St. Barbara Orthodox Monastery is a women's monastic community of the Diocese of the West of the Orthodox Church in America, under the omophorion of His Eminence, Archbishop BENJAMIN. The Monastery was founded in 1992 and has been located in Santa Paula, California, since late 2005.
The Sisters maintain a regular cycle of daily liturgical services and partly earn their living growing lavender and producing lavender products, giving retreats, producing icon greeting cards, and operating a small bookstore and online gift shop where local honey is sold.
We strive daily to live out the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in community, seeking to love God and neighbor through prayer, hospitality and labor.
***May 5th, 2024
CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN!
KHRISTOS VOSKRESE! VOISTINU VOSKRESE!
CHRISTOS ANESTI! ALITHOS ANESTI!
***May 1st, 2024 Join us tomorrow morning, Holy Thursday, 10 am, for the Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil celebrating the Institution of the Mystical Supper. This Thursday morning Vesperal Liturgy will be preceded by the 9th Hour at 9:30 am.
***April 28th, 2024 See
here for the monastery's
Holy Week and Pascha schedule. We invite you join us for as many Holy Week services as you can.
May this Holy Week be blessed for our salvation!
As usual during this time when we are dealing with the mudslide on Ojai Rd/ Highway 150, please drive through the city of Ojai and not Santa Paula to get to the monastery. It takes longer but we are still accessible.
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CELEBRATE LAZARUS SATURDAY
AT THE MONASTERY!
His Eminence, Archbishop BENJAMIN,
will visit the monastery
and serve on:
Friday, April 26th, 4pm Vigil
Saturday, April 27th, 10 am Divine Liturgy (preceded by Hours at 9:30am)
If you plan to come, please drive to the monastery from the city of Ojai, rather than Santa Paula.
There is currently NO access from the city of Santa Paula to the monastery due to the mudslide on Highway 150/ Ojai Rd, south of the monastery.
Don't trust Google directions:
The only way to get to us is through Ojai!
You may want to give yourself extra commuting time as the famous Ojai Tennis Tournament will be taking place in Ojai on Friday and Saturday. Expect increased traffic through the city of Ojai!
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***April 19th, 2024 Save the Date!
*Tomorrow, Saturday, 7 am:
Matins with Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos.
*This Sunday, April 21st, 10 am:
Divine Liturgy at St. Herman Church in Oxnard.
*Next Friday & Saturday, April 26th and 27th:
Lazarus Saturday with His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin.
4 pm Vigil on Friday. 10 am Divine Liturgy on Saturday.
***April 16th, 2024 On Wednesday, April 17th, the sisters and Fr. Jude will join the parish of St. Barbara Orthodox Church in Santa Barbara for the Pre-sanctified Liturgy at 6 pm. We will resume the Wednesday Pre-sanctified Liturgy at the monastery next week. Please do not come to the monastery tomorrow for the Pre-sanctified Liturgy!
***March 28th, 2024 Here is the monastery's latest
newsletter.
We regret that due to a road closure from a massive mudslide (which still remains an active slide!), we will have to cancel the next few month's Friends of the Monastery Gatherings including this month's gathering. The monastery is still accessible, however, we don't feel comfortable with our friends navigating the winding cliffside road in the dark after a Friends' Gathering to exit our monastery via the city of Ojai.
We are informed by Caltrans the one lane may open at the current road closure by late May.
You are still welcomed to visit the monastery in the daytime. Please call or email us if you would like to visit.
***Sunday, March 24th, 2024: Join us to celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation tomorrow, Monday, at 10am for the Vesperal Divine Liturgy. Blessed Feast!
