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Sr. Natalia explains her name
Sr. Natalia was tonsured and received her new name on Dec. 5, during Vespers for the Feast of St. Nicholas. Following monastic tradition, she submitted three names to Mother Theodora, who chose...
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Photos from Sr. Natalia's Tonsure
Enjoy this album of photos from Sr. Natalia's tonsure as a rasophore nun on December 5. See our previous two posts to read more about the tonsure and about Sr. Natalia's patron saint.
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The Gift of Seeing Our Poverty
A reflection by Mother Cecilia as we prepare for the Nativity of Our LordDuring this time of preparation for the birth of Our Lord, He has given me the gift of seeing my poverty a little more clearly....
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Enjoy our Winter 2016/2017 Issue of Pomegranate Blossoms
In this issue, enjoy a reflection titled "A God of Longing" by Mother Cecilia, read about the tonsure of Sr. Natalia and the "Bridegroom's Banquet," take note of our upcoming events, and more!May God...
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Christ is Born! Glorify Him!
Merry Christmas from the monastery!! "You have shown forth from the Virgin, O Christ, Sun of Justice. A star found You, whom nothing can contain, manifested in the cave. It led the Magi to adore You....
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A God of Longing
Happy New Year!Here is a reflection from Mother Cecilia, published in our recent newsletter:I recently received a letter from a friend, and in the letter my friend asked me, “If you met someone from...
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Teen Girls' Sleepover, Feb. 11-12
Teen girls age 13-18 are invited for an evening of prayer, food and fun at the monastery for our teen girls' sleepover, Feb. 11-12. Click here for the schedule and to register! Families are invited to...
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Please pray for Sara Lynn, entering on February 1st!
Please keep Sara Lynn Gafford in your prayers as she prepares to enter our community on Feb. 1! Sara Lynn is from Ashville, Ohio (south of Columbus). We are very excited to welcome Sara Lynn into our...
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Eternal Memory, Steve Trudick
We will deeply miss Steve Trudick, dear friend of our monastery and of the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch, who passed away Wednesday, January 25, at the age of 86. For years, every day after leaving...
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"Come down!"
Today is the first pre-Lenten Sunday, the Sunday of Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus "sought to see who Jesus was" (Lk 19:3), but Jesus said to Zacchaeus, "Make haste and come down, for I must stay at your house...
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Welcome, Sara Lynn!
Sara Lynn Gafford was received as a dokimos (postulant) of Christ the Bridegroom Monastery during Vespers for the Feast of the Meeting of Our Lord with Simeon and Anna, on Wed. evening Feb. 1, 2017....
View ArticleCooking tips and catechesis for the Great Fast & Pascha
Mother Gabriella has been working hard, along with Fr. Moses (Holy Resurrection Monastery, St. Nazianz, Wisconsin) and the crew of "Eastern Hospitality," to produce a series of videos providing both...
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The poverty of fasting
A heart-opening reflection on the pain and glory of fasting and what it's really about, by Sara LynnRecently, my confessor enabled me to see the root of the long litany of sins I was laying before him:...
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Join us for the Great Canon, March 29
Join the nuns of Christ the Bridegroom Monastery in a deeply-moving, once-a-year Lenten experience on Wednesday, March 29, at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, 1900 Carlton Rd., Parma, OH. The...
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Fasting: part of every Christian’s journey toward holiness
By Mother GabriellaAs published in Horizons, the newspaper of the Eparchy of Parma, March 5, 2017.While Byzantine Catholics are called to abstain from meat and meat byproducts during the Great Fast,...
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Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross
May we receive strength, during this mid-point of the Great Fast, from the Cross held up before us. It is a sign of suffering, but also of intimacy with Jesus and the glory of our salvation!"Come, let...
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The Mother of God, our teacher of the Prayer of St. Ephrem
By Mother GabriellaAs we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation, we come into contact with one of the great mysteries of our faith – the Incarnation. God enters into time, at the consent of a virgin...
View ArticleDespair or Repentance?
In this video blog post, Sr. Natalia reflects on her own experience during this year's Great Fast and on the life of St. Mary of Egypt. When faced with our own wounds and sinfulness, what will we...
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Join us for Bridegroom Matins
Great & Holy Wednesday, April 12; 8:00 a.m.Join us for this beautiful Holy Week service that is so special to us at Christ the Bridegroom Monastery! Bridegroom Matins, celebrated by Bishop Emeritus...
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"My Life for Yours:" Spring Issue of Pomegranate Blossoms
Enjoy some great reflections in the spring issue of our newsletter. Sr. Iliana reflects on her experience of meeting St. Gianna's daughter, Sara Lynn shares about her entrance into the monastery, and...
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