Reference Document 1
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History of the Monastery
Visit of His Eminence, The Most Reverend Tikhon,
Archbishop of The Aleutians and Alaska to the Eastern States

"The days of May 26 and 27 were devoted to a special, extraordinary undertaking of the Archbishop, which involved trips to distant farms in a carriage. The rector of the Mayfield parish, Fr. Hieromonk Arseny, reported to His Eminence that some farmers -- Rusyns,  who had erected a chapel on their property -- had offered to allocate part of their land and, to some extent, help with expenses in order that a male monastic community could be instituted near their chapel. In addition, there is this consideration. At the sixth convention of the Orthodox Mutual Aid Society, a question had been raised regarding the establishment of an orphanage for the orphaned children of society members. And, following Fr. Arseny's suggestion, the question was asked, Could the establishment of the orphanage be tied to that of the monastic community?

"The Archbishop, who held these good intentions close to his heart, undertook a journey to gain familiarity with the conditions and prospects for achieving both tasks. Friday morning at 7 o'clock the horses were readied, and the Most Reverend Vladiko, accompanied by Fr. Arseny, set out on his way in an open carriage. The road lay through the populous and busy town of Carbondale, where the attention of curious passersby was often drawn to the tall traveler distinguished by unusual clothes. Vladiko, having gotten used to all those curious stares and inquiring glances, calmly proceeded on his way. . . .

"During the ride we had the chance, though from a distance, to admire the new Orthodox church in Simpson, which the Archbishop was seeing for the first time, and where he planned to serve the following Sunday. With joy Vladiko made the sign of the cross, directing his eyes toward the splendid temple -- a new flower blossoming in the wilderness.  And he gave thanks to God, who is bestowing so much help on our mission which daily grows from strength to strength.

"And then the last cottages of the inhabitants of the town and adjacent villages flew past, and the travelers found themselves in the lap of breathtaking nature amidst the mountains and forests of Pennsylvania. At this point, the sound of human voices could no longer be heard, while at the same time the feathery choristers began singing their marvelous praise to the creator, giving rise to heartfelt feelings of sweetness in the hearts of the riders.

Electric trolleys no longer fly past our field of vision, incessantly crossing the road, but streams of life-giving springs appear, crossing our path and evoking quiet feelings. Here, by the roadside, lies an oak tree, decaying -- a century-old witness of these virgin lands. And there, one might see a giant boulder which a wandering wild beast must have used to rest upon in the deep cold of winter, where now, in summertime, only a wild hen makes her stand while looking round on a morning heavy with dew.

"A little farther on, right above the road, a real waterfall appears in its splendor. From the steep rocky mountain, crystal clear water cascades down noisily. And even here, the people did not hesitate to take advantage of this, by attaching, at the point where the water hits the ground, a wooden conduit leading to a small, natural rock basin, whence they draw the water and water tired horses.

"Vladiko Archbishop expressed his admiration by getting out of the carriage and drawing some of the quiet waters with his hand. He drank it, not because of thirst, but to pay tribute to this wonderful spring and leave his Archbishop's blessing on it. Amidst this wonderful nature even a long road seemed to be short.

"We soon reached the mountain. Upon crossing the summit, we could see gray houses of our Rusyn farmers, and there soon appeared the three-barred cross on a chapel which was the fruit of the zealous love of a four-member flock of the Orthodox mission. Even from a distance you could make out the bustle of those gathered around the chapel and preparing to meet the distinguished unexpected guest. When the carriage came to the chapel, Vladiko was literally lifted from the carriage and his hands were covered with kisses. In the chapel Vladiko put on his epitrachilion and miter and began to serve a moleben to the Holy Theotokos, since the church was devoted to the birth of the Most Holy Theotokos.

"Fr. Arseny was singing on the cleros; the ten candles did not flood the chapel with light, and magnificent chandeliers, lampstands, banners and crosses were nowhere to be seen. There were no rugs covering the floor of the chapel, which is done even in the poorest parishes when greeting bishops. But the soul of everyone was overflowing with the light of unutterable joy and a special solemnity was felt amidst the most humble setting. At the end of moleben the Archbishop offered a brief but expressive word that moved us to tears of tender emotion. After examining the chapel and giving his approval of its erection, Vladiko expressed his desire to walk and survey the surrounding land to determine its suitability for the future cloister. It turned out that the barrenness of the terrain (it was not particularly abundant in natural wealth) and the small size of the donated parcel meant that only a skete community could be considered, while establishing an orphanage was out of the question, as a doctor's call, for instance, costs $3.50.

"After accepting a light meal at the humble dwelling of a Rusyn, His Eminence set out on his way back. Having weighed all arguments, both pro and con, he decided to accept the invitation of other Rusyn farmers who lived closer to Mayfield . . .
"Early in the morning on Saturday, a trip was again undertaken to survey a new place for the monastic community and orphanage. Here the land was more picturesque; the commute was more convenient, and most importantly, the farmers, from their generosity, agreed to donate fifty acres of land or, if we should agree to this, to match the cost of this land by giving us the right to buy one of the neighboring farms available for sale.

"After surveying the offered land quite thoroughly, questioning extensively about everything and having the benefactors repeat their pledge, the Archbishop turned to the east, said a brief prayer asking for God's blessing for this undertaking, and authorized Fr. Arseny to sign a written agreement with the farmers . . . The return journey was spent in conversation about organizing the future cloister, the difficulty of finding worthy people and the fact that God's mercy does not abandon our Orthodox mission, revealing its hand in such a generous gift under such favorable conditions. We had to stop the horses a few times, so that from the height of the Pennsylvania mountains we could feast our eyes on the breathtaking nature that adorns the valleys with beautiful lakes and meadows."

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