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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 rassaphore 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.
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, 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 of whom was made [[riasaphore]] rassaphore during Lent of 2008. There are 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."
