St. Barbara Orthodox Monastery
LATEST NEWS & POSTS
July 2026
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The Monastery is now closed on Mondays.
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July 12 Venerable father, St. Paisios of Mount Athos, pray to God for us!
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July 4 O all ye saints of North America, pray to God to lead this country, its leaders, and its people in paths of life-giving repentance, and to bless, protect, and keep us all in peace and uprightness. Amen.
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Read here the statement from the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America on the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation. A Service of Thanksgiving to Almighty God on this occasion as issued by the holy synod is posted here as well (p.9).
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May God bless America!
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ST. BARBARA ORTHODOX MONASTERY
LIFE OF PRAYER
St. Barbara Orthodox Monastery is a women's monastic community of the Diocese of the West of the Orthodox Church in America, under His Grace, Bishop VASILY, bishop of San Francisco and the West.
The Monastery was founded in 1992 and has been located in Santa Paula, California, since late 2005.
The Sisters maintain a regular cycle of daily liturgical services and partly earn their living growing lavender and producing lavender products, selling solid wood caskets, and operating a small bookstore and online gift shop.
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In our daily pursuits, we at St. Barbara Orthodox Monastery strive to embody the teachings of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through prayerful devotion to the Holy Trinity, living in community, hospitality, and diligent labor, we seek to deepen our love for God and neighbor, endeavoring to make our monastery a prayerful and peaceful haven for all who visit.
THE LIFE OF ST. BARBARA
St. Barbara, a 4th-century martyr, embraced Christianity while sequestered in a tower by her wealthy pagan father, Dioscorus.
While gazing out of her tower and pondering what she saw, Barbara marveled at the inspiring beauty of nature she beheld, and reasoned rightly that there must be a loving Creator who was responsible for the beauty that thrilled her soul.
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She learned about the Christian faith (possibly from her faithful attendants). The more she drank in the truths of the Faith, not only was her heart captivated by God's marvelous creation, but also by Christ's wondrous love and work of salvation on the Cross in our behalf.
She was secretly baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity in her father's absence by a traveling priest disguised as a peddler.
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So strong was her love for Christ, that this young maiden was willing to suffer greatly and give up her own life for the truth of her new found faith.
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LIFE AT THE MONASTERY
SCHEDULE OF SERVICES
Monday: Monastery is closed
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Tuesday to Friday*:
7 am Matins
12:15 pm 6th Hour
5:30 pm Vespers
7 pm Small Compline or Spiritual Reading
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*Friday
In addition to regular weekday services:
​2:30-3:30 pm Catechumen class
with Archpriest Jude Lépine
4-5 pm Bible discussion. All are welcome.
5:30 pm Vespers served by Fr. Jude
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Saturday
7 am Matins
12:15 pm 6th Hour
6 pm Vigil
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Sunday
9:40 am 3rd & 6th Hour
10 am Divine Liturgy
5:30 pm Vespers
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PLAN A VISIT
If you would like to visit the monastery, please contact us ahead of time via email or phone. Everyone is welcome to attend the liturgical services in our chapel and to share in our common meals together.
There is no fixed fee for overnight accommodations, although free-will donations are gratefully accepted.
We ask that you dress modestly.
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