Johnstown, ON, †Monastery of Saint Silouan of Mount Athos 1990-2016

Johnstown, Ontario, †The Monastery of Saint Silouan of Mount Athos 1990-2016

Johnstown, Ontario is situated in the Spencerville Post Office region of the Edwardsburg/Cardinal Township, in Eastern Ontario.

Prehistory

The former Monastery of Saint Silouan of Mount Athos at Johnstown, Ontario, was established over a long period of time. Its foundation by Bishop Seraphim (Storheim) was on the property of the Archdiocese of Canada (of The Orthodox Church in America), and it was associated with the central offices of the archdiocese which had been first organised on that site in the autumn of 1988. This property consisted of about 14 hectares of land approximately 80 km (50 mi) south of Ottawa.

At this site, there was soon improvised an oratory, at which some services were offered by the bishop, and by various clergy. In its earliest form, this oratory consisted of a corner of the dining-room of the diocesan residence-and-office. This oratory, which later became a visible and distinct chapel, came to be named for Saint Silouan of Mount Athos, and the blessing for this dedication came first from the holy Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov) (now officially a saint), the founder of the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist at Tolleshunt Knights-by-Malden, Essex, England. Bishop Seraphim (Storheim) had made the request during a visit to that monastery in 1992.

It was in association with this dedication that there developed the sense of the need to engage in intercessory prayer for the parishes, clergy and faithful of the archdiocese, and for the whole Church.

The Property, 1988

At the direction of Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor), the property was purchased in 1988 by the Archdiocese of Canada for the purpose of establishing a diocesan centre (including a permanent residence for the bishop, a diocesan office, and archives). The site that was purchased was one which allowed for great flexibility in future development, and it was not far either from Ottawa or other major cities in the region.

The property consisted of a brick-and-masonry farm-house more than 170 years old, and about 14 hectares of wooded land with a marsh. There was also a work-shed, and a substantial old barn.

View of part of the property

The barn

The property soon came to be known at first as “Fair Haven”, and later as “Fair Havens”, keeping in mind the bay on the island of Crete (near Lasea) where the Apostle Paul stopped (see Acts 27:7, 8, 12).

For the sake of diocesan needs, many renovations were undertaken in order to improve and extend the main building. Over many years, Dr. John Hadjinicolaou of Montréal, Québec, led the Metamorphosis Project, which enabled these works. Under his guidance, a garage became an office ; a previously-converted garage become a proper and modern kitchen ; a small and dark dining room become a bright refectory.

Former garage, become office

Later, in 1997-1998, a chapel was constructed, along with a bright and spacious entrance-hall for the complex.

The chapel contained historical items from other parts of the Archdiocese of Canada. The table-top of the Holy Table in the chapel came from the Holy Table of the Monastery of the Holy Ascension in Sifton, Manitoba. The Proskomedia table and 2 smaller tables came from the former Hermitage of the Transfiguration when it had been at Fitch Bay, Québec. The seven-branched candle-holder came from the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Ottawa. It had been commissioned and made by a local black-smith, Daniel Kerrem, but the cathedralites later preferred their original old one.

The cantor-stand came from Holy Trinity Bukowinian Sobor in Ottawa (from the original Temple). The historical candle-stand in the midst of the nave came from Holy Trinity Sobor in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Two analoys were made by Robert Kanerva of Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Toronto especially for the chapel.

The cupola-and-Cross atop the roof over the narthex came from Holy Ascension Monastery in Sifton, Manitoba.

From dead trees on the property that had been felled by him, Phillip Bodnar milled the wood into boards from which he constructed the iconostas. The folding analoy used in the chapel was from Saint Nicholas Church in Ottawa.

The reading-stand in the Altar was from Holy Transfiguration Mission in Ottawa. The large central lampada above the Royal Doors was from Holy Ascension Monastery in Sifton, Manitoba.

The curtains of the iconostas were prepared from Chinese silk velvet by Katya Szalasznyj. The icons on the iconostas were written by Tatiana Ianovskaya of Toronto. The icon of Saint Silouan (which usually rested on the central analoy) was commissioned from Greece by a donor. The icon of the Blessed Matushka Olga of Kwethluk, Alaska was donated by the iconographer Bess Chakravarty (this icon is now at the Annunciation Cathedral in Ottawa).

