Women’s Choir of Metropolis of Neapolis visits Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Essex

Members of the Women’s Choir “St. Kassiani the Hymnographer” of the Metropolis of Neapolis and Stavroupolis made a pilgrimage to the Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Essex, founded by St. Sophrony of Essex.

The group was welcomed to the monastery on August 14, 2026, where its members participated in the services and monastic meals and were guided through sites connected with the monastery’s history and its founder. They visited the crypt where the relics of St. Sophrony are kept, the Old Rectory, the former monastic refectory and the place where the saint lived during the final years of his life.

On August 15, the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, the pilgrims attended a talk by the monastery’s Abbot, Elder Peter, who reflected on three virtues of the Mother of God: her purity, complete obedience and humility.

The pilgrimage also offered the choir members an opportunity to experience the spiritual life of the Essex monastery and learn about its continuing missionary influence, including the reception of converts into the Orthodox Church.

The visit took place with the blessing of Metropolitan Barnabas of Neapolis and Stavroupolis.