The History of the Monastery

Below is an excerpt of the history of St. Tikhon's monastery taken from the monastery's website. www.sttikhonsmonastery.org


By the dawn of the 20th century, Orthodox Christianity had been established on the North American continent for well over a century. Monasticism being indispensable for the healthy nourishing of an Orthodox Church, it was inevitable from the beginnings of Orthodoxy in America that a time would come when this form of spiritual endeavor would come into bloom.

The idea of founding a monastery in America was primarily that of the young Hieromonk Arseny (Chagovtsev), the future Archbishop Arseny of Winnipeg. Father Arseny had arrived in America only in 1902, and was rector of St. John the Baptist parish in Mayfield, Pa. His thought was that part of the monastery's function would be to serve as a "mother house" for the monastics serving as clergy in the Orthodox North American mission. He felt that the monks doing this work needed a monastery in which to be "acclimatized" to the American situation and where they could return periodically for spiritual renewal

Workers on the monastery grounds

With prophetic insight, Fr. Alexander wrote that "certainly a few monks with higher theological education could be found for this monastery, who would become professors of a pastoral seminary. For this, it seems, one could not find a more suitable place. Maintenance would be cheaper and the pupils would be shielded from temptations. Here the site itself of a seminary would find them immersed in studies and not distracted by exterior things." 


Not only for the purchase of the land, but for all their labors in bringing about the establishment of the holy monastery, the honor of being the cofounders belongs to them, to Father Arseny for generally conceiving the idea and promoting it, finding the land, and doing most of the on-site work; and to Archbishop Tikhon for providing the endeavor with the necessary episcopal oversight, embracing moral and spiritual leadership, vision, support, and guidance, along with financial support; later on, for crowning the work with the prayers of consecration and by appointing appropriate leadership to govern the holy community. Thus the two men -- their zeal and farsighted vision cooperating with divine grace at every step -- were able to turn dream into reality for the Orthodox Church in America.


While Fr. Arseny wrote "Rejoice!" in his letter to St. Alexander, the achievement involved trials and obstacles as well, to be overcome by the combined efforts of God and his servants. Fr. Arseny told of both the joys and difficulties in an article titled "Beginning of Joy." In the article he relates how he had occasion to take a stroll through the grounds shortly before their dedication by St. Raphael of Brooklyn on July 31, 1905, and he describes his thoughts and musings regarding the purpose of the soon-to-be monastery and orphanage. His reflections reveal how he indeed rejoiced in the selected site, and also provide insights on monasticism as a milieu in which to recover the proper communion between man and the natural world that God created.

Some of the orphans at the turn of the century

Clearly Father Arseny envisioned a monastic community in the classical sense, embodying the highest monastic ideals of prayer and spiritual struggle, which could only be of supreme value to the fledgling Orthodox mission in America and its faithful. And quickly he began to see the realization of his hopes and aspirations: for very soon after the purchase of the land, the first monks took up residence on the property and instituted monastic life. An orphan's home (orphanage) was also opened. There being at first no monastery church or residence, an existing frame house was used as a residence for the orphans, with a hallway serving as a makeshift chapel. 


Fr. Alexis Toth, who has been called the Father of the Russian Orthodox Church in America because of his great success in leading Uniates back to the Orthodox fold, was laid to rest in the monastery cemetery after his repose in 1909. Seven years later, his remains were transferred to a specially constructed tomb just back of the sanctuary of the Monastery Church.

In 1938 St. Tikhon's Seminary was established on the monastery grounds, through the efforts of Archbishop Arseny, the monastery's cofounder, who returned to St. Tikhon's in the 1930s. Since the founding of the seminary, the two institutions have mutually aided, enhanced, and nurtured each other.

To the far left, front row is St. Alexander
and to the far left back row is St. Alexis

In the 1950s a renowned Orthodox speaker, writer, leader, Saint Nicholai of Zicha, came to live at our monastery and also served as rector of the seminary from 1955-56. He reposed here in 1956. The news, in 1987, of St. Nicholai's glorification brought joy to our monastery. 1990 saw the glorification of the monastery's cofounder, Saint Patriarch Tikhon, by the Russian Orthodox Church, and in 1992 his well-hidden grave was miraculously discovered in Russia. In 1994, St. Alexander Hotovitsky, who was present as an inspired witness at the monastery's opening and on several later occasions, was glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church as a hieromartyr (priestmartyr). Also in 1994, the service of glorification (canonization) of St. Alexis Toth took place at the Memorial Day pilgrimage. His relics now rest in the monastery Church.

In 2000, St. Raphael, who dedicated these grounds and served the first Divine Liturgy here in 1905, was glorified at St. Tikhon's Monastery by the Orthodox Church in America acting on the request of the Orthodox Church of Antioch.


Over the first century of our existence, changes have taken place in the population of our community and in outward features of our life. However, the inner life which is the heart of monasticism continues as before. The unchanging life and rhythm of an Orthodox monastery is centered around the unchanging cycles and seasons of worship, and the fixed nature of monastic community life, with its traditions, rules, and practices. The ideals expressed by St. Tikhon and St. Raphael at the birth of St. Tikhon's Monastery have guided the life of the monastery ever since that beginning, and illumining, like beacons, the path of the monastics who have life at St. Tikhon's throughout the first century of the monastery's existence. Even today, St. Tikhon's Monastery continues to walk by those ideals, in prayer life, in charitable works, in educational work, and in spiritual guidance and as a place of pilgrimage.

