Land Development for an Hermatage and Monastery in The Catskills Mountains of New York State, USA
It is with great honor and joy to inform you of the establishment of Kidane Mehret Kidane Selam (Covenant of Mercy Covenant of Peace) Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Hermitage and Monastery.
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KMKS EOTC H/M will be a cloistered hermitical and communal community of women monastic's gathered with a spiritual brotherhood of monastic priest; whom, both are members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, whose Patriarchy is His Holiness Abuna Mathias Patriarch and Catholicos of Ethiopia, Echegue of the See of Saint Tekle Haimanot and Archbishop of Axum.
KMKS EOTC H/M is also in full communion with the Oriental Orthodox Churches which comprises of five churches: Coptic, Ethiopian, Syriac, Malankara Syrian (Indian Orthodox Church) and Armenian Apostolic churches and a member of the World Council of Churches.
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Women are called to live a life of purity, being in communion with God by fully focusing their lives on the Incarnated Word of God, our Lord Eyesus Kristos, and on His teachings as revealed through the Holy Gospels and teachings of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, to pray for the church and faithful peoples and dedicate their whole life to spiritual works of fasting and prayer, contemplation, and labor. All of which, is for the salvation of their souls.
Men are called to a spiritual brotherhood of monastic priest, whose sole purpose is to live out the rest of their life in monastic priestly orders of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Rite, to perform the sacraments and daily spiritual services of the church. In addition, KMKS EOTC H/M will also be a bible reading and interpenetration teaching and learning religious school, known in the Holy Land of Ethiopia as “Andemta”.
The hermitage and monastery will be placed on 16 acres of undeveloped land in the Catskill Mountains of New York and will be a GREEN and EARTHERN NATURAL building erected using the Cob, Straw Bale and other natural building technique operated on solar energy and other natural and green technology.
At this time we are seeking volunteers who can assist in this building project of the hermitage and monastery where two churches will be erected. The main church dedicated to our Mother, The Blessed Holy Virgin Mariam, The Mother of God, the Mother of Mercy and a smaller church dedicated to Saint Kristos Semra an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian, The Evangelist of the Devil, The Mother of Peace. Both will be in the traditional Ethiopian Orthodox architectural design.
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May the Covenant of Mercy and the Covenant of Peace be with you all. Amen
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Ema Woletta Selassie Menakosawit ( Female Monk~Nun)
Principle Organizer
Kidane Mehret Kidane Selam
EOTC Hermitage and Monastery
Phone: 347-337-1967
We are blessed by the presence of Nun, Emahoy, Woletta Selassie Menekosawit in our ranks, who has greatly enforced our mission. Emahoy Woletta Selassie whose "civil" name is Ivory Ann Black II is an Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Female Monk currently residing in Bronx New York. she is the fourth American born woman to be consecrated as "Emahoy" an Amharic title meaning 'Female Monk' only given to women who have received the Holy Orders of Monastic life in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Rite.
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Under the tutelage of His Eminence Archbishop Bitsue Abuna Zakarias of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) Archdiocese of New York and North Central United States of America, she stayed at the EOTC Holy Trinity Church starting in 2009 receiving monastic teachings.
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In 2014 she received consecration into the holy monastic life at Dire Sultan monastery in Jerusalem, Israel at the church of Saint Michael. Her monastic calling was to go back to America and assist with the 50 plus year old mission to America of the EOTC first established by His Holiness Abuna Theofilos and as such she is establishing "Kidane Mehret Kidane Selam (Covenant of Mercy Covenant of Peace) Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Hermitage and Monastery to be built in Northeastern America in the traditional Ethiopic style.
"The Church will be the receiver of countless graces and blessings that will be on us as result of Emahoy Woletta Selassie Black's work to establish these hermitage and monastery."
- Abba Zakarias, Former Archbishop of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Dioceses of New York in Northeast and West U.S.