Holy Monastery of St. Nektarios
162 River Street, Richford, VT 05478.
(802) 848-7320
The Holy Monastery of St. Nektarios and the Community of Holy Wisdom serve as the episcopal seat of Metropolitan Lazarus of Vermont. His Grace, Vladyka Lazarus, resides and prays at the Monastery of St. Nektarios, where he continues his ministry of prayer and service to his community with love and devotion.
Since its founding, the monastery has served as a fount of spiritual wisdom, a place of gracious hospitality, and a house of fervent prayer. Through the years, generations of monastics have labored and prayed in this spiritual garden, nurturing the life of the monastery and blessing the wider community through their prayers
Services are held in English. Please call to enquire about service times.
(802) 848-7320
About Metropolitan Lazarus
Metropolitan Lazarus holds an advanced degree in philosophy and has been a monk since early adulthood. He is the spiritual son of the ever-memorable +Vladyka Theophil, whose life and example continue to bear fruit in the community he founded. May his memory be eternal.
Blessed Theophil of Vermont
Blessed Theophil founded the Monastery of St. Nektarios, first in Brimfield, Massachusetts, then eventually moving to Richford, Vermont, where he joined his brothers and sisters in the Community of Holy Wisdom and the Monastery of Joy of All Who Sorrow.
Those who knew Blessed Theophil remember him as a man of deep faith, radiant joy, fervent prayer, and genuine love for others. He was beloved not only by those in the United States who had the blessing of knowing him, but also by many in Greece. Wherever he went, he brought a spirit of joy and a love for Christ and His Church, leaving a lasting impression of holiness and Christian love.
For those who knew him personally, his laughter remains a treasured memory; a reminder of the joy that shone from his life even amid the struggles and labors of monastic life. His prayer, his love, and his example continue to live in the hearts of those who knew him.
May the memory of Blessed Theophil be eternal, and may his prayers and example continue to strengthen the community he so faithfully served.
Tone 1 Troparion
Striving to bring joy to all through the truth of the gospel / thou didst shed tears for thy children o blessed Theophil / with prayers unceasing thou didst shine like a light in a harbor / providing haven for the storm tossed of life / as a pillar of the faith in these uncertain times / pray unto Christ our God / that He may grant unto us faith unshakable and healing for our souls.
Tone 3 Kontakion
In tending the soil of the human heart / with the plow of apostolic faith o blessed Theophil / thou watered seeds of faith with tears divine / and became a mighty oak in barren land / pray to Christ our God that we may blossom forth beneath the shelter of thy leaves