To our Respected Guests,
We welcome you with love in the Name of Christ to the Holy Monastery of the Iveron Mother of God, and we kindly ask that you observe the following requests by virtue of which we may offer hospitality.
You are more than welcome to come visit us at any time but we kindly request that you call or email us prior to be sure we are available. While we are in the process of moving from the Skete to the new property and establishing this new monastery, we have busy days and may not be at the Skete to recieve you. Our new property is only avaible accompanied by a guide at this time, please do not walk around the grounds or enter the house without a blessing and accompanied by a guide. It is our pleasure to serve you and we would like to have one of us available to make your visit a pleasent one.
Due to the sanctity of this holy place we kindly ask that you respect the quiet and solitude of the monastery while on the grounds. Visitors are not permitted to enter the nun's living quarters, houses, or to wander around freely on the grounds at either location without a blessing. Cell phones must be turned off or left on the silent/vibrate mode while on the grounds. Loud talking and laughing are always inappropriate.
Smoking anywhere within the holy grounds is strictly forbidden.
Children should not roam freely on the holy grounds and should remain under parental supervision at all times.
Pets are not allowed on the monastery grounds with the sole exception of guide dogs for the blind. (Guide dogs are not allowed inside the churches).
At this time, we are not able to offer overnight accomodations. God willing, we will build a guest house in the future. There are hotels in nearby towns avaible. Jordanville is the closet town to us.
The Iveron Mother of God Monastery is a place of repentance and prayer for the sisters and also for the faithful who are our pious guests. In honor of the Theotokos whose monastery this is, and out of love and respect for this sacred ground, we humbly ask that you be properly attired at all times.
Orthodox clergy are respectfully asked to wear a cassock (rason) in the monastery; and to wear also an outer cassock (exorason) in the church services. Clergy are asked to wear a clerical head covering at the appropriate times.
Women are kindly asked to wear long-sleeved, loose-fitting shirts that fully cover the chest up to the neck; long skirts (or dresses) without deep slits; scarves that cover the head and all of the hair and wrap under the chin and around the neck, so that the neck is also covered. Please refrain from wearing lipstick or chapstick when venerating icons and receiving Holy Communion. Please remove any visible face or body piercing jewelry.
Men are kindly asked to wear loose-fitting long pants and long-sleeved shirts. Please, no baseball caps or clothing with inappropriate words or images. Inside, especially in church, men are asked to keep their heads uncovered. Please remove any visbile face or body piercing jewelry.
For both men and women, socks (at least ankle high) with shoes or sandals are to be worn at all times. Note that our paths are gravel, so please wear appropriate shoes.
If it happens that you are not properly attired, please ask one of the sisters to assist you in borrowing something appropriate from our limited supply of guest clothing.
We humbly also ask our guests to refrain from wearing perfumes, colognes, scented lotions, etc., for the sake of those who have strong chemical sensitivities and get very ill from even these types of scents.