Монастырь Святого Креста (Кастро-Вэлли)

Holy Cross Monastery began with our Abbot, Archimandrite Theodor. He always dreamed of founding a monastery one day for the greater glory of God. In 1965, while still very young and ordained as a priest for just one year, his devout mother suddenly and unexpectedly fell asleep in the Lord. He was her only son, so his mother left her inheritance to him; knowing his holy intention to build a monastery one day.
his legacy from his mother was the seed from which Holy Cross Monastery would one day take root, but it was not enough to acquire property suitable for a monastery.

So he labored in the Lord’s vineyard as a parish priest until he met his first disciple (now known as Father Stephen) in 1970.

After this young man shared with him his zeal to pursue the monastic life, he asked Father Theodor if there were any monasteries located in the San Francisco Bay Area; because he wished to live in one while pursuing his education at a university.

Archimandrite Theodor explained that there were very few Orthodox monasteries in North America at that time.

Moreover in 1970, all the traditionally Orthodox nations of the world except Greece were languishing under either communist or Islamic rule.
“The days when emperors, tsars, or kings will build monasteries for us are past,” he said. “If we want a monastery, we shall have to build one ourselves.”

So he asked the future Father Stephen, if he would be interested in helping him build a monastery. It was then, in 1970, that they first made their holy vow that one day, by the grace of God, they would build a monastery together dedicated to the Holy Cross.

How We Flourished

It took the monks nine additional years to save enough money to buy property for a monastery; and then, with the blessing of their diocesan bishop in 1979, they purchased property that would eventually be consecrated as Holy Cross Monastery.

The monks have performed most of the labor that has transfigured this rustic rural property into a frontier of Paradise.They have stacked every stone in their retaining walls and planted the trees in the cloister precincts. The majestic Redwood trees that tower behind our cross shrine were planted by the Fathers themselves from one-gallon cans in 1980—during the first summer following their arrival here. In 2000, God sent a young subdeacon and seminary graduate, now known as Father Peter, to join them and help them. Since that time the three of them have affectionately become known to friends of the monastery as «The Three Monksketeers.»

Mail sent to the following address:
Holy Cross Monastery
34580 Palomares Road
Castro Valley, CA 94552-9622
E-mail sent to: cybermonk@holycrossmonastery.org
Fax sent to: 510-581-3836
Telephone before 9:00 P.M. (Pacific Time) by calling: 510-581-2778

Источник: www.holycrossmonastery.org