I wanted this to be a holy place for monastics. A Film by Saint Photios Orthodox Theological Seminary High in the North of there is a convent of nuns who for years have followed the ancient tradition of Orthodox Christianity. This is their story... The monastic life officially began on
the property in the early 1930s. It began at a time when the church was under
ferocious persecution by the Communists. In the words of Professor Ivan Andreev,
"The reality of life in the Soviet Union is a nightmare that can be neither
understood nor believed by those who have not experienced it." Already this area
here near the Convent had become home to at least twelve families who had escaped from
the communist yoke in the early 1920s. These refugees passed their first winters living
in dugouts made from mud and popler sticks. It was for these hardworking and devout people that
had brought their faith with them to the new land that the Archbishop Ioasaph, a great missionary and
man of prayer, came to Bluffton. In the year 1935, a pious man by the name of Mikhail Mihailof donated three acres of land to Archbishop Ioasaph. On this land Archbishop Ioasaph established a small men's monastery which he had registered by the name of the intercession of St. Mary. In 1937, the
Archbishop by the sweat of his brow together with local immigrants constructed a beautiful log
church for the use of the community. In 1946, the Archbishop purchased the entire piece of property
on which the present day convent is now located. The Little Convent Bluffton, Alberta Elizabeth Schenone, Visitor from California Dan, thank you for picking me up from the
airport. Yeah, no problem! So, which church do you attend? Dan Ilie Doina, Parishioner from Edmonton: I go to Saint Vladimir's in Edmonton. Russian Orthodox Church. We're in communion with the Convent. I was born and raised in California so I'm not used to this freezing temperature. I was thinking about visiting the Convent even before this trip. I told myself I want to
visit all of the convents in North America. I've only been to the one in Etna, the Saint
Elizabeth the Grand Duchess one, and I got to stay there for about a week, a couple of
times, and this convent was on my list. To our most respected, deeply respected,
and dearest Father in Christ, Your Eminence, Bishop Auxentios. I ask for your holy blessing. Winter has now set in ringing with it
its own array of cares and concerns, but also bringing a calm peaceful
atmosphere of prayer and seclusion from the outside world. It is the long dark
nights in winter that cause me to reminisce over the past 30 years of my life which
I have spent here in this little convent. Protection of the Holy Virgin Mary Convent The bell that Archbishop
Ioasaph brought here almost 90 years ago is still being rung,
summoning the faithful to prayer. Before Mother Amvrosia came to Bluffton, the Convent property had been abandoned for years. The nuns previously there left in 1990. This left the Convent without any nuns. Then came 1993, when Metropolitan Vitaly (Ustinov) (1910-2006) made it his mission to revive Orthodox communities forgotten in time. Saint Vladimir's Russo-Greek Orthodox Church. Edmonton, Alberta. Founded in 1934 by Archbishop Ioasaph (Skorodumov) (1888-1955). Archpriest Andrew Kencis, Rector: I've been here, the Rector of this parish for 31 years now. We came in 1991. So yeah 31 years. I was ordained by Metropolitan Vitaly Ustinov. When we first came here in 1991, with my wife and my daughter, Anna, I thought there was another priest serving in the parish here at St. Vladimir's.
There was no other priest. I served Liturgy here and then it was close to the Feast of Protection of
the Mother of God, and I was asked to to serve at the Convent in Bluffton. I was told a
small Parish was there. No one was living there except Torenti the old caretaker. I remember
Torenti, the caretaker, lamenting and apologizing to me because we stayed at the-in what's
called the priest house. It was empty. There was nothing there, not even a stove. They took
everything out of there. They even took the old lawnmower! The entire place was emptied. Even the
church was stripped of all Liturgical items. I had to bring everything to be able to serve. After
we were there we I even asked the Metropolitan, I said, "You know, Your Eminence, I'm still basically
packed up from our move from New York and there's actually more people in the Bluffton area
that I discovered who don't have a priest. There's nothing here in Edmonton. There was actually only
six people when I first came, and so I said, "Well, let me live at the convent," because at that point it wasn't functioning as anything. So, uh, I mentioned
that to his Eminence and he said no, no, no, no, no, Father Andrew, he says, "Just be patient." He
says, "I have a plan." So what the plan was, again, for myself to be where I am-that's where he put
me, but to revive St. Vladimir's Parish because it was shut down for a number of years. He said he's
he's relighting the lampada of prayer-that he's looking for sisters to to populate the convent.
