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After the departure of the sisterhood of [[Our Lady of Kazan Skete (Santa Rosa, California)|Our Lady of Kazan Skete]] from St. Eugene's Hermitage to their present location, Bishop Tikhon blessed the formation of a male monastic community in October 1996 with Abbot Jonah and one novice. They have continued to live in the hermitage since, although plans to move have been presented and funds asked for to this end.
The community consists of men living the monastic tradition of a Christ-centered prayer life for the monastic members. The community conducts retreats, lectures, maintains a small online store and publishes a journal entitled ''Divine Ascent''. Currently the Monastery has two priestmonks, Abbot Jonah and [[Rassaphore]] [[hieromonk]] Alexander (Lisenko) as well as six stavrophore ([[small schema]]) [[monk]]s, one riasaphore monk, seven [[novice]]s and one [[priest]]-[[novice]].
In May 2006, the brotherhood was able to begin proceedings to purchase a property in Manton, California, that was perfectly suited to the brotherhood's needs and also allowing growth [http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/news/ci_3846916]; this was completed at the end of June, 2006.
==History==
==Daily Life=====Weekdays===*6am - MatinsIn September 2008, Abbot Jonah was elected as Bishop of Fort Worth, auxiliary to Abp. Dmitri of the South.:On Tuesday and Thursday In his stead, a Divine Liturgy follows.*5pm - Molieben Archimandrite Meletios (Webber) was chosen to be the second abbot of St. Johnof San Francisco Monastery. During late summer 2012, Vespers Fr. [[Meletios (Webber)|Meletios Webber]] resigned as abbot of the Monastery of St. John and Complinereturned to Europe.[http:Dinner===Weekends===*8am //dowoca.orthodoxws.com/files/reports/Council%20Meeting%20Minutes/Diocesan-Council-Meeting-Oct- Matins and Divine Liturgy*Saturday 5pm 2- Great Vespers.*Sunday 5pm - Vespers2012.pdf] ===Lenten Schedule===*Monday: On Mondays Then, the monks pray in their cells and keep morning silencebrotherhood continued to grow, at first, up to nearly 20 members. As of 2012, this fell to 15 members.::5:00pm: Vespers*Tuesday: 6:00am - Matins During the months of June and First Hour::Noon - Third HourJuly, Sixth Hour2012, Readings from [[Ladder under allegations of Divine Ascent|The Ladder]]unorthodox teachings and unhealthy spiritual leadership, 6 members left the monastery and went to St. Herman's Monastery in Platina. There are currently 8 members in Manton::5:00pm - Ninth Hour 6 stavrophores, 1 rasophores and Vespers1 novice.::After supper - Compline*Wednesday: 6:00am - At the Monastery, Matins and First Hour::Noon - Third HourVespers are generally begun with 20 minutes of silent, communal prayer of the Jesus Prayer. For all changes and variations due to the Festal Cycle, Sixth Hourplease see the monastery's website, Readings from which posts a weekly and monthly schedule which are both revised frequently. ==How The LadderMonks Support Themselves=='''Online Bookstore'''Their recently redesigned online bookstore can be accessed here:http:4:00pm - Ninth Hour, Typika and Presanctified Liturgy//www.stjohnsbookstore.com/ It is currently closed.::After supper - Compline*Thursday'''Music Recordings'''Their CD entitled Eyes of All Look to Thee with Hope. Description from the CD: 6:00am - ''"The CD includes 24 selections from Matins , Divine Liturgy, and two paraliturgical pieces. It represents many of the different styles sung at the monastery, Valaam and First Hour::Noon - Third HourByzantine chant, as well as music specially composed to meet the needs of the community. It is our monastery's vision that a uniquely American chant will gradually develop, growing from the seeds of our inherited traditions. As they take root in American soil, Sixth Hourthis chant will become an organic hybrid of different influences from our own folk melodies and harmonies, Readings rooted in the traditions of our ancestors and drawing from The Ladder::5:00pm the springs of the memorable melodies of the Carpatho- Ninth Hour Rus and Vespers*Friday: 6:00am the timeless and other- Matins worldly modalities of western Gregorian chant and First Hourit counterpart, Byzantine chant."'' ::Noon - Third Hour, Sixth Hour, Readings from The Ladder'''Candles'''::4:00pm - Ninth HourFrom the early days at St. Eugene's Hermitage in Pt. Reyes until today, Typika and Presanctified Liturgytheir main source of income has been it's [[candle]] production. They are 100% natural beeswax.::After supper - Compline They burn with Akathist Hymn to Mother of God*Saturday: 8:00am - Matins a warm glow, driplessly and Divine Liturgy::5:00pm without smoke. - Great Vespers::After supper - Compline*Sundayvisit their website for more candle information: 8http:00am - Matins and Divine Liturgy of St Basil the Great//monasteryofstjohn.org/candles.::5:00pm - Vespershtm
Usually Matins and Vespers are begun with 25 minutes of silent Jesus Prayer communally.
