Latest news with #Monastery
West Australian
14-06-2025
- West Australian
A place in four pictures: New Norcia
New Norcia, about 130km north-east of Perth, is well worth a day drive if you are looking for a place with plenty of photo opportunities. We have used it as a base for our West Travel Club weekend writing and photography retreats on several occasions because of the diverse photographic opportunities it offer. Founded in 1847 by Spanish Benedictine Monks, the unique architecture of the buildings at the Monastery, St Ildephonsus' College and St Gertrude's College make them perfect subjects and they offer an almost endless opportunity for photographers to explore their creativity. The interiors at the museum, the Abbey church and St Gertrude's Chapel are great places to practise low-light skills. A few hours wandering the town is almost guaranteed to fill up your camera card with nice images. I recommend you bring a tripod if you want to capture some high-quality images inside. Here are a few of my favourite shots from my last visit. Once you're at your chosen location, put your photographer's hat on and start looking for pictures. Set the scene: Look for a nice establishing shot that shows where you are. Keep it simple: Identify a key element in the shot and use composition techniques like leading lines, frames or the rule of thirds to draw attention to it. Simple, easy-to-understand pictures are always best. Keep it clean: Eliminate unsightly elements in the frame by changing your point of view or focal length. Mix it up: A mix of wide and deep pictures or a close-up or detail shot in a series can add some variety. Pick your time: When we travel, we aren't always at a location at the best time for photography. The soft light and long shadows around sunrise and sunset are always nice, so if you can, time it so you are there for the 'golden hours' to really make your pictures pop. Once you're home: Edit your pictures hard. Quality beats quantity. If you have taken lots of photos at a place, you may end up with several sets. Group them together like chapters in a book.
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
NBA star looks unrecognizable with new look as he enters Chinese monastery after injury scare
NBA star Victor Wembanyama is currently in the middle of a retreat at a Chinese monastery where he looks unrecognizable with a shaved head. The 7-foot-3 Frenchman is in the middle of the 10-day exercise trying to stay as isolated as possible. Wembanyama can be seen praying in grey robes as well as running alongside a forest. The San Antonio Spurs sensation appeared in China in one of his first public appearances since his injury scare. Wembanyama was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in right shoulder in February, ending his season, with the Spurs believing it to be an 'isolated condition.' A vein thrombosis occurs when blood begins to clot in deeper veins in the body. The issue can become seriously dangerous because those clogs could loosen and end up in the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism. Wemby is in China beginning his 'journey of inner discipline, focus, and mind-body harmony' at the Shaolin Temple According to a Buddhist monk, Wemby is on a ''Summer Retreat'' tradition that is tied back to ancient Buddhist practices (via @SpursGDP, @SpursReporter) — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 11, 2025 NBA star Victor Wembanyama is currently in the middle of a retreat at a Chinese monastery It is almost always treated with blood-thinning medication, which typically precludes a player from participating in a contact sport such as basketball. Athletes who are involved with contact sports are typically advised to avoid using such medication because of the heightened chance of bleeding. Wembanyama's injury came just days after first All-Star Game appearance. The 21-year-old Frenchman was the NBA's Rookie of the Year in 2023-24, as well as an All-Defensive First Team selection after leading the league in blocked shots. He was averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.8 blocks and 3.7 assists; the only other player to finish a season averaging all that was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975-76. The Spurs are positioned to make a jump with Wembanyama in his third year in the NBA, as he might not be the only superstar on his team come October. San Antonio is believed to be a major play in the sweepstakes for both Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
14-05-2025
On Greece's Mount Athos, a cliffside monastery transcends country-based branches of Orthodoxy
