Holy Protection Monastery is an institution affiliated with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Diocese of Pittsburgh, under the ecclesiastical authority of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, founded by the Apostle Andrew in 37 A.D, confessing the Nicene Creed and faith in the One, Holy, Consubstantial, Undivided, and Life-Creating Trinity, in accordance with the Seven Holy Ecumenical Councils, and faithfully preserving the Sacred Holy Tradition as passed down from the Apostles.
Holy Protection Greek Orthodox Monastery was founded in 1993 by Elder Ephraim, former Abbot of Philotheou Monastery on Mount Athos who also founded 16 other monasteries throughout the United States and Canada. The Monastery’s “Mother House” is the Archangel Michael Monastery on the island of Thasos in Greece.
The site of the Monastery is on a mountain overlooking the Lehigh River Valley in the Pocono Mountains region of Pennsylvania. A white cross can be seen on the top of the Monastery’s mountain from interstate route 80. The construction of the Monastery’s present facilities began in 2001. These facilities include: the main building with the monastic cells; the main church dedicated to the Holy Apostles Peter & Paul; and two chapels dedicated to St. Nektarios and St. Paraskevi. Other buildings include: a bakery, a workshop with an icon-painting studio, a woodworking shop, a candle making shop and a guesthouse. The Sisters maintain their own gardens, greenhouse and fruit orchards.
The monastery follows the ancient “coenobitic,” (i.e. common) way of monastic life, consisting of common meals, common prayer and church services, common work and rest periods. The members of the Sisterhood are united through solidarity in their struggle in Christ under the spiritual guidance and obedience to the mother abbess Gerontissa Olympiada and to their spiritual father Elder Ephraim.
The daily program begins at midnight with keeping vigil with prayer and spiritual reading, followed the first daily Church service. After a rest period and breakfast, the Sisters begin their work day until evening when they retreat to their cell for rest.
The purpose of the monastic life is attaining to the Kingdom of Heaven. All activities in which monastics engage, whether spiritual or material have this as their final aim. Monasticism is also called “the angelic way of life” because having renounced the world all therein, monastics dedicate their life entirely to God, imitating the angels in their virtues and conduct. However, since monastics, as human beings, have a dual nature of both flesh and spirit, their activities serve both of these aspects. Thus, their life is one of both prayer and labor. It is through constant prayer that the sisters nourish their soul, and through the work of their hands that they support themselves through various chores and crafts.
Prayer is a monastic’s constant companion during night and day. Whether they work or rest, monastics try to keep their attention focused on the name of the Saviour through the Jesus prayer. In the community of Holy Protection Monastery, this is also the teaching received from Elder Ephraim who spent the first years of his monastic life close to one of the greatest teachers of noetic prayer of 20th century – Elder Joseph the Hesychast. It is from Elder Joseph that Elder Ephraim himself received the teaching about the practice and theory of the Jesus prayer. According to this teaching, through the constant invocation of the name of Jesus, in the form of “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me,” can someone attain to theosis -- the union with God.
Exit 273 (White Haven) I-80 Westbound Ramp B to Route 940 Closes for Bridge Work.
Η Έξοδος 273 (White Haven) Ράμπα Β της I-80 προς τα δυτικά προς τον δρόμο 940 κλείνει για εργασίες γέφυρας.
and until the End of Summer 2028
The project will replace the aging bridges with wider structures; increase the length of the eastbound on-ramp auxiliary lane, the height of the bridges' barriers, and the width of the shoulders to meet current interstate design standards; and improve safety in the corridor. Construction on the I-80 bridge project is progressing after completing major traffic pattern changes. Wagman Heavy Civil shifted eastbound I-80 traffic onto the newly constructed eastbound bridge on Saturday, March 21, 2026. The westbound I-80 traffic was moved onto the existing eastbound bridge on Sunday, March 29, 2026, using median crossovers.
PennDOT and Bridging Pennsylvania Developers will shift traffic to Stage 2 and close Ramp B on I‑80 westbound as part of the Lehigh River Bridge Project.
Passenger vehicle detour: Exit 274 → SR 534 → State Street (SR 940) → Church Street → back to I‑80 at Exit 273.
Truck / Bus detour: Use PA 309 north (about 20 miles total) or PA 940 south (about 15.3 miles total).
Drivers should watch for new traffic patterns, follow detour signs, and plan for extra travel time.
