Mother Maria of Paris, Orthodox Worker Community

03/07/2025

Food, Insecure: A video about Indiana where the Monastery of the Holy Martyrs is physically located,

https://vimeo.com/1023684584/cfd286661d?fbclid=IwY2xjawI4QOZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHesswIFuclGkXCYxGXzWyCVPHvhR56ia-VY5IU0D_vUK5hbJuYdenOkvgQ_aem_chz9hzqUqEWC7BbXs01NbA

While they like to call it food insecurity, let's be honest and call it what it really is: FOOD POVERTY.

The monastery engages with those who have been marginalized—those at the fringes of society, the needy, and the powerless, including those whom too many have pushed away from Jesus through their actions and lack of love as Christ loved. We understand that where Christ is, His Church is also there. We recognize that among the homeless, the disenfranchised, the unheard, and the invisible, Christ is present.

The Monastery of the Holy Martyrs and Orthodox Workers Community is very simple. We feed folks!
Hungry?
Come on down. We got food!

You can read more about the monastery's mission and ministries by following this link: https://givebutter.com/0Oa1Z2
The Monastery of the Holy Martyrs and Orthodox Worker Comunities need your help in volunteering to help us serve our clients and members and donate. And no donation is too small.



in volunteering to help us serve and

This is "Food, Insecure" by david duncan on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

02/19/2025

In the early 1900s, several African Americans–including members of the Harlem community and the already-established Ethiopian World Federation–began corresponding with leaders of the Orthodox Church in Ethiopia, including Holiness Abuna Basilios, the late patriarch of Ethiopia. The delegations interested in reuniting with the African Church even included the owner of the Amsterdam News; another key individual was John Divine Hickerson. Although not officially ordained, Hickerson was called “Father” by many, and his daughter would become the first Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church nun born and raised in the USA.

That daughter, Marian Hickerson, was born in Alexandria, Virginia, on November 2, 1902. In 1918, at the age of sixteen, she joined her father in New York City, where he founded a rescue mission and home for children. For thirty-two years, Marian and her father worked faithfully in community service programs and continued to correspond with the Orthodox Church in Ethiopia. Then, in 1952, their hopes seemed within reach. Father Gabre Yesus Meshesha (Abuna Athanasius) and Ato Abera Jembere from Ethiopia were sent to their group with articles and sacrament books for a new church. Four years later, on October 25, 1959, His Holiness (then His Grace) Abuna Theophilos, archbishop of Harar Province and assistant patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, dedicated the parish in New York City, which they named Holy Trinity Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. On that same day, he baptized 275 converts.

Marian was baptized Kristos Semra and designated the “Mother of the Ethiopian Church of America.” She assisted her father in many roles in their new church, including as pianist and secretary, and continued to dedicate herself to community service. In 1967, she chose to make monastic vows, and was given the title Emahoy, an Amharic title meaning “female monk”, which is only bestowed on women who have received the Holy Orders of Monastic life in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Rite. She is often referred to as “Mother Wisdom.”

Although she was the first Black American Monastic of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, there is little else in the public record about Emahoy Kristos Semra’s life - whether she continued her work in isolation, for instance, or was ever joined by others to form a monastic community. Either way, she remained faithful to her sense of purpose and, in so doing, created a legacy that continues to be seen to this day in the Holy Trinity Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in New York, which celebrated its Jubilee celebration in 2009, and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Hermitage and Monastery, which has since been established in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. Tewahedo (Ge'ez ተዋሕዶ) means "being made one" or "unified". This is the legacy that the “Mother of the Ethiopian Church of America'' has given as a gift to her community, her city, and ultimately to the Body of Christ. We are richer for her life and courageous perseverance.

Mother Wisdom’s monastic successors include Emahoy Magdelna Dawit, who is the second African American nun; she currently attends St. Michael Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Englewood, NJ; Eme Menet Emahoy Woletta Sellassie-Black is the third Emahoy and the first abbess of the Kindane Mehret Kidane Selam Hermitage and Monastery in New York State.

02/19/2025

Syriac Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Martyrs
What we do is simple -- We feed folks! Hungry?

The blood of martyrs is the seeds of the church!

The Syriac Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Martyrs and Orthodox Worker Communities welcome all and offer hospitality, healing, learning, and, most importantly, hope. Hope in solidarity with the poor and the homeless, the disenfranchised and forgotten, those never heard, seen, or even wanted. Serving God by serving the poor and the poorest of the poor, the disenfranchised and marginalized.

The Gospel Christ inspires us and teaches us, "Whatever you do to the least of my people, do you do unto me." If we listen, we hear the call to be open to one another, to give what we have, and to welcome all guests as we would welcome Christ Himself. The monastery is a place of healing, nourishment, learning, and service, where folks respond to each other's needs.

All are welcome to come and taste and see the Orthodox world through the tangible gifts, grace-filled moments, and love of each other. We carry on under the flag of openness to all as we labor under the Christian negotiable stature of unconditional love in service to all —seeing Christ in every face.

This is only possible because of your unceasing prayers and continued support. Please keep all in your prayers and consider even a small donation.

Your prayers and donation will give hope to many who have no hope and do not think others care about what happens to them.

What we do is very simple: we feed folks. Feed their bodies and feed their souls.

The greatest miracle is not raising the dead, but rather, it is feeding those who are hungry. And their bodies and souls both hunger!

What we do is simple -- We feed folks! Hungry?

02/18/2025

Monastery of the Holy Martyrs - Syriac Orthodox
“Whatsoever you do to the least of my people, so you do unto me.”

