Bless! This will appear in the next issue of “The Shepherd," so here you have a preview and an opportunity to give alms earlier than others! Take that opportunity; it will bring a blessing.
Preliminary Appeal
SO THAT their monastery community may grow, the Sisters of the Convent of St Philothei in Sweden, are beginning to appeal for funds to build more cells. Their Sister Lydia writes:
“For three years now, Metropolitan Cyprian has encouraged us to build several new cells, but we haven’t had the financial means to do so. Just recently, funds miraculously came in, making the project feasible, though we are still short of money. We have drawn up two possible plans for an extension to the monastic house, one large and one small.
“We invited some carpenters to give us an estimate for both of these plans, but they won’t be able to get back to us until early August with a quote. We will then have to decide rather quickly which plan we can afford to proceed with so that we can apply for a building permit (which takes at least 10 weeks to receive) in time for the carpenters to dig the foundation before the deep frost of winter. Otherwise we will have to wait till next year, when our preferred carpenter is already booked up.
“Mother Magdalene1 is not enough of a Viking to want to pillage your people with swords and staves,2 so we are simply making our plight known, at Liggy’s3 suggestion. When we have more details as to the actual cost, we will get back to you.”
THIS was in a personal message and so perhaps the three references we tagged need some explanation:-
1) Mother Magdalene is the superior of the Convent; 2) We first had this need brought to our attention by Liggy, and apparently the nuns were rather shy to bring their plight to our attention, so I pointed out that that their Viking ancestors had been less reticent; 3) Liggy lives in East Anglia and sometimes attends church at Brookwood. Before moving away she taught Sunday School for us here.
Donations may be sent to the Brotherhood for us to forward to the Sisters, or directly to the Convent at this address:
Heliga Philothei Ortodoxa Kloster,
Sweden
WE will try to keep readers informed of the progess of the project.
ROCOR donors please remember that we have our own convent in need of alms, St. John's in Ukraine. We also have a monastery in Australia worthy of alms. There's an old American saying, "Charity begins at home."
ReplyDeleteI don't know how to get alms to Ukraine, I will have to ask John Herbst.
But the monastery in Australia I have that information:
Abbott John Smelic
Administrator of the Australian and New Zealand Diocese
P. O. Box 17
Pheasant Creek 3757
Tel. 0422-556-968
fatherjohn@optusnet.com.au