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The Patriarchal Stavropegic Monastery of St. John the Baptist is a monastic community for both men and women, directly under the Ecumenical Patriarchate. It is located in Tolleshunt Knights, Maldon, Essex, England.
The abbot of the Great and Holy Monastery of Vatopaidi, Archimandrite Ephraim, in the garden of the Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Essex (1992) with Elder Sophrony, among the many pilgrims who found spiritual comfort near the venerable Elder (Photo:pemptousia.com)
The Grave of Elder Sophrony. The community consists of men and women living the monastic tradition of a Christ-centered prayer life for the monastic members. Currently, the majority of the community are nuns (~15-20), with a smaller number of monks.
Chapel inside the Monastery. The Patriarchal Stavropegic Monastery of St John the Baptist had its beginnings largely in the person of Elder Sophrony (Sakharov). After his departure from Mount Athos and his subsequent move to Paris, he was to live in a Russian old-age home, assisting the priest.
The Church of All Saints
In 1958, Elder Sophrony had six people living around him, seeking the monastic life. Realising that such a situation could not continue, he went to Tolleshunt Knights, Maldon, Essex, England to inspect a property; in the spring of 1959, the new Community of St John the Baptist was formed at the same property, Mosaic of Saint Nicholasunder the omophorion of Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom) of Sourozh (Patriarchate of Moscow). The monastery, from its beginnings, had both monks and nuns, due to Elder Sophrony being unable to oversee two separate communities.
Mosaic
The Monastery of St John the Baptist moved under the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1965, becoming Patriarchal; later, the monastery would also be titled ‘Stavropegic’.
The current Abbot is Archimandrite Kyril.
Address: The Old Rectory, Rectory Road,
Tolleshunt Knights, By Maldon,
Essex CM9 8EZ, United Kingdom
Tel.: (+44) (0) 1621 816 471
http://www.thyateira.org.uk/
The Jesus Prayer Method by Archimandrite Sophrony.
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