Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs

How are you different from traditionalist Roman Catholics or Anglicans?

Very simply - but most importantly - we're Orthodox. We hold the ancient
Orthodox Catholic faith in its fullness, in union with all Orthodox
believers of east and west. We read and accept the Scriptures according to
the unchanging tradition of the ancient Church, the seven councils and the
holy fathers. We remain - by the grace of God - free from the doctrinal
dissension and moral deterioration that in our time have often plagued
western Christianity in its various forms.

Traditionalist Roman Catholics often have concerns about papal authority. In
some cases, they assume Rome has lost it and they alone have preserved it.
In other cases, they assume that there can be no orthodoxy apart from the
Roman see and its claims. Unfortunately, these groups - in common with
modernist Roman Catholics -- have little appreciation of or use for
Orthodoxy. (Pope John Paul II may be an exception here.) As Orthodox
Christians, we are able to recognize the traditional role of the bishop of
Rome as first among equals - but only when he and his church return to the
faith and communion of Orthodoxy, renouncing false claims and invented
doctrines (e.g., papal infallibility, Immaculate Conception, universal
jurisdiction, etc.). For this reunion, we long and pray.

Traditionalist Anglicans are presently suffering a disintegration of the
worldwide Anglican Communion - a dissolution precipitated over several
generations by erosions of traditional faith and morals and departures from
traditional ecclesiastical order. Among these are the ordination of women,
blessing of same-sex unions, and the ordination of non-celibate homosexuals.
Again - by the grace of God - Orthodoxy remains blessedly free of these
issues and concerns. Undistracted by these matters, we are able to focus on
the primary work of Orthodoxy which is the worship of God, the saving of our
souls, and the proclamation of the Gospel in its Orthodox fullness and
purity to all the world.

Inevitably, because we exist in a homely and familiar western liturgical
form, we can be a haven for disenchanted and disenfranchised Roman Catholics
and Anglicans (as well as other Protestants) who seek an Orthodox home where
they will be welcomed and will truly feel at home.
It is our joy and mission to provide that home to those lost seekers. As
converts ourselves, we know both the pain of leaving one's old church and
the joy of finding the fullness of Christ's true Church in holy Orthodoxy -
and finding there too those familiar western liturgical and devotional forms
and traditions that have meant so much to us and are part of our heritage.
But we believe very strongly that such seekers should come to Orthodoxy not
merely on the rebound from an unsatisfactory church situation, but because
they see Orthodoxy as the original Church of Christ, possessing the fullness
of the apostolic faith and teaching.

What is your Liturgy like?

The simplest answer would be that, apart from being mostly in traditional
English rather than Latin, it is almost exactly what one might have found in
any liturgically proper Roman Catholic or Anglo-Catholic church or
monastery in the years before the second Vatican council. There are changes,
of course: some required to bring the rites into full conformity with
Orthodox teaching (hence, for example, there is no filioque in the Creed),
and some abandoning of certain later features in favor of earlier tradition.
For example, we use a profound bow where later use required the
genuflection; we give communion under both species, where later use required
withholding the chalice from the faithful.

Much depends on whether one is attending a Sung Mass or a Low Mass. At a
Sung Mass, which is the usual service on Sundays and Solemnities, we sing
appropriate hymns and psalms, chant all of the proper parts and the Ordinary
in Gregorian or Ambrosian chant, and sing all responses. On Sundays, the
Asperges is sung at the sprinkling of holy water. With a brief sermon, Sung
Mass usually lasts about two hours. The Priest may be assisted by a Deacon,
Subdeacon, Reader and other ministers. At a Low Mass, everything is spoken
rather than sung, though hymns and incense may be added as required. Without
hymns, Low Mass - usually celebrated each weekday - lasts about thirty-five
or forty minutes. Communion is given by intinction - the Host being dipped
into the precious Blood and placed on the tongue of the communicant.
Communion is given, of course, only to properly prepared Orthodox
Christians, though all are welcome to join us in our liturgies and prayers.

During the week, Mass is sometimes entirely in Latin, though rarely on
Sundays or Solemnities. But some Latin is used at every Mass - usually
during the Offertory - and always for the seasonal Hymn to the Mother of God
which ends every service we celebrate at the Monastery. Missal booklets are
provided for all to assist in following and in singing the services. Most
stand for most of the Mass, sitting for the lessons and the Offertory.
Others, due to age or infirmity, sit as their needs require.

The Hours of the Divine Office - the Work of God as St. Benedict calls it -
are sung in chant according to the arrangement he himself set forth in his
Holy Rule in the fifth century, and thus the monastic Office is one of the
oldest forms of the Hours still in use. Almost always sung in English (with
occasional Latin), the psalms are sung in the eight modal chant tones, and
the rest (antiphons, hymns, responsories) sung to the ancient Gregorian
chants, all in traditional (what Anglicans would call "prayer-book")
English.