The base of the Holy Table and the extra supports for the Holy Doors were built by the monk Pierre (Vachon). Between the platform on which the Holy Table rested and the Royal Doors, there was a hand-woven wool carpet that had been bought in the Hutsul region of Ukraine.

In addition, there were hand-crocheted rugs in several places in the chapel, which had been worked by Mother Dorofea (Mirochnitchenko). The whole chapel and narthex were originally constructed and finished by the sons and daughters of the Igumen (former archpriest) John (Scratch) of Ottawa, together with their friends.

There were many other similar items that had an historical and mostly sentimental connexion with various places in the diocese.

For several years, the improvised chapel (in the dining-room) was the heart of the centre and of the house. Because of the liturgical services in the improvised chapel and its permanent successor, some faithful in eastern Ontario and northern New York State were enabled to find a spiritual home as well.

Chapel of Saint Silouan the Athonite and entrance door

Chapel of Saint Silouan the Athonite interior

First monastic association, 1990

Shortly after the establishment of the oratory, and in the context of both the care about intercession and the fact of the existence of solitary male and female monks across the country, it was understood that the oratory could serve as a focus and spiritual home for them. Because there have always been some monks in Canada living in solitude, the bishop at the time felt the need to provide at least a token focus and a token community for them. Therefore, he established a very loose-knit network to try to unite them. It began as the “Missionary Brotherhood of Saint Silouan of Mount Athos”.

In that way, the monks in their various situations could the better understand themselves to be missionaries, and they could the better support one another in persevering in this missionary work. This mutual support was greatly helped with the development of e-mail and use of the internet, since communication could be immediate, and it was apparently much cheaper than the telephone and Canada Post.

Until the changes that occurred later, which allowed for a different and more logical practice, the oratory/chapel served also as the Holy Table to which the clergy who had no particular parish assignment or responsibility for a time were attached ; those who were on medical or study leaves for periods of time ; the clergy of the Monastic Community of Saint Silouan (and its predecessor, the Missionary Brotherhood of Saint Silouan the Athonite). Several monks were tonsured to the monastic habit in that oratory. Amongst the monks was occasionally heard the comment : “I was tonsured at the bishop’s dining table”. This was from the early days, before the construction of the new and distinct chapel-building.

Francophone parallel

A parallel community was soon established for the sake of supporting the francophone monastics (not limited to Québec), which was named the “Fraternité missionaire Saint-Séraphin-de-Sarov”. This community was focussed on the Saint Seraphim of Sarov Skete in Rawdon, Québec.

As the number of monks steadily increased amongst both linguistic groups, the communities became somewhat more formal, with a change of name to “Monastic Community of Saint Silouan the Athonite”, and the “Communauté monastique Saint-Séraphin-de-Sarov”.

From its beginning, when he was yet an igumen (higoumène), and then a bishop, the now Archbishop of Ottawa and Canada, Archbishop Irénée (Rochon) served as the head of the francophone community, first as the “Fraternité missionaire Saint-Séraphin-de-Sarov” and later as the “Communauté monastique Saint-Séraphin-de-Sarov”.

The Monks, the Monastery

Mother Dorofea (Mirochnitchenko) ; Mother Sophia (Zion)

Almost from the beginning, there had been monks (at first female monks) living at the diocesan centre. Mother Dorofea (Mirochnitchenko) of blessed memory, and Mother Sophia (Zion) were first to arrive, and they were the best known. Each of the nuns was a widow. For many years, they provided the support for regular services in the chapel, and they helped greatly with the hospitality (something very important when people so often would unexpectedly arrive for one or another reason). When they arrived, daily prayer-services became a more regular and predictable feature of life there, and their particular personalities welcomed many others who needed someone to turn to on certain occasions.

In 1992, after her return from France (where she had lived for a time at the Holy Protection Monastery at Bussey-en-Othe), Bishop Seraphim invited Mother Dorofea (Mirochnitchenko) to stay at the diocesan centre, where she did various translations from Russian for the bishop, and where she became the “chief cook and receiver of guests”.