All the abbesses were afraid when Metropolitan was showing up because they knew he was on the
hunt looking for nuns like, you know, "Keep our sisters away from
Metropolitan!" So word got out and so he did collect a few sisters.
Of course, the present Mother Amvrosia and her mother. I so vividly remember my first winters
here in Alberta alone with my mother. I must confess that I was often oppressed by the
haunting thoughts, "Will we be able to pull through here? Will new sisters ever join
us, or will my mother die overtaken by years and leave me to grow old here all alone? Will
I go to my grave leaving this sacred place abandoned?" I came the 1st of June, 1993. The Metropolitan
came in July of that same year in a month or so. and we discussed things what he wished and what
I wished and and everything we agreed upon that this convent be established. And I saw what shape
everything was in many said this place should have been condemned it was
in such poor shape, and it was very lonely. We didn't have much help or hope, actually, I'd
walk around in the fields in the back and think "Is it really true that nobody's going to come and
my mother will pass away? I'll be alone here like Saint Herman of Alaska." But no, in the beginning
of 1995 my first novice came, Mother Paisia. Mother Paisia, Schemanun: I came for a visit for the Feast
in October of 1994 for five days and the Metropolitan blessed me to enter the
Convent and Mother Amvrosia blessed me to enter the Convent. So I went back home and
settled my affairs and came back in March 1995, and I've been here ever since. At that
time it was just Mother Amvrosia and her Mother, Nun Theodora. Well, I already knew
that I wanted to be a nun. I had to be a none someplace. There was no two ways about it. There
was-I just couldn't live in the world anymore. It's just something about the place, I guess because
it's so quiet, it's out in the country. I grew up out in the country. I'm used to being
out. I don't like cities. I don't like even like towns having people, strangers around. I
just felt that this was home. This is where I wanted to be. I think what's dearest to me is
when somebody's tonsured. The grace that fills the Convent is unbelievable. The temptations and
the hardships before are also unbelievable, but once it's done, it's sort of like a feeling of
eternity. I think those are my favorite moments when the sisters have given their vows
and are tonsured. Well, when His Eminence comes! I'm always happy! That's very special
when special clergy comes. We gather around them ask them questions for
guidance and help. That for us is very, very special. Saint Photios Orthodox Theological Seminary, Etna, California We all feel so blessed. Please
keep us, our little convent, in your holy prayers, Your Eminence. And ask our Lord that we
may always be in this holy place, fulfilling our monastic vows and that people of all ages may
continue to come here and find a grace filled place where they can pray and grow in faith, hope,
patience, forgiveness, and love. Bishop Auxentios, Ruling Hierarch of the Convent: Mother Amvrosia is the Abbess of the Convent of the Protection in Bluffton and that convent itself is under my Episcopal oversight. So I am her ruling Bishop. The Chapel built by Archbishop Ioasaph: The chapel that he constructed there, I must say, as much as one can draw inferences about somebody from the work of their hands is lovingly constructed and has an atmosphere of prayer. That's a very
hard thing to qualify, to explain to somebody. But you just have the sense when
you step in that chapel that it's been...that it's seen Vigils. It's seen dark winter
hours of prayer and gatherings and faithful with earnest entreaties and supplications and love for
their Creator and Savior...chanted piously and at length many, many hours.
