complete email exchange between a concerned pilgrim and the canadian metropolis about the quebec...

8/17/2019 Complete Email Exchange Between a Concerned Pilgrim and the Canadian Metropolis About the Quebec Nuns’ Sh…

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Complete Email Exchange between a Concerned Pilgrim and the Canadian Metropolis

about the Quebec Nuns’ Shopping Spree in Ohio

The following article is an excellent example of the methodology used by Geronda Ephraim’s

monasteries to “invalidate” a story; i.e. to render a historical event and reality as non -existent as

if it never happened. It concerns a shopping excursion by the nuns of Quebec which was publicized on the website of the store they visited; a letter from a concerned pilgrim to their

bishop; a month of silence during which the store deleted their blog, facebook, and twitter post

concerning the nuns’ visit. After the posts were deleted, a priest affiliated with the monastery

responded to the pilgr im gaslighting and stating it never happened and “was not in actuality

true.” The concerned pilgrim responded to the priest and did not receive anything back. The

concerned pilgrim re-wrote the bishop complaining about the priests offensive response and

again asking for an explanation of the nuns’ excessive spending habits. The bishop replied

stating he was unaware of the incident and would ask Gerondissa Thekla. The bishop has yet to

respond. Lehman’s have chosen not to comment on what happened to the posts that were

deleted. This is the standard stonewalling methodology of the Greek Orthodox Church in North

America, especially when it comes to the monasteries under their jurisdiction. If such strong

tactics are used to cover-up and silence such a small incident that could be embarrassing to a

monastery, one can only imagine what kind of strong-arming the monasteries use when it’s a

major incident.

These screen shots of the original Lehman’s blog page and the facebook post prove that it is not

in anyone’s imagination and the nuns’ shopping excursion was a real event. Screenshots of the

emails have also been provided.

The following is the original post, the email exchanges between “a concerned pilgrim” andMetropolitan Sotirios and Fr. Followed by some observations made on the now defunct St.

Nektarios Monastery Tumblr page.

December 16, 2015: The administrator for the blog belonging to Lehman’s Country store

posted an article entitled, A Visit f rom the Sisters of Le Troupeau Benit , describing a visit by

the Quebec nuns during the previous week.

The original article from Lehman’s (click the product names to see prices from their

catalogue)

Last week our store was blessed with an interesting visit by a group of sisters from Quebec,

Canada. These ladies live in a Greek Orthodox religious community and apparently use many of

our products, as they came prepared with a LONG list of items they needed! The Sisters run a

cheese factory called Le Troupeau Benit (The Blessed Flock) where they make and sell cheeses

made from their very own sheep and goats.

https://www.lehmans.com/t-vos.aspx



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPeswt2ly5Y







Beth Smith handled the order entry and had many of us running around gathering items for these

ladies. They spent most of their day at the store with a short leave in the afternoon for lunch at

Mrs Yoder’s Kitchen in nearby Mt. Hope, Ohio. The Customer Service counter was piled so high

we finally had to find another place to gather their wares. The items ranged from milk bottles,

Aladdin lamps and canned meat, to lamp parts, cast iron kettles, how-to books and many

miscellaneous housewares items.

Our staff member Roger helped them load up, and in the conversation discovered they live the

Lehman’s lifestyle of gardening, cheesemaking and many other self-sufficient skills. They have

electricity, but it frequently goes out on them. This trip was to get items to help when the power

leaves them in the dark. Hurray for the Aladdin lamp! They had two vans with seats down and

loaded all the goods into them, then had a 10-hour drive back home to Quebec.

We were honored and blessed to serve this very special group of sisters, and we thank them for

their visit. We hope the products they purchased will be beneficial in aiding their noble ventures!

For more on these intriguing and enterprising women,

visithttps://scottnevinssuicide.wordpress.com/2014/12/29/inauguration-of-new-cheesemaking-

facilities-for-le-troupeau-benit-quebec-monastery/

NOTE: Lehman’s linked the article on this blog about the nuns’ inauguration of their

cheese-making facilities. They also used the photos of the nuns from this article in their

blog.