It is our experience that visiting Roman Catholics and Anglicans, as well as
other Protestants with some liturgical experience, find themselves readily
at home in our style of worship, with its prayerful, reverent, and unhurried
atmosphere.

What are your vestments like - eastern or western?

On the basic and simple principle that each rite - western and eastern - has
its own fullness and integrity, our vestments are entirely traditional
western vestments. Our sequence of liturgical colors, adhering to older
tradition, is a bit richer in variety than the more recent Roman sequence.
We basically use blue for Advent and feasts of the Mother of God, white or
gold for most solemnities, red for Passiontide, Pentecost and martyrs,
yellow for confessors, gray and reddish-purple for Lent, black for Requiems,
rose for Gaudete and Laetare Sundays, and green for the season after
Pentecost.

Our monastic habits are also traditionally western in style: the black tunic
and belt, the black scapular and hood, and (for professed monks) the large
black cowl.

Isn't the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) too ethnic for American converts?

That depends on where one is. There are ROCOR parishes where one can easily
feel transported back to czarist Russia, simply because they are made up
mostly of Russian immigrants who are still attached to their old world
language and customs, both liturgical and cultural. Other ROCOR parishes are
composed mostly of American converts and the services are entirely in
English. And other parishes are somewhere in-between.

Apart from our commemoration of the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church
Abroad, there is nothing in our services or customs to suggest Russian or
Slavic customs. Our calendar does contain perhaps more Russian saints than
the calendars of Greek or Syrian Orthodox Churches, but these are saints
dearly cherished by us - saints such as St. Seraphim, St. Tikhon, St. John
Maximovitch or St. Xenia. Of course all the major pre-schism western saints
are there too: Patrick, Monica, Ambrose, Bridget, Boniface, and many more
saints nourished in the same liturgical Orthodox tradition we are privileged
to observe at the Monastery.

It has been our experience of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCOR)
that she is the home of many deeply holy men and women, both clergy and
laity, and, in her wisest moments, she cherishes Orthodox tradition above
ethnic traditions and values. Perhaps of all jurisdictions, ROCOR has most
cherished and cultivated the monastic life. Her welcome to western-rite
Orthodoxy has been a mixed one: we encounter warm supporters, hostile
critics, indifference and sometimes plain ignorance - all probably in the
same proportion as one would find in many other Orthodox jurisdictions. But
we have been within the Russian Church since 1962, and in the Russian Church
Abroad since 1975, and God has seen that we have remained loyal to our
mission as entrusted to us. We hope and pray that the Russian Church will
more actively pursue her universal mission by widely welcoming western-rite
usage and missions. The pastoral need is great and growing, and we pray the
Good Shepherd to inspire all his shepherds in every Orthodox jurisdiction to
seek out all lost and wandering sheep and bring them home to the Orthodox
fold.


Why does Christminster follow the Old (Julian) Calendar? And isn't this confusing? Doesn't this conflict with being western-rite?

It can be occasionally confusing, but not so much as people may think. A
good liturgical calendar with dual dates obviates most confusion. (See our
Calendar link.)

We follow the Old Calendar because it is the tradition of the majority of
Orthodox Christians throughout the world and throughout the centuries. Here
in the United States one easily overlooks the fact that the vast majority of
Orthodox outside the USA still follow the Julian Calendar. Thus our
maintaining this tradition reflects our community and fellowship with the
worldwide community of Orthodox Christians. This does not diminish, in our
estimation, our respect for and fellowship with those Orthodox, in this
country and elsewhere, who follow the new calendar. We hope, in return, that
we will be respected for our own observance.

We do not see the Old Calendar as inappropriate for the western rite, since
the western rite is simply the Orthodox rite of the west before the Great
Schism, and the Old Calendar is the calendar of the Orthodox west.
Naturally we regard the Gregorian/papal revision of the calendar as
possessing no more validity than any other papal revisions of theology,
liturgy or custom. Following the Old Calendar actually helps to distinguish
western-rite Orthodox Christians from non-Orthodox western Christians.

It can be a blessing to find ourselves out of step at times - especially at
Christmas - with contemporary American life. This is especially beneficial
in two ways. First, it reminds us that while we must live in our secular
culture, we do not owe it our ultimate allegiance. This is an appropriate
reminder not just for monastics, but for all Orthodox Christians. Secondly,
it permits us to celebrate Christmas in a quieter atmosphere, unsullied by
commercial and consumerist diversions.

How does Christminster compare to the western-rite in the Antiochian Church?

