See how your donations saved Holy Cross Monastery in West Virginia
When one lives in a monastery, one expects to be materially poor. When a person devotes his whole life to the Lord, he takes vows of chastity, obedience and poverty. The brethren at Holy Cross do everything they can to support themselves: they grow a portion of their own food, they make incense, candles and soap for sale, and they raise chickens and goats. But even a community of people dedicated to live simply need something to survive on.
“Most monasteries can’t live off the work of their own hands, they have to rely on the help of donations of their friends, benefactors, anyone who can help them in any way,” said monastery treasurer, Hieromonk Nektarios. “We generally pay the last dollar and go to the negative. We say, hopefully enough money will come in before this bill comes to its destination. That’s almost every week.”
By the end of 2011 debts came piling up, and the monastery had only $300 in its checking account. According to monastery dean, Hieromonk Alexander: " We felt like we were suffocating under the weight of all the expenses and demands."
The brethren appealed to the Fund for Assistance to ROCOR, who conducted a matching appeal, raising over $181,000 for the monastery.
"We’re very grateful to all the people who donated to the Holy Cross Monastery through the FFA for rescuing us and supporting us. It turns out this is how God saved us – through the FFA!” said Fr. Alexander.
Donate to help Holy Cross Monastery here.
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