December 16, 2015: The 1st email sent to Metropolitan Sotirios (the pilgrim’s name has

been left out for privacy)

Your blessing, Despota,

I recently came across a webpage from a hardware store in Ohio. The owner mentions that a

couple nuns from the Quebec monastery drove 10 hours to his store to fill up two vans with

thousands of dollars of merchandise (fancy $200 oil lamps, cases of canned meats, and lots of

other items for "when the power goes out.")

http://countrylife.lehmans.com/a-visit-from-the-sisters-of-le-troupeau-benit/#more-25113

As an orthodox Christian who has donated money to our monastery here in Ontario, I am very

concerned. Though I only get to visit the monastery on the Feast Day, I don't know much aboutthem and I have been advised that any websites not actually run by the monasteries are

"poisonous wells" and not safe for reading. But now I am wondering, after seeing all the

survivalist items on the webpage that the monastery purchased, are the monasteries some sort of

apocalypse cults like the Mormons? I was under the impression my donations were for the

upkeep of the monastery, not preparation for some possible armageddon scenario.

http://non-electric.lehmans.com/search#w=milk%20bottles



https://www.lehmans.com/c-33-aladdin.aspx


https://www.lehmans.com/c-89-canned-meat.aspx


https://www.lehmans.com/c-34-aladdin-parts.aspx


http://non-electric.lehmans.com/search#w=cast%20iron%20kettle



https://www.lehmans.com/c-139-books.aspx



https://www.lehmans.com/c-233-home-goods.aspx



https://www.lehmans.com/c-287-garden.aspx



https://www.lehmans.com/c-71-making-cheese.aspx



https://www.lehmans.com/p-3182-aladdin-deluxe-brass-table-oil-lamp.aspx



https://scottnevinssuicide.wordpress.com/2014/12/29/inauguration-of-new-cheesemaking-facilities-for-le-troupeau-benit-quebec-monastery/





















Why are the nuns buying $200-$300 oil lamps when the hardware stores have them for $30-$60

a piece? This seems like an excess. Why did the nuns drive to a remote village in Ohio to

purchase all these supplies which can also be purchased in Quebec or Ontario for much cheaper?

The exchange rate is so bad right now.

As their bishop and spiritual father, do you condone these excessive shopping habits?

January 10, 2016: 1st response to “the concerned pilgrim” twenty-five days after the first

email. Interestingly, Metropolitan Sotirios did not respond. A priest from Montreal

responds. However, the email was not sent to this priest, nor does he explain how he

obtained the email or why neither the Metropolitan nor the monastery responds. However,

it reflects the fact that there is no concept of confidentiality in the Metropolis of Canada.

Fr. Nicholas does cc the Metropolis and the Monastery in his email response. It is also

significant that the response only came after Lehman’s deleted all their posts about the

nuns and Lehman’s apparently refuses to comment on why they deleted all their posts .

Papadeoi Family [email protected]

Mr. ___

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Father Nicolas. I am a priest at a Greek Orthodox

church in Montreal. I am a fifth generation priest. I have served the same parish, same church,

for over 36 years.

It has recently come to my attention that you had sent a letter to his Eminence Archbishop

Metropolitan Sotirios, voicing your concern about a certain website you had visited online

mentioning that certain nuns from Quebec had visited this place of business to purchase, as you

mentioned, “items for when the power goes out””.

From day one, which was 25 years ago, I, along with my entire family, have whole-heartedly and

voluntarily helped in any way possible for the prosperity of this blessed monastery. We need to

recognize the holy purpose of these blessed individuals for their contributions to society as a

whole.

I informed myself of the situation created by your concerned and albeit imaginative letter. I mustsay that I was very saddened.

I will not get into details, but I would like to express to you that what you have read and voiced

as a concern is not in actuality true.

I pray that you have the opportunity to visit this monastery.

mailto:[email protected]






I kindly thank you for reading what I have written.

Father Nicolas

January 17, 2016: The “concerned pilgrim” responds to Fr. Nicholas’ email.

Your blessing Fr. Nicholas, thank you for responding to my concerns.

The website I had visited is run by Lehman’s Hardware and Appliances Inc. and described in

detail the nun's visit, as well as the items they bought. The quote -This trip was to get items to

help when the power leaves them in the dark.”- is direct from the owner of the store, GalenLehman, who also wrote the blog.

