Global InformationPatriarchal Stavropegic Monastery of St John the Baptist information
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, near Maldon, Essex, in England, and is the oldest Orthodox religious community in the UK.
The religious community was founded in 1958 by St Sophrony of Essex,[1] under the jurisdiction of Metropolitan Anthony, Metropolitan of Sourozh and ruling Russian bishop in England, with six monastics from a number of nations; soon after, in 1965, the monastery moved under the direct jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The community is distinctive in that it is a double monastery, consisting of both women and men living the monastic tradition of a Christ-centred prayer life. Currently, there are just under 40 monastics in the community, the majority of whom are nuns, with a smaller number of monks.[1]
After the death of St. Sophrony in 1993 the Archimandrite was Father Kyrillos. Since his retirement in 2019 the Archimandrite has been Father Peter (born 1977).[2]
- ^ a b [1]University of Lampeter website Archived 2008-06-02 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ New abbot elected for St. John’s Monastery in Essex - Website of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the UK