There was a problem of language in the Church at that time also. Ms. Kushiner: You are listening to Ancient Faith Radio, and we are talking with Mother Gabriella, abbess of Holy Dormition Monastery. Sunday Evening, 6:00 PM Unction Service on one FRIDAY of each month. In order to accomodate visitors, a guest house was built. As God has a plan with each one of us, so he has a plan with a few to live the monastic life, to dedicate, to serve him, to serve the world in this respect. Mother Barbara. On August 14-16, 2015, hundreds of faithful from near and far were welcomed by Mother Gabriella and the Sisterhood of the Dormition of the Mother of God Monastery, Rives Junction, MI, for the community's annual pilgrimage. It serves as a spiritual haven, not only for the monastics but also for pilgrims, a place away from the cares and temptations of the secular world, a place for spiritual guidance and growth. 926) to London-Grove Rd. Monastery of the Dormition of the Mother of God (Rives Junction It is a monastic journal that publishes religious and monastic articles written by the members of the community. ], [Nuns chant in response: Dumnezeu este Domnul i S-a artat nou; bine este cuvntat Cel ce vine ntru numele Domnului.]. Lambertown Rd. Pope John Paul II opened the crypt and tomb 30 June 1985. This is why there are some people who would like, if they had the possibility, to move closer physically to the monastery, where they could have a closer contact with monastic communities. Dormition of the Mother of God Monastery - United States Churches The nuns moved onto the property in January of 1988 and the first Liturgy was served in the farmhouse in April of that year. As a child, I looked at her as someone very special, although I had not had much contact with her, except just a few times. He Baroque appearance. People come to just remove themselves from their everyday routine for a little bit. 29 Apr 2023 15:42:16 By 1992 three novices and a professed nun from Romania had joined the community, as well as three others already in the United States. Mother Gabriella: The abbess, of course, first of all, has to be obedient to God, to the holy Gospel, the teachings of the holy Scripture, and then the spiritual father. The other difficult aspect of it is denying yourself, and cutting off of the will is a monastic expression, on giving of yourself, the obedience. Can you tell us a little bit about what circumstances led you to enter the monastery when you did? Sunday Morning, 5:00 PM Ninth Hour, Vespers, Small Compline We read the lives of the saints. . Between the left building the faade of the sanctuary is the body there is a garden with a porch. Information on Holy Dormition Monastery is available at their website, which is dormitionmonastery.com. It is a martyrs life. In 1934 she received her PhD from Cornell University, and took a position as chair of the Department of English at the College of Saint Benedict, where she remained until 1958. So that spiritual relationship is very important. The 16th-century monastery is one of the three most sacred sites in Ukraine for Orthodox believers. Answer. Then what is the mystery of this extraordinary help given by God? God bless. The urn containing the mortal remains of St. Gabriel, formerly preserved in the old church, has been translated into the new sanctuary. Mother Gabriella: No, I didnt have any expectations. Attempted to resurrect a defunct Romanian Orthodox church, failed. The monastery is near the town of Sviatohirsk(so named for the monastery in 2003), in Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. He studied in a monastic seminary, starting at the age of eleven years old, went through schooling, theological school, and I think he has a degree in literature also, liberal arts and law. On August 14-16, 2015, hundreds of faithful from near and far were welcomed by Mother Gabriella and the Sisterhood of the Dormition of the Mother of God Monastery, Rives Junction, MI, for the August 9, 2015 Three-day Pilgrimage closes with celebration of the Feast of St. Herman in Kodiak Cathedral You can catch groups of deer wandering around happily. from Street Rd. Mother Gabriella: There are a few basic differences between West and East with regards to monasticism. So the guest house is important. Roman was in the United States at that time, and he invited Mother Benedicta to come and visit him, so Mother Benedicta journeyed to the united States and visited the monastery in Pennsylvania. And no monastic community, I think, is set up with a specific mission in mind as youll find in the West, but, by virtue of being there. It is a Pan-Orthodox event designed for clergy wives to have fellowship together, learn from a guest speaker, and participate in the services and hospitality at Holy Dormition Monastery, Rives Junction, MI. Mother Gabriella: Its been a pleasure for me, too, and thank you very much for inviting me to speak with you today. [CDATA[ Rives Junction, MI 49277 US. The tale of these years is a tale of many consecutive small miracles, as people often came forward to help without solicitation. Turn right at the stop sign. The roof is made of iron and rests above the entrance of the building that has a square concrete. May 1, 2006 The interior has lgnea cover on the roof and is very geometrically, since all three main enteate[check spelling] brought to the altar. Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord! Above the transept is a slender and slim celestial dome in diameter. Interviewing Mother Gabriella was Ancient Faith Radios Patricia Kushiner. Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU There are more scheduled to be printed in the months to come. Take I-94 toward Jackson. . Having an orchard, also; it helps with the food needed. John W Konkle Visit Website. We have to respect the needs of everyone, to think in very selfless terms what is to be done, how to administer for the community, for the good of the community. The novices and the sisters, they know they have to be obedient to their superior, to their spiritual mother, but the abbess has to be obedient to everyone. Although someone must be the leader, the spokesperson for the community, we work together. There are rules and theres a discipline within every community, but the spiritual growth is based on that personal relationship and guidance of each one, because each one of us are different, and each one has different spiritual needs, and we are at different spiritual levels of growth. On the contrary, she emphasized the difficulty within the life, that it is a hard life. Orthodox monasticism remained the same as from its beginning. Afterward Mother Gabriella of Holy Dormition Monastery in Michigan gave talks in the