anyone been here?

michigan · Post by **michigan** » Mon 29 August 2005 11:35 am

Has anyone visited the ROCOR convent in Bluffton, Canada?

GOCPriestMark · Post by **GOCPriestMark** » Wed 31 August 2005 6:38 pm

michigan · Post by **michigan** » Thu 1 September 2005 12:55 pm

I was hoping to visit them some time soon. What is their "philosophy"/approach to monastic life? Do they see themselves as a primarily Russian/Slavonic monastery? How do the sisters occupy themselves?

GOCPriestMark · Post by **GOCPriestMark** » Thu 1 September 2005 4:10 pm

The convent was once part of the sisterhood of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God and originally had quite a few great-schema nuns including at least one who was clairvoyant. They have all fallen asleep except for Mother Amvrosia who is in the sisterhood's Moss Beach convent. The location is a remote piece of farm land and as such is on a dirt road several miles from paved roads and even these have fairly light rural local traffic. It is as quiet as it gets. During the time of the Vladimir Icon sisterhood there was no electricity, gas, running water etc, yet the nuns were totally self sufficient due to gardening and cattle (for milk/cheese) and cutting their own firewood for the -10 to -40F winters. The convent was empty for a number of years as all who remained moved to San Francisco/Moss Beach.

Within the past 15 years there have been new members arriving, just a couple at first, but at least a 1/2 dozen in the past 5 years. They of course, as is happening even on Mt. Athos, reflect the society they come from, the relative ease in which we all live. It will of course seem naturally rugged to most city dwellers. Currently the sisterhood is lead by a younger nun Amvrosia. As far as I know they do prefer Russian/Slavonic, but since most of their members are non Russian I would think they are doing services in both. They are served occasionally by Fr. George from Calgary.

It is difficult to describe monastic life from the outside and especially regarding nuns, so I am refraining to try to write of their "philosophy" and I am not too sure how they occupy themselves these days.

I will add that if I were to recommend a ROCOR/L convent in North America it would be the sisterhood in Mohawk/Jordanville, NY. If I were to recommend a convent in North America with the most spiritual person as its guide it would have to be in Moss Beach with Matushka Igumenya Evgenia.

Of course the choice is yours. As with any other monastery; pray, observe and be cautious, but not quick to judge. It takes awhile to see the inner life being lived so any monastery should not be joined hastily.

I haven't been to Bluffton for about 3 years, but even before the schism I and the other priest here had reservations about the life there. Some has to do with the personality of the head sister, but also of her acceptance of Coptics as Orthodox. (Not at all in the way of immorality, thank God for that.)

Perhaps I have said too much for an open forum, but the choice is still yours. I just feel a responsibility to caution where it seems needed.

michigan · Post by **michigan** » Thu 1 September 2005 4:41 pm

Thank you, Fr. Mark.