Day-Visitor's Guide

This page contains guidelines for visiting the Monastery during the day. If you would like to stay overnight, please see the additional instructions.

Hours

The Monastery accepts day visitors who wish to see the grounds from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM seven days a week. No tourists will be accepted after 2:30 PM. Day visitors can stay for the church services after 2:30 pm. Please notify a father at the gatehouse if you wish stay for the service.

Groups

If you are in a group of ten or more people, please call in advance so that we may be properly prepared to receive you.

Arrival

All visitors are asked to stop at the gatehouse upon arrival. If a monk is not immediately available at the Bookstore when you arrive, we kindly ask that you wait at the gift shop until one of the monks returns.

Proper Attire

Visitors must be properly attired to enter the Monastery grounds. In general, clothing should be modest and loose-fitting, and include the following:

• Orthodox Clergy must wear a Cassock (raso) in the Monastery and an outer cassock (exoraso) in the services.
• Men must wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts
• Women must wear long skirts, long-sleeved blouses, and scarves. (Please, no pants/slacks (unless worn under skirt), no tight-fitting clothing, no skirts with slits, hats, low-cut blouses, or sheer or small scarves)
• Shoes/sandals must be worn with socks at all times. Please do not wear sheer stockings. Please wear practical and comfortable flat shoes while at the Monastery as it is desert terrain and the pathways are of rough flagstone. Please wear flat shoes— No high heels, platform shoes or open-toed sandals.
• Pilgrims staying at the Monastery and all those attending church services must observe the order of the Monastery.

If you are not properly attired, please go directly to the Bookstore, where there is a limited supply of clothing for your use. In the guest houses, we ask that you remain properly dressed when outside your room, since the fathers often have need to enter the common areas.

Respect for the Monastery Environment

Due to the sanctity of this Holy place we kindly ask that you respect the quiet and solitude of the Monastery while on the grounds.

Smoking anywhere within the Holy grounds is strictly forbidden. Loud talking and laughing are always inappropriate.

Children should not roam freely on the Holy grounds, but remain under parental supervision at all times.

Photographs

Photographs (including videos) may be taken of the buildings, the grounds and inside the Church. Please ask before taking photographs of any of the monks or guests. Photographs (including videos) are not allowed during the services unless it has a blessing from the Abbot.

Divine Services

When entering the Church for the Divine Services, we ask that you venerate the icons only up to the first set of pillars in the nave and are asked not to venerate the icons in the front part of the Church when the monks are present for the services.

We ask you that when you take Geronda Ephraim's or Geronda Paisios' blessing, simply bow and kiss their hand. Please do not cross yourself and do not make a prostration in front of them.

The order within the Monastery for venerating icons, processions to and from the Trapeza and for receiving Holy Communion is as follows: the Elder or Abbot first, then ordained clergy, then the monks, nuns, men and the women. All guests are asked to please follow the order set up by the Monastery.

Please note that men stand on the right side in the church and women on the left.

Non-Orthodox must remain in the Narthex. Also, Catechumens are dismissed at the appropriate times during the Services.

During the reading of the “Six Psalms” (usually read approximately 30 minutes into the morning service), please avoid any unnecessary movement; this includes veneration of icons and even making the sign of the cross.

Trapeza (Dining Hall)

Only Orthodox Christians and Catechumens (those learning the Faith and who are about to become Orthodox) may be seated in the Trapeza during a formal meal. All others will be served after the meal has ended and the Fathers have left the Trapeza.

We ask that you maintain quiet during the meal as a reading for our spiritual nourishment takes place. The monastic custom is to wait until the Abbot or Hieromonk rings a bell for the blessing to drink any water at the meal.

Guests have a blessing to return to the Monastery’s Trapeza—immediately following a formal meal—to eat their unfinished food.