morning and afternoon on prayer and Christian virtue. On August 15 of that year, at the feast of the Holy Dormition, Mother Gabriella was installed as the second abbess. To all this can be added the work that is necessary to sustain the life of the community and to offer generous hospitality to all visitors. It was not something that she was trying to figure out or to learn, where it was her way of life, and it was organic, very natural. Every monastic community, including ours, does some type of work that would provide for the needs of the community. The story of the monastery began in 1978 when Mother Benedicta and Mother Gabriella left the monastery of Varatec in the northern part of Romania and came to the United States to join the community of nuns at the Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Ellwood City, PA. The real facade is decorated with statues of saints on a side porch from which there is the body of architecture punctuated large central arch complaint. Email Newsletter, Terms of Use Privacy Policy Permissions Content Disclaimer. each community is guided and always remembers those who have lived in that community before and moved on and now they are in the cemetery. Facebook We began by going to visit the monastery of Holy Dormition, where we were greeted by Mother Gabriella and Mother Macrina, who impressed upon the pilgrims how we can take aspects of monastic life and implement it in the midst of the world. Of course, anyone, I would say, that has thought of entering a monastic community, we encourage them to pursue that, because theres so many people who dont even think of it, but if theres anyone out there who has that question within themselves, we encourage them to pursue that, find out why even the question is there. The experience will be their own. Ms. Kushiner: Wonderful. It was started as a teaching tool, as well as a link between the monastic community and the community of the faithful, and educational and informational magazine. All Services are in both Romanian and English. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother - Archdiocese of Philadelphia The shrine receives an average of 2 million visitors a year and is thus one of the 15 . Mariella Gable - Wikipedia First Photographs from Dormition Monastery - The North American Thebaid The secondary goal was the unification of the physical aspects of the existing buildings and landscape, to create a place that reflects our beliefs as a monastic community, which is continuous prayer; in other words, continuous communication with God. . Monasteries in United States - World Orthodox Directory Eves of Great Feasts. Exit at Berry Rd, turn left and follow until Berry Rd ends at Rives Eaton Rd. Mother Benedicta was an older sister of Fr. Ms. Kushiner: There are many pilgrims who come here and spend time, and I think, as you say, have benefited, but can you talk a little bit, too, about those who are more attached to the monastery and the relationship you have with them? The time in Ellwood City had prepared them for the years that were to come. Berry Rd dead ends into Rives Eaton Rdturn right at the stop sign. We do tell people about the length of the services, and that I learned from one of the pilgrims who, after being in church for a couple hours, said, What do you do in church so many hours? not being used to it. Our Monastery is located in south central Michigan, seven miles north of Jackson, in the small farming community of Rives Junction, on 200 acres of largely wooded land with an array of wildlife. Interview with Mother Gabriella at Holy Dormition Monastery in Rives Junction, MI. Copyright 2005-2023 Ancient Faith Ministries, Inc.All Rights Reserved. Obedience is absolutely necessary for the leaders of the community also. But nevertheless, that was the crucial moment. A couple of local families became almost immediately instrumental in helping them establish the monastery. In the cemetery, a small Romanian style wooden chapel was finished in the summer of 2009 and dedicated to St. Lazarus. He would tell me, Say, Lord, have mercy during the day as often as you can think of it, as you play, if it comes to mind, just say, Lord, have mercy a few times. As a child, he told me, Say Our Father in the evening before you go to bed, and do twelve prostrationsjust twelveand then in the morning, if you can wake up in time before you go to school, do that again. Please SUBSCRIBE to our YOUTUBE channel.A Lenten Retreat with Mother Gabriella of the Dormition of the Mother of God Monastery in Rives Juction, Michigan.See. The difficult part of it, I think there are two aspects. This is how God called me. 517-962-9294. Mariella Gable, OSB (18981985) was an American academic, writer, and literary critic. Roman Braga; a newly appointed hierodeacon; and the abbess of Holy Dormition, Mother Gabriella. This was followed by a guest house which was completed in the Fall of 2001. At the side of the facade there are two buildings that house the Brotherhood of San Gabriel and cover the church proper. Adjoining properties were also added to the monastery property including wooded and farm lands as well as a residence for the priest of the monastery, which is dedicated to St. Nektarios. Alexander Earl, which happened on November 6th at St . They can ask the spiritual father, the spiritual mother of the community for that advice, for a spiritual word. The Midwest Clergy Wives Retreat has been meeting for 34 years. We tell people, we warn people, to say that services are long, and to try to participate as much as they can, to make an effort. We are to offer hospitality for those who come. That was that particular mission of that community and still is. Deani Monastery on Twitter: "In the courtyard of the Serbian Orthodox Ms. Kushiner: A natural question that might follow to this discussion is, well: To whom is the abbess obedient? So all of us have that need. Konkle, Rev. One comes to be placed in me and fill my ache to hold a body, for which I was cut. What advice would you give them? Turn right at the stop sign. When you choose to do something, God gives the grace, and its not so difficult, and obviously, its not impossible, but its not given for everyone to live this kind of life. ; to Hillendale Rd. In the sense of: what do you do with your heart, with your mind, if youre not used to it, to meditate, to pray, to concentrate, to discipline yourself? Friday, April 15, 2022 "A New Tomb" -- a poem by Mother Gabriella A New Tomb Empty. This is following the example of Christ, to have retreated in the wilderness, to pray and fast. Berry Rd dead ends into Rives Eaton Rdturn right at the stop sign. I was a stone, A rock, placed in a garden chiseled and carved emptied to be filled.