Slava Isusu Christu!

Does anyone know if there are Franciscan or Carmelite Byzantine Monasteries?

I think that I read somewhere that many Eastern Christians (Catholic and Orthodox) have a love for St. Francis of Assisi and St. Therese of Lisieux. Is this true? Does the spirituality of these saints blend well with Byzantine Spirituality?

God Bless!

Jenny

SLAVA ISUSU CHRISTU!
SLAVA NA VIKI BOHY!

Hi Jenny

Yes there are several. You can to the main page and you'll see a listing of Byzantine churches. There's a section for monasteries and convents. You check for one near you at that location.

My parish has a bus trip to the Byzantine Carmelites at Sugarloaf, PA every year. We're going sometime this month.

mark

Wonderful! Thank you, Mark! I will check the main page.

I do have a question: What does "Slava Na Viki Bohy" mean? I'm a "newbie" and I only know what Slava Isusu Christu means.

God Bless,

Jenny

Jenny,
Many Russian Orthodox emigres especially those who settled in France after the Revolution, came to have a great devotion to St Therese. I think that Carmelite spirituality is VERY Orthodox in content and ethos as opposed to Ignatius of Loyola (the contemporary of Teresa of Avila and Juan de la Cruz)

I remember when my sister was engaged to a Greek man (kind of like the "Big Fat Greek Wedding" scenario! that the mother had an icon of St Therese in her Icon Corner!

There are Byzantine Rite Carmelite Monasteries in France and Bulgaria. The Franciscans of the Byzantine Rite have a monastery in Sybertsville, PA. near where the Carmelite nuns convent is. Our new metropolitan is from that monastery.

Hi Jenny,

I thought I was the only woman "on board" here. It's good to know there is another Sister among us! I am a Roman Catholic considering a move to the Byzantine Church. In answer to your question about devotion to certain Saints, there is a strong devotion to Saint Francis of Assisi at the Byzantine Catholic Church which I now attend. When I first attended Divine Liturgy, I was comforted to discover a beautiful statue of Saint Francis outside the Church in their garden. There are also Icons of him inside the Sanctuary as well.

This was a tremendous comfort to me. I felt right at home. Our Priest told me that the Cross of San Damiano (St. Damien) that "spoke" to St. Francis was inside an abandoned Byzantine Church. The Cross itself is Byzantine. Ironically, I have always loved that Crucifix and have one in my home. Only now has it taken on a whole new meaning for me!

Like you - I am new to Eastern Catholicism and have a question!

The Eastern Icons are beautiful but why are there no "statues" inside the Eastern Churches? This should be a no-brainer so I expect many responses.

Kimberly Kateri

Come, Holy Spirit!

Dear Jenny and all,

You can read a bit and see a few photos (and iconography) of the beautiful Byzantine Carmel in Saint-Remy, France at:

http://stmichaelruscath.org/byzcarmel.htm

PS Take a look at the icons of some Carmelite saints on (I love the saints and the icons!):

http://stmichaelruscath.org/byzcarmel2.htm

Wow! Very interesting!

I'm new to Orthodox spirituality (and Catholic spirituality, for that matter), but I've just started reading The Orthodox Way by Ware and The Story of a Soul by St. Therese. I also have The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila and The Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross. I'm really interested in studying how Orthodox Carmelite spirituality is. Thanks for the info!

God Bless,

Jenny

I noticed that Mark said he was going on retreat to Sugarloaf. Do most monasteries and convents allow people to have retreats with them?

God Bless,

Jenny

Hi Kimberly!

Wow, I didn't realize that about the San Damiano Cross! Very interesting. St. Francis was the first saint I learned about and was really drawn to after beginning to study Catholicism.

My background is evangelical Presbyterian and we didn't even follow a church calendar much less study different spiritualities. The Presbyterian Church is very cerebral; we focused so much on the intellectual side of faith that when someone first told be about Franciscan spirituality, I had no idea what that meant. Sometimes I feel like I need a HUGE glossary of terms for Catholicism and Orthodoxy. I was afraid to post here for the longest time since my questions are so basic and everyone here is so knowledgeable.

God Bless you as you consider becoming Byzantine!

Jenny

Jenny and Kimberly

You are in good company here - quite a few of the fairer sex post regularly.

I am RC as well - but sadly in a place where there is little regular Eastern repesentation.

As to the absence of icons - well I am still being educated here but simply, you cannot have a 3D representation of Christ as no-one knows accurately what He looked like. An icon is a window to heaven -- and our resident Icon Writer [Medved] can tell you as much as you want about this subject.

Let the education continue

May Our Blessed Lady, Mary ever Virgin, Mother of us all and my Mistress lead us all to Her most wonderful Son

Angela

Hello again Gerard!

This is so amazing and beautiful!!! I love those icons. Thank you for posting the links!

I love your work; all the websites you do are fantastic.

God Bless you,

Jenny

Nah, there are women on these boards. Even a few Byzantine Franciscans!

Yes, one can make a retreat at a monastery. I make my annual retreat at Holy Trinity in Butler, Pa. I made a retreat at Our Lady of the Angeles a few years ago. I understand they now have a building for retreatanst there now.

I think most monasteries,Eastern and Western would make accomidations for you if you call in advance. I have made several retreats at the Trappists in Wincester, VA. They have a retreat house there and sometimes they have both men and women there at the same time. If any of you don't feel comfortable with that you can make arrangements ahead of time to make sure that there will be ONLY men or ONLY women. I don't know if the female monasteries have facilities for men. You can email most of them. Many have web sites. You can do a "search" and find our what monastery you want to stay at and what facilities they have. Its always a little bit of heaven on earth for me.

P.S. The Trappists in Virginia have goodies from many of their other monasteries in the U.S. for sale in the gift shop. Another thing to consider when making a retreat.

Isn't this a latinization?

Don't you think that the byzantine catholic monks should be just monks and not from "religious orders"?

Have they tried to unify all the byzantine rite monks?

Latinization? Go to the chapel at the Holy Annunciation Monastery in Sugarloaf... very, VERY Byzantine and absolutely gorgeous. I love the dome, and the frescos of "the Bread of Life" and of St. Therese (by the renowned Greek Orthodox iconographer Constantine Yiousis).

I've recently had the fortune of visiting this monastery twice in about a month. While belonging to the Carmelite Order, I do believe Mother Marija has made a very harmonious blend with Byzantine monasticism. I wouldn't hurl the accusation of "Latinization" until you visit them.

As I've said in another thread on this forum, you can view the "orders" as "typikons" in the Byzantine mindset. So instead of the "typikon of the Studion" or the "typikon of Saint Basil" you have the "typikon of Saint Francis" or the "typikon of Carmel"... see, all kosher.

Just worry about the one needful thing, not what kind of koukoulion or klobuk they wear.

-Dave

Dear Remi:

What do you mean by"Latinization". Have you been to a Byzantine Rite monastery? The Pope at the time asked these various religious orders to help with evangilizing the Eastern Rite. These orders came forward with volunteers who leartn the language and the ligurgy. Many of them have now passed on and are elderly. They are Byzantinations of Latin rite communities, not vis versa.

Mike:

I've not been in a byzantine catholic monastery, I've visited small communities of Orthodox monks here. Here the only Byzcath eparchy is the Melkite one, and they only have a bishop and 3 priests (two of them with families, non monastic). Britain has many Eastern monasteries, but I never visited them.

The fact is that the "orders" are not an Eastern tradition, but what you said about the typikon is very interesting, I think it can work like that.

Hmm -

does Britain = England here ?

please see below

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