I would say he must have been a very spiritual man. Mother Nektaria, Schemanun: Archbishop Ioasaph means a lot to
me. He means a lot to all of us. First of all, I think, because
he prays for us, and because as poor as we are, we try to live up
to his example. We try to fulfill what he wanted here. What his dream was to
have a monastery here, to keep the prayers going. Archbishop Ioasaph was born in 1888. His father was a village priest. He lost
his mother. She passed away when he was 6 years old. At the age of 10, his father brought him to
the famous town of Tikhvin, where he venerated the miraculous icon of the Mother of God. And it
was there that he completed his preparatory classes for the Seminary. Archbishop Ioasaph's friend
wrote to him, "This land is very reminiscent of the homeland and it's in great need
of a pastor. So will you come?" And he answered, "I will come," even though he was very aware
of the hardships that he would face here. So in 1930 he settled in Montreal and began the process of
building churches. He became basically penniless. But with God's help he managed to build forty parishes
and three monastic communities. This being the only monastic community that is still in existence,
that is still active. It hasn't been forgotten about. There are very few monastic communities left in Canada, but the Protection of the Holy Virgin Mary Convent still remains. As the harsh winters pass, the nuns continue living in prayer, dedication their lives to God. [Nun Reading Prayers] If someone were to ask me who I am, I would
tell them that I'm a nun. I've dedicated my life to God, to service to our church, to
our Sisterhood. And it's a lifelong commitment. It's every day, it's every every
moment, we don't stop. It's not like we live a different life. It's our continuous life. Praying Nun: I will not be afraid of 10 thousands of people that set themselves against me round about. Arise O
Lord save me O my God! [Nuns Chanting] One of the main duties of a nun is to pray. Pray
for themselves, pray for their family, pray for their friends, for their enemies, for the whole world!
Also to try to show kindness and love to other people and to forget about ourselves and try
to work towards something greater. To try to work towards the good of the convent. It's clearly a calling. It's not simply, as it were, a rational choice. The Lord says that to not everyone is it
given, to follow this path, and Saint Paul also talks about it being a difficult cross to take,
and that not everybody can do...to live the virginal life. You need a certain strength for
this. You need a certain love from God in your heart of the monastic, virginal life.
To quote Saint Paul, "To be able to live the thought of always pleasing the Lord," as opposed
to a spouse, a family, and so on. And for that matter to have patience for the practical
cares that are so often so heavy in worldly life. Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy upon
us! Amen! Thanks for the bread, Father! You're welcome! What kind is it today? It's one half whole wheat! We'll need two more loaves of white bread for tomorrow. May it be blessed! Mother Gabriela, Rassaphore Nun: Father Dionysius makes our bread and we serve it
at the Convent. We're really grateful for fresh bread. Winter has now set in bringing with
it its own array of cares and concerns, but also bringing a calm peaceful atmosphere
of prayer and seclusion from the outside world. I do appreciate and thank God that have to think about food because you can more easily pray
on this obedience. Especially washing dishes! I'm very grateful for these opportunities because it allows for more time for prayer. Mother Rafaela, Schemanun: Spiritual life is my favorite thing!
To read about the Holy Fathers and how they lived, and wishing to
hopefully be like that a little bit. Being guided by Abbess Amvrosia who's a
very, very high spiritual life. She really helps me with every problem I
have about my own life that needs to be changed. I really am grateful to her for that. This is the west side of the house right at
this time we have the icon screen here, and then the new addition is built on to it. I'm surprised!
I think these photographs have gotten dark with time! We found many wasp nests like this all
over the place. Everywhere! On every wall in every corner! But we were still working it. We did all
the flooring and the walls ourselves. And the painting insulation. I had to wear those ear things. That
was so noisy with all the sawing and drilling. Is that you? That's me, yes. This is when I just came.
