Established in 1989, the

Nativity of the
Theotokos is the first
Greek Orthodox womens
Monastery in America
Through its inception, the Monastery
brought the fullness, depth and riches of
the Orthodox Churchs monastic
tradition to America
!"#$
%&
'%(#)
*
!+#,
&(-"
It s a Blessi ng f or Everyone when you Gi ve
Mail Donations to:

Nativity of the Theotokos
Greek Orthodox Monastery
PNC Bank
PO BOX 645229
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-5229
Make checks payable to Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery
Donate online at:
NativityoftheTheotokosMonastery.org
Printed and Donated by
Printscape
myprintscape.com
Build new housing for
existing monastics and rooms
for new monastics.
Renovate the current
structure into accommodations
for guests.

Erect a new chapel with
additional space to offer
hospitality and host meetings.
I was a young Orthodox teenager;
orphaned and desperate when I
arrived at the monastery. They took
me in and nurtured me back to
spiritual health. Today, I am
happily married with a
family......
I am in my 30s, have a
stressful job that constantly
challenges my faith. I go to the
monastery and nd the peace I need
to go back to endure and
survive......
Our Vision
A Testimony
May our Most Holy Theotokos
Bless and Protect you and your
family.
Nativity of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Monastery - Celebrating 25 years!
I PR OMI S E TO
Panagia, our Most
Holy Theotokos,
TO HE L P B UI L D
Her Holy Site
I support the 5-yr. fund-raising project to build a new
Monastery with my gift of $ _______.
My check in the amount of $ __________ was sent to:
Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery
PNC Bank;
PO Box 645229
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-5229
Please send me a reminder of my remaining gift for:
2015 _______ 2016 ________ 2017 _______ 2018______
Please send acknowledgements and updates to:
Name(s): ______________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________
City/State/Zip: __________________________________________
Email: _________________________________________________
I wish my donation to be anonymous: Yes _____ No _____
May our Most Holy Theotokos
Bless, Protect, & Grace you and your family
with Her Love for the kindness
you show Her Monastery.
Please use my donation in any phase in building the Monastery: ____
Please use my donation for the following room(s):
The Monastery is a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization. Your
donations are tax deductible and you will receive a letter from the
Monastery documenting your donation.
____ Church
____ Agiograo
____ Kelli (nuns room)
____ Workroom to create agate and marble icons
____ Workroom to create icons on wood
____ Workroom to embroider icons & ecclesiastical items
____ Workroom for sewing vestments, garments, baptismal outts
____ Workroom for candle-beading, komboskinia, & religious jewelry
____ Library
____ Nuns Private Chapel
____ Inrmary/Handicapped room
____ Ofce
____ Guest Greeting Room
____ Nuns Dining Room
____ Kitchen with room dedicated to Prosphora



"#$%&%$' () $*+ $*+($(,(-

./++, (/$*(0(1 2("#-$+/'

*345678 69 5:; 93745 .7;;< (75:6=6> ?6@;AB4
@6AC45;78 3A #@;73DC




"he Nativity of the Theotokos Nonasteiy, founueu
in 1989, seives unuei Bis Eminence Netiopolitan
Savas of the uieek 0ithouox Biocese of Pittsbuigh,
Pennsylvania. The Nonasteiy, locateu in
Saxonbuig, is ueuicateu to the Biith of the Nothei
of uou, the Theotokos, anu celebiates Bei feast uay
on Septembei 8
th
.

# visitoi to the monasteiy finus a peaceful
lanuscape that invites them to leave behinu all
caies anu entei into a ihythm of solituue,
expeiience a life wheie nuns can be heaiu
ceaselessly saying the }esus piayei "Loiu }esus
Chiist have meicy on me" (see veiso). It is a place
that is ueuicateu to the woiship anu piaise of uou.
Byzantine chanting is heaiu celebiating the Bivine
Lituigy anu invites the pilgiim to join with quiet
ieveience.

"he Nonasteiy seives as an oasis foi pilgiims
welcoming them anu offeiing comfoit fiom
stiuggles anu afflictions in a caiing, spiiitually
nuituiing enviionment. It is a place wheie chiluien
finu joy anu aie often seen at play.

$t all began 2S yeais ago in the village of Poitaiia,
uieece, at the beautiful monasteiy of Panagia
0uigitiia. In 1971, a young woman, Aphiouite
Boukas, became a novice anu one yeai latei was
tonsuieu a uieat Schema nun anu given the name
Taxiaichia. In 1989, hei spiiitual fathei, Eluei
Ephiaim, Abbot of the Nonasteiy of Philotheou on
Nount Athos, uieece biought hei to Ameiica.

