Old Calendar Monastery in New Mexico?

Kyrill · Post by **Kyrill** » Wed 24 September 2003 11:07 am

Vacationing in New Mexico a couple of years ago, I came across a listing in a telephone book for Alamogordo, New Mexico for a St. Anthony's Orthodox Monastery. I copied the number down and callled it after arriving back home but only got a recorded message and no one ever returned my call.

I was just curious if anyone knows which jurisdiction this monastery is in. Someone once told me that they were under the impression that it is under a Greek Old Calendar jurisdiction, but they were not sure. There is no information for it on the www.nettinker.com/monasteries web site. However if you put Orthodox Church and Alamogordo in a Google Search, you will come across various references to it on listings of religious institutions for Alamogordo.

OrthodoxyOrDeath · Wed 24 September 2003 11:40 am

strike that, I don't know who it belongs to.

尼古拉前执事 · Wed 24 September 2003 11:58 am

Info so far:

St Anthony The Great Orthodox Monastery
505-434-5277

I am hoping it is not the Monastery that does "Monastery Icons". That is a bad group.

1937 Miraculous Cross · Tue 7 June 2005 3:31 am

St. Anthony the Great Monastery in Alamagordo, NM is a monastery started by Hieromonk Fr. Bessarion. He lives mostly in Phoenix and the monastery's metochian in Phoenix is St. Nectarios Parish.

It is Old Calendar and was initially started under the OCA before Fr. Bessarion was ordained a priest. Later, because of the urging of many faithful in Phoenix who wanted an OC parish, Fr. Bessarion approached Bp. Petros of Astoria and they became a parish/monastery of the OC GOC (Kiousis Synod). Later, during some confusing times with Bp. Petros and other issues, it seems Fr. Bessarion left the GOC (Kiousis Synod).
I may be wrong on this, but I think he is now under a Russian bishop of the MP....or, perhaps still looking for a new bishop. I have no idea.

Fr. Bessarion can probably be contacted in Phoenix at St. Nectarios church.

in Christ,
Nectarios
Austin,TX

priestmark · Post by **priestmark** » Tue 14 June 2005 9:12 am

1937 Miraculous Cross wrote:
Later, during some confusing times with Bp. Petros and other issues, it seems Fr. Bessarion left the GOC (Kiousis Synod).

Or rather in the late '90s he claimed to be under Astoria, but they did not claim him. I spoke to a GOC bishop at that time because of the bizarre reports I was hearing from local (Tulsa) members of the Phoenix parish.

Don't confuse this St Anthony's in New Mexico with the St Anthony Monastery in Arizona.

(and don't be looking for the sort of spiritual father many imagine they have encountered in books - you might find one who fancies himselve as being one!)

尼古拉前执事 · Post by **尼古拉前执事** » Mon 4 July 2005 10:22 pm

Good, as these are the openly homosexual "Greek Old Calendarists" if I recall correctly.

尼古拉前执事 · Post by **尼古拉前执事** » Wed 6 July 2005 10:16 pm

1937 Miraculous Cross wrote:
St. Anthony the Great Monastery in Alamagordo, NM is a monastery started by Hieromonk Fr. Bessarion. He lives mostly in Phoenix and the monastery's metochian in Phoenix is St. Nectarios Parish.

It is Old Calendar and was initially started under the OCA before Fr. Bessarion was ordained a priest. Later, because of the urging of many faithful in Phoenix who wanted an OC parish, Fr. Bessarion approached Bp. Petros of Astoria and they became a parish/monastery of the OC GOC (Kiousis Synod). Later, during some confusing times with Bp. Petros and other issues, it seems Fr. Bessarion left the GOC (Kiousis Synod).
I may be wrong on this, but I think he is now under a Russian bishop of the MP....or, perhaps still looking for a new bishop. I have no idea.

Fr. Bessarion can probably be contacted in Phoenix at St. Nectarios church.

in Christ,
Nectarios
Austin,TX

It is a very small world! Father Bessarion is my Godbrother! (We have the same Godfather) I used to have an email address for him but it appears he no longer uses that. Anyway, last I knew he was under some Ukrainian MP bishop as the MP here and in Russia did not want him for some reason. I do not know all the back story, and my information I have shared here may be useless, but this is all I know.