Metropolitan Vitaly. Father Bartholomew, who later was a bishop. Mother Theodora, my biological
mother, we went to the convent together. That's me. and then there was a young novice, Sister Lydia,
who later went into iconography. The first week of Great Lent in 1993, and all of a sudden I get a phone call, "Mother, would you like me to come and paint the dining room?" I was so happy because it
was so dark! "What color?" I said, "Light yellow with white!" Unfortunately, it's shady here,
but you can see how everything and the ceiling was just as dark as that orange. It used to be
orange it just doesn't show up. Now it's white. There's Christmas! Oh, this is what you were
talking about with the Christmas tree right here? For our first Christmas tree I just cut a few
branches and put them in a vase. I bought a few little trinkets and put them on.
There's my mother with Monica, and you can see the ceiling. It's like you saw, all lumpy.
That was her room after she passed away. This is my mother's grave here! She was born in 1912
and lived through the revolution in Ukraine in Kiev and the artificial famine and landed up
in Germany where she met Metropolitan Vitaly. He helped very many immigrants, thousands of them. So
my mother from six-year-old she wanted to become a nun, but then the revolution happened in Ukraine.
The Communist came in 1918 so when I made the decision, I more or less wanted to become a nun
at the age of 16, but because of various reasons I was only able to fulfill my desire at about
the age of 38 or so. I went to Australia together with my mother and she was very happy to be
able to enter the convent together with me so we became novices there for four and half years as Rassaphore nuns, and then came here where I was tonsured by Metropolitan Vitaly to the little schema,
and she was likewise. And then right before her death she was tonsured to the great schema. Here
is buried Mother Varsanophia. She was a secretary for the Western Diocese of Canada for Metropolitan Vitaly.
She helped him very much. She helped this convent very much and the older nuns that lived here before us.
They lived here between 1950 and 1990. And here's Father Leonidas. He was in concentration
camps in Russia up north. This monument here is Bishop Sabbas.
He was very educated theologically and he was a world judge before that, but he had to retire
right away because he had to...it was a case that he had to give the death sentence and he
couldn't do it. So he retired. There's a lot of older ones there too. There's Father Ioasaph
that I mentioned. His legs were broken. And many pioneers. Russians and Ukrainians started coming
over at the end of the 19th century for lands. Because, well, they were promised lands here for
free. And it was a good bargain. I knew at least ninety percent of the people that are buried in the
cemetery. So this place personally, to me, means a lot. This life is temporary. Everybody wants to
live as long as possible. That's because we're supposed to live! Eternally! We were made that
way in Paradise! But because of the fall in Paradise we lost it. And that's
why everyone desires to live longer. And for me this is like an inn. A place where we stop off
temporarily to work out our life, our Salvation. To show where we stand in relation to God, and that
determines our future there, and that's Eternal. So this is a place of pain, illness, ending with
death, of course God gives us joy and plenty of it, but then sorrow, grief, etc...So we shouldn't
be afraid of death if our conscience is clear and if we have faith. There's no such thing
as death. That's birth to go into the other world. Throughout the history of the Convent, there have always been people willing to lend the nuns a helping hand. Those people now have fond memories of the Convent that will last forever. Patrick Thorpe, Parishioner from Edmonton: They were putting in so many windows.