Unfortunately, the blog, and Facebook post that detailed the nuns’ visit were all deleted shortly

after I voiced my concern to the Metropolitan-although I have included the entire post at the endof this email for your convenience.

The number of years you’ve volunteered at the monastery does not lend credibility to yourwords.

I recognize the necessity and holy purpose of the monastics in this world — I have been helped onnumerous occasions by the monastic's prayers, not to mention the spiritual recharging I receivefrom visiting a monastery.

This is where my concern is: why would Canadian nuns would drive so far to a remote town inanother country — especially when our dollar is so low — to spend an enormous amount of moneyon survivalist products? It brings to mind many of the stories we read about paranoid and

fanatical Mormons!

Furthermore, why did they buy so many cases of canned meat, when monastics are forbidden toeat meat, and meat is forbidden to be served at monasteries? ALL the products they purchasedare available in Quebec at a much cheaper price, especially considering the exchange rate!

The whole affair seems sneaky, as though someone is hiding something.

Dismissing my letter as “imaginative” feels manipulative, and I would like an apology for whatyou said to me.

My letter raised honest concerns about potential misappropriation of funds and superfluousspending. Why pay gas for a 20 hour round trip, and pay over the double the price for productsthey can get in their own province? It’s a waste of money! Is this what my donations are purchasing? I don't understand why you would lie to me.

So, do you know the details, but don’t have a blessing to explain, or are the details more

damaging than I suspected?



Are you insinuating that Galen Lehman, the owner of Lehman’s, and writer of the blog detailingthe nun's visit is a liar? Was the Facebook post on Lehman’s page, which had 358 likes and 49

shares was not in actuality true?

I find it impossible to believe that a store owner would invent a story about nuns from another

country driving to his store.

Galen Lehman listed all the items they bought, with the links to the store’s catalog (thusrevealing the price). He wrote they were there for the entire day, and that the Customer Servicearea was piled so high that they had to find another area for all their wares. They filled two vanswith the seats down. Why would Galen Lehman fabricate such a thing?

Quite honestly, I wouldn’t feel comfortable donating to this monastery considering their

spending habits, and I will have many conversations about how that money is being spent.

Your blessing,

_____

January 17, 2016: The “concerned pilgrim” writes the Metropolitan again about the issue

Your blessing Despota,

Awhile back, I sent you a letter voicing some concerns about the Quebec Monastery’s excessiveand superfluous spending on survivalist supplies at Lehman’s Hardware and Appliance Inc. in

Ohio.

A detailed list of what the nuns bought —with links to Lehman’s catalog including the prices —

was once on their blog spot. Unfortunately since the time I’ve first written you, this blog post, aswell as Lehman’s Facebook posts about the nuns have been deleted (don’t worry, I have included

it at the end of the email, in case it was deleted before you read the contents).

Anyways, I did not receive a response from you. However, I received a duplicitous responsefrom a parish priest in Montreal, Fr. Nicholas. I must say, the content of his letter does not helpthe monastery’s cause but rather raises more suspicion about the sneakiness of this wholeaffair....

Fr. Nicholas claimed that my letter was “imaginative” and he was very saddened. The 358 likesand 49 shares on the original Facebook post would lend me to believe that it is not imagination.

Furthermore, Fr. Nicholas claimed that what I read and what I have voiced as a concern “is not inactuality true.”

The content of Fr. Nicholas’ letter is deceitful. I was rather shocked considering Fr. Nicholas

began the letter with boasts of his being a 5th generation priest, serving as a priest for over 36years and volunteering at the monastery for 25 years. He finishes the letter with lies and, inessence, the absurd accusation that the owner of Lehman’s Store lied on his blog about the nuns

visiting and filling two vans full of survivalist supplies.



Fr. Nicholas informed me that my concern that the nuns drove 10 hours out of the country to aremote Ohio town to spend thousands of dollars — when the Canadian dollar is so low — on allthese supplies (canned meat, fancy Aladdin oil lamps, etc.) was “not in actuality true.” Myconcern was also that all these survivalist supplies, as well as all the farming and cheese-making

supplies that they bought, are all available in Quebec for much cheaper (though the cases ofcanned meat are a different brand name).

Furthermore, Fr. Nicholas hinted at knowing the “details” but could not get into them. The lack

of transparency combined with his deceitfulness has raised even more concern. Whatkind of show is being run here?