It was there, too, that she was soon tonsured to be a rasophor nun. She took the name Dorofea (a Russian variant of Dorothy). On 8 March, 2000, the bishop tonsured her to the small schema (stavrophor). Mother Dorofea had taken the name Dorofea because of the life and example of Saint Dorofea (Dorothy) (†1629) of Kashin (a town in the Tver Oblast) in Russia, not far from Moscow. After this, she was no longer “Sister Dorofea”, but “Mother Dorofea”, which then became affectionately adjusted by most people to be simply “Mama Baba”. In her genuine love and humility, “Mama Baba” strongly wanted to avoid all pretension and barriers. She behaved towards everyone in a thoroughly maternal manner ; and she was the official and unofficial grandmother of a great many children and young people. In harmony with her lifelong offering of hospitality with love (and reflecting monastic tradition), the hands of “Mama Baba” were never idle.

It was her daily occupation prayerfully to be crocheting rugs from remnants of yarn (and/or rags made into a sort of yarn), or to be crocheting or knitting clothes for children or sweaters for adults. Mother Dorofea sustained the community through cooking, and she helped the office of the archdiocese greatly with translations from and to French and Russian. She also translated various texts from Russian to English. Because of her personal experience and her particular nature, she contributed greatly to the visibility of the monastic presence at “Fair Haven” through her regular contacts with the surrounding community. Mother Dorofea remained at the monastery even after she became quite ill, almost until the time of her repose in 2004.

Nun Dorofea (Mirochnitchenko)

Mother Sophia (Zion) arrived in May, 1998 (although even before that, she was visiting very frequently). Before her tonsure as a stavrophor on 8 March, 2000, she had been known as the Rasophor Theodora (Zion).

Mother Sophia was working very concentratedly on 2 main projects. One was the translating of a book about Athonite eldership from Greek into English : “An Athonite Gerontikon”, by Archimandrite Ioannikios (Kotsonis), translated by Maria Mayson & Sr Theodora (Zion) (Montréal, QC : Alexander Press, 1997) (the first English translation of this work).

The other and longer project was the editing and producing the quarterly archdiocesan publication, the “Canadian Orthodox Messenger”. In connexion with the “Messenger”, she served for some years as the Recording Secretary of the Archdiocese of Canada. She carried the responsibility of organising the daily services in the chapel, and of leading the singing at public services.

In addition to helping with cooking, she did a considerable amount of sewing related to the monks and to the chapel. Mother Sophia was quite visible and active in the local community, and her singing and other abilities led her to contacts with the local Greek-speaking families in the region near Prescott (a town 9 km (6 mi) to the southwest of the monastery). These contacts led to further contacts with Greek-speakers in "the north country" of New York State, including those with Professor Jessica Suchy-Pilalis, a teacher at the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, New York.

Mother Sophia continued to live and work in this community until she had to move away to Toronto, Ontario, for family reasons in May, 2006.

During the time of the presence of Mothers Dorofea and Sophia, they occupied the 2 rooms on the second floor of the building, and their quarters were distinct and separate from those of the others.

It is worth recalling that Mother Sophia (Zion) had earned a Ph.D. in English Literature (E A Poe), and that Mother Dorofea (Mirochnitchenko) had done all the work for a Ph.D. at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France (in Philology), save for writing the dissertation. Her family responsibilities prevented the completion of the thesis.

Monk Pierre (Vachon)

After the arrival of Mother Dorofea (Mirochnitchenko) in 1992, the Monk Pierre (Vachon) had arrived in Canada, together with the Hierodeacon Luc (Majoros), from Mount Athos, Greece. Father Pierre had been born in Québec, Québec, in an old Québecois family. After his embracing the Orthodox Christian Faith, he had walked most of the way from Paris, France, to Mount Athos. Father Luke (Majoros), of Hungarian descent, had lived as solitary attached to the Hilandar Monastery on Mount Athos.

Both Father Pierre and Father Luc had lived on the Holy Mountain for about 18 years, and both had had substantial experience there as solitaries. Upon arrival in Canada, they made an attempt to live together at a property near Saint-Eusèbe-de-Témiscouata in Québec, which became known as the "Ermitage de la Protection de la Mère de Dieu" (Hermitage of the Protection of the Mother of God). However, they each found themselves better suited to the solitary life they had known before. Moreover, it was eventually clear to them both that in Canada, the solitude they sought could not be maintained without some sort of help from other Orthodox Christians. At this site, those believers were very far away, and those who lived in that area were either Roman Catholics or secularists.

