History of the New Skete
The Monks of New Skete began in 1966 with a small group of monks. Having originally been members of the Byzantine-Rite Franciscans, our first brothers sought to live a more explicitly monastic life within the Eastern Christian tradition. To do this, they left the Franciscans and established New Skete as a separate monastic community.
Initially we were helped by the Benedictine monks, who gave us temporary use of a lodge in Northwestern Pennsylvania. After six months, the monks moved to a small farm near Cambridge in the beautiful hills of upstate New York. The monks renovated and converted the farmhouse into a suitable monastery, landscaped the grounds, and began farming with the help of neighbors. However, as time went on, it became clear that the location we had chosen lacked the necessary solitude, so a year later we moved once more to a new location east of Cambridge, close to the Vermont line. There we built our present buildings – now our permanent home. Currently we have eight professed monks.
In 1969, inspired by a similar vision of monastic life, a group of seven Poor Clare nuns settled several miles from the monks and became the Nuns of New Skete, a sister community. There are currently six professed nuns and one novice. The fact that New Skete is composed of male and female members has enriched our monastic life with a healthy dynamism and interchange and led to an expanded liturgy that includes a mixed choir for singing the divine offices and Eucharist.
In 1983, a group of married people who had been parish members at New Skete for some time, asked about becoming a third community at New Skete. After a trial period, they became the Companions of New Skete, and built a separate residence on the monks’ property. Together with the monks and nuns, they live the common monastic life and gather to chant the services.
Originally, New Skete followed the Byzantine Rite within the Roman Catholic Church. In 1979, after many years of studying and practicing Orthodox theology and liturgy, New Skete joined the Orthodox Church. With the encouragement and counsel of Fr Alexander Schmemann and Fr John Meyendorff, we were received into the Orthodox Church of America by Metropolitan Theodosius. This enabled us to integrate our life and monastic vision more completely by joining those with whom we can share more fully, thereby participating in the life of the whole Church.
In September, 2000, with the resignation and retirement of Father Laurence, the communities undertook a reorganization of its internal governance resulting in a modification of it’s Typicon or rule to establish a more collegial authority under the equal leadership of a prior or prioress for each of the three houses who is elected for a term of office with the blessing of the Metropolitan.
Our monastic life embraces a balanced rhythm of prayer, work, common life, and hospitality. Anchored in the daily cycle of matins and vespers (with Divine Liturgy on Sundays and feast days), we try to make ourselves available to all who come to the monastery, in a manner that is in keeping with our vocation. We estimate that over 5,000 people from all sorts of religious backgrounds visit the monastery each year, either to make spiritual retreats, seek spiritual guidance, attend church services, visit the gift shops and grounds, or as dog customers. We also have an expanding network of volunteers who share in the work of the monastery. All three houses receive guests; by providing a place of beauty, solitude, and silence, guests are free to spend ample time in reflection and prayer. We also have a chapel community, a group of individuals and families from the immediate area who share regularly in our liturgical life and help expand our ministries. New Skete is also active in the St. Andrew’s Brotherhood, an association of Albany-area Orthodox clergy, and we annually host a mission Sunday during Great Lent.
In 2002, the community finished the interior iconography of Holy Wisdom Temple [erected in 1983], making it a space that reflects the community’s vision of catholicity and its vocation to work for the unity of Christ’s body. Through the Summer of 2006 an new handicap accessible entrance was incorporated into the multi-tiered meditation garden which includes ponds and a waterfall. That year commemorated the 40th anniversary since the founding of New Skete. As part of the year-long celebrations, Metropolitan Herman, primate of the Orthodox Church in America blessed the garden at our annual Transfiguration Pilgrimage.
Over the years New Skete has hosted inter-church and ecumenical conferences on subjects such as liturgical renewal and monastic life. In addition, we participate in the local Cambridge clergy association of Christian churches. At least once a year we publish a newsletter that is intended to stimulate reflection as well as keep us in touch with all of our friends and acquaintances. In recent years we have also been the subject of numerous television and radio programs or segments, and national and international magazine and newspaper articles. Currently airing on the Discovery Channel’s Animal Planet is a dog training series titled “Divine Canine”, filmed here at New Skete.
Through each of these avenues, we have tried to bring a better awareness of Orthodox monasticism and the spiritual life to both the church and general public, and to share the fruits of our life in a manner that harmonizes with the spirit of the contemplative life.