We’re honored that you’ve visited the website for Holy Archangel Michael and All Angels Skete located in Weatherby, Missouri! Take your time to discover beauty, goodness, and truth. We believe that these trails ultimately will lead you to the most wonderful of human experiences: inner freedom!
Surrounded by the beauty of nature, the music of the trees, the songs of the birds, and the presence of our Creator in nature, our souls have a chance to catch their breath.
We are three communities serving God as one, Holy Archangel Michael and All Angels Skete (led by Hieromonk Alexii), St. Xenia Sisterhood (led by Abbess Brigid), and, the Protection of the Virgin Mary (led by Abbess Sergia). The skete has three brothers; and St. Xenia's has four nuns and one novice; and Protection has one nun.
Thanks to the mercies of our Kind Creator and Savior, Jesus Christ, the prayers and sacrificial gifts of many, the monastery property has a total of 80-acres, with 15-acres of farmable pasture, 65-acres of forest, trails, and ponds, and 7 well-built structures. Since the fire on November 7, 2022, we were able to pay off the land. Now, we are in a rebuilding process thanks to the assistance of many with sacrificial donations. After Pascha, we are looking forward to Andrew Gould from New World Byzantine Design, coming to help us with an actual church building design. Prior to that we will be rebuilding.
Currently, due to the fire, we have limited space for pilgrims, But we are having Sunday liturgies at 10 am in the trapeza building (the round building).
At the monastery, we have:
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Daily cycle of Church Services, praying for benefactors, the departed and many in need
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St. Gabriel Orthodox Cemetery on one acre of monastery land with fifteen buried here.
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Pilgrims come (mostly from the Greater Kansas City area, but others from Des Moines, Omaha, Lincoln, St. Louis, Denver, Idaho, Alaska, and as far away as Eritrea, Ethiopia, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine, and Russia).
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Retreats from parish groups.
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Prayer walks though the trails
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Prayer ropes, and wooden prayer beads and other liturgical art.
Additionally, with the help of volunteers and some contract labor, we have:
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Added a new root cellar.
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Produced wine for Holy Communion (around 750 liters).
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Built a honey house for work with bees and honey
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One rooster and three chickens (hoping to have more this year)
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Discovered wonderful mushrooms, morel, oysters and others!
So, "slowly, slowly" things are growing! For regular updates, see our our Featured Posts. We continue to look for those who would like to join us in prayer, farming, woodworking, herbal remedies, and to volunteer in helping to build the monastery! Our prayer is that by visiting this website, you can catch a glimpse of a new beginning. Perhaps what you will take away is simply to do your part “not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good” (St. Paul to the Romans 12:21). Peace to you and yours.
Thank you for your visit!
