Become a Part of Our Story
The Sacred Monastery of St. John of the Ladder is a self-funded monastic brotherhood. We support our life of prayer and our mission to preserve the traditions of Orthodox handiwork entirely through the labor of our own hands.
In 1999, our former monastery was destroyed by an earthquake. By the grace of God, and through years of tireless work, we were able to rebuild our home. Today, this monastery is not just our home, but a vibrant center of service to the Church.
Our Daily Work & Ministry
Beyond the walls of our workshop, our small brotherhood is responsible for a wide range of duties, all of which are undertaken voluntarily and at our own expense. In addition to our primary responsibilities of serving and maintaining the monastery, our work includes:
- Serving the Faithful: We travel three hours round trip every Sunday and on all great feasts to serve and maintain the Sacred Cathedral of St. Paraskevi in Attiki.
- Catechetical Works: We host online spiritual reading groups, publish articles and podcasts for spiritual nourishment, and organize pilgrimages to the Holy Land.
- Publishing: We are dedicated to translating and publishing the writings of the Holy Fathers, making them accessible to a wider audience.
The Challenge We Face
Our monastery is entirely self-funded and receives no external grants or governmental assistance. Before the economic crisis in Greece, we were able to sustain ourselves through our handiwork. Today, however, it becomes more challenging each year to cover our basic expenses.
How You Can Help
Every purchase you make from our store is a profound act of support that sustains our daily life. However, we know that you may not always need physical goods. We have created two specific ways for you to support the brotherhood directly.
1. Spiritual Offerings (Prayer & Intercession)
We have opened a special section of our website dedicated to prayer. You can now request that the brotherhood intercede for you in various ways.
Through our Spiritual Offerings page, you can:
- Light a Candle: Have us light a beeswax candle (handcrafted in our workshop) for you in the monastery chapel.
- Request Prayer: Commission a Paraklesis (for the living) or a Trisagion (for the departed).
- Sponsor the Vigil Lamps: Keep the flame burning before the holy icons in our monastery.
2. Direct Donation (Almsgiving)
For those who feel called to support our mission through a direct gift, we humbly welcome your donations. A gift of any amount makes a true and immediate difference, contributing to the feeding of our brotherhood, the maintenance of the cathedral, and our publishing works.