Committee for Monastic Communities

Committee Summary Report
1 August 2014

Committee Membership
Bishop George (Chairman)
Metropolitan Gerasimos
Archbishop Kyrill
Bishop Longin
Metropolitan Tikhon

Secretariat Liaison
Hierodeacon Benedict (Armitage)

Objectives of the Committee
The Committee for Monastic Communities is to compile a database that includes all the monastic communities of all the different jurisdictions in the region, including pertinent information such as name, location, and proper ecclesiastical authority for each monastery; to collect and catalogue the monastic constitutions and related documents used within the various jurisdictions; to create a matrix that places each monastery within the three traditional forms of monasticism (eremitic, coenobitic or idiorhythmic); and lastly, to identify outliers, if any, that do not conform to any established monastic tradition.

Activities and Accomplishments
In pursuance of the above objectives:
The Committee has developed and maintained online a comprehensive Directory of Male and Female Monastic Communities accessible to member hierarchs and the general public through the Assembly website.

The Committee has also enlisted the help of Mr. Alexei Krindatch, the Assembly's research coordinator, to develop and conduct a comprehensive survey-based study of the Orthodox monastic communities in the United States. These study questionnaires were mailed to all US monastic communities.

As of August 1, 2014, 71 out of 72 monastic communities in the US participated in the study and completed the questionnaire. Mr. Krindatch is presently working on a study report that will examine various aspects of the life of American Orthodox monasteries.

It is the intention of the Committee to use the results of this study as a basis for publishing an Atlas of American Orthodox Monasteries. In order to do so and to obtain financial support for this project, the Committee has submitted a grant request to the Virginia H. Farah Foundation.

Action Items for Assembly V

The Committee respectfully asks all members of the Assembly to endorse and support its work on the Atlas of American Orthodox Monasteries by encouraging their monastic communities to cooperate in the preparation of the Atlas.