The Hermitage of St. John the Theologian is located in the central region of New York State. Founded in 1998 as a member of the American Congregation of the Primitive Observance of the Order of Saint Benedict and a monastic dependency of the Abbey of the Holy Name within the Archdiocese of New York & New Jersey under the omophor of His Eminence Archbishop +JOHN; whom is a senior hierarch in the Holy Synod of the Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of Western Europe and the Americas – His Beatitude Metropolitan +EVLOGHIOS, primate.

Life at the Hermitage is guided by the ancient monastic Rule of St. Benedict. Our liturgical life is that of the pre-Schism rite of the Orthodox West which follows the canonical Church (“Julian”) Calendar. Dedicated to unceasing prayer and the ascetic life it seems fitting that our outreach interests is in the anthropology and psychology of man as understood by the Early Church Fathers who contributed significantly to the larger corpus of Orthodox Theology.

Due to the nature of this hermitage’s life and ministry, we regret that no visitors are accepted and all pilgrims and travelers are encouraged to visit Holy Trinity Monastery (ROCOR) in near by Jordanville, NY. Correspondence will be entertained however.

Our Mission

While the physical life of a monk may be solitary his or her ascetic love for God and the activities born from this love hence extends the monastic to reach out in both a humanly and other-worldly manner for the salvation of our enemies as well as all Orthodox Christian faithful living in the world of conflict and strife.Through a daily cycle of prayer and ascetic practices the monk aims to “work out his salvation in fear and trembling” ( Phil. 2:12 ) therefore entering the kenotic experience of decreasing “so that Christ must increase” (John 3:30 ). In so doing one becomes a co-worker, a co-laborer in Christ ( 1 Cor. 3:9 ). With Him, Through Him, in Him and in the unity of His Spirit we are engaged in the re-creation of man and the cosmos.

Our Apostolate

Our particular interest lays in the transfiguration of man and the catechistic thresholds of preparation through which one must pass. On 30 March 1999, the Kellion established the OrthodoxWest discussion group currently hosted by Yahoo! Groups. Between 1999 and 2001, we operated the Orthodox Christian Conciliation Services providing pastoral counseling and conflict resolution to individuals, couples and families.

We are currently preparing a slightly different approach for 2008 and beyond. Lately, much has been said and written about a so-called “Orthodox Psychology”. We are establishing an association of Orthodox Christian professionals among clergy, monastics, philosophers and the various professionals in the ‘mental health’ fields. Under the spiritual patronage of St. Gregory of Nyssa, this Orthodox fellowship initially will aim to create a dialogue between Orthodox theology and humanistic psychology. [ read more ]

The Kellion or Hermitage is currently preparing a web-log entitled, “Emerge! Journal for the Advancement of an Orthodox Christian Psychotherapy” and a companion discussion platform on Yahoo! Groups. The Nastati Institute for Orthodox Pastoral Studies, a Kellion ministry, shall sponsor these ventures.

It is our hope that, while enlivening professionals with the Patristic Wisdom of Holy Orthodoxy as it pertains to the health and wellness of the human being that, those having the skills and knowledge to facilitate a transformation of the person -from a natural state to a spiritual state- that person may move, with God’s Grace, towards a transfiguration of soul and body, thus being and further becoming an Authentic Person in the mystical communion with the Incarnate Logos, our Saviour and Lover Christ Jesus.

Papa Symeon

Father Stavrophore-monk Symeon Di Siracusa (formerly, David Bensimon-Kilmer), B.P.S.

a 50 year old Orthodox Christian monk. A father of two sons. Trained Family Mediator (1992) and Pastoral Counselor (1998). A survivor of a dysfunctional adoptive family. Disabled with endogenous depression, fibromyalgia, cervical radiculitis, and ADD. A contemplative. An existential poet. His major interests is in Existential Analysis and Patristic Anthropological Theology. But more importantly his interests is in relationships: their development, their quality, their dynamics between he and God, he and other persons, he and himself. Entered monasticism in 1998 and was tonsured “stavrophore” monk in 1999. Papa Symeon is founding resident of the St. John the Theologian Orthodox Hermitage (NYS) a monastic dependency of the Abbey of the Holy Name (West Milford, NJ, USA) within the Archdiocese of New York & New Jersey of the Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of Western Europe and the Americas (”Milan Synod”).