Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Inside of the hermitage & its courtyard

This icon is right in the corner as you enter the hermitage. It is called the 'Ave Maria'. Each time the monastic sister enters her cell she stops here to pray to the Theotokos first.




This is a view looking down into the Oratory, a little chapel in the hermitage.   It is on the ground floor right next to the workroom with the wood burning stove.  Upstairs is the bathroom, the bed, and a table for eating and studying.  There is a little balcony off to the side of the living area where you can look down at the Oratory.



This is a  back view of the hermitage.  It has 4 different entrances!!  The first door to the far left is the entrance into the Oratory.  The other 2 doors on the ground floor enter into the workroom.  And the door upstairs is to the living and study area.  There is no interior staircase!  In the far left corner(it's a little bit cut off) there is the little square box in the wall, the 'guichet'.  The monastic sister's meal is delivered and placed inside the 'guichet' from the cloister.  The sister then eats her meal in silence and solitude while reading. 
Here is the side door entrance into the 'Ave Maria' and the workroom and the outside staircase.

To the left you get a partial view of the door to the Oratory.  Sr. Donatienne showing a family around.

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