The Diocese of the South has three monastic communites. A men's monastery is located in Canones, NM, and two women's monasteries located in Wagner, SC and Kemp, TX.

(Kemp, TX) The Nativity of our Lord Monastery here will host a Lenten retreat on Saturday, February 27. The retreat will be led by Presbytera Eugenia Constantinou on the topic of FACING EAST – Our Personal Lenten Journey Toward the Cross. The retreat will begin with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy with His Beatitude, Metropolitan JONAH serving with clergy from North Texas.

Presbytera Eugenia holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Religious Studies (1980) and a Master of Arts degree in Practical Theology from the University of San Diego (1992). She received a Master of Theology degree (Th.M.) from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in 1996 where she specialized in Orthodox Theology and Patristics. She also received a Master of Theology (Th.M.) from Harvard Divinity School in 1998 where she specialized in the New Testament. She had also previously earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Pepperdine University School of Law in 1985 and has been a member of the California Bar since that same year.

Dr. Constantinou has been teaching Biblical Studies and Early Christianity at the University of San Diego since 2002. Previously she taught New Testament at Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology from 1998-1999. She also taught a course on the Patristic Exegesis of Scripture at the Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute in Berkeley, California, the Gospel of John at the University of California at San Diego, and World Religions at Cuyamaca College in El Cajon, California.

Pres. Jeannie is featured on the Orthodox Christian Network in a special series of podcasts on the Book of Revelation. For two years, she has hosted an Orthodox internet bible study podcast called “Search the Scriptures” at Ancient Faith Radio, which now has an international following.

She has led bible studies, taught and lectured on the Bible and Orthodoxy at parishes, conferences, retreats and seminars for over thirty years. She is married to Fr. Costa, pastor of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Temecula, California, and mother to 18 year old son, Christopher.

For more retreat information, please download the Retreat Flyer. Space is limited so early registration is required.

(Kemp, TX)  His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah assisted by His Eminence, Archbishop Dmitri, blessed the newest monastery in the DOS dedicated to the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord here on Saturday, November 29.

Clergy and faithful for many Orthodox parishes in North Texas gathered on a chilly day but the warmth felt by all overcame the weather.

His Beatitude blessed the monastery building which includes a chapel, refectory and five cells for monastics.  The monastery sits on 12 acres of land. As part of the blessing, the gathered Hierarchs, clergy and faithful processed to the back acreage of the monastery grounds to bless a cross erected for the occasion.

For more photos of the blessing, click here.