From there, Father Pierre first arrived in 1995 at “Fair Haven” in order to establish himself while he searched for a satisfactory and suitably silent hermitage site elsewhere (there was quite noticeable traffic noise on the archdiocesan property because of the 2 nearby expressways). In the woods to the south of the main building, he constructed a small cell ("kellion") which was dedicated to Saint Sabbas of Palestine. In this solitary place, he lived without any utilities for several years. However, despite the solitary location, even in the woods of the "Fair Haven" property, it was possible to hear constantly (sometimes very noticeably) the sounds of traffic on Highway #401 (2 km/1 mi to the south), or Highway #416 (.5 km/.3 mi to the west). For this reason, it was important to seek out with God's help a site that offered the possibility of the normal silence in nature. It was after such a site was found that he moved to Westport. On a wooded property outside the town, he established the Hermitage of Saint Anthony the Great in 1997.

Sojourns of other monastics

After Father Pierre’s departure to Westport, the Cell ("kellion") of Saint Sabbas was used as a place of silent retreat by many people, and occasionally as a temporary residence.

Other monks (primarily priest-monks) arrived at the monastery from time to time, where they stayed briefly before they were sent elsewhere. Several people came for various shorter or longer periods in order to “test their vocation”. Others came to stay in order to help with the manual work required to maintain the buildings and property.

Once it was established, the Chapel of Saint Silouan became the focus and spiritual home of the anglophone community ; and the Chapelle Saint-Séraphin-de-Sarov in Rawdon became the focus and spiritual home of the francophone community. In both cases, small communities were able to develop from them into an organised and independent existence. Before this time, there had been only 2 organised monastic communities throughout the Archdiocese of Canada. In due course, both communities (Saint Silouan and Saint-Séraphin) became officially and legally incorporated. The Monastery of Saint Silouan of Mount Athos was able to achieve this, and to have charitable status with Revenue Canada only in 2013, rather later than the francophone community.

Père Basile (Paradis)

In about the year 2002, the Monk Basile (Paradis), also from an old Québec family, came to stay at the monastery, and he lived in the second house that had been purchased by the archdiocese through a donation. Père Basile had been amongst the first males to graduate in 1947 from the nursing school in Québec City.

In 2004, Monk Basile (Paradis) (who had previously been an Old Catholic bishop) was ordained on 2 May to the Holy Diaconate at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Montréal, Québec.

Later, on 30 July, in the Chapel of Saint Silouan, Hierodeacon Basile (Paradis) was ordained to the Holy Priesthood After this, Hieromonk Basile (Paradis) helped with the serving in the chapel, and elsewhere as well.

Already at a great age, Père Basile remained in the community for nearly 10 years until he had to find an assisted-living residence in Québec.

Nun Maryam (McCluny)

In 2006, the Nun Maryam (McCluny) came to stay for about 6 months. However, her health did not permit her to live in the countryside for very long.

She moved to Ottawa for a time, where she lived in a room beside the Annunciation-Saint Nicholas Cathedral. She later found her place in Montréal, Québec.

Monk Seraphim (Black)

From about 2008, there lived at Fair Haven the reader-monk Seraphim (Black) (a Canadian who had lived several times in Europe and who been tonsured in Romania). Originally from Oakville, Ontario, he became an Orthodox Christian, and he then received his monastic formation first at the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist in Tolleshunt Knights, Essex, United Kingdom, and then also on Mount Athos.

Despite his extremely poor health, he helped to provide a foundational focus for daily prayer life and monastic environment for the bishop and others besides.

When the monastery was closed, Father Seraphim (Black) moved with Archimandrite Luke (Majoros) and Novice Victor (Eryomin) to a building on a private farm. However, his health deteriorated to such an extent that it became necessary for him to enter a retirement home in that region which provided nursing care.

Archimandrite David (Edwards)

Igumen David (Edwards), with the blessing, was able to take up residence at Fair Haven in 2010. Almost immediately, in addition to his community responsibilities, he was asked to make regular visits to a small, nascent mission-station in Potsdam, New York State, in order to serve the Divine Liturgy. The mission-station was formed by a group of faithful Orthodox Christians, led by Jessica Suchy-Pilalis, a professor at the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York (SUNY) in Potsdam.