Your blessing, __________

January 20 , 2016: The Metropolitan’s 1st response to “the concerned pilgrim” almost a

month later.

Dear ____

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the communion ofthe Holy Spirit be with you always.

Thank you for your e-mails of December 16, 2015 and January 17, 2016, regarding the purchasesof the nuns of Panagia the Comforter Monastery from the Lehman’s Hardware and AppliancesInc. I do not know anything about this. I have asked Abbess Thekla for an explanation and thenI will write to you.

Yours with fatherly love and blessings,

Metropolitan Archbishop SotiriosGreek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada)

January 21, 2016: Reply of “the concerned pilgrim” to Metropolitan Sotirios

Thank you, Your Eminence.Your blessings and attention in this matter are very much appreciated.With love in Christ,

February 19th

, 2016: The “concerned pilgrim” writes Metropolitan Sotirios again after

hearing nothing back for a month:



Your blessing Despota,

Imagine my surprise when I looked at my calendar, and discovered it had been well over a monthsince I first asked my simple question, regarding Geronda Ephraim's Quebec Monastery'sexorbitant shopping trip to Ohio.

Such a straightforward question! Have I offended you in some way, that you feel that I don'tdeserve an answer from someone in your office? Is it that you're too important and busy toanswer questions? Is there someone else I should be writing to?

Is the silence itself your answer? I don't understand what I'm supposed to glean from being toldI'd be hearing from you, and then being forgotten.

I understand that you are a very busy and important man, and that you have so much to deal withall of the time. I feel as if no one is listening at the house of God. That your Abbess is living upthe high life, buying whatever she pleases on her secret shopping sprees. Despota, please write to

me, and tell me that it isn't so. That things are not as bad as they appear to be.

With love in Christ,

February 23, 2016: A man named Basilios Roccas responds on behalf of the Metropolitan:

Dear Mr.,

I am following up on the letter of His Eminence Metropolitan Sotirios to you dated January 20,2016 regarding the purchases of the nuns of Panagia the Comforter Monastery from Lehman’s

Hardware and Appliances Inc.

His Eminence stated in that letter that he had asked Abbess Thekla for an explanation and that hewould write to you after that. I regret to inform you that unfortunately Abbess Thekla fell sickwith pneumonia while on a pilgrimage to Arizona recently, and as of last week was still inArizona. She presumably has not had the opportunity to reply to His Eminence’s letter, and this

is why His Eminence has not replied to you.

As soon as His Eminence receives the information he requested form Abbess Thekla he willwrite to you.

Sincerely,

Basilios Roccas

Secretary to the Metropolitan

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto (Canada)



86 Overlea Blvd. Toronto ON M4H 1C6

Tel: 416 429-5757 Fax 416 429-4588

February 24, 2016, The “concerned pilgrim” responds to Basilios:

Thank you, Basilios. I look forward to reading what she has to say.

Since then, there has been no response by either party. And this is the classic monastery

tactic. Invalidate the claim. Erase as much evidence and trace of whatever the incident was.

Answer any further inquiries with, “It never happened,” or “It’s all in your head,” or “It

may seem like that is the case, but it isn’t how it is.” This is the formula used by Greek

monasteries to invalidate the stories they do not want circulating about themselves. Only

positive stories that shed a good image upon the monasteries can be validated. Anything

else is rendered “ridiculous” or “never happened.” This is why one rarely hears negative

things about the monastic communities here in America. They have the most effective

damage control system to silence others. If one is a spiritual child, then they are orderedthrough strict obediences not to speak. If the spiritual child does not obey then the

shunning starts, first from the Abbot/Abbess and their monastics, which is also spread to

the lay pilgrims (“be careful around that individual, they’re not mentally stable,” or “they

have unhealthy ideas and have been saying things that aren’t exactly true about Geronda

and the monasteries,” etc.). These discreet statements that are meant to be cautionary

warnings (but are many times gossip and slandering), create a fear and anxiety among the

lay pilgrims concerning the individuals they are being warned about. This, in turn, creates

its own process of shunning and ostricizing the individual away from the monastery and

monastery pilgrims until a) they repent and toe the line with absolute blind obedience to

the Elder or b) the individual permanently separates themselves from the monastery as

they no longer feel welcome when they visit.

