Saints Mary and Martha, Orthodox Monastery, Wagener, SC

Yes, our 10^th Annual Pilgrimage is on, Saturday, May 2^nd. In one sense it feels like it was just yesterday that we were clearing land to have a double wide trailer pulled onto and set up; in another, it seems like we have been here for a long time – thirteen years on June 11th. We give thanks to our ever-loving God for here and all that He does for us.

We hosted the second Knitters Retreat on February 20^th-21^st. Not only do they get together as knitters, but even try their hand at spinning. This year there were ten in attendance who enjoyed Christian sisterhood. The two poems on the Annunciation by St. Romanos the Melodist were read which provided fodder for meditation. Below are pictures of six of the knitters.

Loving an auction, Mother Thecla took the time to attend the Camellia Auction given by the Aiken Camellia Society in February. Delighting in the shear enthusiasm that these gardeners have for camellias and knowing how well they grow here, Mother Thecla returned with five new camellias to adorn the monastery grounds.

We continue to hammer out the details of the monastery building that we are planning to build. This is being done in quarter-inch scale. From time to time, someone will visit us who specialize in a building skill, i.e., roofing, brick laying, solar power, interior design, etc., and graciously shares with us some of their valuable knowledge or talent. During the last week of February, a visiting artist and friend of the monastery spent some time with us gathering ideas for a mural in the living room/dining room outside the chapel. With growing certainty among many of us, the dream of constructing this monastery building will one day be a reality and that it will happen when God so wills it.

Fr. Robert Royer from Holy Resurrection Orthodox Mission in Aiken, South Carolina, graciously accepted our request that he serve Liturgy on Saturday, February 28^th. Over the years, the Saturday before Forgiveness Sunday which is in Commemoration of All Departed Monastics has become increasingly important to us. As monastics, we know that it is important to pray for those who have departed this life; more so on this day, because it is for those monks and nuns who have gone before us and who, by their own lives, have given us examples and insights in how to live our monastic lives.

For a few hours on three Saturdays, March 14^th and 21st and April 4^th, Mother Thecla gave choir/choir directors training at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Mission in Aiken. They are so fortunate to have enough musically talented people that there are singers for all four parts. Now if they only had a basso profondo. That’s one of those basses who sings really low notes.

Spring flea market time came March 28^th. Before we had halfway unloaded and unpacked the items we had for sale, the table rental was paid for and we were well on our way to the best Saturday flea market we have had in years. Thanks to many of you, we had much to sell. Our net total for that day was $338. This was added to the monastery building fund. Yes, we know this isn’t much in the whole scheme of things, but it all adds up.

We have had many questions as to how the building fund grows. Of course, some of it is by those of you who send donations earmarked for the building fund. Some comes from our own labors. One of those labors is the above mentioned flea market. Another is listing used books that have a value of $3 or more on Alibris and placing the net proceeds in the building fund. A third way is simply investing conservatively, so that there is gain instead of loss on what we have worked so hard to save. Of course if there were more nuns here . . .

Abe the goose and patriarch of the ducks has been ailing. We think that he is around 14 years old, which is old for a goose. So we took him to a bird veterinarian. We weren't present when the vet assistants had to get Abe on his back for an x-ray, but they informed us that he didn’t like that. Well, he, like most of us when we get old, have joint problems like arthritis. The vet couldn’t believe that he had a swan on Friday and a goose on Monday with the same problem. After a shot for inflammation, ten days of antibiotics, and continuing doses of liquid, orange flavored Glucosamine Chondroitin (Abe likes the orange flavor.), he is feeling better, asserting himself, and starting to walk more. Please, we do not want to hear any remarks about a goose dinner.

Since the threat of frost is not completely over until April 15th, Sister Lyubov has been carefully protecting her “baby vegetable plants”. This year, we invested in a cold frame which is proving to be most helpful in hardening off the young plants, so that when they are planted in the soil, they will not suffer from the shock of going from a warm tray under lights, to cold soil and wind damage. If God blesses her work, we will have a wonderful vegetable garden.