The small mission in that city (an hour’s drive distant) had grown up because of the regular services over many years in the Saint Silouan Chapel, which several people from New York State had regularly attended. These twice-monthly visits of Igumen David enabled considerable progress towards the formal establishment of a mission in Potsdam, within the Diocese of New York and New Jersey, The Orthodox Church in America, and afterwards with the support of the Mission Department of that diocese. Under the guidance of Archbishop Michael (Dahulich) of New York and New Jersey, the mission-station was given the name "Saint Olympia", and it was advanced to mission status. Vladyka Michael also assigned a priest to serve this community. In 2020, the original priest that served the Saint Olympia Mission retired, and a younger priest was assigned. By 2021, the Saint Olympia Mission had acquired its own independent building (a historical, former Methodist structure) in nearby Norwood, New York. Potsdam is situated within Saint Lawrence County, which is the largest county in New York State, and it is appropriate that there be at last a visible Orthodox Christian presence.

Igumen David (Edwards) was later assigned to be the abbot of the Monastery of Saint Silouan.

In 2015, Igumen David (Edwards) was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite.

Archimandrite David (Edwards)

When the monastery was closed, Archimandrite David was sent (after a pause) to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he was assigned to serve as the rector of Saint Vladimir's Church.

Archimandrite Luke (Majoros)

Igumen Luke (Majoros) arrived in January, 2012, with the blessing, to stay at Fair Haven. Father Luke had been born in the Hungarian part of Yugoslavia near the border with Hungary, and he immigrated with his family to Toronto as a child. He also embraced the Orthodox Christian Faith under the guidance of Dimitri Conomos, and he then went to live at the Hilandar Monastery on Mount Athos.

When he had originally returned to Canada, he had attempted with Father Pierre (Vachon) to establish a hermitage in eastern Quebec, but the circumstances of eremitical living in a forest far from any Orthodox Christians made it impractical for either of the monks. Father Luke accepted the possibility to meet the needs of several successive Greek Orthodox parishes in Ontario under Metropolitan Sotirios (Athanassoulas), in Sudbury and London, and then Brockville. He then served in the Archdiocese of Canada's Saint Gregory of Nyssa parish in Kingston. After this, he was transferred to Johnstown, and to the Monastery of Saint Silouan of Mount Athos.

With his arrival came the possibility of having the predictable, weekly serving of the Divine Liturgy at the Chapel of Saint Silouan, on an every-Sunday basis. In addition, there were once again week-day Divine Liturgies offered on feast-days, several times a month. These services were attended also by some Greek-speaking persons in the region when there was no service available in their parish. That Father Luke could communicate in several languages proved to be an immense pastoral benefit in the region.

Archimandrite Luke (Majoros)

Once the fact became known locally that there were regular services, the number of people appearing and supporting the monks also increased steadily. After his arrival, the already-existing relationship with the Greek-speakers who lived in the county increased, and particularly with the Greek Orthodox Community of the Holy Ascension ("Analipsis") in Brockville (which has had services twice monthly for very many years).

When Igumen David (Edwards) was given other responsibilities, Father Luke was given the blessing to continue on serving the Potsdam Mission of Saint Olympia, and he furthered the development of that mission.

Later, Igumen Luke (Majoros) was elevated to the dignity of archimandrite.

When the monastery was closed, Archimandrite Luke (Majoros) moved with Father Seraphim (Black) and Novice Victor (Eryomin) to a building on a private farm near Smiths Falls.

Nun Seraphima (Lavoie)

The Nun Seraphima (Lavoie) lived at the monastery for a couple of years later on. As did the female monks before her, she lived on the second floor of the building. She offered her services to the archdiocesan office for translations between French and English, and she carried the responsibility of leading the daily services in the chapel (when a priest was not present).

However, because of health difficulties, Mother Seraphima was not able to stay longer in the countryside. Since she had previously been living in Ottawa, she returned to the city, and she eventually took up residence at the archdiocesan centre near the Annunciation-Saint Nicholas Cathedral. She lived there for several years, after which she found a suitable apartment nearby. From there, she continued to do translation of articles and documents into French and from French to English for the archdiocese, as she had been doing for some time.

