Welcome to the Holy Stavropegial Monastery of Saint Anthony the Great

Visitor's Guide

Visitation Hours:

Note: No visitors will be accepted outside the listed hours.

In general, anywhere on monastery property:

• No chewing or spitting on the monastery grounds, including tobacco, gum, or other substances.
• No smoking.
• Women and men are to wear modest clothing. No shorts or short sleeves.
• Men are not to wear open or revealing shirts and should wear long slacks.
• Women are to wear skirts or dresses (no pants) and should wear a head covering while in the church. (A limited number of “loaners” are available for those who do not own or cannot afford such garments).
• No whistling or shouting anywhere on the property.
• Please turn off your cell phone or set it to “airplane mode” while here.

While in the church building:

• No talking or whispering (conversations must be taken outside).
• Men are to have their heads uncovered (no baseball caps or other hats).
• Men stand on the right side when entering the church; women on the left side.
• When you first enter the church, you will find yourself in the Narthex or antechamber. In the Narthex, there are slips of paper and pens where you may list names of people for the priest to pray for. Our clergy never preach for money, and there is never a collection taken in the church. If you wish to make a donation to maintain the place or purchase candles, you will find donation cans in the Narthex. Please do so there. The clergy are not supposed to accept gifts or money.
• Next, you will pass through a doorway into the main part of the church, called “the Nave.” The double doors with icons on them are called the “Royal Doors,” where most services are conducted. Please remember, men stand to the right side of the church; women on the left side. When the “Royal Doors” are closed, no one should enter through them as they serve a symbolic purpose in the church ceremony. Only the “Door Keeper” may open them when they are closed.
• Inside the church is a partition wall called a templon or iconostasis, which has three sets of doors and a curtain. This leads to the Holy Altar, and only those persons blessed by the Superior of the Monastery may enter there! This applies even to Orthodox clergy. (To emphasize this, the “Typikon” states that even bishops must be escorted in by the abbot.)
• Only baptized Orthodox Christians with the blessing of the Superior are permitted to receive communion or the other Holy Mysteries. Most other blessings and prayers are available to all, even the non-baptized.
• If you attend the Divine Liturgy, you will hear the Deacon or Priest chant “All Catechumens depart.” At that time, if you are not a baptized Orthodox Christian, please move to the Narthex for the next part of the service. You may return when you see the “Royal Doors” opened and the people coming forward to receive a blessing and blessed bread.
• If any of our customs seem unusual to you, please DO NOT be offended. At an appropriate time, feel free to ask us to explain the reasons behind these practices.
• Feel free to ask someone from the monastery any questions you have when you are not in the temple. We will try to extend to you the best hospitality our humility can offer.
• Cell phones must be turned off during church services and meals in the dining hall.

Trapeza / Dining Hall:

• Only Orthodox Christians and catechumens (those who are learning the Faith and are preparing to become Orthodox) may be seated in the trapeza (dining hall) during a formal meal.
• We ask that you maintain silence during the meal, as a reading for spiritual nourishment takes place.
• Guests who have not finished eating by the time the meal ends have a blessing to return immediately afterward to complete their meal.

Confession:

• The Sacrament of Confession is offered Tuesday to Friday from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. The faithful may confess directly with one of the priest-monks in either Russian or English.

Holy Communion:

• Holy Communion is truly the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Just as it sanctifies those who are prepared and serves as provision for eternal life, it may very well become “fire burning the unworthy” for those who are not, as Saint Symeon the New Theologian says in his Communion prayers. We therefore ask all Orthodox Christians to prepare with Confession, have permission from their spiritual father, and observe the required fast as established by the Holy Fathers of the Church before receiving Holy Communion.
• When the Holy Chalice is brought forth from the altar for Holy Communion, the veneration of icons should cease, as the Lord is present before us in His Precious Body and Blood. We ask that you refrain from venerating the icons after receiving the Precious Body and Blood of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ.
• When receiving Holy Communion, please keep your arms crossed over your chest and open your mouth wide to allow the priest to place the communion spoon into your mouth. Close your mouth over the spoon slowly without moving your head, allowing the priest to remove it from your mouth, ensuring that the spoon is completely clean. Gently wipe your mouth with the communion cloth. Please do not cross yourself while standing before the chalice, and neither kiss nor touch the chalice.
• Pilgrims who receive Holy Communion should take antidoron immediately afterward from a tray held by one of the monks. Those who have received Communion should not come at the end of the Liturgy to receive antidoron from the priest.