Canonical establishment a ‘pinch me’ moment, says hegumena

BURTON, Ohio — Christ the Bridegroom Monastery reached its final step of canonical establishment Sept. 27, when it was established as a  sui iuris, or self-governing, monastery of eparchial right by Bishop Milan Lach, SJ, of Parma.
 
The establishment was publicly announced by the reading of a decree at the conclusion of a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the monastery chapel Sept. 30, the vigil of the feast of the Protection of the Mother of God. A decree approving the monastery’s typikon, or rule of life, was also read.
 
One day earlier, the stavrophore, or life-professed, nuns of the monastery elected Mother Theodora Strohmeyer, one of the foundresses of the monastery, as the hegumena or abbess.
 
After the decrees were read in the chapel Sept. 30, the liturgical service of the institution of the hegumena was celebrated, officially recognizing Mother Theodora as the hegumena.
 
In the 10 years of the existence of Christ the Bridegroom Monastery, it progressed through the stages of “private association of the faithful” and “public association of the faithful,” under the leadership of now retired Bishop John Kudrick of Parma. This year, Bishop Lach took the final steps needed to complete the establishment, which was publicly announced by the reading of a decree at the monastery chapel Sept. 30.
 
“Being guided by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, the monastery seeks to hark back to the original call of God for all baptized Christians to seek the Kingdom of God above all else with the holiness of their lives,” Bishop Lach stated in the decree of establishment.
 
The monastery is a response to St. John Paul II’s call for the revitalization of Eastern monasticism in his apostolic letter “Orientale Lumen” (“Light of the East”). Only a handful of traditional Eastern monasteries exist in the Eastern Catholic Churches in the United States.
 
Christ the Bridegroom Monastery’s foundation has piqued interest even in Europe, from where requests have come for copies of the monastery’s typikon.
 
The unique service for the institution of a hegumena consists of prayers read by the bishop, the presentation of a staff and pectoral cross to the new hegumena, the singing of “Axia!” (“She is worthy!”), and a series of exhortations given by the bishop to the hegumena and to the other nuns, who are to be obedient to her.
 
The bishop exhorts the hegumena, “And this staff is given to you…the staff of a true shepherd, and not of a hireling, with which, not to strike the sheep, but to defend and protect them from the spiritual wolves seeking to despoil them.”
 
“The establishment of the monastery was a ‘pinch me’ moment,” said Mother Theodora. “As I listened to Father Marek (Visnovsky) reading the decrees, the last 10 years of the development of our monastic life came to fruition.
 
“All the joys and pains of living out this life have given birth to a greater peace, confidence and tenacity to embrace the death to self that is vital to bring new life to Christ’s Bride, the church,” she said.
 
Christ the Bridegroom Monastery currently has six nuns, four of them have made life profession. Two are in different stages of formation in the monastic life.
 
At press time, Oct. 19, the nuns were to hold their annual Bridegroom Banquet benefit event at St. Joseph Parish in Brecksville, Ohio. Donations can be sent directly to the monastery.
 
Caption: Front row, left to right: Sister Mary Agnes Scalero of the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Mark in Canton, and the nuns of Christ the Bridegroom Monastery, Mother Cecilia Hritz, Sister Petra Gafford, Mother Theodora Strohmeyer, Mother Gabriella Houck, Mother Iliana Lonchyna, Sister Natalia Olsen. Back row, left to right: Fathers Steve Flynn, Patrick Anderson and James Kulway of Cleveland, Father Iuliu Muntean of the Romanian Catholic Eparchy of St. George in Canton, Fathers Marek Visnovsky and Bruce Riebe of Parma, Bishop Milan Lach, SJ, of Parma, Father Bryan Eyman of Parma, retired Bishop John Kudrick of Parma, Father Nathan Adams of Parma, Fathers Michael McCandless and Ryan Mann of Cleveland, Father Bob Karl of the Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, and Father Matt Cortnik of Cleveland. (Photo courtesy of Christ the Bridegroom Monastery)

As published in Horizons, Oct. 27, 2019.
Sign up for the digital newsletter.