3 January 2008...10:57 am
Orthodox monasticism burgeoning in South Africa
After much prayer and several setbacks it seems that Orthodox monasticism is beginning to take root in Southern Africa.
Yesterday Deacon Frumentius was ordained in the chapel of His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim, Archbishop of Johannesburg and Pretoria, who was celebrating his name day. Deacon Frumentius is married, but was a protege of a
pair of Old Calendrist monks under Cyprian of Oropos and Fili, Fr Nazarius and Fr Elias. They came to South Africa eight years ago, but have recently decided to join the Patriarchate of Alexandria. On the very morning of the ordination, Fr Nazarius, who had been ill for some time, died. Memory eternal!
Fr Elias said that their monastery would become a women’s monastery.
Deacon Frumentius will serve at Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria.
Also present at the ordination was Deacon Nektarius (in the world Les Ritson) who had recently come to the Archdiocese of Johannesburg and Pretoria from Durban, and with Fr Seraphim is establishing a stavropegic monastery at Hennops Pride, west of Pretoria.
The top picture shows Brother David (now Hierodeacon Nektarius), Grace Malahlela and Fr Evsevije (who has now returned to Serbia) at the stavropegic monastery on the Hennops River.
The bottom picture shows Deacon Frumentius just after his ordination, flanked by Deacon George and Deacon Stelios.
3 Comments
5 January 2008 at 9:25 pm
fascinating reading… thank you.
by chance have you read of The Monks of New Skete?
&, indeed, “horses rule”
~~~
Spread Love…
BlueBerry Pick’n
can be found @
ThisCanadian
~~~
“We, two, form a Multitude” ~ Ovid.
Silent Freedom is Freedom Silenced
7 January 2008 at 3:38 am
Blueberry,
I’ve heard of New Skete, mainly through Bishop Seraphim Sigrist’s LiveJournal.
6 February 2008 at 12:01 pm
[...] few weeks ago I blogged about the ordination of Fr Frumentius. The day of his ordination was the first day I had met him. I have met him a couple of times since [...]
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