Visitor Guide

Welcome

Welcome to our home. A monastery is a holy place where monastics live in prayer and obedience. We come here to reflect, pray, and draw closer to God. Therefore, we kindly ask that you respect and contribute to the peaceful and prayerful spirit of this holy place by following these guidelines.

Planning a Visit

If you have any questions about your day visit, or if you would like to request an overnight visit, we kindly ask that you contact the guestmaster.

Hieromonk Jacob
SMS: 248-659-7198
E-mail: casa@sfdumitru.org

Dress Code

Please follow the dress code in all public areas of the monastery, at all times.

Men. We kindly ask men to wear long pants, long-sleeved shirt, and socks. Please remove your hat indoors.

Women. We kindly ask women to wear long, loose-fitting skirts; long-sleeved, loose-fitting shirts that close to the neck; head scarves; and socks. Please remove makeup before venerating icons or receiving Holy Communion.

Everyone. Please avoid the following: no inappropriate words or images, no visible piercings, no excessive perfumes or colognes.

Holy Communion

Holy Communion is the Holy and Precious Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. We respectfully ask all Orthodox Christian visitors who desire to partake of the Holy Mysteries to make the following preparations:

  • Receive the blessing of your father confessor.
  • Go to Confession soon before your visit. (If you would like Confession at our monastery, please contact the guestmaster ahead of time.)
  • Keep the pre-Eucharistic fast (no food or drink) from midnight.
  • Read the pre-Communion prayers.
  • Inform the guestmaster ahead of time of your intention to partake of Holy Communion.

If you have any questions about these instructions, please contact the guestmaster.

Other Guidelines

Please respect the following guidelines:

  • Attend all scheduled church services. Please note that, traditionally, men stand on the right and women stand on the left.
  • Respect the privacy of the monastics, including: no photos, no idle conversation.
  • Do not visit the monastic houses without an explicit blessing.
  • Refrain from phone usage during church services and meals.
  • Respect the quiet hours: 10pm–6am and 2pm–4pm.
  • Inform us if you have allergies to foods or other allergens.
  • Abstain from smoking and other harmful substances.

Thank you for your understanding in following these monastery guidelines. May the Lord bless you and may you always be under the protection of the Mother of God and our heavenly patrons: Saint Dimitrie the New, Saint Basil the Great, and Saint Jacob of Putna.

PEACE TO THOSE WHO COME
JOY TO THOSE WHO REMAIN
BLESSING TO THOSE WHO LEAVE