There must've been 30 of them or more in there. So I was helping there and then all of a
sudden my back went out here near the leg and all I could do was stand and say, "That wind goes
there! That wind he goes there!" It was just something else you know. So we helped them
build the big church, the new one, eh. That was quite a job. Constantine Griwkowsky, Parishioner from Edmonton: We went there as kids. Our moms would take us there. and we'd be there for a whole week! They
had cattle there. They had pigs and the kids loved it! Slavko Brakus, Parishioner from Edmonton: We'd go out there and help one time there and there's the goats. And the nuns go and the goats do like the nuns because they're used to
them, but when I went in there the goats would attack me! comment's I guess always
been around since I've I've been around you know Adam Fitzpatrick, Parishioner from Edmonton: The Convent's always been around since I've been around. My family all went there for the feast days and my grandparents and my parents tried to help out a lot during all the renovations
that occurred there. We have our feast days they come visit us, and it's always great when you see
the nuns come in even though they're all in black and all that. But these are the people that pray for us all the time, and then
we should be praying for them also. A lot of times we felt very isolated here. So growing up, you
know, I grew up feeling very isolated even in our church. And it's not necessarily a small
church but I felt isolated. And having a Convent, having other things around us, really made it
feel more like a community I think. Andrei Kourilov, Parishioner from Edmonton: I've been going to the Convent for about 15 years in my life. I always felt that place was very special to me, very important, very welcoming. Now that
I've grown up I go there pretty often to help with things. Anna Williams, Parishioner from Edmonton: My friends and I would sometimes come
out in the summertime and visit and I think that it has a big impact getting to see firsthand
what monastic life looks like. If you're not exposed to that as you're growing up it just
seems like a very foreign type of lifestyle. I was able to become very comfortable around them
and not be intimidated by coming here. Rimbey, Alberta. A twelve-minute drive from Bluffton. You're the ladies from the Convent? Ah! I'm the publisher from the Rimbey Review. I've always wanted to meet you guys! My name's Leah. Yeah, and your name is? Mother Nektaria. Yes! I think I talked to you on the phone in regards to the tourism book. Yeah, when
can we make arrangements to do that? In the summer time? In the spring time? Yeah.
Okay, yeah. No, no, no, no, we're not going anywhere in the winter, but you guys look
lovely dressed and warm so that'd be great! Hi guys! Stationery Stories and Sounds. For All Your Printing Needs. Donna Kercher, Local Store Owner: We see them on a regular basis and the people that come in here know that they're around most of them. So I don't know
if they get the same reaction at "Co-Op." I think that's where you'll see because so many
outsiders go to the bigger grocery store in town or whatever. But here they're well known.
I didn't really react anything different when I saw them. I have a lovely Mennonite girl working for me.
We have religion everywhere. We have about eighteen churches in our area so there's every section of religion
you can think of. These two are the ones that often have
to come get this stuff. So they're always the ones calling for answers, but they're the most
that I deal with. So yeah. They're our big helpers right? Can I pay by debit? Yes! Mother Vasilissa, Rassaphore Nun: My parents are converts to Orthodoxy and so
when we were small they used to take us there to a small monastic community about a 3 hour
drive away from our home that they would take us to in terms of trying to put it forward
that it was always a possibility for us. Monasticism did exist and it was a direction
to look in. So...it was actually there that I decided I wanted to become a nun. How
old were you? When I decided? I was five. The absolute highest you can say
example of women is the Mother of God, and she was extremely humble and
extremely loving. Strive to follow in her steps. There's seven nuns. I think at this
point I've had a conversation with all of them. Why did I come here? Uh,
I came here because I wanted a spiritual retreat so I thought the Convent is really
the best place to go. That's Sister Seraphima. She takes care of the
animals and many other things besides that. [Walking In Snow] Well, well, well. They are fluffy! This is some cheese. It's a mixture of
cheese and uh...did you say oatmeal? Uh yeah! Oatmeal and bread. Fills them up and they'll be fine. But they're quite hysterically inclined. See how fluffy she is? There you go. And Matushka, she uh, told me, "Now that you're the only milker you don't have a blessing to get sick." I didn't get sick for four years a single time.
After she said that? After she said that! And so Mother Vasilissa said they've decided that she should start helping out too because we have more goats now. Then I started getting sick again because there was a replacement milker. You got the blessing to be sick. Exactly! I definitely want to return! And I would recommend any young or older Orthodox Christian
woman-or even men can take pilgrimages here too. I think they would really
get something out of it because I have. "I began to observe human life, and even where free will was leaning towards evil, I always found God's mercy. IThen I decided to turn to that which is most sinful, most evil, and I turned to my inward life. It seemed that here there was no place for God's mercy, because there was nothing good in it; but even here I discovered God's mercy, and I remembered the words of the Psalmist: 'Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit?
