10087 W Rolling Meadows Dr. Westville, IN 46391-3402
Ph (219) 805-7961 / Fax (219) 785-2529
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Who Are We
By God's Grace, Holy Annunciation Hermitage is a recently formed (2005) Orthodox Monastic community for women. The Hermitage was established with the blessing and guidance of His Eminence Archbishop Nathaniel of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of the Orthodox Church in America. The nuns of Holy Annunciation Hermitage originate from Romania.
On September 08, 2004, the Feast Day of the Nativity of the Theotokos, with the blessing of Archbishop Nathaniel, and the faithful, we came to Merrillville, Indiana, and settled in the Parish House of The Descent of the Holy Ghost Church (ROEA). This allowed our community to be more accessible in our mission, outreach, retreat work, and to focus more on our work in traditional Byzantine Iconography (writing of icons). Although Eastern Orthodox monasticism basically is the same everywhere, there are many variations according to possibilities and conditions.
With much gratitude to the "mother" church "Descent of the Holy Ghost" we grew to stand on our own feet.
BY GOD'S GRACE AND MANY BLESSED EFFORTS WE HAVE OUR OWN HERMITAGE HOUSE NOW. AFTER MANY PRAYERS AND PONDERING, WE HAVE PURCHASED THE HERMITAGE HOME DURING THE SUMMER OF 2008 AND WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE AND SETTLE IN. On September 28, His Eminence visited and blessed the house informally.
"Holy Annunciation" community is organized as an Hermitage or Skete rather than as a monastery, per se. At this time, the cycle of services our community offers is limited according to our limited number and the restrictions of our temporary residence. Nevertheless, this allows certain flexibility in the pastoral missionary work of our community. As in all Orthodox monastic communities, the heart of its existence is public and private prayer, which leads to union with God and to personal and cosmic sanctification. Every other activity, however worthy, is incidental to this ultimate goal. The "way of life" for the Hermitage is found in other monastic communities throughout the Orthodox world. One of our goals, as a witness to our Orthodox tradition, is to teach authentic Byzantine iconography which the ancient iconographers have passed on to us.
(See website for Icon Gallery and ordering information).
Nun's Hermitage House
We have fashioned a Prayer Altar located in the largest room of the house. It is here where the community offers its daily prayers. We have been cleaning and caring for the interior and exterior of the house, "Holy Annunciation Hermitage," and have planted a vegetable garden as well as planted flowers around the house. Also in the hermitage, we have set up an Icon Studio for the study, research, teaching, and painting of traditional Byzantine icons. Among the icons are those of the All-Holy Trinity, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary, and many saints. Our other activities, in addition to our daily prayer services, iconography and house-keeping, include charitable activities, visitations to the sick and disabled, spiritual outreach, lectures and retreats, spiritual counseling for the young, teaching Sunday School, and the practice of a variety of traditional art and craftwork such as weaving and calligraphy.