Monastery of Pantanassa (Mangrove Mountain, New South Wales)
Holy Monastery of Pantanassa | |
Jurisdiction | Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia |
Type | Male Monastery |
Founded | 1976 |
Superior | Abbot Stefanos |
Approx. size | 4 monks |
Location | Mangrove, New South Wales, Australia |
Liturgical language(s) | Greek |
Music used | Byzantine Chant |
Calendar | Revised Julian |
Feastdays celebrated | Nov 10 (Metochion) Bright Saturday (Monastery) |
Official website | none advertised |
The Holy Monastery of Pantanassa (Queen of All) is a monastic community for men under the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. The monastery is located in Mangrove, New South Wales (west of Sydney), and was established in 1976 under the omophorion of His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos of Australia. The current abbot is Archimandrite Stefanos; there are currently 2 priestmonks (including the abbot), one monk and one novice in residence.
Timeline
- 1976: Holy Monastery of the Transfiguration of our Lord established by Archbishop Stylianos. The Brotherhood lives in St Arsenios' House, and worships at the Holy Transfiguration Monastery.
- 1995: Monastery moved from Sydney, New South Wales, to Mangrove Mountain, New South Wales. Holy Transfiguration Monastery becomes a parish, and the brotherhood was given put under the patronage of the Mother of God "Pantanassa" by Archbishop Stylianos. The Pantanassa brotherhood commenced living in a small monastic complex on the side of the mountain below a 200m (approx. 680 ft) cliff.
- 1995: The Monastery of the Holy Cross, a female monastery, is established at St Arsenios' House with four nuns. Abbot Stefanos is the chaplain.
- ~2003: The Monastery of the Holy Cross moves to present location on Mangrove Mountain.
- 2005 May 27: Pantanassa Monastery began excavation on the monastic site on top of the mountain. Archbishop Stylianos announces an Australia-wide fundrasing campaign.
- 2005 Jul 16: The foundation stone of the new monastic church was laid at Pantanassa Monastery by Archbishop Stylianos, assisted by Bishop Seraphim.
- 2005 Aug: Driveway for new monastic complex finished.
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Monastic Complex
After moving to become the Pantanassa Monastery in 1995, the Brotherhood built a small site to live in until they built the complex that would be the monastery. In 2005, the Brotherhood, after numerous difficulties, began construction at this site, located 50 metres from cliff-face.
Current Monastic Complex
Currently the Brotherhood lives, works and prays at a small monastic complex on the side of Mangrove Mountain, below a 200 metre cliff, where there is a small chapel dedicated to Sts Ephraim and Isaac the Syrians, living quarters sufficient for the monks, an iconography studio (the primary source of income), a candle-making factory, St. Joseph's joinery workshop. Other structures from the complex include a secluded cabin named after Elder Paisios the Athonite (+1994), a set of beehives, a timber cabin used for confessional and bookshop, an outdoor chapel with a 6 metre timber crucifix used during the Patriarch's 1996 visit, and a cave dedicated to St. Anna. There are also numerous dams on the property for water, the largest dam being adjacent to St. Patrick's fields.
New Monastic Complex
Building works started on the new monastic complex site at the top of the mountain on 27 May 2005. The preparatory works began with excavating the mountain to provide three flat levels for buildings to go on, which were completed by the July 2005 foundation ceremony. During further excavation, a 400 metre (~1350 ft) driveway through forest to the building site was constructed and completed in August 2005. There are three stages involved in the construction of the new monastic complex:
- Includes the new chapel, the first section of the living quarters, sufficient for the present number of monks.
- Includes the remainder of the living quarters for the monks.
- Includes the iconography studio.
- Other structures include the office, the confessional, the library, guest accomodation, and the refectory (opp. entrance of church, adj. to main entry).
The new monastic complex is designed to have the layout and aesthetics of a traditional Athonite monastery by having the main church in the middle of a cloistered quadrangle. This formation is intended to have a fortress effect, by appearing solid and uninviting to outsiders, its few openings giving little opportunity for interaction; whereas to those welcomed into the complex, having a softer style of architecture and opening with a continuous arched cloister and details reminiscent of Athonite structures.
Bibliography and Links
- Pantanassa Monastery, "The Building of a Monastery", in The Greek Australian VEMA, June 2005, page 12/30.
- Holy Monastery of Pantanassa (monastery appeal site)
- Model of Monastery (after construction)
Orthodoxy in Australia: Monasteries |
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia |
Male: Pantanassa | St George | St John Female: Gorgoepikoos | Holy Cross |
Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia |
Male: Holy Transfiguration | Archangel Michael Proph. Elias | St John the Baptist | Holy Trinity Female: Our Lady of Kazan | Presentation |
Other Jurisdictions |
Male: New Kalenic (Serbian) | St Sava (Serbian) Female: St Anna (Antiochian) | Nativity Skete (Serbian) |