Brief history

“There are those for whom monastic life is natural (...), since not everyone can accept it, but only those, to whom it is given.”

St. Nicholas Velimirovich, answers to questions of the modern world

 

     In the year of salvation 1997 (7505 from the creation of the world), with the blessing of Metropolitan Vladimir and under the guidance of Andrei (Kotrutse), the Metropolitan Archpriest, and Dorimedont (Cecan), archimandrite, the Monastery was erected in the name of the "Holy Myrrh-bearing Women Martha and Mary", as a priory near the Novo-Nyametsky Monastery.

Today, the sanctuary crowns as a bright decoration, the amazing history lived under the guiding light of the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ.

The young community formed around confessors of the Novo-Nyametsky Monastery, it was first founded by Abbess Euphrosyne (Peshteryan) - rural dean for 13 years, who was skilled in organizing monastic life - and a nun Marionela, coming from stavropegial Koretsky monastery in Ukraine, while both being born in Moldova.

According to the decree of the metropolitan, since January 27, 1998, the nun Euphrosyne was entitled abbess, Protopriest Andrei (Kotrutsa) - father, nun Marionela – rural dean, and nun Martha (Rita Kushnir) housekeeper. Since December 4, 1999, during the celebration of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple, the nun Martha was entitled abbess and was given the right to wear the Golden Cross.

The order of the services - the Holy Daily Mass, monastic rules and the reading of the Indestructible Psalms - were established according to the order of the Novo-Nyametsky Monastery, inherited according to the unchanging tradition from the Holy Rev. Paisius Wieliczowski and other Holy Fathers. 

Moments of the highest spiritual insights took place in the Church of the Intercession of the Theotokos on April 6, 1998, when, after the service in honor of the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, tonsuring was performed for nun Rita Kushnir, who became nun Martha, and novice Mary Paskaryuk, who became nun Mary. In the same day, tonsuring to rassophore o the novices Veronica Turcanu - named Taisia, Natalia Tiuhty - named in rassophore Matrona, Lydia Chernavka - named in rassophore Tekla and blessing on wearing the cassock of the novices: Tamara Frantsuz, Nina Batku, Leah Balan, Natalia Balan, Olga Zagorskaya, Nina Mustyatsa and Albina Danov, took place.

The tonsure of the nun symbolizes, firstly, the sacrifice to the Lord from our body. Secondly, at a deeper level, the mystery of monastic tonsure is the elimination of evil thoughts and the sanctification of our minds before God.

On May 11, 1998, the monastery was registered with the status of the monastery of the Holy Women, at the suggestion of Dorimedont (Cecan), in the name of “Holy Myrrh-bearing Women Martha and Mary”.

For centuries, monasteries have been oases of faith, gift, and enlightenment. For centuries, the Church was a school, and its servants were teachers. Studying in a monastery places faith, discipline and teaching at the heart of the formation of character and personality. Continuing this tradition, in September 1998, the Regency School for Girls was opened, which was supposed to function actively until 2008, giving the society Christian mothers, virtuous nuns, as well as specialists in the field of church music.

Composer and professor Ion Melnik (1934 - 2010) made a valuable contribution to the development of culture and musical education in the monastery, and was buried in the cemetery of the monastery. Monastic Choir participated in the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the death of the godly voivod Stefan the Great and Holy in the monastery Putna, Romania, July 2, 2004, at the Orthodox festival of church music in Constanta, in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010 – at the festival "Hleb-da-Sooliba" in Solbinskom monastery, located on the bank of the river Solba, Russia (2018).

The spiritual and cultural tradition of the monastery choir is participation in the framework of the days dedicated to the memory of Alexei Mateevich, held every year from March 26 to March 31, in the village of Zaim, in the house museum of "Alexei Mateevich".

The choir released 6 CDs: “Steaua sus rasare” - old carols sang by nuns in 4 voices; “Cantari duhovnicesti" - songs performed during Vespers and Matins; “O, Rastignitul meu Iisuse” - Orthodox songs; "Pentru Tine, Doamne" - harmonized Christian services; Christian services in Russian and “Patriotic songs”, containing a collection of songs written by composer Ion Melnik, with lyrics by the poems of the great poets M. Eminescu, G. Koshbuk, A. Mateevich, as well as by the verses from folk art.

