Christminster House:
A Modest Proposal for the Training of Western-Rite Clergy

Western-rite Orthodoxy in America, while still relatively small, will – God willing -- undoubtedly endure and grow. With its present solid grounding in the Antiochian archdiocese, and its considerably smaller presence in other jurisdictions, it will have its own role to play as the various jurisdictions in America lay aside their administrative differences and move, as they must surely do, toward a single American Orthodox Church.

Until that time arrives, one of the primary issues confronting western-rite Orthodoxy is the matter of training the next generation of clergy to carry on the tradition. Basic theological training is readily available in several fine Orthodox seminaries in the United States, and as there is no essential difference in dogma and faith between eastern-rite and western-rite Orthodoxy, these seminaries have provided and will continue to provide a solid grounding in the essentials of Orthodoxy. What they do not yet provide is specific training and grounding in those aspects of rite, custom and tradition peculiar to western-rite use. And without such training being available, the formation of clergy for the next generation of western-rite Orthodox missions and parishes is uncertain. And without a sure preparation for the next generation of such clergy, the very future of western-rite Orthodoxy is in jeopardy.

There will come a time, one hopes, when such formation and training will become generally available in and through the presently established Orthodox seminaries and theological schools. But until this happens, some means must be provided for a solid training of western-rite priests in precisely those aspects of tradition essential to their ministry but as yet unprovided for in present seminary programs.

Christminster House is a modest proposal to provide for the time being a formation program for Orthodox clergy (of whatever canonical Orthodox jurisdiction) dedicated to serving in the western-rite. It would not itself be a seminary program or a theological school, but a center for resource, research, study and retreat. Because of its location, it would provide residency and convenient access to a number of theological schools and study programs. What it would provide is the following:

Hospitality: room and board for clergy/students attending local seminaries; including room, meals, laundry capabilities, time and space for solitude and prayer
Studies: in-house seminars and courses on specifically western-rite matters, such as liturgy, chant, hymnody, rubrics, history of western rites, etc.
Liturgical life: daily celebration in full of the Orthodox western rite’s liturgical cycle, including Mass and the Divine Office (Hours)
Spiritual life: sharing as closely as possible in the spiritual and liturgical life of a western-rite Orthodox monastic community
Library resources: access to the combined libraries of the local theological consortium as well as the specifically western-rite books and resources of Christminster House
Liturgical music training: in addition to daily chanting of the liturgical services, training in western chant (primarily Gregorian and Ambrosian), Anglican psalmody, hymnody and the western choral tradition, including a study of liturgical Latin as the traditional liturgical language of the west
Fellowship: the sharing of a life of prayer, study, work and fellowship with like-minded western-rite clergy and students, as well as with the resident monastics

One ideal location for Christminster House is in the area between Boston and Providence, as this provides relatively easy access to Providence College, Brown University, and the schools belonging to the Boston Theological Institute or Consortium, which include:

Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology
Andover Newton Theological School
Boston College School of Theology
Boston University Department of Religious Studies
Episcopal Divinity School
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Harvard Divinity School
Saint John’s Seminary
Weston School of Theology

Information on the schools in the Consortium may be accessed at their web site: www.bostontheological.org

While not all of these are of equal suitability for Orthodox training, their combined libraries provide an unusually rich resource for study and research. Membership in any one of them entitles a student to access in all their libraries. Christminster House will in no way support or endorse any one of these programs. It exists instead to provide ready access to them while supplying a context for daily life and formation in the western-rite Orthodox tradition. Enrolment at any of these schools is the responsibility of the student who is wholly responsible for registration, tuition, fees, etc., as established by these schools. Others may reside at Christminster House for in-house or private study and choose not to attend these schools. Christminster House hopes to provide accommodation for full or part-time students, thus accommodating working clergy.

Common transportation to and from various schools may be available on a limited basis. Students with their own cars are encouraged to car-pool. Public transportation by train or bus is readily available within the Boston/Providence/Cambridge areas.

Christminster House welcomes clergy and students from any canonical Orthodox jurisdiction, with the following stipulations:

Each clergy/student must be in good standing with a canonical Orthodox bishop
Each must have his bishop’s written authorization or permission to enroll
Each must agree to having a letter of progress sent to his bishop at the end of a residential session
Each must observe the customs, rules and traditions of Christminster House while resident therein
Each must provide written verification of adequate medical insurance covering the period of residency
Non-clerical residents must provide a letter of recommendation from their parish priest

Among the most significant elements of Christminster House is the presence of Orthodox monks following the western-rite liturgical and monastic observance. All true Orthodoxy has been traditionally rooted and grounded in monasticism, and there can be no better base for a solid and godly western-rite mission than for its clergy-in-formation to be living, learning, and praying within a monastic environment. It is the mission and purpose of the monastic community of Christminster House to provide the follwing:

A spiritual base, including prayer, liturgical services, spiritual fellowship, and pastoral guidance
An educational base, providing a center for students in nearby schools as well as for specifically western-rite studies and resources
A physical base, providing domestic services, room and board for students and resident scholars
A continuing community providing an on-going and ever deepening resource for western-rite studies and concerns within the United States

In light of the above, what is needed is a suitable facility within the greater Boston/Providence metropolitan area that can provide for the following needs:

Sufficient accommodations for monastics, with suitable toilet/bath and laundry facilities, and common rooms for monastic meetings and work
Accommodations for residents and visitors with adequate toilet/bath/laundry facilities, including a common room sufficiently removed from monastic and chapel areas
At least one large conference/seminar room, with blackboards and adequate audio-visual set-ups; additional smaller classrooms
Library space with sufficient shelving for storage of books and periodicals, a library workroom, study tables and chairs, storage for rare books, and on-line computer services
Chapel with a large monastic choir and sanctuary, smaller area for visitors, organ, chapel appointments, sacristy with storage for vessels, vestments, books; appropriate sink and toilet facilities
Large refectory, dining tables and chairs, serving area, reading lectern, adequate kitchen and food storage, dishwashing facilities
Offices for administration, phones, mailing, computers, etc.
Adequate grounds and landscaping to provide for seclusion, privacy, solitude and silence conducive to study, prayer and religious observance
An adequate financial base to provide for upkeep and ongoing expenses not covered by fees; endowments and scholarships would be solicited and encouraged

The modest proposal presented here is the vision and goal of Christminster – Christ the Saviour Monastery – a western-rite monastic community in the Benedictine tradition presently within the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. Committed both to the monastic life and to the mission of furthering western-rite Orthodoxy, the monks of Christminster seek the support of all those who wish to share in this vision and work to make it a reality.

© 2002 Christ the Saviour Monastery

All those interested in supporting this work are invited to contact us:

Christminster
P.O. Box 6332
Providence, RI 02940-6332
(401) 943-3990


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