Draft:Hermitage of the Annunciation

The monastic community traces its roots to a metochion (satellite cell) founded in Halifax in the mid-1990s under the guidance of the St. Seraphim of Sarov Monastic Community in Quebec,^[3] and soon sought a more secluded site. In late 2003 the monks relocated to a rural woodland property in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia (on Goose Chase Road near Watford/New Germany) on an old farmstead overlooking the LaHave River valley, establishing the Hermitage of the Annunciation. In September 2010 the Hermitage was formally set up as an independent monastic entity within the OCA Archdiocese of Canada.^[1]

At the new location the monks adapted a simple workshop as their chapel (later adding an onion dome) and built living quarters and a cemetery on the property. The community grew slowly; by 2016 it numbered four monks and a small congregation of local faithful.^[4] In recent years the monastery has seen renewed interest and growth: by late 2025 the brotherhood had doubled, prompting a major building expansion campaign.^[5]

The Hermitage of the Annunciation is a cenobitic (communal) monastery following the Byzantine rite. The daily schedule follows traditional Orthodox monastic practice: early morning prayer (lectio divina and Jesus Prayer from 3–5 a.m.), Matins or Divine Liturgy, and then work or study during the day, with Vespers and Compline in the evening.^[6] The monks support the community by gardening, woodworking, icon-painting and publishing (e.g. prayer books), and occasionally receive pilgrims or visitors on feast days. The liturgical language is primarily English (Old Calendar), but Church Slavonic and French are also used. The monastery is dedicated to the Annunciation; its patronal feast is March 25 (April 7 Old Style) and a secondary commemoration is September 25 (Oct 8) in honour of St. Sergius of Radonezh. The community emphasizes contemplative prayer and is officially under the omophorion of Archbishop Irénée of the OCA.

The monastery occupies a rural farm property of forested land in Lunenburg County. The central buildings include a wood-frame chapel (originally built as a workshop in 2004 and later fitted with an onion dome) and adjoining living quarters for the monks. The chapel's exterior appears as a simple rectangular church with one dome; inside it is ornately decorated with icons of Christ, the Theotokos, and saints. In 2016 the monastery received a large set of Russian-style bells as a gift,^[7] for which they constructed a bell-house near the Temple. In that year the local municipality required the community to bring the converted workshop-chapel up to building code, temporarily closing public access until renovations were planned.^[4] Ongoing capital campaigns aim to expand the main monastery house and chapel (adding more cells and worship space) to accommodate the growing brotherhood and visiting pilgrims.

The property includes the St. John the Baptist Monastic Cemetery, established in 2025. As of 2026, there have been 2 interments in the new cemetery.

The Hermitage has become a focal point for Orthodox Christians in Atlantic Canada. In August 2016 a local Orthodox donor arranged for a team of Russian bell experts to come and teach the monks to ring the new bells.^[7] In 2021 a documentary film Goosechase (by David Veldman) was released, portraying the daily life and rule of the three hermit monks at the Hermitage.^[8][9] In 2025 the community held its first annual pilgrimage (on Sept. 20) to mark the Nativity of the Theotokos, inviting Orthodox faithful from across the Maritimes for worship and fellowship.^[10] The Hermitage also hosts occasional liturgical events and welcomes small groups of pilgrims and retreatants, especially on Sundays and major feasts (by appointment or announcement).