I took a trip to
Monastery of the Transfiguration in Ellwood City, PA,
met up with some of the women who have been most influential on my
journey to Orthodoxy, and prayed with the sisters at the monastery.
Here are some pictures of the trip up, the grounds, and the icons there.
Pilgrimage Pictures, September 2008
When I get the other participants' pictures added to my album, I'll update.
Beth and I drove up together, and met Emily and Pres. Lisa there. We
arrived just a few seconds before Emily, which was great timing! Pres.
Lisa joined us on Saturday.
Friday night, we attended the vespers service, during which they sing
an akathist and focus prayers for young people. I added Mara, Emma,
and Jake to the list. We also were able to participate in praying for
actual names listed. If you could see the huge stack of names they had
to pray for every Friday night, you'd wonder how they get it done. The
burden, responsibility, and joy of praying for the world is just one of
the amazing things Orthodox monastics undertake. Another is
hospitality, and we really felt welcomed and at home at the monastery.
We were comfortable and well-fed, and our interactions with the sisters
were so sweet. Oh, we also stayed in the house that was Mother
Alexandra's house for the last two years of her life.
Saturday, we all slept in, missing the morning prayer services. But
later on that day, we had a chance to share our journeys and lives with
Mother B. We also had plenty of time to roam the grounds, take
pictures, and absorb the prayerful surroundings. That night, there was
another vespers/vigil service. It was very long!
Sunday morning, we went to matins and Divine Liturgy, which Father
Thomas Hopko served. He gave a very inspiring sermon, and we had a
chance to speak with him later on at the generous coffee hour. One of
the most meaningful experiences for me that weekend was being able to
take communion with these women who have joined with me and helped me
on my journey towards Orthodoxy. It's one thing to know that all
Orthodox Christians participate in the same Divine Liturgy and the same
Mystical Supper, and another thing to be in the same chapel at the same
time. I was in tears quite often over the weekend. As Mother B. put
it, most pilgrims comes to weep and to pray, but mostly to weep.
That afternoon, we spoke with Mother C. and she told us about her
journey to becoming a nun at the monastery. She said she asked herself
at age 40, "What have you done for Christ," and when she evaluated her
life and decided she hadn't done much, she began to look for ways to
start doing more. She found this monastery, founded by
Princess Ileana of Romania,
and when she first stepped on the grounds, she knew she was home. She
also told another story that illustrated for her personally--and for us
vicariously--just why petty arguments and disagreements don't matter.
Her humility is an inspiration, and I know I fall short of her
example. She also read for us the story of
St. Euphrosynos,
a saint I have long admired. He reminds me so much of Cade. Later
that evening, we had the vespers for the feast day of the Nativity of
the Mother of God, which was really beautiful.
Monday morning, Emily left for her 12 hour journey home. Beth, Pres. Lisa, and I drove an hour to another monastery,
Nativity of the Theotokos,
where we celebrated their feast day with them. One of the sisters
there, a friend of Pres. Lisa, showed us around the grounds and spent a
long time talking with us. After that, Beth and I had the rest of the
day to drive home and enjoy our time together.
The entire trip was lovely, and now our online community is planning other upcoming pilgrimages together. I can't wait!
True