The St. Nektarios Monastery Tumblr page also had some observations about the exchange

rate combined with excessive spending:

Are the nuns preparing for the last days?

One wonders: Why these nuns would drive 10 hours out of province and country to purchase

items readily available in Quebec? Especially when the Canadian dollar is so low (1 CAD =

0.72453 USD, thus 1,000.00 USD = 1,380.21 CAD; 1,000.00 CAD = 724.53 USD). Not to

mention all these items have to be declared at the border, though there are numerous ways to

enter Quebec illegally without border checks. The cost of gas for a 20 hour round trip which

include tolls, plus food and snack expenses, are also not cheap. Some of the American

monasteries along the border have bank accounts in Canada (usually under a trusted pilgrim’s

name, or a shell account) and they send up the Canadian dollars they receive in donations to be



deposited there. It is unknown if the Canadian monasteries do the same down here for the US

dollars they receive from pilgrims.

The few convenient routes from the monastery to the Lehman’s store are still a few hours out of

the way from the MI, NY, and PA monasteries that the nuns sometimes visit for feast days, or

privately on regular days.

Perhaps they did not want locals of Quebec to be scandalized with the thousands of dollars spent

on things which may seem superfluous. Because why pay $30 for an oil lamp at their local

hardware store (http://www.homehardware.ca/en/cat/index.htm/Indoor-

Living/Housewares/Decor/Decorator-Lighting/Oil-Lamps/_/N-ntkmx) when they can drive 10

hours to buy $300 Aladdin Deluxe Brass oil lamps (https://www.lehmans.com/p-3182-aladdin-

deluxe-brass-table-oil-lamp.aspx)? One wonders why such fancy, expensive lamps are needed

for “when the power goes out?”

In September 1999, some of the heads of the monasteries stayed at St. Nektarios Monastery in New York as a stopover before Archbishop Demetrios’ enthronement (Saturday, September 18,

1999). Due to Hurricane Floyd, the monastery lost it’s power and some of the basements were

flooded (this was before Geronda Joseph spent half a million dollars+ on a generator to power

the main buildings). Hieromonk Chrysostomos and Father Kassianos went out and purchased

regular oil lamps and lamp oil for each room/monastic. If Gerondissa Thekla followed this

pattern, then that is around $6,900 (9,523.42 CAD) for the 23 nuns to have their own lamp

(compared to the $690 it would have cost them at their local hardware store). If the nuns

purchased lamps for all the different buildings on their property …

The canned meat is also a curiosity since monastics are forbidden to eat meat by the orthodoxcanons (interestingly, bishops who are also tonsured monastics tend to ignore this canon here). In

some cases, out of economia, monastics who are very ill will be given an obedience to eat meat

for strength.

It wouldn’t be for the goats. Though goats will eat almost anything, farmers know that you never

feed goats meat, meat byproducts, or food prepackaged for your carnivore pet such as dog food

or cat food. For the most part it is illegal to feed animal byproducts to any ruminate animals

(http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalVeterinary/GuidanceComplianceEnforcement/Guidancef

orIndustry/UCM052385.pdf ).

Sometimes, out of economia, non-orthodox workers may be served or permitted to eat meat at

monasteries during construction. In extreme cases of economia, pilgrims might be given a

blessing to hunt on monastery property. In 1999, Geronda Joseph gave Gerasimos Kourkoumelis

permission to hunt Canada Geese at St. Nektarios Monastery, NY. This was allowed for a two-

fold purpose: 1) to create a bond with Gerasimos and soften him to the church 2) to eliminate the

Geese that were destroying the grass and golf turfs of the property.

http://www.homehardware.ca/en/cat/index.htm/Indoor-Living/Housewares/Decor/Decorator-Lighting/Oil-Lamps/_/N-ntkmx








http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalVeterinary/GuidanceComplianceEnforcement/GuidanceforIndustry/UCM052385.pdf












With the excahnge rate, the canned meat products are more expensive than those sold in Canada.


Who knew the end of the world would be so expensive …

http://stnektariosmonastery.tumblr.com/







complete email exchange between a concerned pilgrim and the canadian metropolis about the quebec...

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