Монастырь Святого Иоанна Шанхайского, Orthodox monastery in Manton, United States.
Saint John Monastery is an Orthodox Christian community situated within Ponderosa forests north of Mount Lassen, providing residence for monks and space for visitors. The site includes prayer halls, sleeping quarters, and utility buildings nestled into the natural forest landscape.
The community was founded in 1996 under Abbot Jonah's leadership with Bishop Tikhon's blessing, having initially settled on the California coast. The relocation to Manton in 2006 marked a turning point for the monastery's growth and permanence.
The monastery keeps Orthodox traditions alive through English-language services that feature Russian chants and the distinctive Valaam style of Znamenny chanting. This musical heritage shapes the daily rhythm of prayer and ties the community to distant Orthodox roots.
Visitors should understand this is an active monastery with specific visiting hours, so it is wise to check in advance when the community welcomes guests. The site is easy to navigate once there, but the remote forest location means you will need your own transportation to reach it.
The monastery maintains a small garden and beekeeping operation where monks cultivate their own food and produce beeswax candles sold at their shop. These hands-on practices show how the community blends traditional monastic self-sufficiency with modest commercial activity.
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