St. Barbara Monastery (Santa Paula, California)

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St. Barbara Orthodox Monastery
Jurisdiction West, OCA
Type Female Monastery
Founded 1992
Superior Abbess Victoria
Approx. size 5 nuns
Location Santa Paula, California
Liturgical language(s) English
Music used Russian Chant
Calendar Revised Julian
Feastdays celebrated 4 Dec
Official website www.stbarbaramonastery.org


About

St. Barbara Orthodox Monastery is a monastic community for women in the Diocese of the West of the Orthodox Church in America under Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West.

The monastery is located in the hills on the outskirts of Santa Paula, California, and is dedicated to the Great Martyr Barbara of Heliopolis. The sisterhood was founded in 1992 under the auspices of His Grace Bishop Tikhon of San Francisco and the West in downtown Santa Barbara and moved to its present location in Santa Paula in 2005.

Daily Life

The community consists of Orthodox women living the monastic tradition of a Christ-centered prayer life and hospitality. Their daily round of weekday services is celebrated in the monastery's church dedicated to St. Eugene and consists of Matins, Sixth Hour, Vespers and Compline. On Sundays and major feast days, the Divine Liturgy is celebrated in the monastery's church by Archpriest Jude (Lepine).

How the Nuns Support Themselves

The nuns operate a small monastery bookstore and gift shop including an online store selling Orthodox books and general Orthodox items, local honey and lavender products. The sisters grow, harvest and sell their own lavender and produce lavender products. They also sell solid wood caskets made by an Orthodox woodworker which are lined and distributed by the sisters.


External links