Το έργο θα αντικαταστήσει τις παλαιές γέφυρες με ευρύτερες κατασκευές· θα αυξήσει το μήκος της βοηθητικής λωρίδας της ράμπας προς τα ανατολικά, το ύψος των φραγμών των γεφυρών και το πλάτος των ερεισμάτων για να ανταποκριθεί στα τρέχοντα διαπολιτειακά πρότυπα σχεδιασμού· και θα βελτιώσει την ασφάλεια στον διάδρομο. Η κατασκευή του έργου της γέφυρας I-80 προχωρά μετά την ολοκλήρωση σημαντικών αλλαγών στο κυκλοφοριακό μοτίβο. Η Wagman Heavy Civil μετέφερε την κυκλοφορία της I-80 προς τα ανατολικά στη νεόκτιστη γέφυρα προς τα ανατολικά το Σάββατο 21 Μαρτίου 2026. Η κυκλοφορία της I-80 προς τα δυτικά μεταφέρθηκε στην υπάρχουσα γέφυρα προς τα ανατολικά την Κυριακή 29 Μαρτίου 2026, χρησιμοποιώντας μεσαίες διασταυρώσεις.
Η PennDOT και η Bridging Pennsylvania Developers θα μετατοπίσουν την κυκλοφορία στο Στάδιο 2 και θα κλείσουν τη Ράμπα Β στον I-80 προς τα δυτικά, στο πλαίσιο του Έργου Γέφυρας του Ποταμού Lehigh.
Παράκαμψη επιβατικού οχήματος: Έξοδος 274 → SR 534 → State Street (SR 940) → Church Street → επιστροφή στην I‑80 στην έξοδο 273.
Παράκαμψη φορτηγού / λεωφορείου: Χρησιμοποιήστε τον δρόμο PA 309 βόρεια (περίπου 20 μίλια συνολικά) ή τον δρόμο PA 940 νότια (περίπου 15,3 μίλια συνολικά).
Οι οδηγοί θα πρέπει να προσέχουν τα νέα πρότυπα κυκλοφορίας, να ακολουθούν τις πινακίδες παράκαμψης και να προγραμματίζουν επιπλέον χρόνο ταξιδιού.
Holy Week
Sunday, April 5th - Sunday April 12th
Palm Sunday, April 5th
7:00am - Matins and Divine Liturgy
4:00pm - Vespers and Small Compline
6:30pm - Service of the Nymphios - Matins of Holy Monday
Holy Monday, April 6th
3:30am - Presanctified Divine Liturgy
4:30pm - Great Compline
6:30pm - Matins of Holy Tuesday
Holy Tuesday, April 7th
3:30am - Presanctified Divine Liturgy
4:30pm - Great Compline
6:30pm - Matins of Holy Wednesday
Holy Wednesday, April 8th
3:30am - Presanctified Divine Liturgy
4:00pm - Service of Holy Unction and Small Compline
6:30pm - Matins of Holy Thurday
Holy Thursday, April 9th
6:00am - Vespers and the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great
7:00pm - Matins of Holy Friday
Holy Friday, April 10th
9:00am - Royal Hours and Vespers - Apokathilosis
7:00pm - Matins of Holy Saturday
Holy Saturday, April 11th
6:30am - Vespers and the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great
11:30pm -
Pascha Sunday, April 12th
4:30pm - Vespers (Agape Service) and Small Compline
Μεγάλη Εβδομάδα
Κυριακή, 5 Απριλίου - Κυριακή, 12 Απριλίου
Κυριακή των Βαίων, 5 Απριλίου
7:00πμ - Όρθρος και Θεία Λειτουργία
4:00μμ - Εσπερινός και Μικρό Απόδειπνο
6:30μμ - Ακολουθία του Νυμφίου - Όρθρος της Μεγάλης Δευτέρας
Μεγάλη Δευτέρα, 6 Απριλίου
3:30πμ - Προηγιασμένη Θεία Λειτουργία
4:30μμ - Μεγάλο Απόδειπνο
6:30μμ - Όρθρος της Μεγάλης Τρίτης
Μεγάλη Τρίτη, 7 Απριλίου
3:30πμ - Προηγιασμένη Θεία Λειτουργία
4:30μμ - Μεγάλο Απόδειπνο
6:30μμ - Όρθρος της Μεγάλης Τετάρτης
Μεγάλη Τετάρτη, 8 Απριλίου
3:30πμ - Προηγιασμένη Θεία Λειτουργία
4:00μμ - Ευχέλαιο και Μικρό Απόδειπνο
6:30μμ - Όρθρος της Μεγάλης Πέμπτης
Μεγάλη Πέμπτη, 9 Απριλίου
6:00πμ - Εσπερινός και Θεία Λειτουργία του Μεγάλου Βασιλείου
7:00μμ - Όρθρος της Μεγάλης Παρασκεύης
Μεγάλη Παρασκεύη, 10 Απριλίου
9:00πμ - Μεγάλες Ώρες και Εσπερινός - Αποκαθήλοσις
7:00μμ - Όρθρος του Μεγάλου Σαββάτου
Μεγάλο Σάββατο, 11 Απριλίου
6:30πμ - Εσπερινός και Θεία Λειτουργία του Μεγάλου Βασιλείου
11:30μμ -
Κυριακή του Πάσχα, 12 Απριλίου
4:30μμ - Εσπερινός της Αγάπης και Μικρό Απόδειπνο
First Mode
Chanted by the Sisters of the Monastery