2019 Diocesan Report
DIOCESAN REPORT (2019) FOR ST. PETER’S MONASTERY FOUNDATION
September 24, 2019
St. Peter’s Monastery Foundation is the recipient of a beautiful thousand-acre Life Estate gift outside of Harrison, Montana, given for the express purpose of establishing an Orthodox monastery in Montana. At the time of the moleben celebrated on the property by Bishop Benjamin and Abbot Meletios on April 19, 2012, St. Peter’s was envisioned as a skete of the growing Monastery of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco in Manton, California. Since then, however, the Monastery of St. John has suffered a number of losses and is now down to two Monks and one other Brother. In spite of this, the Monastery continues to offer well-attended spiritual retreats, and Father Innocent remains actively involved in the on-going work of St. Peter’s.
Whilst praying for the health of St. John and for a monastic presence at St. Peter’s, the Foundation board has pressed ahead with the work of St. Peter’s on two fronts: construction on the skete proper and the offering of an increasingly popular summer youth camp. Now in its third year of operation, the youth camp this past June nearly doubled in size from one year ago with almost sixty campers and staff members from throughout the Northwest and some coming from as far away as Ohio and Pennsylvania. Father Innocent and Brother Donald from St. Herman Monastery in California continue to serve as spiritual directors for the camp, assisted by the administrative director of the camp, Father David (Bozeman), and Father Moses (Billings) and other local clergy.
This past summer, footings and foundation walls were extended on Building A, and the foundation walls and rockwork on Building B were brought two feet higher. This work is being done on a large three-story building designed by local architect Mark Headley that can eventually house twenty-four monastics, a large guest house, work spaces, and a temporary chapel, refectory, and kitchen. Next summer, work on the cloisters will begin.
The Foundation’s checking account balance, after paying all camp and construction expenses, stands at roughly $30,000. Its income derives from the $300 fee paid by campers and a number of unsolicited gifts, including several thousand-dollar-denomination donations received last winter.
At its July meeting, the Foundation board approved the offering of another youth camp in 2020, tentatively scheduled for June 21-26. Fathers David and Innocent have both agreed to continue in their current roles, but the camp will be seeking a new cook. (Mary Matthews will be a hard act to follow!) There is a consensus that the camp is now as large as it can become, given the size of our facility and the nature of the work. Our priority this coming year will be to involve more monastics and parishes.
Wishing to share the vision of St. Peter’s with the monastic community in North America, the Foundation board hopes to host the annual synaxis of Orthodox abbots and abbesses in the fall of 2020. A letter to this effect has been sent to Met. Tikhon indicating that St. Peter’s would underwrite the cost of hosting this meeting in Harrison with accommodations in Three Forks at the historic Sacajawea Inn.
Respectfully submitted,
David V. Hicks
Secretary
St. Peter’s Monastery Foundation