For all changes and variations due to the Festal Cycle, please see the monastery's website, which posts a weekly and monthly schedule which are both revised frequently.
link
[[Image:monasteryofstjohn.gif|right|frame|Monastery of St. John of San Francisco]]'''St. John of San Francisco Monastery''' is a [[monastic]] community for men in the [[Diocese of the West (OCA)|Diocese of the West]] of the [[Orthodox Church in America]], under Bishop [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Benjamin]] of San Francisco and the West. It has recently moved to Manton, California.
{{monastery|
name=Monastery of St. John of Shanghai & San Francisco|
type=Male Monastery|
founded=1996|
superior=Abbot [[Jonah (Paffhausen)|Jonah]]Vacant|size=17 ~9 members|
hq=Manton, California|
language=English|
website=[http://www.monasteryofstjohn.org/ Official website]
}}
==History==
After the departure of the sisterhood of [[Our Lady of Kazan Skete (Santa Rosa, California)|Our Lady of Kazan Skete]] from St. Eugene's Hermitage to their present location, Bishop Tikhon blessed the formation of a male monastic community in October 1996 with Abbot [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington|Jonah]] and one novice. Twelve years and the election of the founding abbot to Metropolitan later, the brotherhood has two priestmonks - including Abbot Meletios - along with six [[stavrophore]] monks, one rassaphore monk and eight [[novice]]s (including one priest-novice), living at a new property in Manton, California.
In 1951, a property was donated to the [[Orthodox Church in America|Metropolia]], and was called ''St. Eugene's Hermitage''. [[Hieromonk|Hmk]] [[Dimitry (Egoroff)|Dimitry]] began to live on the property, living a monastic life and attempting to build a monastic community. This was unsuccessful, and in 1968 Hieromonk Dimitry was removed from the hermitage and assigned to parish ministry.
After this, many other attempts were made at a new monastic community, none of which came to fruition. In 1980, work began on a new [[chapel]] at the hermitage, and in 1983 the ''Community of the Holy Cross'', led by Mother [[Barbara (Johnson)|Barbara]], began to reside at St. Eugene's Hermitage. The chapel was finished in 1988, was consecrated in the same year, and placed under the patronage of St. [[Sergius of Radonezh]].
In 1996, the Community of the Holy Cross moved to Santa Rosa and were renamed as the [[Skete of Our Lady of Kazan (Santa Rosa, California)|Skete of Our Lady of Kazan]]. In October of that year, the Monastery of St. John, led by Fr. [[Jonah(Paffhausen) of Washington and New York|Jonah]], was established at St. Eugene's Hermitage, with two members of the brotherhood.
This brotherhood, like the sisterhood before it, also took hold and grew. In July 2004, Bishop [[Benjamin (Peterson) of San Francisco|Benjamin of Berkeley]] tonsures three members of the community to the [[small schema]] and one to the [[riasaphore]]rassaphore. At this point, there are nine members of the community.
The brotherhood continued to slowly and steadily grow. By the middle of 2005, there were 12 members of the community, and the brotherhood decided that remaining at a hermitage - with an expected capacity of four - with a brotherhood of twelve was untenable, and began to look for a suitable property, hopefully in the Washington area.
However in May, 2006, the brotherhood entered into proceedings to purchase land in Manton, California, that was perfectly suited to the brotherhood's present and future needs; on June 26, the purchase was completed, and the brotherhood planned to move in by the end of July [http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/news/ci_3846916]. The first [[Divine Liturgy]] on the site of the new property was celebrated on [[July 2]], on the feastday of St. John Maximovitch. As the monks moved to Manton, the brotherhood decided that St. Eugene's Hermitage would remain as a skete of the monastery, with Frs John and Silouan based there - the former to be more accessible, the latter in view of medical treatment. Fr. Silouan has since recovered and moved to the main monastery.
Since early 2007, the monastery has grown with the addition of two celibate priests, one both of whom was were made [[riasaphore]] during Lent of 2008stavrophores in April, 2012. There are were also a number of new novices, which has necessitated the beginning of a new phase of growth and expansion on the monastery property.
In January 2008, the brotherhood issued its first CD of music, recorded by its own choir and featuring American-influenced chant, entitled "The Eyes of All Look to Thee."
==External links==
*[http://www.stjohnsbookstore.com/ New Online Bookstore]
*[http://www.monasteryofstjohn.org/ Website of Monastery]
*[http://www.divineascentmonasteryofstjohn.org/ Divine Ascent Pressservices.htm Services held at the Monastery]
*[http://oca.org/DIRlisting.asp?SID=9&KEY=OCA-WE-PRSCHC Listing of Monastery on OCA website] (including a history)
[[Category:American Monasteries|John]][[Category:Monasteries|John]][[Category:OCA Monasteries|John]]
