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. When you choose to support our Orthodox monastery, you are directly enabling this way of life to continue.
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 dwelling, 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, Greece.
- 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 comfortably through our handiwork. Today, however, it becomes more challenging each year to cover basic maintenance and rising utilities.
How You Can Participate
There are two direct ways for friends of the monastery to support our brotherhood.
1. Purchase Handcrafted Liturgical Goods
The most natural way to support us is by using our products in your home or parish. Every purchase of our incense, antimensia, or vestment appliques directly funds our operating expenses. If your parish would like to establish a regular partnership, you can find our simple tiered discounts on our Wholesale Policy page.
2. Direct Almsgiving (Monastery Support)
For those who wish to make a direct financial gift to help feed our brotherhood and maintain our buildings, we humbly welcome your almsgiving. We have made it possible to add a donation directly to your cart, allowing you to support our daily life securely and quietly alongside any liturgical items you may be purchasing today.
Orthodox Donation & Almsgiving | Support Our Monastery
Your direct almsgiving and Orthodox donation helps sustain our self-funded monastic brotherhood. Every gift contributes directly to the maintenance of our monastery, our weekly service at the Cathedral of St. Paraskevi, and our ongoing missionary works.
To understand the broader tradition of making offerings to monasteries, and the best ways you can help, read our complete guide on how to donate to an Orthodox monastery.