Or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there.' Then I finally became convinced that the mercy of God towards man is limitless and boundless.—Archbishop Ioasaph Things wouldn't be good from a Christian
perspective if for some reason monasticism disappeared off the face of the earth and
people just lived more conventional lives. If they didn't feel this calling. People that commit
themselves in body and soul to the religious life life daily and persist in their prayers
not only just for their own souls but as much for the souls of others out of genuine
Christian love. I also do think in a certain way that women are more easily called to monastic life.
Their innate sense of care, compassion, patience, with the needs of others, so well exemplified in
in childbearing, serves very well in spiritual life. We have to. It's not all about ambition.
It's about willing to be sacrificial in one's behavior. To be very
patient with complaints, difficulties, frustrations, tribulations. To be compassionate towards all respective of whether they seem to appreciate that. To deserve that. To invite that. A
mother's love is well known and rightly credited universally with being nearly
unsurpassed. The Feast Day of the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple My! We just wanted to give you a little present. In honor of your 34th anniversary as a monastic. Thank you so much! And it's also the anniversary of Mother Theodora's entry into the Heavenly Convent. That's right.
We entered the earthly Convent together and God took her on the same day. Forgive me
for my insufficiencies and at times maybe abruptness. Forgive me, but you know
that's only because I care. Even when I'm strict that shows I love them! Otherwise, I wouldn't bother with them. We're all here together, literally, a Sisterhood in
Christ. I firmly believe an Abbess or an Abbot has to lay down their life for their
brothers or sisters if it gets down to it. Just like you see in the wild. Animals do that.
The birds, how they protect their little ones. [Chanting] May Archbishop Ioasaph's wishes and dreams come
true. He obtained this land. He started a Brotherhood. Then there was another Sisterhood
and then us. And he wished that there always be monastics here. That's why in 1950 when he
gifted it to the Abbess of the convent in San Francisco, he did it specifically
because he was being transferred. That this land not be abandoned, but that the
monastic life continue here. And that's my wish that it continue. God-willing with
my sisters after me and new ones who love God and wish to give their life to God and
their neighbor in this holy way of life. In monasticism we do not have work. We call it
obedience. It's a whole disposition of how you perform your work. Obediently, not forced, but
with love.You can't have true obedience without love. Otherwise, you are slaves. So
that's my desire that this place remain faithful to his wishes that
they live with the fear of God and love. Please keep us, our little convent, in your
holy prayers, Your Eminence, and ask our Lord to grant that we may always be in this holy place
fulfilling our monastic vows, and that people of all ages may continue to come here and find
a grace filled place where they can pray and grow in faith, hope, patience, forgiveness,
and love. With much love, In Christ, Abbess Amvrosia. Words from those whose lives were changed by the nuns. It's a very dear place for us. It holds a special place in our hearts. They do so much in their yards and they keep
it beautiful. It's a beautiful place to come and visit. It's very serene. Our children, we had four girls and they would go to the Convent, and they'd play around the yard, and
they got along real good with the nuns. The Convent, for me, has quite literally
changed my life. They're a huge joy in my life. A very big blessing, and anytime I go back home
to Canada I always have to visit Matushka and all the nuns. It's such a beautiful place to visit for
many people and it's got a real soft spot in my heart for everyone there. We're supported by the prayers of our beloved nuns on a daily basis and we need them to continue to be a part of our journey. I come over here because the friendship is great and it's the serenity. Whenever you feel uptight you can come over here and I can talk to all the sisters. The Convent is such a special place and Mother Amvrosia and the entire Sisterhood are wonderful people. May we always have their prayers. When you go they would greet you with so much love
and piety and compassion and understanding and listening. When you were there you were transported to this other peaceful place. The Little Convent
