Saint Abraham Guest House

Dear pilgrims!

The clergy and brotherhood of the Holy Trinity Monastery of Saharna are glad to welcome you to our monastery and pray that your visit brings you spiritual benefit. Like every monastery, we keep rules that hold the monks’ life in good order. We kindly ask you to read them and to do your best to keep them.

1. The pilgrims’ house accepts Orthodox men and women who come for no more than three days, are ready to take on work obediences, and have no bad habits. A longer stay is possible with the blessing of the abbot.
2. A passport is required to stay in the pilgrims’ house. Children and young people under 18 are not accepted without an accompanying adult.
3. Please dress as is fitting for a holy place. Short-sleeved T-shirts, shorts, tight trousers, low necklines and short skirts are not appropriate on the monastery grounds. Let your clothing suit a holy place, and your behaviour the quiet, peaceful spirit of the monastery.
4. On arrival, pilgrims are given time to rest — as a rule, their first day at the monastery — which they may use for the good of the soul: visiting the spring, speaking with a priest, and so on, without breaking the monastic rule. After that, pilgrims take part in the obediences given by the brother in charge of the guest house. Carry out your obedience with prayer, without changing the work on your own initiative. If you think something could be done better another way, suggest it humbly and do not insist on your own opinion: the better way is always the one done in obedience. Do not leave your obedience without telling anyone. If you cannot do physical work or have other limitations, please say so in advance.
5. Do not enter the monastery buildings, wander about the grounds or visit the monks’ cells without a blessing. Free time in the monastery is spent in reading and prayer, not in idle talk or on the internet.
6. Keep the room you are given clean and tidy, and treat the monastery’s property with care.
7. While staying at the monastery, bad language, alcohol, smoking on the monastery grounds or in the pilgrims’ house, listening to secular music and leaving the pilgrims’ house after lights-out are not allowed.

The monastery cannot be responsible for your valuables; it is best to hand them in for safekeeping.

An identity document must be shown in order to stay in the pilgrims’ house.

Keeping the daily routine, attending the services and taking part in the obediences are compulsory. Breaking these rules means being asked to leave.

Daily order

From the guest house regulations as the monastery publishes them in Romanian.

1. Keeping quiet and good order is the first condition of staying in the guest house. People of different ages and walks of life stay here, so please be friendly and understanding towards one another.
2. The purpose of your visit is prayer, so the wake-up is at 5.30 (on feast days at 6.30), so that you can be present at the morning service. The evening service begins at 16.45. Attendance at the services is obligatory.
3. Pilgrims eat after the monks and novices: at 9.30, 14.30 and 20.30 on weekdays; on Sundays and feast days at 13.30 and 20.30. Depending on the day and circumstances there may be changes, and pilgrims are told of them.
4. Keep valuables and money on you, to avoid awkward situations such as theft or mix-ups. If you have very expensive things with you, please hand them for safekeeping to the father responsible for pilgrims’ accommodation for as long as you are on the monastery grounds.
5. The donation for accommodation is a symbolic one and does not cover all the costs of keeping the guest house, so please lend a hand with the daily work of the monastery.
6. Accommodation is given on presentation of an identity document.
7. Keeping these rules is obligatory for everyone.

We ask your forgiveness for the simple conditions and for any inconvenience. For other information about the daily order of work and prayer, ask the father responsible for accommodation or the monastery secretary.

Information

+373 69 929 280 — from 20:00 to 21:00, local time.