Frequently Asked Questions
Question: May I receive Holy Communion at Manasija Monastery?
Answer:
Of course - if you are a believer, have been baptized and chrismated in the Orthodox Church, live a Christian life, and are neither in schism nor under a penance (you have not been barred from Holy Communion). You need to be at the monastery on a day when the Holy Liturgy is served, and to come to church at the beginning of the Holy Liturgy. Certainly, it would be good to arrange this beforehand with your parish priest, since the parish community is the primary place where you are expected at every Liturgy. Welcome - Christ is in our midst!
Question: May I go to confession at Manasija Monastery?
Answer:
Of course - if you repent of your sins and wish to confess them, and if your parish priest agrees with your wish to go to confession at Manasija Monastery. If possible, you should announce your arrival, so that the monastery's spiritual father may prepare for meeting you and set aside time for the Holy Mystery of Repentance which you wish to approach.
Question: May I be baptized at Manasija Monastery?
Answer:
Of course - under certain conditions, the basic ones being the following: if you are a believer, if you believe in Christ as the Son of God and the Savior of the world, if you confess the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, and if you accept the Orthodox Church as the true Church of Christ. Everything must be arranged in advance with the monastery administration, which will decide whether and under what conditions you may be baptized at Manasija. For baptism one must prepare oneself, and baptism - entry into the Church - should be approached seriously and attentively.
Question: May I stay overnight at Manasija Monastery, and under what conditions?
Answer:
The accommodation capacity of Manasija Monastery is very modest, and in that sense we are unable to accommodate the wishes of pilgrims or visitors to stay longer at the monastery. We ask for your understanding: the monastery is first and foremost the home of the monastic community, that is, the dwelling place of those who have renounced the world.
Question: May I leave or send a donation to Manasija Monastery?
Answer:
Of course - if you wish, you may leave or send a donation to Manasija Monastery. The monastic community is grateful to all its donors, and commemorates them in prayer together with the founders of the monastery at every Holy Liturgy.
Question: How did Manasija Monastery get its name, and what does “Manasija” mean?
Answer:
You can learn more about the name of Manasija Monastery in the text “The Name of Manasija Monastery”
Question: Where is Despot Stefan Lazarević buried, and is it known where his relics are?
Answer:
Holy Despot Stefan Lazarević is buried in the Manasija Church of the Holy Trinity, which is his funerary endowment. His holy relics are in the church of Manasija Monastery. You can read more about where Despot Stefan is buried, and what various writers have recorded about it throughout history, in the text entitled “Where Is Despot Stefan Buried?”