Nun Soprhronia (Hofstead)

At about the same time as Mother Seraphima came to the community, the Nun Sophronia (Hofstead) also arrived. Mother Sophronia had previously lived in New England, and when she moved to the Ogdensburg region, she first became associated with the Monastery of Saint Silouan, and then later a member. She was unable to live on the territory of the monastery because of immigration obstacles, but she visited frequently. She remained an active member and contributor to the life of the monastic community until it was closed. At the same time, she became an active member of the Saint Olympia Mission in Potsdam. Later, she moved to a small apartment in a village south of Potsdam, and she participated in the community from there while she maintained a full cycle of prayer as a solitary.

Daily life

In this context, there developed the offering of daily services with an established rhythm that was within the capabilities of the monks living at Fair Havens. This rhythm, which was focussed on the life-situation of the monks, also involved and affected the other residents of that property. On some greater feasts there was sometimes offered a night-vigil by some of the monks. However, by the last year of the existence of the monastery, there was only one resident who did not have some significant health concern or disability. Nevertheless, when the monks were not worshipping in the chapel, they were offering services in the cells, and they prayed for the diocese and its clergy, as well as for the many persons whose names had been given with requests for prayers.

Those who visited and who worshipped and prayed in the chapel frequently commented about the particularly noticeable peace and the perceptible prayerful atmosphere of the chapel.

For several years, the community occupied 2 houses, the second one close by the original building. At that time, the residents numbered 6 tonsured monks, and 3 laymen. The latter 3 were either working or living on a pension. They all were contributing to the maintenance of the existing structures as their personal talents allowed. Throughout the years, there were several laymen who lived and worked on the property, including Jakob Kepka, Phillip Bodnar and Viktor Eryomin. Besides maintaining the property, these men kept and nurtured animals in the barn. These included many chickens and ducks that provided their eggs for the monks, some geese and peafowl, and goats. There were also, of course, cats that helped to keep the mouse population low. All the animals died of natural causes.

Transfer of archdiocesan offices and archives to the city, 2010

When the offices and archives of the archdiocese began to be moved to the new site in Ottawa in 2010, the bishop and the archdiocesan administration blessed the community to remain on the territory, and to maintain it. The onus was then on the resident monks and others to work towards a more usual organisation of monastic life which did not have the distraction of diocesan administration included.

Nevertheless, since the particular monks who by then were resident all had many health limitations, this organisation took into account these limitations. When the incorporation of 2013 became possible, it was also necessary to make a distinction between the resident monks (the Monastery of Saint Silouan) and the diocese-wide network (the Monastic Community of Saint Silouan). It was the resident monks (together with the supporting board of trustees) who decided about the daily life and practical details associated with the monks who lived in the monastery itself. The non-resident monks (members of the Monastic Community of Saint Silouan) retained their spiritual association with the monastery and its chapel, and they were daily prayed for by the resident monks. However, the details of their personal life where they lived were guided by their spiritual fathers and by the bishop.

Monastery creek in spring

Incorporation of the monastery

With the move of the offices to the city, it became important for the monks who cared for the property to organise a separate bank-account in the name of the brotherhood. By doing so, and by establishing a corporate existence as an Ontario not-for-profit entity, as well as a relationship with the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA, Revenue Canada), those who were resident at Fair Haven were enabled as far as was feasible to fulfil the responsibility of bearing the costs of the operation and maintenance of the property. This was accomplished through the great help of a friend of the monastery, Michael Salib.

Changes in direction, closure, 2015-2016

In 2015, the situation of the monks began to change because of external circumstances and because of health concerns. The bishop who had been resident since 1988 had to move away. By this time, the health of the resident monks had begun noticeably to weaken. It became much more difficult to maintain the property.

It was on 21 August, 2015, that Archbishop Irénée (Rochon) appointed Igumen David (Edwards) to be the first (and only) abbot of the monastery. He fulfilled this responsibility until his retirement on 1 February, 2017. During this time, attempts continued regarding refining the recognition of the monastery by the CRA, and various attempts were made to improve the conditions in the facilities. However, the health concerns of the monks continued to increase and to make impossible the longer-term survival of the monastic community.

In due course, through a decision of the Archdiocesan Council, it was decided that the property could not any longer be maintained, and that it would be necessary to sell. Thus, Archbishop Irénée (Rochon) closed the monastery, the monks moved away to several different places, and the property was sold by the Archdiocesan Council.

