Christminster remains committed to maintaing the fullness and purity of the Orthodox faith in its Western Rite tradition as established under the leadership of Abbot James. On one occastion, Abbot Augustine had confided to then Bishop - now Saint - john maximovitch, some of the hardshis of promoting Western Rite Orthodoxy, Saint John;s response was a vehement and memorable one: "Never, never, never let anyone tell you that, in order to be Orthodox, you must also be Eastern. The West was Orthodox for a thousand years, and her venerable liturgy is far older than any of her heresies."
Encouraged and inspired by saint john's words, Christminster lovingly maintains the Orthodox western rite each day, celebrating the Mass according to the ancient rite dating from the time when the West was still firmly Orthodox in its faith and observance. The full Divine Office is prayed as set forth by Saint Benedict. The ancient chants of the Western Church are used in all services, sung in traditional, liturgical English, and occasionally in Latin.
In the midst of the contemporary spiritual desert, Christminster is dedicated to providing an oasis of contemplative prayer and a beacon of hope in the mercy, love, grace, and truth of Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture and the Breaking of Bread.
Our monks extend a warm welcome and hospitality to all persons seeking to recover and maintain the ancient Orthodox tradition of the west -- the tradition that nurtured such familiar saints as Benedict, Scholastica, Bede, Ambrose, Gregory, Boniface, Bridget, Aidan, Patrick, Hilda, Monica, Augustine, Columba, and a thousand more!
