worthy of him. Beware, therefore, O my soul! Do not fall into a deep slumber, lest you be delivered to death and the door of the Kingdom be closed to you. Watch instead and cry out: Holy, Holy, Holy are you, O God. Through the intercession of the Theotokos, have mercy on us. (Troparion)

Other beautiful prayers during Bridegroom Matins include these prayed on Tuesday:

O faithful, let us be on fire with love for the Bridegroom, and with lamps burning, let us go out to meet him. May the light of our virtues shine brightly, and may our faith be radiant. With the wise Virgins, let us prepare to enter the banquet hall of the Lord; - for the divine Spouse offers us all the crown of immortality. (Sessional Hymn One)

O wretched soul, think of your last hours. Be dismayed at the rebuking of the fig tree. Act and double the talent given you with a loving purpose. Be watchful and cry out: Grant that we not be left outside the bridal chamber of Christ. (Kontakion)

May we all stay awake in anticipation and prayer throughout this holiest of weeks, as we prepare to meet the Bridegroom as he emerges from the tomb.

Please also keep us in your prayers as we move into our monastery this weekend!

Welcome to Our Blog!

2009-03-02T15:37:00.009-05:00

Glory to Jesus Christ!
Welcome to the blog of the future Christ the Bridegroom Monastery! Let us take a moment to introduce ourselves and our vision, which we hope is also God’s vision.

In January of 2008 Bishop John Kudrick published a letter outlining his vision for a new men’s or women’s monastery (or both) in the Eparchy of Parma. His letter can be read here. (Click on the link to Bishop John's pastoral letter and scroll half way down) We have responded to that call and are in the beginning stages of the formation of a women’s monastery.

Bishop John’s letter is a good starting place to learn about the purpose and spirit of the future monastery, though we will also expand on this as we continue to write here.

So a little about us… My name is Julie. I graduated from The University of Akron in 2008 with a degree in communications (explaining my interest in this blog…), and I currently work at our eparchy’s chancery office in Parma, Ohio. I have been discerning religious life for several years and I am excited to see God’s plan for my life unfold. My interests include pro-life work, drawing and painting, and the color purple…

Celeste is on leave from her community to begin this monastery. (Many know her as Sister Celeste, but during exclaustration canon law states that she cannot be addressed as "Sister"...) Her beautiful optimistic spirit is the sunshine that will bring life to the little seed of our endeavors! Her passions include youth ministry and arguing with Bishop John (playfully of course!) about the possibility of making jelly with crab apples... She insists it is not only possible but quite tasty.

Currently we are fixing up the house that will be our future monastery, across the street from the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch in Burton, Ohio. We will document our progress here! Dry walling, painting, and tearing out a wall to expand our chapel are the projects in motion (with the help of wonderful family and friends).

We look forward with joy to the growth of our community, and to sharing it with you here. Please pray for us! You are welcome to write to us at:
17485 Mumford Rd.
Burton, OH 44021

May you have a blessed season of the Great Fast.