Saints Mary and Martha, Orthodox Monastery, Wagener, SC

Yes, we know it’s May and this is our April newsletter. Although we say “April”, our newsletter is quarterly – January, April, July, and October. Pascha (Easter) came so early with Christmas, Theophany, and pre-Lenten Sundays cascading one after the other.

Just when you think your days are full and overflowing, more is added to them. By God’s grace, we are able to handle what comes, but are fervently praying for women who are called to be monastics (nuns) here.

On the first weekend of February we hosted the Knitters’ Retreat. This was earlier than usual due to Lent and Saint Valentine’s Day. In addition to knitting, there was prayer, spiritual reading, discussion, and sharing experiences and ideas. Eleven women attended.

We hold precious the memory of the great silence that was brought by the beautiful snowfall of February 12-13. It came and went in less than twenty-four hours. Six inches of snow is rare here.

It was wonderful to simply sit at the kitchen table and look out the sliding glass doors at the snow and drink in the silence. Many pictures of this snow were taken before Matins, for by the end of Matins, the snow was melting fast. The snow picture is of a trellis in our perennial garden.

While our dogs were most dubious about this white stuff they soon realized that this is “collie” weather and enjoyed themselves. However, our two cats (Vivaldi – the blond cat, and Arnora – the grey and white cat) who do not get along, decided to wait it out together and spent the time sitting on a bed looking out the window.

Usually much work is accomplished in southern gardens during the winter. That was not so this year. When the freezing winter weather ended in mid-March, we started working on the gardens. Therefore, all the winter work, plus the early spring work as well as much of the planting had to be done before Pilgrimage. We did have some help, but like many gardeners, we are picky about whom we allow to work in our gardens.

The gardens are putting on a glorious show for us and all who visit. Readying themselves with numerous buds, the mid-winter and late blooming camellias exploded with blooms. Some continued through April. Daffodils, flowering quinces, forsythias, spirea, woodland and grape hyacinths bloomed profusely.

With no more freezing weather, the orchard trees flowered and set fruit. The numerous azaleas that had been planted in our woods over the years and were allowed to grow naturally provided a pageant of flowing beauty. The most notable azaleas were the yellow-orange deciduous just to the right of our front door. Now the roses and a multitude of other flowers are blooming. Our goal is to have blooming plants or plants with various colors throughout the year in an endless parade, basking in their God-given glory, and, thus, providing food for the soul.

On February 9th we lost a good friend, Sue Franklin. Several years ago, we were at The Other Pancake House in Lexington, South Carolina. She introduced herself by coming over to our table and asking, “How are my Baptist nuns?” The rest is wonderful history with many memories full of her quick wit mixed with the joys and sadnesses of life. May her memory be eternal.

Fr. James Bohlman gave our monastery its annual blessing on February 11th. It is always a joy for our Spiritual Father to visit us and help us grow in our monastic life.

Saturday Liturgy which was scheduled for February 13th was snowed out. Don’t laugh you who know how to deal with snow and ice. We in The South have little experience with this much snow and choose to “play it safe” and stay inside for the day or so.

The first week of Lent poured in on us with its wonderfully reflective, additional Lenten services, namely the Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete and Presanctified Liturgies. Lent, combined with the flow of visitors and other normal activities as well as sickness and fatigue, washed over us quickly this year.

Group from Holy Ascension Orthodox Church, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina

Fr. Thomas Moore
blessing the people at the
end of Liturgy

Choir at Akathist and Panikhida

Fr. Robert Royer at the Proskomedi
Table

Children in procession to bless the graves

Gathering for lunch

Group from
Atlanta, Georgia

Young Couple under the yellow Lady Banks rose

Children with wagon in front of the Mutabilis
rose

There is a Chinese proverb that states, “The day you cease working on your house is the day you die.” Ah, yes, there are always repairs that are needed at this monastery. We had handyman Sam Sebring reconnect the boards that connect the two halves of our doublewide and reinforce the wood that holds up the living room fan. He also repaired the windows in the bathroom, one of which was leaking every time it rained hard. With light fixture in hand, we also asked him to replace the outside light at the ramp door, which he did most graciously.

On March 23rd, Mother Helena gave a candle demonstration to a number of home-schoolers and their mothers. With younger siblings included, there were twenty-three in all. Afterward, Sister Lyubov gave them a tour of the monastery. The children enjoyed running and playing more than anything else. Corelli, one of our collie dogs, truly tired of hearing his name called and finally went under the house.

Candle sales have been up, for which we are most grateful. The increase in sales started well before the Nativity Fast and continued unabated until Holy Week, then picked up again at the end of Bright Week. With only two workers in a small space, Saint Joseph’s Candle Shop is a hub of quiet, prayer-centered activity.

With the practice of many years, Holy Week’s schedule ran rather smoothly, even with all the complexities of driving to Holy Resurrection Orthodox Mission in Aiken or Holy Apostles Orthodox Church in West Columbia for the sacraments and then returning to the monastery for the other services and the reading of the Gospels.

The two weeks between Pascha and Pilgrimage are probably the busiest of the year. It seems that more of everything happens then. On Thursday before Pilgrimage, Fr. Robert Royer from the Aiken parish helped us to put up the tents. Then, on Friday, Bret Barnard helped with moving everything needed for services.

April 17th was a glorious day for Pilgrimage. In all, eighty two people attended. Below are of some of the pictures taken that day.

Many people have used our Hermitage during the last three and a half months. We pray that their drawing aside from the world will give them spiritual refreshment to continue their earthly journey with Christ.

We hosted a group of three women from Tennessee and North Carolina the weekend after Pilgrimage. We pray that the mission station in Johnson City will grow and eventually have a priest to serve Liturgy every Sunday.

Friday, April 30th, marked the burial of Rosine Kessler from the Aiken Mission and Louise Barna from the Mt. Pleasant (Charleston) Church in South Carolina. Memory Eternal!