It should first be noted that we have excellent relations with the
Antiochian western-rite vicariate, both with members of the clergy and with
Bishop Basil and Father Paul Schneirla, its Vicar. In fact, some of our
oblates (clerical and lay) are members of the Antiochian vicariate.
Liturgically and ritually, our Liturgy is very similar (nearly identical) to
their Liturgy of St. Gregory, though some of their parishes use the St.
Tikhon Liturgy as well.

Our orientation is monastic where theirs is parochial, but we both provide a
very open, "non-ethnic" and welcoming atmosphere to visitors seeking the
authentic Orthodox faith in a western setting.

It is our hope that our good relations with the Antiochian vicariate will
only deepen and mature as we seek to bring a living and dynamic Orthodoxy to
an increasingly secular world.

What kind of music is used at the monastery?

We use mostly Gregorian and Ambrosian chants. Our psalmody is sung to tones
in the traditional eight modes. Our hymns come largely from the 1940 Hymnal
of the Episcopal Church, Hymns Ancient and Modern, the Westminster Hymnal,
the St. Ambrose Hymnal, and from other suitable sources. At present we sing
everything unaccompanied, but look forward one day to having organ music to
enhance our worship.

How does one pursue a vocation to the monastic life at Christminster?

At present Christminster has two solemnly professed monks - Abbot James and
Father Joseph. Both are converts from Roman Catholicism. Abbot James
formerly served as Prior of the Orthodox Monastery of Our Lady of Mount
Royal under its abbot, Dom Augustine Whitfield, before his retirement.

Lack of suitable space presently prevents our growing as a monastic
community, and our receiving overnight guests or retreatants. Because
monastic hospitality is so important and venerable a part of the Benedictine
tradition, this is a serious drawback to our mission.

Those interested in pursuing a monastic way of life are encouraged to
explore becoming an Oblate of Christminster, as a suitable first step toward
discerning a monastic vocation. The oblature is open to suitable Orthodox
candidates, men and women. Those interested are invited to explore our web
page on Oblates.

We are particularly conscious of the need for a suitable monastic setting
for Orthodox women of the western-rite observance. God calls men and women
equally to the monastic life, and a thriving western-rite monasticism will
be of great spiritual benefit to the whole Church.

What is Christminster's greatest present need?

There are several.

First, we need the prayerful support of Orthodox Christians. To fill this
need, we need to be more widely known and visible.

Second, we need a suitable monastic home, providing for the fullest
expression of the monastic life and monastic hospitality. Presently
Christminster is located in a quite small house (which it owns and on which
it pays a mortgage). This provides Chapel and meeting area downstairs, with
a kitchen, bathroom and sacristy/office. Extremely small living quarters
upstairs permit no room for growth, or for overnight guests or monastic
candidates.

Most of the monastery's library remains in storage until there is adequate
space to shelve the books and make them available.

Our Chapel is adequate for all services, but quite small.

So perhaps our most pressing practical need is for a suitable home, with
adequate space and resources so we can open our life and work to others, as monastic hospitality requires of us.

What is the connection between the Community of Mount Royal and Christminster?

There is no legal or canonical connection between the Monastery of Mount Royal
and Christminster. When Christminster was founded, Bishop Hilarion, with
the agreement of Dom Augustine of Mount Royal and Dom James of Christminster,
intended the two to be autonomous, distinct and separate, and so they have
remained from the beginning. The only link between the two is the person of
Dom James who had served as Prior of Mount Royal before the establishment of
Christminster. Dom Augustine remains the abbot of Mount Royal.
Dom James is the abbot of Christminster.

Christminster owes to Dom Augustine a debt of gratitude for providing the
opportunity for further western-rite monastic mission within ROCOR. Indeed,
ROCOR itself owes a debt of gratitude to Dom Augustine for his patient and
long-suffering dedication to the mission of keeping western-rite Orthodoxy alive
within ROCOR throughout many years in which he and his work went unrecognized.
In recent years, both in the USA and Australia, western-rite missions have taken root
within ROCOR, all of which, though having no legal or canonical connection to
Mount Royal, owe to it and to Dom Augustine -- and, of course, to
Archbishop Hilarion -- their opportunity to exist.

These missions are engaged in a similar western-rite monastic ministry within
the same jurisdiction. But apart from that common goal, each of our works is
separate and unique. Any bonds between us are spiritual and personal. To ignore
or deny such bonds would be both false and ungrateful. But there is not any legal or
canonical connection or succession between the two respective missions,
Mount Royal and Christminster. Each of them is autonomous. Any reference to
Christminster's being a continuation of Mount Royal must be construed as the
continuation of a similar work and mission, but with no canonical or legal continuity
implied. This clarification remains important to Dom Augustine and we endorse
and respect it.

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