Holy Cross Monastery (Wayne, West Virginia)

Holy Cross Monastery is a men monastery under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. It is located in Wayne, West Virginia. The community was founded in September 1986 by Hieromonk Kallistos (Pazalos).

The community consists of men living the monastic tradition of a Christ-centered prayer life for the monastic members. To support the community the monks, by hand, write icons and make soap, incense, icon shelves, prayer desks and other liturgical items. It presently holds 19 monks, most of whom are converts.

History

Holy Cross Hermitage was founded in September 1986 by Hieromonk Kallistos (Pazalos) in House Springs, Missouri under the auspices of Bishop Tikhon (Fitzgerald) of San Francisco, Los Angeles and the West.

In 1992, after the death of Hieromonk Kallistos, the monastery was adopted under spiritual guidance of the Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, and becomes his farmstead.

In 1999, brotherhood had doubled in size since founding, filling all cells of the monastery. At the time the monastery could not expand due to surrounding city development. In the summer of same year the continued growth of the surrounding city solved its own problem for the monastery, as the civil authorities required the building of a major highway through the monastery. An alternate piece of land in West Virginia was offered to the community.

On May 25, 2000, the monastery moved to Wayne, West Virginia.

In 2005, hegumen George (Schaefer), spiritual father of hermitage, elevated to the dignity of archimandrite. On December 7, 2008, Archimandrite George was consecrated auxiliary bishop of Mayfield with his cathedra at Mayfield.

In May 2009, the Hermitage received its independence from Holy Trinity Monastery, and Bishop George was elected rector of the Hermitage.^[1]

In 2011, Hermitage of the Holy Cross celebrated its 25th anniversary.

In December 2012, at Christmas, the monastery has released the first issue of English-language magazine «Kairos Quarterly».^[2][3]

On June 25, 2013 around 6:00 fire burned down the Convent of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary as well as the attached candle factory. The fire caused no injuries to Mother Theodora or to any of the Hermitage of the Holy Cross community members, although the damage to the Convent is totally irreparable and nearly everything in it was destroyed.^[4][5]

On April 13, 2015 Bishop George (Schaefer) of Mayfield was reassigned to Canberra in the Diocese of Australia & New Zealand. Before his departure, Bishop George installed Igumen Seraphim (Voepel) to the position of Archimandrite of the Holy Cross Monastery. ^[6]

References

Sources

• Holy Cross Monastery — a story of survival (video)

Coordinates: 38°13′36″N 82°21′31″W / 38.2267°N 82.3586°W / 38.2267; -82.3586