Great Friday

Particular monastery information

This monastery was a part of the Archdiocese of Canada, in The Orthodox Church in America. It was situated in the Deanery of Ontario, of which the dean was the Archpriest Geoffrey Korz. The bishop was Archbishop Irénée (Rochon). The last abbot, in 2016, was Archimandrite David (Edwards).

This monastery followed the New (Revised Julian) Calendar.

The Altar Feast-day of the monastery was the Feast of Saint Silouan the Athonite (24 September).

Services in this monastery were mainly offered by the monks in their cells. However, there was communal Vespers served in the chapel daily at 4:00 p.m. (usually followed by recitation of the "Jesus Prayer"). Vigils would be served for greater feast-days. The Divine Liturgy was served on greater feast-days during the week.

Every Saturday, Great Vespers was served in the Chapel at 5:00 p.m. Every Sunday, the Divine Liturgy was served in the chapel at 10:00 a.m.

The address of the monastery was :

2801, Newman Road

Edwardsburgh/Cardinal Township

Ontario, Canada

K0E 1X0

References

Johnstown ON Saint Silouan the Athonite Orthodox Chapel 1992-2016

Additional information :

Hopko, Thomas, ‘Monasticism’ in “The Orthodox Faith”, vol. 2.

(Kotsonis), Archimandrite Ioannikios, “An Athonite Gerontikon”, translated by Maria Mayson & Sr Theodora (Zion) (Montréal, QC : Alexander Press, 1997).

Prokurat, Michael ; Golitzin, Alexander & Petersen, Michael, eds., 'Monasteries' in “The A to Z of the Orthodox Church” (Lanham, MD : Scarecrow Press, 2010), pp. 223-224. ISBN : 978-0-8108-7602-6.

...... 'Monasticism' in “The A to Z of the Orthodox Church” (Lanham, MD : Scarecrow Press, 2010), pp. 225-227. ISBN : 978-0-8108-7602-6.

Archdiocese of Canada (OCA) web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about the Archdiocese of Canada

Orthodox Church in America (OCA) web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about the Orthodox Church in America (OCA)

Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns)

Archbishop Irénée (Rochon)

Orthodoxwiki article about Saint Silouan the Athonite

Monastery of Saint John the Baptist, Essex England

Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov)

Wikipedia article about Edwardsburgh/Cardinal Township

Wikipedia article about Leeds-Grenville County

Monastic Community of Saint Seraphim of Sarov, Rawdon, Québec

Johnstown ON Saint Silouan the Athonite Orthodox Chapel 1992-2016

Archdiocesan Centre, Fair Haven (1988-2012)

Saint Olympia Church web-site

Orthodoxwiki article about Monasticism

Wikipedia article about the history of Eastern Orthodox Christian Monasticism

Wisdomheritage.org article "Monastic Legacy and the Name"

Monastic Communities in the Archdiocese of Canada

Wikipedia list of Orthodox Christian Monasteries in the USA

Orthodoxwiki article about monastic ranks

‘Metamorphosis of Bishop's Residence “A Small Miracle” Report Says’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (Summer 1994), pp. 1-3.

‘The Metamorphosis Project’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (Autumn 1997), pp. 5, & 10.

‘Fraternité et Chapelle Saint-Silouane au Canada’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (Summer 1997), p. 8.

‘New Book on Athonite elders now available in Canada’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (Summer 1998), p. 11.

‘Bishop's Chapel Nearing Completion’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (Autumn 1998), p. 11.

‘Bishop's chapel of St Silouan’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (Summer 1999), p. 7.

‘New monastic cells begin’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (Summer, 1999), p. 5.

‘Bishop’s Chapel of Saint Silouan’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (Summer, 1999), p. 7.

‘Hermit Monk’s Cell blessed near Westport, Ontario’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (Winter, 1999/2000), p. 15.

‘“Roughing it in the bush” : Liturgy held in snowbound kellia’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (Spring, 2004), p. 18.

‘Monk of Saint Silouan’s Community ordained to the Diaconate’ in “Canadian Orthodox Messenger” (Summer, 2004), p. 5.

‘Schema Monk ordained to Priesthood at Saint Silouan’s’ in “Orthodox Canadian Messenger” (Autumn, 2004), p. 13.