“We are here at the Ichthys School, where children are learning how to live: not simply to get by, but to live with God. Here they learn to read, count, write and think. They are learning life itself. A monastery is also a school, where we learn to live with God. In His mysterious Providence, the Lord brought us to this place, to what was then the outskirts of Novinki, where the sick were treated and cared for in care homes. They needed help. But more than medical care, each one had a suffering soul. No pill, injection or treatment can heal an immortal soul. They needed love. So sisters and brothers came here: people who wanted to serve God by serving their neighbour.
And we are still learning. More than twenty-five years have passed, and we still go on with the lessons and tasks the Lord gives each of us. We are not the best pupils, but we do want to learn the great art of love, patience and humility. Our Holy Orthodox Church teaches us. We are foolish children; we understand so little. Yet the Church raises us, so that we may become children of the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the monastery’s main task: to help people find God in the most tangled and painful circumstances, and to give their whole life to Him. We know how to do very little; we are lazy and careless. Yet God helps us in our work and in our learning.
St Elisabeth Convent has lived through many seasons, and it is still alive. With God’s help, we have already been able to do something here. People come from all over our country and receive comfort and help from God. This gives us joy. Near the monastery we have two farmsteads, one for women and one for men. There, people who come to us with no home and no means of support can begin again and put right the mistakes that have brought so much sorrow into their lives. Our sisters visit hospitals and care homes. Many people work at the monastery, in our workshops, and it is here that they find God.
It matters greatly to us that people should discover their gifts, find solid ground in God, and stop chasing the phantom of happiness promised by money and the pleasures of this world. We want to live, grow and build. We are not building to boast of what we have done. We are building so that children may learn; at the moment we are building schools. We are also building so that elderly people, after a lifetime of work, may live their last years with dignity before going home to God.
We keep in touch with many monasteries and churches throughout the world: not only in Russia, but in Europe, America and even Australia. Many people remain close to us because the life and spirit of the monastery are dear to them. We are grateful for them and for their prayers. We hope the monastery will continue to grow. We hope that we shall learn to live with God truly, without sparing the old self in us, and that we shall learn to serve our neighbour. This is the main task of all who live in a monastery. This is why the Lord created this monastery here, on this land.
And we shall build a great church. It will gather all that we have learned over these long years: in sacred art, and in the craft of building. Perhaps it will speak of the years we have lived, and are still living, within the walls of our monastery.
Happy birthday to our monastery! Our Metropolitan Philaret, who protected us on earth and now intercedes for us in heaven, spoke of this day when he performed the first monastic tonsure in our first church, while it was still being built. A blessed feast to you all!”
Today we celebrate the monastery’s birthday. Twenty-seven years ago, on 22 August 1999, St Elisabeth Convent was founded. Today there are 120 monastic sisters here. The monastery brings together Orthodox Christians who are seeking a true meeting with God.
The monastery’s spiritual father, Archpriest Andrei Lemeshonok, says: “We want to live, grow and build. We are now building a new school so that children may learn. We are also building an almshouse, where elderly people will be able to live their last years with dignity.”
If you would like to help with the new school, an almshouse, we shall be grateful for any donation.