Photos of Genevieve Enjoying Autumn

All the photos were taken in our backyard

Our favorite

This is her model pose

Photos of the Monastery Grounds

The entrance to the monastery

A small hut used for prayer

A giant mosaic near the entrance of the monastery

A small pavilion with a mosaic of Christ

A engraved wooden cross at the base of the bell tower

The bell tower

The entrance to the church

The dormitory and refectory

The nave of the church looking toward the icon screen

A view of the ceiling of the church with the Pantocrator (Greek for Almighty God) overhead

An alcove where confessions are done

From Books I'm Reading

The History of the Church, Eusebius of Caesarea (Palestine)

Eusebius was the first historian of the Church. He wrote his famous History of the Church shortly after the Great and Last Persecution of the Church under Emperor Diocletian at the end of the 3^rd century and right after the conversion of Constantine and the freeing of the Church. It starts with the advent of Christ and continues up to his own day with the reign of Constantine. It is a fascinating read full of stories and facts that elaborate among other things on the events during the life of Christ and of his apostles. One such story is of King Agbar of Edessa.

Agbar was the king of Edessa in what is now the eastern part of Syria. He had heard of Jesus' ministry, of how he had healed the sick and raised the dead. Agbar was himself suffering from a terrible disease and sent a letter to Jesus Christ requesting that he come and heal him. Jesus did not travel to Edessa, but he did write the king a letter. Eusebius includes that letter in his History. He says that he traveled to Edessa itself and located this very letter in the Record Office of the city and translated it from Syriac to Greek. Jesus would have spoken Syriac, or rather a dialect of Syriac called Aramaic. 

The letter is as follows:

Blessed are those who believed in me without having seen me. For it is written of me that those who have seen me will not believe in me, and those who have not seen me will believe and live. As to your request that I come to you, I must complete all that I was sent to do here, and on completing it must at once be taken up to the One who sent me. When I have been taken up I will send to you one of my disciples to cure your disorder and bring life to you and to those with you.

After Christ's Ascension Thaddeus one of the Seventy Apostles was sent to King Agbar. He was healed. Subsequently Edessa became the first Christian kingdom in around the year 30 AD. Edessa was at this time outside the bounds of the Roman Empire.

Precious Vessels of the Holy Spirit: The Lives and Counsels of Contemporary Elders of Greece, Herman A. Middleton

This is an excellent devotional book. It contains brief accounts of the lives of holy men from Greece who lived and died during the 20^th century. It also contains a collection of their advice and consul given to others. All of these men are what are considered in the Orthodox Church, Holy Elders; men who excel in peering into the souls of others and spiritually directing those who come to them to advice and confession. Here are a few of their quotes:

My children I don't want Paradise without you. - Elder Amphilochios of Patmos

When someone opens your heart I would like him to find nothing else but Christ. - Elder Amphilocios of Patmos

I was born to love people. It doesn't matter if he is a Turk, black or white. I see in the face of each person the image of God. And for this image I am willing to sacrifice everything. - Elder Amphilocios of Patmos

True love is like the flame of a candle. However many candles you light from the flame the initial flame remains unaffected. It doesn't lessen at all. And every freshly lit candle has as much flame as the others do. - Elder Epiphanios of Athens

I want whoever is near me to feel that he has room to breathe, not that he is suffocated. I don't call anyone to me. I don't hold on to anyone. I don't chase anyone away. Who ever wants comes, whoever wants stays, whoever wants leaves. - Elder Epiphanios of Athens

I not afraid of death. Not, of course, because of my works, but because I believe in God's mercy. - Elder Epiphanios of Athens

Speak more to God about your children than to your children about God. The soul of the teenager is in a state of an explosion of freedom. This is why it is hard for them to accept counsel. Rather than counseling then continuously and reproaching them again and again. Leave the situation to Christ, to the Panagia (Mary), and to the Saints. Asking that they bring them to reason. - Elder Epiphanios of Athens

For the Life of the World and Its Salvation

It occurred to me that I ought to explain the title of this blog: For the Life of the World and Its Salvation. The phrase comes from a special service of the Church called the Proskomedia, translated as the Service of Preparation. The Proskomedia is a service done by the priest, and deacon prior to the beginning of the Divine Liturgy (The Orthodox equivalent of the Catholic Mass). In this service the celebrant (priest) prepares the bread and wine that are to be used in the Divine Liturgy.

The priest with a tiny spear cuts out pieces from the Prosphora (the name for the bread that is consumed by those partaking of Holy Communion, it literally means offering) to commemorate: 1) Mary the Mother of God, 2) All the nine ranks of angles, 3) the living, 4) the dead.. The Prosphora is baked according the very strict guidelines. It is really two loaves pressed together and stamped with a wooden seal. The two halves represent the two natures of Christ. The seal imprints a cross that has the initials IC XC NI KA. These Greek letters stands for, Jesus Christ Victor. Then the priest stabs the side of the bread with the spear and then proceeds to pour forth into the chalice water and wine. This is to represent the piercing of Christ's side which poured forth water and blood.

During the service the words “For the life of the world and its salvation” is prayed which refers to the offering that Christ made on the cross. He is the sacrifice for the life of the world and its salvation.

This same prayer is also the motto of St. Tikhon's Seminary, for likewise the priest both offers Christ who is and in obeying Christ's command to imitate him is himself also a sacrifice “For the Life of the World and Its Salvation.”