MOUNT ATHOS, Greece -- MOUNT ATHOS, Greece (AP) — The medieval monastery clings almost impossibly to sheer cliffs high above the shimmering turquoise of the Aegean Sea. Rising from the rugged granite rock, its walls enclose a diverse Christian Orthodox community. The Monastery of Simonos Petra, also known as Simonopetra — or Simon's Rock — transcends country-based branches of the Christian faith, embracing monks from across the world, including converts from nations where Orthodox Christianity is not the prevailing religion. The monastery is one of 20 in the autonomous all-male monastic community of Mount Athos, known in Greek as Agion Oros, or Holy Mountain. The peninsula in northern Greece is no stranger to non-Greeks: of the 20 monasteries, one is Russian, one is Bulgarian and one is Serbian, and the presence of monks from other nations is not unusual. But Simonos Petra has the greatest range of nationalities. 'Spiritually, there are no borders, because the Holy Mountain has an ecumenical nature' seeking to embrace all, said Archimandrite Eliseos, the abbot of Simonos Petra. This links back to the Byzantine Empire, Eliseos explained. 'We say that Byzantium was a commonwealth ... in which (different) peoples lived together in the same faith.' The monastery welcomes anyone who would like to visit — provided they are male. In a more than 1,000-year-old tradition, women are banned from the entire peninsula, which is deemed the Virgin Mary's domain. While men from other faiths can spend a few days at Mount Athos as visitors, only Orthodox men can become monks. Most of Simonos Petra's 65 monks hail from European countries where Orthodoxy is the predominant religion, such as Romania, Serbia, Russia, Moldova, Cyprus and Greece. But there are others from China, Germany, Hungary, the United States, Australia, France, Lebanon and Syria. Founded in the 13th century by Saint Simon the Myrrh-bearer, the seven-story Simonos Petra is considered an audacious marvel of Byzantine architecture. Renowned for its ecclesiastical choir, the monastery has become a symbol of resilience during its long history, recovering from three destructive fires — the most recent in the late 1800s — to embrace global Orthodoxy. It was within these walls nearly 20 years ago that Father Isaiah — who like other monks goes by one name — found the answer to a lifelong spiritual quest that had spanned half the globe. Born in Vietnam to Chinese parents, the now 50-year-old monk grew up in Switzerland, where his family moved when he was a child. 'In this Swiss environment, I was trying to understand what I'm doing, where I'm going, what is the meaning of life,' he explained on a recent morning, standing on a fifth-floor balcony next to a winch used to bring supplies up from the monastery's storerooms in wicker baskets. 'While searching I found some answers through virtue, and this virtue was connected to the image of Orthodoxy,' he said, his fluent Greek bearing a hint of a foreign accent. Delving into this new faith, he found relationships based on love and a search for God, he said. His quest led him to an Orthodox monastery in France affiliated with Simonos Petra. That, in turn, led him to Mount Athos in 2006. 'It was in essence a deep searching of spiritual life, which is the answer for the meaning of life,' he said. Within the monastery, he found a brotherhood of monks from 14 countries. He decided to stay. 'We gather together with some principles, which are those of love towards our neighbor and the love for God,' Isaiah said. In the human and spiritual connections he experienced in Simonos Petras, 'I found a deep answer to everything I had been seeking in my youth.' Life in the monastery — and across Mount Athos — has changed little in the more than 1,000 years of religious presence there. Days begin long before dawn and are punctuated by prayer services followed by daily tasks, which can include farming, carpentry, winemaking, cooking, art, clerical and ecclesiastical work. Set among forested slopes, nearly every inch of Simonos Petra's land is cultivated, with the monks tending to herbs, fruit and vegetables used in the monastery's kitchen. Electricity comes from sustainable sources such as solar panels. Father Serafeim, a Lebanese-Syrian who has lived in the monastery since 2010, said Eliseos and his predecessor as abbot, the Elder Emilianos, had always embraced foreigners. 'You don't feel that you're a stranger, you feel from the start that you're an equal member of the brotherhood,' said Serafeim, who joined the monastic community seven years after he first arrived in Greece to study theology in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. 'This spirit, this open spirit of the elder attracted many souls who were searching for a genuine, emphatic meaning of life,' he said. One of the oldest non-Greek monks in the monastery is Father Makarios. The Frenchman's spiritual quest began in May 1968, when as a young man he experienced first-hand the social uprising sparked by student demonstrations in Paris. His search led him to Mount Athos for the first time in 1975. 'I found this monastery and an embrace,' he said. 'I found people who understood and accepted me. They didn't judge me. It was very easy for me to decide that in the end, after I finish my studies, I will come to Mount Athos, I will try to see if I can become a monk.' Converting from Catholicism to Orthodoxy in Mount Athos, Makarios is now the monastery's librarian. He has been living in Simonos Petra for 46 years. Eliseos, the abbot, stresses his monastery is open to all visitors. 'We say we are open to people with love,' he says. 'Someone comes along and wants to visit Mount Athos, he visits it. … Does he want to take it further? We say: 'Let's discuss it, with your will'. What does he want? Does he want to participate in this life, does he want to enter into our spirit, embrace our values and our faith? We will accept that. We will not discriminate.'
