Reflecting

Being here at the monastery has allowed me to sit back and think about my life on a level that I don't feel has been possible in the past. I get so caught up in academics or looking forward to what's coming next in my life (travel, Fulbright, Grad School, Employment) that I don't get a chance to reflect on where I've come from and what means most to me. These are major decisions in my life, but are also opportunities that are supposed to be fun and aren't available to everyone!

Living in this simple community, out of reach from external influence, allows me to focus and catch up to my rising stress level. As I've said before, not having a background in religious studies, art history, and classical studies puts me at a disadvantage during our tours, (mini)lectures, and conversations. However, When I think back to a little over a year ago, I don't think there has been a time in my life that I learned more. Travel has been influential in my passion to learn more about historical, sociological, and cultural aspects of my design education. Studio becomes the ruler of my life, and I'm glad I've taken a stance against that to allow for a more rewarding and well-rounded (Liberal Arts) education.

As I said when I was in the island of Leros, Greece... The sound of nothing is something so far gone in our contemporary society, that cherishing those experiences becomes extremely important.

Thursday, June 25th - FEAST!

Today is the birthday of St. John the Baptist who is the patron saint of the monastery. “Prodromos” is the greek word for “forerunner”, and is referring to St. John as he prepared the way for Christ’s time on earth, hence the name of the monastery here on Mt. Menoikeion. There was a massive liturgy this morning which started at 7:30 and lasted longer than 3 hours! I sat in for approximately the last hour, but seeing this during the daylight with more pilgrim interaction and knowledge of the church itself was incredible! Though I still don’t understand much of what happens during each moment of the service, due to the language barrier, I still find the activities captivating. As the priest directs the ceremony with the assistance of the nuns, everything is in unison and the liturgy embodies a feeling of transcendence. There is a smell of incense which the priest is blessing the icons and participants while the nuns sing in perfect unity, the bells ring, and the candles light the room!

The liturgy is long and my attention is distracted from time to time, but there are specific moments that are very special. A specific instance of this occurs when the nuns spin the large chandeliers within the Katholikon and sing in unison with a wide range of tones. Each little detail of the service has deeply rooted history passed down through generations which started long ago. The liturgy celebrates more than the story of Christ as well. The Priest and Nuns include stories of saints and leaders throughout Byzantine history that date back to Early Christian times (4^th century BC!!!).

The rest of the day has been extremely busy. Only the females are able to help the nuns with chores because it is monastic tradition. Therefore Julian, Matt, and I (the three guys) have been working on research, reading, and writing during those times. The nuns are frantically preparing the feast, which includes 4 main meals throughout the day after a post-liturgy snack (which had already filled me up!). The meals were beyond anything I could have imagined. As an example, the first meal included a fish pie (not like an American pie), a casserole that included egg plant, salmon, tomatoes, and pesto, as well as a stuffed zucchini plate, grilled calamari, and a honey soaked dessert that I’ve had before but don't recall the name of. There was also word that the Bishop may stop in, which worried them as there is political controversy because this particular monastery elects to praise the patriarch in Constantinople before the Bishop of the Greek Church. He did end up stopping in, but not until the late afternoon when things had calmed a bit. We didn't get to meet him, but it sounds as though that may have been a good thing as there are some political issues with US students studying a monastery that he doesn't have as much control over.

I was also given a tour of the old olive press by Sister Catherine, who is originally from Texas and one of the only ones who speaks English well! The press is now a museum and gift shop (where I will undoubtedly pick up some worry beads to bring home). The technology they used is fascinating with pulley systems, cranks, and troughs that took advantage of the density of oil!!! These were used for centuries as monks ran the complex, and now it’s symbolic of the ability of a monastic community like this one.

Though life in a monastery may sound as simple as pious living, the abilities of the women here is incredible. At the end of the service today, the Abbess was recognized for her service. She has been the leader of the complex since its beginning (1986), and managed a small group of Orthodox Nuns into a finely tuned self-sufficient community, business, and religious monument. She is a entrepreneur turned CEO, spiritual leader, and president of this small community that started literally from ashes and rubble. The efficiency at which things are done has developed from a strict methodology that she has put forth, and it continues to produce great results.

Wednesday, June 24th - First Tour

Today we got a tour of the main church on the complex. Because my interest lies mostly in the architecture/planning of the site, it couldn't wait to understand the most important and oldest building on the complex more thoroughly. The church is composed of additions that have combined over time to create what can be seen today. The walls within are covered in paintings, or frescoes, and many have 4 or more layers beneath them! The original building which was begun in the late 13^th century included a narthex, nave, and sanctuary. As with most other monastery complexes, side chapels, a side aisle for liturgy seating, an outer narthex, a portico, and the bell tower were added over the coming centuries. There are clues explaining what came before the other, such as arches and wall paintings that are interrupted by newer development. This hides important clues in discovering the exact history of the monastery, yet adds another layer of folklore/religious history along the walls.

Major restoration and preservation work has been done on the chapel by an area architect over the past few years named Pandalis (sp?). We hope that he will come in the next few days, as I think it would be fascinating to hear about what it’s like to work on a project like this, which is relatively unconventional in comparison to the most contemporary commissions we see in the US. Continuing the aesthetic of what has been produced from centuries of building must be cared for meticulously and this architect appreciates that. An example of his work is that he has added stairs ascending to the second story chapel and bell tower that are made of natural wood and look like part of the complex (instead of using clean cut steel railings and stairs).

Having worked at LJM architects, it’s interesting to make a comparison between this style and what I’m used to. The work here does not have to meet any sort of international building code (as far as I understand) and is governed more by UNESCO and archeological foundations that provide fund their renovation. I guess you could use the term “grandfathered in” for the reasoning, as adding a stair that meets code would be almost impossible unless it was an eye sore on the exterior of the building.