On October 6, 1998, the abbot of the Novo-Nyametsky Monastery, Archimandrite Dorimedont was ordained a bishop and founded the diocese in Edinet and Briceni villages. In order to improve the spiritual life in the northern part of Moldova, Mother Superior Euphrosyne and several sisters were blessed in the monastery of Kalarsovka, in Ocnita District.

Nun Martha Kushnir, unanimously elected by the community at a meeting in April 1999, became the new abbess of the monastery of the “Holy Myrrh-Bearing Martha and Mary”.

Since September 19, 2002, on the day of the celebration of the memory of the miracle committed by the Holy Archangel Michael, on the first visit of Metropolitan Vladimir, Nun Martha was awarded the Golden Cross; in 2006 she was entitled Mother Superior, in 2012 she received a high church distinction - the Cross with precious stones, during the consecration of the church "St. Voievod Stefan the Great", July 15, 2015 – the pastoral staff of the Mother Superior.

Designated by God, possessing wisdom and endless patience, she manages to lead a large community, develop God's gifts in every person, sow spiritual seed in every soul, make sure that the fruits are born at the right time, spreading the spirit of peace and unconditional love to everyone.  

The main founder of this monastery is the confessor Archimandrite Andrei (Kotrutse), a former inspector and teacher of the Theological Seminary of the Novo-Nyametsky Monastery.

In the person of Father Andrei, the duty of the confessor was not only the spiritual guidance of the monastic community and parishioners, but also the daily sacrifice in the management, provision and organization of the construction of the monastery complex.

Longing for monastic life, Father Andrei accepts tonsure in 2013, being named Andrei, in honor of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called, and in July 2015 he was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite.

By the power of words and the gift of prayer, changing the thoughts and changing the hearts, the father turned many people to faith, and his zeal in the daily liturgy poured grace and blessing on the whole monastery.

Following Anthony the Great, the monks consider work an appropriate means to protect the mind from useless thoughts, as a form of asceticism, as well as serving the community and a source of income necessary for alms.

The monastery complex includes:

• The main church (2000-2017);             
• Well of the Virgin Mary (2005);             
• Sunday school for children from nearby villages (2005-2010);             
• The monastery’s economy is the priory in honor of the Monk Paraskeva, patroness of Moldova, with the chapel of St. Modest, Archbishop of Jerusalem (2006);             
• A wooden church dedicated to Saint Voievod Stefan the Great (2007-2010);             
• A park planted on an area of ​​2 hectares with decorative trees (2007);             
• Monastery cemetery (2008);             
• Xenodochium of the Monastery of St. Paisius (2010);             
• The monastic house with the chapel of "Rev.  Paraskeva" (2010-2015);             
• Theoretical Lyceum of Fine Arts for Girls (2017) with classrooms and conference hall;             
• Moldovan-style wooden gates at the entrance to the main monastery, with a stone crucifix, consecrated in 2014 by Metropolitan Vladimir;             
• Following the centuries-old tradition of Orthodox monasticism, workshops were founded in an additional building: for sewing clothes, embroidery, weaving and knitting (2015);             
• House for Priests (2017-2019).             

In its history of over two decades, the congregation is experiencing steady growth, numbering 60 people today. The life in the monastery is congregational (community-based), the nuns spend their days according to the old sacrament, part for church service, part for various hearings (works) and part for reading prayers in solitude.

The goal of a monk in this world, according to the Christian Orthodox tradition, is to work for his own salvation and pray for world peace and the salvation of all people.

The monastery has become a place that pilgrims seek to participate in the services held here, to receive spiritual advice or to spend time in peace and quiet.

As much as possible, we are trying to be good hosts, providing pilgrims with what we have: fresh forest air, the beauty of worship and food for everyone who comes to us. Hospitality is not a simple matter (it requires organization, effort, cost), but the joy of the pilgrims becomes our joy too.

For each of us, those who appear in this world, a plan of God has been drawn up. Similarly, by building this monastery, preaching, reciting holy prayers and the sacrament, we follow the Lord in everything.

“The holy way of the Lord is neither an unchecked, nor unpaved, nor unmarked, so we can complain that we do not see it or do not know it. The holy apostles, martyrs and confessors, holy Christian emperors and patriarchs, holy hermits and anachorites, as well as thousands and thousands, millions and millions of others went this way. By the holy way, Lord blesses his holy people. (...) Let us gather around the Church of our people, as children around the mother gather. Christ is the heart of the Church. And Christ is undefeated and invincible. Glory and praise be to him and the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.”- St. Nicholas Velimirovich, From the prison window.