Visiting a Greek Monastery

[lawndartboy]

Hi all, my friend is visiting an Orthodox womens retreat at a Greek Orthodox monastery and she has been told that she can listen to the speaker preach but cannot attend monastic services as she is non-Orthodox. Why is this the custom that non-Orthodox can't attend the services. Any info on this would help, thx.

 

[xenia]

My experience at women's monasteries (Greek* and Serbian**) is that the nave of the monastery church is divided into two parts. The section closest to the iconostasis is for the monastics and the other section farther from the altar is ok for non-monastics and I thought non Orthodox? Come to think of it, I have never been to a monastery in the company of non-Orthodox... I do know that unless we were asked to help read we were expected to stay way in the back. I have a memory of the Gerontissa (Abbess) asking questions and moving people around a little depending on the answer... what she asked and how they responded I cannot say. All to say: it's possible!

* Life Giving Springs, Dunlap, CA (Ephraimite)
** St. Xenia Skete, Wildwood, CA (Serbian)

At St Herman of Alaska (Serbian, Platina, CA) we also stayed in the back but it didn't seem as strict. For strictness, it's hard to beat an Ephraimite monastery!

 

[jckstraw72]

some monasteries are stricter on this. i have been to some that have catechumens actually leave at "catechumens depart," and non-Orthodox cannot go beyond the narthex. this is how it is on Mt. Athos. this is because the Church services are the work of the people of the Church, uniting in common prayer, and so strictly speaking, only the Church should be there. this was the early Church's custom, although obviously it is relaxed in most places today.

 

[ArmyMatt]

it does depend on the monastery. places like that (such as Elder Ephraim's monasteries) are here for the strengthening of the faithful and their ministry is to the Orthodox in a sense, so they are more strict when it comes to who can be in the services.

not that they would turn anyone away in need, but the Church is not just for casual observance, and it's the Churches that are in the world, not the monasteries, that usually reach out to the world in that sense. then once in the Church the monasteries are there to build folks up spiritually.

and saying that, there are some who are much less strict, like my favorite Holy Transfiguration in Ellwood City. it really depends on the Abbot or Abbess

 

[GoingByzantine]

Looks like my plans to visit a nearby Serbian Orthodox Monastery are going to have to be put aside for the time being, I don't want to put the abbot and monastics in an awkward situation if they find out I am not Eastern Orthodox.

 

[jckstraw72]

it shouldn't be a problem to visit the monastery. maybe just mention that you're not Orthodox when you arrange the visit.

 

[Anhelyna]

I visited [ stayed for a weekend ] in a Stavropegial Monastery in the UK - they have no Internet presence at all. Made it very clear that I was catholic and knew how to behave and I was warmly welcomed. In fact the nun looking after female guests said it was a pleasure to have a catholic there who respected their traditions - they couldn't have been nicer to me