History and Pictures

The Presentation of the Virgin Mary Orthodox Monastery is dedicated to the Glory of God and the honoring of His Blessed Mother.

Officially under the Omophorion of the Bishop of Chicago and the Midwest of the Orthodox Church in America, the monastery is the first women’s monastery of the diocese and pursues a traditional life of work and prayer.

After receiving its official Monastic Charter, the monastery followed the appropriate legal steps through which it was granted full tax exempt status as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

It was our original intention to build the monastery in Ohio among the many Orthodox people whose heartfelt desire it was to have the monastery located there. However, over the course of eight years, we looked at many sites. Some seemed promising, but for various reasons they did not work out.

After trying so long to find a property in Ohio, an unexpected door opened, and we gradually came to understand that Our Lord was directing us to another location within the diocese where there were no monasteries.

Interest in the Orthodox Church is growing in the Springfield – Branson area of the country that is often referred to as the “heart of the Bible belt.”

Our diocese’s St. Thomas the Apostle parish is the first Orthodox Church in the city of Springfield, Missouri. With cradle Orthodox from virtually every Orthodox background and many converts, they outgrew their original church building during within five years.

One of their parishioners offered the extraordinary gift of land on which to build the monastery. Upon visiting the property, we realized that the site was ideal, providing a lake, natural wooded trails, ample room for future growth, and a location readily accessible for visitors.

Having prayed and thought at length about this generous offer, we discussed it with His Eminence Archbishop Job. Receiving his blessing to accept the land on the Feast of the Annunciation 2006, we immediately began our first fund-raising campaign.

The land on which we would build the monastery required extensive development. With donations, we were able to begin site preparation, adding a well and septic system and cutting a long driveway through the forest to the location where the house would be placed.

With God’s help, what once looked like this.................. Now looks like this

(View from our Monastic Residence)

On the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, we were able to purchase a very large manufactured home to use as our monastic residence.

Because fund-raising yielded enough to purchase the house but not enough to build the separate log chapel that had been designed for us, we had the house placed on a high, raised foundation, thus creating two floors and doubling square footage to 4,002 square feet.

The living room was converted for use as a temporary chapel, and on our monastery’s Feast Day, November 21, 2006, we were able to enter our new residence as we joyously sang the Festal Troparion.

Shortly thereafter, we addressed the need to build a permanent chapel for services while working with a very limited budget.

We were especially blessed that Our Lord sent Don Kensinger, a gifted contractor experienced in multiple aspects of construction and carpentry. As our only regular employee, he graciously offered to work at a greatly reduced hourly wage to build the chapel in thankfulness to Our Lord for showing great mercy to his life.

Understanding our need to create a traditional Orthodox chapel large enough to accommodate the needs of the clergy and provide ample room for visitors to attend services, Don offered the inspired idea of using half the first floor for the chapel and adding an extension to the east for the altar area.

This plan provided 2,000 square feet of interior space for the chapel, narthex, and a handicapped accessible restroom. The concrete walls and steel supports were covered with wood we obtained from a local sawmill and planed ourselves at a cost less than sheet rock.

What once were unattractive concrete walls and steel columns . . . are now lined with oak

Incorporating traditional rustic Orthodox architectural features into the chapel design, Don is pictured here making the doors from western cedar.

Nuns in Construction

Construction is always a challenge, but with current economic factors, it is especially difficult on a tight budget. Therefore, to help funds stretch as far as possible, we assisted with construction tasks, while yet maintaining a full daily monastic cycle of services.

After morning services, we went to the construction site where we learned to install insulation, plane wood, sand boards to finished grade, transport materials, putty, and stain.

In addition to providing wood for the chapel walls, the oak that was planed produced many bags of sawdust which our wonderful volunteers have used to begin development of the property’s natural trails.

Completing the Chapel to the Glory of God and His Blessed Mother

During the fall of 2007, funds for the chapel ran so low that construction had to cease temporarily. However, through the gracious response of the Orthodox faithful, we were able to resume construction at the beginning of Great Lent and continued intensely into August 2008.

It is now with great joy that we announce the Chapel Consecration and Hierarchical Divine Liturgy to be celebrated by His Eminence Archbishop Job, Saturday, September 20, 2008 (also commemorating the 10^th Anniversary of the Monastery’s Official Founding).

Thus, through the intercessions of the Blessed Theotokos, what was an undeveloped forest has become a monastery offering a full daily cycle of services and intercessions, while building its chapel and welcoming visitors from Canada and numerous states.

Our greatest need has become that of funds to provide guest facilities for our many visitors.

We are so grateful to all who have contributed in the past through their prayers and generous gifts and pray that Our Lord will ever bless them, granting everything needful unto their health and salvation.