MONASTERY of the HOLY CROSS
Monastery Residence
1302 Quincy Street NE
Washington, DC 20017
TEL: 202-832-8519
FAX: 202-832-0592
Icon and Book Service
1217 Quincy Street NE
Washington, DC 20017
TEL: 202-526-6061
1-800-ASK-IKON
FAX: 202-526-3316
DAILY SCHEDULE
SUNDAY
Matins 8:00 AM
Divine Liturgy 9.-30 AM
Vespers 4-30 PM
MONDAY
The Monastery is closed to visitors in order to have a "quiet"
day for prayer, rest and recreation within the monastic
community
TUESDAY AND THURSDAY
Matins 6:45 AM
Sixth Hour 12:00 PM
Vespers 4-30 PM
Compline 7-15 PM
WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY
Divine Liturgy 6-45 AM
Sixth Hour 12:00 PM
Vespers 4-30 PM
Compline 7-15 PM
SATURDAY
Divine Liturgy 8: 00 AM
Vespers 4: 30 PM
Feast Days are specially scheduled, with Divine Liturgy
usually being celebrated at 9-.00 AM.
During Great Lent, the Pre-sanctified Liturgy is held on
Wednesdays at 4-30 PM and Fridays at 7:00 PM.
THE MONASTERY OF THE HOLY CROSS
The Monastery of the Holy Cross is a small community under the canonical protection of the Most Reverend Stephen Sulyk, D.D., Archbishop of Philadelphia for the Ukrainians.
The monastery was established in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington, D.C. in October 1989, where it remains to this day.
RULE OF LIFE
In the Eastern Christian churches, communities of monks or nuns organized themselves locally, not according to "orders" as in the West (exceptions to this have occurred in more recent times). Rather, a Rule of Life or Typicon was developed by each house drawing from the ancient traditions of the desert fathers who laid the foundational patterns for cenobitic life.
During the Byzantine Imperium a large monastery founded by Saint Theodore Studite flourished in the city of Constantinople and was known as the Studion. After the Saint's death, his sermons and teachings were compiled into a Rule known as the Testament.
The influence of this Rule was widespread throughout Greece, the Middle East, and the lands of Rus. In the nineteenth century, Metropolitan Andrew of Kiev oversaw the revitalization of monasticism according to authentic Eastern traditions. In time the Rule of Saint Theodore was carried to the new world as well where small communities have taken root.
PRAYER AND WORSHIP
The principle work of a monastery is the worship of God and the pursuit of living in spiritual communion with Him. The free and complete acceptance of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience are joined to the further commitment to hospitality, in a common life with others. Never existing merely for its own sake, the life of a community seeks to be of service to the whole Church in ways determined by local need but without compromising the distinctive requirements for a true cenobitic discipline.
WORK
Work is truly an extension of prayer and is an offering of one's strength and talent in labors undertaken for support of the monastery and its participation in the life of the Church. A monastery, while grateful for the generous assistance of the faithful, should never lose the essential desire to earn its living. Work involves the proper stewardship over the things necessary for life and provides the major portion of funds required to pay for shelter, food, health care, transportation, education and so forth. Work also provides means by which the monastery can provide for needy persons, contribute to charitable missions, and help support newer, fledgling monastic communities, as well as other works of the Church.
***We are grateful for your patronage of the Icon and Book Service located at 1217 Quincy Street, N.E. Providing the primary source of income for us, the activities of this Center also serve as a sort of crossroads where Christians of Eastern and Western traditions encounter each other and where ecumenism happens at the grass-root level.***
The priests of the community provide liturgical assistance from time to time in local parishes and anticipate a growing involvement with priestly formation and other academic opportunities in our locale.
HOSPITALITY
Many visitors to the Icon and Book Service participate in our liturgical life as do a small number of dedicated faithful on Sundays. You are welcome to join us for worship when possible.
VOCATIONS TO MONASTIC LII'E
We earnestly pray for the increase of positive responses to prayer for vocations to both monastic life and priesthood. We wish to encourage serious candidates who demonstrate capability of meeting the requirements for a lifetime commitment. The novitiate is normally undertaken after a period of postulancy and is of three years duration. The candidate and community must by this time determine the mutual desirability of permanent profession.
GUESTS
A limited number of rooms are available for short stays for purposes of spiritual recollection. Please call for further information.