#nu along with Bishop Naximos, they tonsuieu hei
the fiist Abbess of the monasteiy. Nine months
latei, the cuiient Abbess of the Nonasteiy,
ueiontissa Theophano joineu the Sisteihoou.
ueiontissa Taxiaichia then began to fulfill the
vision that was given to hei by both founueis: to
maintain a life ueuicateu to piayei anu to
missionize to the faithful of the 0ithouox Chuich.
ueiontissa Taxiaichia ieposeu in the Loiu on
August S, 1994.

%nuei the spiiitual guiuance of ueiontissa
Theophano, the Nonasteiy continues the legacy
that was left behinu by hei spiiitual mothei
ueiontissa Taxiaichia. Fouiteen nuns now seive
the Nonasteiy, applying theii skills to gloiify uou.
They suppoit themselves thiough hanu-painteu
icons; icons on woou, agate, maible anu
embioiueiy; thiough sewing baptismal outfits,
piiest's vestments anu ecclesiastical items; making
komboskinia, canules foi weuuings anu baptisms
anu hanu-maue soaps among othei hanuiwoik.
The nuns aie self-sustaining, iaising theii own
piouuce anu maintaining the giounus.

&ith the blessing anu encouiagement of Bis
Eminence Netiopolitan Savas, The Nonasteiy has
embaikeu on a pioject to expanu the monasteiy, to
ienovate the existing stiuctuie to accommouate
guests, inciease the living space foi the nuns, anu
builu a chuich.


!"# %#&'& ()*+#) *,&- ./-0/ *& 1"# ()*+#) -2 1"# 3#*)1

This piayei consists of 7 woius: "#$% &'()( *+$,(-. +/0' 1'$23 #4 1'5
0ui whole faith is encapsulateu in this piayei.

In saying "#$%, we believe that we aie seivants of uou anu that Be is oui Loiu.

When we say &'()(, which is the human name of uou, all the eaithly life of Chiist fiom Bis biith to Bis
Ascension comes to minu. We iecognize that he has saveu us anu given us life eveilasting.

In saying *+$,(-, we confess that Be is the Son of uou anu uou who cieateu eveiything anu is in heaven
anu will come again to juuge the woilu.

In saying "+/0' 1'$23 #4 1'", we entieat uou to senu us Bis help anu Bis meicy foi we acknowleuge
that without Bivine help, we aie unable to uo anything.

It is this small piayei that enlightens us, uispels uaikness, uiives away hopelessness anu uespaii;
pioviues meuicine foi oui soul; anu leaus us to sanctification so that the Boly Spiiit of uou uwells in us.

6iayei is uou's gift to us anu we
cannot achieve it without Bim.
Piayei begins with the
unueistanuing that we cannot
accomplish it on oui own, that we
neeu the help fiom uou; because
tiue piayei is piayeu by the Boly
Spiiit, not by us.


7t. Poiphyiios once saiu, "Bo you
know what a gieat gift it is that
uou gives the iight to speak to
Bim eveiy houi anu moment
wheievei we aie. Be always
listens to us. This is the gieatest
honoi we have. Foi this ieason
we must love uou."

8ui Loiu anu Savioi himself taught us in
Natthew 6:6, "when you piay, go into youi ioom
anu when you have shut youi uooi; piay to youi
Fathei Who is in the seciet place anu youi
Fathei Who sees in seciet, will iewaiu you
openly." Anu wheie is this seciet place, none
othei than the heait.

7t. Paul teaches us, "To piay without ceasing anu
in eveiything give thanks; foi this is the will of
uou in Chiist }esus foi you". (1 Thessalonians,
S:17-18)

8ui gieatest example of unceasing piayei, as St
uiegoiy Palamas inuicates, is the Panagia who
liveu in the Temple fiom the age of thiee anu
spent hei time in piayei in the Boly of Bolies as
she fulfilleu the commanument of uou:

"9ou shall be Boly; foi I, the Loiu Youi uou am
Boly". (Leviticus 19:2) Bei unceasing piayei is
calleu by the Boly Fatheis the Piayei of the Beait
oi also known as The }esus Piayei.

:ou has put a tieasuie in the heait anu we have
to uig ueep in oiuei to finu it. We neeu to shut
the uooi of oui minu anu be attentive to the
woius of the piayei so that this conveisation
fiom the uepths of oui soul anu heait aie heaiu
by uou. The }esus Piayei, is the most seiious foim
of piayei, accoiuing to the Boly Fatheis, it is the
most piofounu gain to the soul when it enteis the
heait anu iaises the minu to uou. It is a gieat
woik, the goal of salvation anu spiiitual
peifection.