Holy Assumption Monastery was founded in the early 1940’s by a small group of nuns who fled from Russia and China in search of freedom to practice their faith. Originally settling in San Francisco, they soon discovered the quiet town of Calistoga 80 miles north of the city and, with the blessing of the local church hierarchy, purchased an old two-story property by the Napa River.
Life at the monastery revolves around prayer – both private prayer and the daily cycle of services. In between services, the sisters perform their obediences – daily tasks such as cooking, cleaning, preparing the services, and income-producing activities. Current income-producing activities include mounting icons, writing children’s books, and sewing.
The second greatest aspect of life at the monastery is hospitality, which means welcoming non-monastics into the monastery setting. The two great expressions of the Christian life are marriage and monasticism. Both ways of life are blessed by the Church and both provide God-given opportunities to obey the two great commandments – to love God and one’s brother.