St Anthony's Monastery

St. Anthony's Church, the main church at the monastery.

"[T]he Orthodox Church makes no sharp distinction in its worship between the spiritual and the aesthetic. One becomes aware of God's presence through the senses, in the experience of 'splendor' and 'beauty.' . . ."

"This emphasis on sensory involvement has its basis in the Orthodox and thoroughly Biblical conviction that it is the whole world, and not only man's soul, that will be transfigured - 'saved' - when Christ establishes His Kingdom at the end of time."

Greek Orthodox Diocese of America website:

Orthodox Art and Architecture

Visit an Orthodox church and you will see a vision of heaven on earth. Visit St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery and you will see at least six visions of heaven on earth, each a different variation on the Orthodox theme.

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The iconostasis of St. Anthony's, the wall of icons
that separates the Holy of Holies from the main church.

My connection to St. Anthony's Monastery is Shari's Greek language tutor. That connection was made through the local Greek Orthodox church in Tucson, St. Demetrios, and its annual Greek Festival. The tutor visits the monastery every other weekend.

Six monks from Mount Athos in Greece lead by Elder Ephraim established St. Anthony's Monastery in the desert just south of Florence, the Pinal County seat. That was in 1995.

The area around Florence is lowland Sonoran Desert. What historically used to be the Gila River, free flowing most of the year, has been dammed for almost a century so now it is almost always dry. Creosote bush, cholla, sage and hardy small hedgehog cacti grow there, with the occasional palo verde tree. The lack of river flow coupled with bore wells extracting water from aquifers means the water table has dropped from ten to a hundred feet below the surface. It is in this arid environment that the monks purchased land.

The monastery land without irrigation. On the hill top is
the newly completed chapel in honor of St. Elijah.

Getting the necessary permits from Pinal County was not a problem, but planners, sheriff and other County officials were puzzled because the land had no water. They discouraged the monks but the monks were not deterred.

The land was purchased and Elder Ephraim identified three areas to drill for water. Wells were dug in those places and water found.

Elder Ephraim spends many hours each day in meditation. Apparently, he knows a few things.

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The wells supply abundant water, as evidenced by at least ten acres of date palms, orange and olive groves, lush gardens with tall fan palms, paved walkways, and some half dozen fountains and courtyards.

The physical development of the monastery in a scant twenty-two years is nothing short of amazing. The monks lived in trailers as the buildings were constructed with generous donations and volunteer labor.

There is the main church (St. Anthony's), three other free-standing churches (St. Nicholas', St. George's, and St. Demetrios'), an open chapel in honor of St. Seraphim, plus separate buildings for monks, nuns, guests, meals and visitors. The community has grown to forty monks and novices.
 
The site is truly a feast for the senses.

Each structure is impressive. The design, materials, woodwork, metalwork, hardware, and every other imaginable detail of the churches are all impressive. The only electric lights in the churches are two reading lamps at the chanter's stand. Ornate and huge metal chandeliers are suspended under the central domes of each church. During services, the churches are  illuminated by candles and oil lamps.

The icons are awe inspiring, which is the intent according to Orthodox tradition.

Many of the icons were created in Greece. There are scores and scores. Much of the woodwork was carved in Greece. The churches are richly decorated with ornately carved wood frames. Even the wooden doors are gorgeous and precisely fitted.

To add to the glorified beauty, the churches and other buildings are set in a well laid out in a shaded environment of palm-lined walkways, lush orchards and flowering gardens, and delightful fountains.

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A feast for the senses. Orthodox Christianity, even more than the Roman, extols the beauty of creation with representations of saints and the divine. They are human forms and faces; stylized, but very much human.

Inside St. George's, a church constructed in the Romanian style.
The woodwork is detailed, precise, and prolific.

The human image in religious expression is strictly forbidden in Judaism and Islam. There is stunning geometric beauty in the mosques I have seen in Egypt, Jerusalem and Turkey, both in the overall design of the spaces and in the intricacy of their adornments of filigree, tiles and Arabic script quoting the Koran. There is no human image.

Then there is the stunning, human beauty of these Orthodox churches.

Each religion is making a statement about Spirit: one is that Spirit cannot be depicted; the other that Spirit pervades creation. Both are correct, in my view, but my preference is to recognize Divinity in creation and in humanity.

I believe that everything in creation is only an appearance, an expression or a symbol of Spirit. I believe only Consciousness exists, and we live within an expression of that Consciousness. Our world in its enlightenment is actually very beautiful.

Somehow, beatific images with human faces make me humble. I can relate to the image because it is similar to my own. If some human faces can be elevated and sanctified, then perhaps we all share in that possibility.

Put it another way. It's hard to be a jerk when confronted with beautiful images that remind us of who we are (or should be), and particularly images of the Divine Mother in the form of woman and child.

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The dress code is not perfection and some of the practices are depressing. Monks are severely dressed in black. Women must be all covered with long dresses and sleeves, closed shoes, and head scarves. I visited in spring when the desert is blooming in contrast to the Christian practice of Lent which is inherently somber. (Unlike Roman churches, the icons were not covered in purple cloth.) By the time I was leaving, believers had gathered in the entrance hall of St. Anthony's to have the priests hear their confessions. An odd practice, but I suppose they feel better afterwards. And don't get me started on the books for sale in the bookstore. I am not a great fan of religious dogma. Still, the stylized dress code and religious practices serve to impress a sense of humility and respect. More importantly, one cannot complain about the friendly, cheerful, even devotional disposition of the residents, guides and believers at the monastery. That made even the tourists behave nicely.

Thing is, I did not even have a full experience. That would include not only the beautiful space and its icons, but the illumination by oil lamps and candles, the fragrance of incense, the divine sound of musical chanting, the liturgical drama of the opening of the Holy of Holies and the sharing of communion, and experiencing the elevating energy of the participants' devotion.