At the Sacred Monastery of St. John of the Ladder, we handcraft pure Orthodox monastery incense as a labor of prayer to sustain our daily life and serve parishes worldwide.
Nestled in the historic region of Boeotia, Greece, our monastery stands as a living testament to resilience, prayer, and the preservation of traditional Orthodox monastic handiwork.
Our Journey of Faith and Fire
In 1999, our former monastery on Mount Parnitha was completely destroyed by the devastating Athens earthquake. In a single moment, our entire brotherhood was left without a home. Through the kindness of a friend, our monks were offered shelter in a small, one-bedroom apartment, which became our home and workspace for the next three years.
To gather the necessary resources to rebuild, our brotherhood worked tirelessly day and night. We began crafting traditional ecclesiastical handiworks in that small apartment and traveled throughout Greece to sell them at local fairs. It was during these challenging years that the foundation of our current incense workshop was truly formed.
By God’s grace, we eventually secured a plot of land in Boeotia, built near the historic grounds of an old Byzantine monastery. Before our new home of St. John of the Ladder was even completed—and long before it had windows or doors installed—we moved in to continue our monastic life. It was not the physical brick and mortar that sustained us during those drafty winters, but the grace of God and our shared commitment to liturgical prayer.
Our Monastic Work
Today, our small brotherhood continues to support itself entirely through the labor of our hands. We do not rely on external funding; instead, our daily monastic life is sustained through our own handiwork.
Our primary craft is the production of traditional, Athonite-style Orthodox monastery incense. Following the ancient heritage of Mount Athos, we blend premium, pure frankincense with high-grade natural essential oils. By hand-kneading, cutting, and curing every batch in our monastery workshop, we ensure a reverent, clean-burning incense that serves as a worthy offering for liturgical worship and home prayer.
Ecclesiastical Embroidery & Antimensia
Beyond our incense workshop, we dedicate ourselves to preserving Byzantine liturgical arts. Our monks design and print high-quality, sacred antimensia for parishes across the world, as well as embroidered appliques and vestments. Every stitch and detail of our Orthodox monastic handiwork is executed with patience and prayer.
Sustaining Our Mission
When you purchase an item from our workshop, you are doing more than acquiring church supplies. You are directly supporting the daily life of our brotherhood, helping us maintain our sacred home, and participating in the preservation of traditional monastic craftsmanship. The quiet rhythm of work and prayer remains at the very heart of everything we produce.
For parish priests, church boards, and bookstores interested in purchasing in larger quantities, we offer automated tiered discounts to help make our supplies affordable for communities of all sizes. You can review our guidelines on our Wholesale Policy page.