Orthodox Church in America | Diocese of the West
Welcome
We are a community of Christian nuns of the Diocese of the West of the Orthodox Church in America, under the omophorion of His Eminence Archbishop Benjamin.
Our monastery was established in 2015, and has since grown, by the grace and blessing of God. We strive to live a traditional communal Orthodox monastic life according to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and the rich wellspring of the teachings of the Early Fathers of the Church.
We welcome you to get to know our community!
About St. Macarius the Great
“Just as the blessings of God are unutterably great, so their acquisition requires much hardship and toil undertaken with hope and faith.”
+ St. Macarius the Great of Egypt
His Life
Saint Macarius the Great of Egypt was born in the early fourth century in the village of Ptinapor in Egypt. At the wish of his parents he entered into marriage, but was soon widowed. After he buried his wife, Macarius told himself, “Take heed, Macarius, and have care for your soul. It is fitting that you forsake worldly life.”
The Lord rewarded the saint with a long life, but from that time the memory of death was constantly with him, impelling him to ascetic deeds of prayer and penitence. He began to visit the church of God more frequently and to be more deeply absorbed in Holy Scripture, but he did not leave his aged parents, thus fulfilling the commandment to honor one’s parents.
Until his parents died, Saint Macarius used his remaining substance to help them and he began to pray fervently that the Lord might show him a guide on the way to salvation. The Lord sent him an experienced Elder, who lived in the desert not far from the village. The Elder accepted the youth with love, guided him in the spiritual science of watchfulness, fasting and prayer, and taught him the handicraft of weaving baskets. After building a separate cell not far from his own, the Elder settled his disciple in it.