The Monastery of the Holy Martyrs requests your assistance today! Thanks to your powerful and relentless prayers and ongoing financial contributions, the monastery and Orthodox Workers Communities can serve everyone whom Christ leads to us. Your help this afternoon would be greatly appreciated!

"The monastery engages with those who have been marginalized—those at the fringes of society, the needy, and the powerless, including those whom too many have pushed away from Jesus through their actions and lack of love as Christ loved. We understand that where Christ is, His Church is also there. We recognize that among the homeless, the disenfranchised, the unheard, and the invisible, there Christ is present."
"The martyrs will come, bearing their afflictions, and the righteous will come, bearing their virtues."

We are a Monastic Community and an intentional Orthodox Christian community living according to the Gospel in Plymouth, Indiana. We serve God by serving the poor, the poorest of the poor, the disenfranchised, and the marginalized. As part of the Syriac Orthodox Church, we seek a balance of prayer, work, and community life to emulate the early Christian communities.

communal and private prayer,
work,
service, and
leisure in our lives.
Our various ministries are committed to promoting a fair and empathetic world. Following Christ's teaching, "Whatever you do for the least of my people, you do for me," we are called to listen, be open to one another, share our blessings, and welcome all guests as we would welcome Christ himself.

"A place for healing and support, where people help each other. Our work is made possible through the generosity of compassionate individuals.

“Whatsoever you do to the least of my people, so you do unto me”

11/03/2024

This Giving Tuesday, donate your time and energy to help the Monastery of the Holy Martyrs and Orthodox Worker Communities. Join the fundraising teams or start your own or the monastery's. Just follow this link to discover how: https://givebutter.com/v7OTla/join

Giving Tuesday, held the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, is a global movement dedicated to inspiring generosity and community support. Launched in 2012 as a response to consumer-driven events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it has quickly become a powerful day for nonprofits of all sizes to raise awareness, engage donors, and boost fundraising efforts.

Join and help promote the Giving Tuesday fundraising drive. Post about the monastery's drive. Tell your friends. Anywhere in the world, you can become an Orthodox worker helping the homeless and the near homeless, the disenfranchised and marginalized, the unseen, unheard, and unwanted.

With Giving Tuesday less than 40 days away, today is the day to join one of the fundraising teams or start your own team. https://givebutter.com/v7OTla/join

Please keep all those served by the monastery's ministries and projects in your mighty, unceasing prayers. May God's blessings always be upon you and your families.

The Syriac Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Martyrs and Orthodox Worker Communities welcome all and offer hospitality, healing, learning, and, most importantly, hope.

10/11/2024

Thank you for your past prayers, support, and help. Please keep all those Christ brings to our doors in your prayers.

I hope you are doing well. As someone who has been an important part of our Monastery of the Holy Martyrs & Orthodox Worker Communities family, I wanted to let you know how much your prayers and support mean to our ministries.

This year, we hope to continue bringing hope and smiles. However, we can’t do it alone—we’re reaching out today to reconnect and invite you to join us again in making a positive change.

Would you consider renewing your support for the Monastery of the Holy Martyrs and Orthodox Worker Communities? Every contribution, regardless of size, is crucial to our continued success and fulfillment of our mission. You can easily donate online at https://givebutter.com/NmXMJa.

We understand that circumstances change, and if there are specific reasons why you’ve paused your giving, we’d love to hear your feedback. Your insights are invaluable as we strive to improve and better serve our community.

Thank you once again for being a part of our journey. We hope to welcome you back soon and continue making a difference together.

Warm regards,



Father Theodosius
Abbot / Executive Director
Monastery of the Holy Martyrs /Orthodox Worker Communities

09/29/2024

Join the Monastery of the Holy Martyrs fundraising campaign to help make a difference in someone's life. Invite your friends to help make a difference. Following this link, join the fundraising team and start making a difference. https://givebutter.com/NmXMJa/join

The Monastery of the Holy Martyrs serves the homeless and near-homeless, the disenfranchised and marginalized, and those not seen, heard, or wanted by most. We serve all whom Christ brings to our doors or leads us to on the streets.

Follow the link, join the fundraising team, and make a difference. You will bring hope and put smiles on people's faces who had no hope and no reason to smile before.

What we do is simple -- We feed folks! Hungry?

09/22/2024

Christ brings folks to the doors of the Monastery of the Holy Martyrs and Orthodox Worker every day to be served, as He teaches us to serve and expects us to serve. He also leads us to many who live on the streets, in abandoned houses and trailers. This week, He has led many more to our doors.

But today, the Hungry Monkmobile is parked. It seems that it needs gas to operate, and the monastery is without funds to fill the gas tank or get the new battery needed. Can you help get us back on the road this afternoon?

I know I have often said that what we do here is very simple—we feed folks! And we do, but we do more, far more.

With your help, we help put smiles on faces that have not smiled for ages and hope in hearts that have not known hope.

What does Christ have us bring? Community, fellowship, healing, brotherhood. Perhaps most of all, we bring a voice for folks that society has never heard or wanted to hear.

We can do all of this because of the support of several community partners who provide us with the food we distribute. We can also do this because of co-partners like YOU, who work alongside us in tending this garden that Christ has entrusted to us. Your prayers for those we serve provide hope, and for those serving, they provide strength. Additionally, your ongoing financial support helps cover many of the project's expenses. Today, those expenses mean gas for the Hungry Monkmobile. So we are parked and going nowhere today.

Here is the link you can use to help with those expenses:
https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=7L2Q23DLU53GN

Help support Monastery of the Holy Martyrs by donating or sharing with your friends.