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Time of India
On Greece's Mount Athos, a cliffside monastery transcends country-based branches of Orthodoxy
AP file photo MOUNT ATHOS : The medieval monastery clings almost impossibly to sheer cliffs high above the shimmering turquoise of the Aegean Sea. Rising from the rugged granite rock, its walls enclose a diverse Christian Orthodox community. The Monastery of Simonos Petra , also known as Simonopetra, or Simon's Rock, transcends country-based branches of the Christian faith, embracing monks from across the world, including converts from nations where Orthodox Christianity is not the prevailing religion. The monastery is one of 20 in the autonomous all-male monastic community of Mount Athos, known in Greek as Agion Oros, or Holy Mountain. The peninsula in northern Greece is no stranger to non-Greeks: of the 20 monasteries, one is Russian, one is Bulgarian and one is Serbian, and the presence of monks from other nations is not unusual. But Simonos Petra has the greatest range of nationalities. Spirituality transcends borders "Spiritually, there are no borders, because the Holy Mountain has an ecumenical nature" seeking to embrace all, said Archimandrite Eliseos, the abbot of Simonos Petra. This links back to the Byzantine Empire, Eliseos explained. "We say that Byzantium was a commonwealth ... in which (different) peoples lived together in the same faith." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo The monastery welcomes anyone who would like to visit - provided they are male. In a more than 1,000-year-old tradition, women are banned from the entire peninsula, which is deemed the Virgin Mary's domain. While men from other faiths can spend a few days at Mount Athos as visitors, only Orthodox men can become monks. Most of Simonos Petra's 65 monks hail from European countries where Orthodoxy is the predominant religion, such as Romania, Serbia, Russia, Moldova, Cyprus and Greece. But there are others from China, Germany, Hungary, the United States, Australia, France, Lebanon and Syria. Founded in the 13th century by Saint Simon the Myrrh-bearer, the seven-story Simonos Petra is considered an audacious marvel of Byzantine architecture. Renowned for its ecclesiastical choir, the monastery has become a symbol of resilience during its long history, recovering from three destructive fires - the most recent in the late 1800s - to embrace global Orthodoxy. A lifelong quest It was within these walls nearly 20 years ago that Father Isaiah , who like other monks goes by one name, found the answer to a lifelong spiritual quest that had spanned half the globe. Born in Vietnam to Chinese parents, the now 50-year-old monk grew up in Switzerland, where his family moved when he was a child. "In this Swiss environment, I was trying to understand what I'm doing, where I'm going, what is the meaning of life," he explained on a recent morning, standing on a fifth-floor balcony next to a winch used to bring supplies up from the monastery's storerooms in wicker baskets. "While searching I found some answers through virtue, and this virtue was connected to the image of Orthodoxy," he said, his fluent Greek bearing a hint of a foreign accent. Delving into this new faith, he found relationships based on love and a search for God, he said. His quest led him to an Orthodox monastery in France affiliated with Simonos Petra. That, in turn, led him to Mount Athos in 2006. "It was in essence a deep searching of spiritual life, which is the answer for the meaning of life," he said. Within the monastery, he found a brotherhood of monks from 14 countries. He decided to stay. "We gather together with some principles, which are those of love towards our neighbor and the love for God," Isaiah said. In the human and spiritual connections he experienced in Simonos Petras , "I found a deep answer to everything I had been seeking in my youth." Monastery life in the monastery, and across Mount Athos, has changed little in the more than 1,000 years of religious presence there. Days begin long before dawn and are punctuated by prayer services followed by daily tasks, which can include farming, carpentry, winemaking, cooking, art, clerical and ecclesiastical work. Set among forested slopes, nearly every inch of Simonos Petra's land is cultivated, with the monks tending to herbs, fruit and vegetables used in the monastery's kitchen. Electricity comes from sustainable sources such as solar panels. Embracing foreigners Father Serafeim, a Lebanese-Syrian who has lived in the monastery since 2010, said Eliseos and his predecessor as abbot, the Elder Emilianos , had always embraced foreigners. "You don't feel that you're a stranger, you feel from the start that you're an equal member of the brotherhood," said Serafeim, who joined the monastic community seven years after he first arrived in Greece to study theology in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. "This spirit, this open spirit of the elder attracted many souls who were searching for a genuine, emphatic meaning of life," he said. One of the oldest non-Greek monks in the monastery is Father Makarios . The Frenchman's spiritual quest began in May 1968, when as a young man he experienced first-hand the social uprising sparked by student demonstrations in Paris. His search led him to Mount Athos for the first time in 1975. "I found this monastery and an embrace," he said. "I found people who understood and accepted me. They didn't judge me. It was very easy for me to decide that in the end, after I finish my studies, I will come to Mount Athos, I will try to see if I can become a monk." Converting from Catholicism to Orthodoxy in Mount Athos, Makarios is now the monastery's librarian. He has been living in Simonos Petra for 46 years. All (men) are welcome Eliseos, the abbot, stresses his monastery is open to all visitors. "We say we are open to people with love," he says. "Someone comes along and wants to visit Mount Athos, he visits it. ... Does he want to take it further? We say: 'Let's discuss it, with your will'. What does he want? Does he want to participate in this life, does he want to enter into our spirit, embrace our values and our faith? We will accept that. We will not discriminate."
Associated Press
14-05-2025
- Associated Press
AP PHOTOS: Orthodox monks carry on a tradition of monastic life at a cliffside Greek monastery
MOUNT ATHOS, Greece (AP) — The Monastery of Simonos Petra clings almost impossibly to a sheer cliff above the Aegean Sea in northern Greece. Also known as Simonopetra or Simon's Rock, the Christian Orthodox monastery transcends country-based branches of the faith by embracing monks from across the world, including converts from non-Orthodox nations. The monastery is one of 20 in the autonomous all-male monastic community of Mount Athos, known in Greek as Agion Oros, or Holy Mountain. The peninsula is no stranger to foreigners. Of the 20 monasteries, one is Russian, one is Bulgarian and one is Serbian, and the presence of monks from other nations is not unusual. But it is in Simonos Petra where the greatest range of nationalities lies. ____ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
