Patriarchal Stavropegic Monastery of St. John the Baptist facts for kids
The Patriarchal Stavropegic Monastery of St John the Baptist is a special religious community for both men and women. It is located in Tolleshunt Knights, near Maldon, Essex, in England. This monastery is directly under the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which is like the main leader of the Orthodox Church. It is also the oldest Orthodox religious community in the United Kingdom.
The community was started in 1958 by a wise spiritual leader named Elder Archimandrite Sophrony. He began with six people who wanted to live a monastic life. At first, the monastery was under Metropolitan Anthony, a Russian Orthodox bishop in England. Then, in 1965, the monastery moved to be directly under the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
This community is unique because it is a double monastery. This means both women (nuns) and men (monks) live there, following a life focused on prayer and faith. Currently, there are almost 40 monastics in the community. Most of them are nuns, with a smaller number of monks.
After Elder Sophrony passed away in 1993, Father Kyrillos became the head of the monastery. Since Father Kyrillos retired in 2019, Father Peter (born 1977) has been the head.
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Daily Life at the Monastery
When Elder Sophrony started the monastery, he wanted the community to focus on inner spiritual growth. He didn't just want them to follow rules on the outside. The monastery's daily schedule is inspired by Elder Sophrony's time in the desert of Mount Athos.
A key part of their day is repeating the Jesus Prayer for about four hours. This is a short prayer that helps them focus on God. They also have the Divine Liturgy, which is their main church service, three or four times each week.
Another special thing about this monastery is that it is a double monastery. This means that both monks and nuns live there. They have separate living areas, but they share the same spiritual life. This is not very common, but it does happen in Orthodox monasticism.
History of the Monastery
The story of the Patriarchal Stavropegic Monastery of St John the Baptist really begins with Elder Sophrony. After he left Mount Athos, where he learned from Saint Silouan the Athonite, he moved to Paris. He lived in a home for elderly Russian people and helped the priest there.
Soon, two men came to Elder Sophrony because they wanted to live a monastic life. They were allowed to stay at the old-people's home. They would repeat the Jesus Prayer instead of using many church books. They also ate the food that the elderly residents didn't finish. A few nuns also lived at the home during this time.
By 1958, Elder Sophrony had six people living with him who wanted to be monastics. He realized this situation couldn't continue. So, he went to Tolleshunt Knights, near Maldon, Essex, in England, to look at a property. In early 1959, the new Community of St John the Baptist was formed there. It was under the care of Metropolitan Anthony. From the very beginning, the monastery had both monks and nuns. This was because Elder Sophrony couldn't manage two separate communities.
In 1965, the Monastery of St John the Baptist moved to be directly under the Ecumenical Patriarchate. This meant it became "patriarchal." Later, it was also called "stavropegic," which means it is directly under the Patriarch's authority and not a local bishop.
Elder Sophrony's Passing
The monastery was told that to bury people on its land, they needed to build an underground crypt. They started building it. Elder Sophrony said he would not pass away until the crypt was ready. When he was told it would be finished by July 12, 1993, he said he "would be ready."
Elder Sophrony died on July 11, 1993, just one day before the crypt was expected to be ready. His funeral and burial were held three days later. Monastics from all over the world came to attend. Mother Elizabeth, the oldest nun, passed away soon after, on July 24. This happened just as Elder Sophrony had said: he would die first, and she would follow soon after.
Monastery Services Schedule
The monastery has a regular schedule for its services and prayers:
- Saturday:
- 7:00 am - Morning prayers (Hours) and the main church service (Divine Liturgy)
- 5:00-9:00 pm - Evening Vigil (a long prayer service)
- Sunday:
- 7:00 am - Morning prayers (Hours) and Divine Liturgy
- 10:15 am - A second Divine Liturgy
- 3:00 pm - Evening prayers (Vespers) and Paraklesis (a prayer service), followed by talks in Greek and English
- Daily (except when Divine Liturgy is served):
- 6:00-8:00 am - Repetition of the Jesus Prayer
- 5:30-7:30 pm - Repetition of the Jesus Prayer
- Tuesday and Thursday:
- 7:00 am - Morning prayers (Hours) and Divine Liturgy
- Feastdays:
- Vigil on the evening before the feast day
- Morning prayers (Hours) and Divine Liturgy on the feast day
Publishing Books
One of the main reasons Elder Sophrony moved to France was to publish the books of St Silouan. When Elder Sophrony moved to England, the monastery became the place where these books were published.
In 1973, a more complete translation of St Silouan's life was published. It was called Monk of Mt Athos. Then, in 1975, Wisdom of Mt Athos was published, which was a collection of St Silouan's writings.
After this, Elder Sophrony started to publish his own books. His first book, His Life is Mine, came out in 1977. Then, We Shall See Him As He Is was published in 1985. In 1987, the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate officially recognized St Silouan the Athonite as a saint.
Books Published by the Monastery
The monastery has published several important books:
- Monk of Mt Athos, by Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov), 1973
- Wisdom of Mt Athos, by Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov), 1975
- His Life is Mine, by Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov), 1977
- We Shall See Him As He Is, by Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov), 1985
- Service of Our Father among the Saints Nectarius: Bishop of Pentapolis, by Gerasimos Mikragiannaniteis
- Conversations with Children: Communicating our Faith, by Sister Magdalen, 2001
Notable People from the Monastery
Here are some important people who have lived at the monastery:
- Archimandrite Sophrony: He was the first abbot (head) of the monastery, from 1959 to 1993.
- Archimandrite Kyrillos: He was the second abbot, serving from 1993 to 2019.
- Sister Magdalen: She is a well-known speaker and author. She wrote books like Children in the Church Today and Conversations with Children: Communicating our Faith.
- Sister Maria: She is an artist who creates mosaic icons (religious images made from small pieces of material).
