News Bulletin!  The dam that forms our 200+ year old millpond has suddenly become a huge liability.  It has also led us to some new friends.  To share our latest adventures, click here: The New York State Coalition of Dam Owners for Fairness and Safety

Please continue scrolling down this page, and then start touring by clicking on the links or the buttons above.  Click on "thumbnails" throughout our website to see larger pictures.

Founded in 1977, we are a monastic community for women of the Orthodox Church in America.  We have been situated since 1983 in Otsego County in the scenic upper-Catskill region of New York State.  We are members of the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce and are honored to be part of Central New York's "Leatherstocking Country."

Please follow the links here to find out more about the Orthodox Church, Our Monastery and its daily life:  Updated 10/07: photos of the new icons now completed for our chapel: Monastery Icons, our publications, including Essays & Notes (Update 11-24-07: links for two of Mother Raphaela's recent essays)  and our work at Zoar Farms.  We also include responses to some Frequently Asked Questions:  FAQs  And links to two wonderful Orthodox philanthropic organizations: International Orthodox Christian Charities  and The Virginia Farah Foundation 

Twice a year we host Pilgrimage Days: Our Patronal Feast of the Myrrhbearers on the second weekend after Pascha and our Fall Pilgrimage on the second Saturday of October. For more information, see:Monastery Events Updated 05-19-08: Read the chronicle and see the first pictures of our Myrrhbearers Pilgrimage with the tonsures and clothings.  Click here: Pilgrimages 2008!

Click below on the thumbnail photo to see the full-sized picture of the Monastery's icon of our patrons, the Holy Myrrhbearers

The Myrrhbearers are the women who went to the Tomb of Christ carrying myrrh and other spices to anoint His dead body.  On finding instead an empty tomb, they were the first to preach the Resurrection.  In the Orthodox Church they are called "Apostles to the Apostles; the First Preachers of the Resurrection."

Within the monastery's framework of daily liturgical and personal prayer, we work as farmers, artists and craftsmen.  We offer the result of our own labors, here and in our regular catalog that goes out through the regular mail once a year.   If you would like to receive our regular mail catalog (as well as our newsletters) and are not already on our mailing list, send us your address by clicking here: Myrrhbearers@aol.com   

We also offer a few selected items that are not products of our monastery or farm, such as the embroideries from Palestine listed below and recordings of liturgical music.  Some are offered only through this  Online Catalog.   UPDATE 04-07-08:  NEW GREETING CARDS FOR 2008 INCLUDING THIS YEAR'S PASCHA CARD!  

Click here for Our Catalog

We are honored to present the beautiful embroidery done by the Orthodox Christian women working with Melia Art and Training Center of the Arab Orthodox Society, Jerusalem.

For profiles of Four of the Women Who Embroider for the Melia Center of the Arab Orthodox Society of Jerusalem: Arab Orthodox Society  To order a CD with the story of the Arab Orthodox Society and their amazing outreach to their own people, click here: AOS Slide Show

Updated daily: The menaion texts for Vespers.  Click here: Liturgical Texts.  

Would you  like to know what the weather is like in Otego?  Click here: Weather for Zip 13825 

(Please click on the small picture to see a full-sized photo of our self proclaimed, most photogenic goat. ) 

As promised, please click on Marguerite's Page for a goat's eye view of life on Zoar Farms.  Marguerite wishes to thank Maude for being a pioneer in animal news casting and for being a role model for her, seeking to publish only inspiring and uplifting stories.  All children want to be something when they grow up, and Marguerite has dreamed of this day when she can sit in the anchor's chair.   She knows that she will never be able to fill Maude's hooves, but she is honored to have the opportunity to continue such a worthy pursuit.

Update May 7,2008!  Tigg is back with his latest blog!  Click here: May

By popular request click here: Maude's Pages The life, times and adventures of Maude in her own words, accompanied by the photographs she trained her shepherd to take. 

If you like what you find here, please share your discovery of this site with others.  Your patronage is the best support for our life of prayer and service.

Since this page was first published on St. Herman's Day, December 13, 2000, hundreds of thousands of people have visited.  Since the website was placed on a new server on October 18, 2007, you are visitor number