Home > About Us
About Us
We are an ecumenical, inclusive, inter-generational, inter-racial, and inter-faith community of monks and friends drawn together from across the globe. Communities gather regularly on different continents, in multiple time-zones and venues for personal interaction and support, and in particular for contemplative prayer and in deep reflection.
Many of these communities are in-person gatherings, or else online or hybrid (meeting in-person and online) to share in ongoing relationships of work in the world, study of sacred texts from multiple traditions, and a large variety of contemplative prayer practices. These local and ongoing communities we call priories, in the nomenclature of the monastic tradition.
Officially we gather at an annual conference once a year (also hybrid) where we encourage monks and friends to come together in-person if possible, where we strengthen our sense of belonging and deepen our practice.
Week-long wisdom schools and academies, weekend seminars and workshops, and daily teaching and study opportunities are offered regularly throughout the year, which are open to wisdom seekers and practitioners of any kind. Also, monks and friends gather (typically online) for daily or weekly morning or evening prayer.
Each of these is a welcoming community, inviting those drawn to this or other contemplative paths, opportunities to gather together in sanctuary and for support of our sojourn on the Journey of Eternal Return.
Finding the inner monk.
It can be helpful to hear what drew others to the Order and the transformation they have experienced.
“From my early childhood I have tried to figure out who or what God is. Also, how do God and Jesus fit together? I could never find good answers that satisfied me in the Christian church in which I grew up. The Oriental Orthodox Order in the West has given me a supportive community and authoritative teachings to explore my relationship with the Divine and find better answers. I feel blessed to be part of a loving group of fellow pilgrims who are with me on a sacred journey of discovery. ”
“Before joining the Order, I was searching for answers and wondering what my life was about and what I was supposed to be doing. Since joining the Order, I have been blessed with wonderful fellowship, given a wealth of knowledge, and taught a praxis of prayer, meditation, and chant. During this time of chaos and transformation, I feel prepared to participate as humanity transitions to the next stage of consciousness.”