An ideal

A monastery

A challenge

More than thirty-three years have passed since, after a long stay at our monastery, Father Élie returned to France, with the Archimandrite Aimilianos' blessing, to serve the spiritual needs of this region and found the female Metochion (dependence) of the Transfiguration. Thirty-three years of ascetic labours and selfless service in view of the regeneration of the Orthodox roots of France.  During these years, the community founded by Father Élie encountered many difficulties in its efforts to conduct a monastic life similar to that lived at Mount Athos.

Around the nuns, who live under the spiritual direction of Father Élie, who inherited the zeal of the holy Prophet, has formed a small but lively group of faithful, reminiscent of early Christian communities.  Over the years, the needs of this community of believers have increased and it is now time for the sisters to "broaden their tents" so as to properly accommodate the faithful who come to attend holy services and also provide the Sisters with better living conditions. This is why it was decided to build a new catholicon dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Saviour, the feast to which the Metochion is dedicated, a church that can hold about two hundred and fifty people, as already more than two hundred faithful gather here for feast days.

We welcome and offering our full confidence, we bless this initiative of our Dependence as well as the first plans that have been submitted to us for approval. We believe that this catholicon project, as well as the adjoining monastic dwellings, constitute an authentic presence of the Orthodox tradition in the south west of France, harmoniously combining the Byzantine architecture with the local architecture.

As demonstrated throughout the Sisters' monastic life thus far, this extension and renovation of the Metochion responds, with monastic dignity and sobriety, to the objective needs of the function of the community, and we hope that this project will find a wide acceptance not only from the friends of the monastery, but also from all those who are moved by authentic witness from our Orthodox monastic tradition in the heart of France, as hope for the weary contemporary man.

As there have been more than seven centuries, the construction of the New Bethlehem - the current Simonopetra Monastery - by our founder, St. Simon the Myroblite, was a real challenge to the stubborn nature and a miracle of faith of one man, and today the bold undertaking of Father Élie and the Sisters of our Metochion, with the blessing of the Holy Simonopetra Monastery - a spiritual family of which they are members of choice - constitutes an expression of their unwavering faith, and is worthy of all forms of support and assistance from those who feel and believe in the ongoing contribution of monasticism for the edification of our holy Church.

We believe that any offering in view of the construction of the church will receive abundant blessings from our Lord Jesus Christ who is transfigured, as in the church that will be built the holy and divine Transfiguration will be glorified and sung by the nuns and the faithful, and this great event of our Church will be lived in truth.

We wish this project every success and blessing for the glory of God's name and the edification of the people, with the hope of eternal life.

Archimandrite Élisaios
Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Simonopetra
(Mount Athos)

Extension and development project