As for the orchard, frost has already taken out the plums, peaches, and cherries. For now, we still have blueberries, grapes, elderberries, pears, service berries, and figs.

Since poke weed abounds on our property, we found a recipe and tried it. Early spring when the poke weed is young and tender is the only time of the year that it can be harvested and cooked and drained several times. Otherwise, this plant is poisonous. The only other use that we have heard for this plant is harvesting the dried berries in the fall and eating one a day for arthritis. We don’t know of anyone who has tried this.

On April 6^th, we buried Leonard Steer, a friend of this monastery and a parishioner of Holy Apostles Orthodox Church in West Columbia, South Carolina. It was a great tribute to Leonard that so many relatives and friends attended the Panikhidas, Funeral, and Burial Services. The cosmopolitan mixture of people attested to his character, his faith, and his having lived life well. May his memory be eternal.

Our beeswax candle sales are on the increase. In addition to standing orders, we have received many orders for every candle style that we make. Mother Helena and Sister Lyubov work diligently to make, pack and ship these candle orders. While we thank God for this increase, we also pray that He will call women to this monastery to become sister monastics and help in the works of prayer and hospitality and the building of this monastery. Please pray with us.

Born around 636 in Exning in Suffolk and the third daughter of King Anna and Saewara, Etheldreda (Etheldryth or Audrey) was a pious and precocious child who loved to adorn herself with necklaces and other jewels and who grew to womanhood renowned for her purity and great beauty. Many a prince or royal parents of a son sought her hand in marriage. Although Etheldreda mightily resisted any marriage, her father, King Anna of East Anglia, sealed an alliance in 652 by having her wedded to Tombert (Tondbrecht), Prince of the Gyrwians in Middle Saxon (now the Chambridgeshire region of England). As part of the settlement for this marriage, Prince Tombert bestowed upon her the large estate of Elge, later to be known as Ely (Isle of Eels). For three years, Etheldreda remained steadfast in her desire to consecrate herself completely to God and resisted all attempts to consummate the marriage. During this time her father died in battle in 654, and her husband died in 655.

Thinking herself to be free of the matrimonial yoke, Etheldreda settled on her estate at Ely intending to live the remainder of her life as a religious. However, in 658 her uncle, Ethelwold, now king of East Anglia, sought an alliance with Northumbria, a powerful kingdom to the north whose King Oswiu had defeated Penda of Mercia. King Ethelwold along with other family members compelled Etheldreda to wed Egfrid (Ecgfrith), the heir of Northumbria who was probably around twelve years old at the time. Since Egfrid was so young and greatly admired and loved Etheldreda, he bestowed many possessions upon her. She was able to teach him Christian prayer, piety, self-denial, wisdom, and good works. During the twelve years of their marriage, Etheldreda invited many monks and nuns to her house, among whom were Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne and Saint Wilfrid who became her spiritual father and in 664 became Archbishop of York. She bestowed many gifts upon her monastic friends. Archbishop Wilfrid, in particular, received much financial support and the vast territory of Hexham where he built an abbey which was almost totally constructed from nearby Roman ruins and was considered the most beautiful church north of the Alps.

When Egfrid ascended the throne in 670 at the age of 24, he immediately had to deal with the rebellion of the Scots and Picts who owed him service and tribute. Not only did he reduce the Scots and Picts to the north back into submission, but he also annexed the Mercians to the south who had sought to conquer and annex Northumbria.

Having allowed Etheldreda to live in his house in the manner of a nun for twelve years and having had many a stormy dispute which always ended in her keeping her virginity for God, Egfrid, now being a king and a conqueror, sought Archbishop Wilfrid’s help in persuading Etheldreda that as queen, her duty to God was her duty to her husband. Should Wilfrid succeed in convincing Etheldreda to fulfill her wifely duties, Egfrid promised many gifts for him and his churches. Even though he feigned to agree with the king, Archbishop Wilfrid, as in the past, continued to strongly encouraged Etheldreda to remain steadfast in her conviction to live a virginal life, to request formal separation, and to enter a monastery. (Note: This was not uncommon advice at the time.)

At first, Egfrid utterly refused to give his consent; however, after numerous, long, heated arguments, Etheldreda, with many prayers and tears, wrung from him, who loved her greatly, an unwilling consent. Almost instantly, Egfrid regretted having given his consent. Having separation papers in her hand, Etheldreda immediately departed for the monastery at Coldingham where St. Ebba, one of Egfrid’s aunts, was abbess. There, in 671, Archbishop Wilfrid professed her, tonsured her, and gave her the veil and black robes of a nun.

Being unable to endure her absence, Egfrid resolved to bring her back and rode to Coldingham. Upon hearing news of his approach and knowing that she could not stop him,

St. Etheldreda
British Library,
Kings MS 9, F. 64V
Lives of the Saints
By The Rev. Alban Butler

St. Ebba had Etheldreda and two of her nuns dress as peasant women and instructed them to flee. In their journey, they pasted Whitby where St. Hilda was abbess; however, they did not seek refuge there as St. Hilda was opposed to Archbishop Wilfrid in general and to his interference in King Egfrid’s marriage, in particular.

There is an account, that on the first stage of their flight, they were almost overtaken by Egfrid. The three of them took refuge at Colbert’s Head promontory when the tide rose so high that passage became impossible. Egfrid decided to wait till the tide went out. However, the waters remained at high tide for seven days. Understanding this to be a sign from God that his wife should be allowed to live her life in virginity and prayer, Egfrid abandoned his pursuit. Sometime before 678, Egfrid married his second wife, Eormenburg.

Egfrid never pardoned Archbishop Wilfrid for his part in separating him from his beloved Etheldreda. With the consent of Archbishop Theodore of Canterbury and the support of Saint Hilda of Whitby, as well as other religious leaders, Egfrid deprived Wilfrid of his see and divided it into three dioceses in 678.

Etheldreda returned to Ely where she with the help of her brother, King Aldulf (Ealdwulf) of East Anglia, built a double monastery (i.e., one for both monks and nuns). The monastery grew quickly, and many, knowing of her sanctity, sought spiritual direction from Etheldreda. Archbishop Wilfrid installed her as abbess, gave the veil to her first nuns, and provided her with useful advice on how to manage and govern the monastery. During her seven years as abbess, Etheldreda practiced many ascetic struggles, one of which was praying from the end of Matins, around 3am, till daybreak; another was never wearing linen, only wool; a third was eating once a day.

By prophecy, she foretold that she would die of plague and named the other brothers and sisters who would also die of the same malady. Three days before her death, her throat swelled greatly and caused her much pain. She took this as God’s punishment for her having so frivolously worn necklaces with great pleasure in her youth. Cynefrid, a doctor, lanced the growth on her neck, giving Etheldreda relief for a brief time. Nonetheless, the pain returned and, with her brothers and sisters gathered round, she gave them spiritual instructions till she died on June 23, 679. She was buried in a wooden casket in the monastery graveyard.

Sexburga, her sister, succeeded Etheldreda as abbess at Ely. Seventeen years later, Abbess Sexburga wanted to translate Etheldreda’s relics to a stone coffin. Therefore, she sent some of the monks to Grantchester, an abandoned Roman city, where they found a marble coffin with a matching top. Upon exhuming Etheldreda’s body, they found it and her cloths to be incorrupt. Everything looked as if she had just been buried. Doctor Cynefrid, who was present at the exhumation, noticed that the incision he had made on her neck had healed and only a scar remained. As if made for her, the marble coffin contained Saint Etheldreda’s body perfectly. Many miracles have been wrought through her prayers and saintly remains. Thanks be to God. (to be continued)