Monasticism vs. the parish

October 5, 1998

Editor,

This is in response to an article published in the May 5 Observer where Fr. Papaioannou responded to a letter from "A Troubled Member of a Deeply Troubled Community in Tennessee". My wife and I are also members of a troubled parish in Tennessee.

In July, 1996, at age 18 and against our wishes, our son entered a monastery upon the encouragement from our former (1987-94) parish priest, an ardent follower of a monk.

My family agrees wholeheartedly with what Fr. George wrote. There is no question in our minds that monasticism has played a constructive role in the history of Orthodoxy. However, all the rules that were stated about monks not interfering with the ministries of our parish have been broken in our parish.

As a result, within one year, three young people from our parish entered a convent and a monastery administered by one and the same monk, and our most recent priest resigned from our church in May 1997.

In addition to the alienation and despair that we feel for our son's untimely entry into this monastery, we are concerned about his health. Our son, who had never been sick before, upon entering the monastery has suffered from stomach pains, shortness of breath, an ulcer, and GERD (Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease).

His situation resembles the case described in Fr. George's column about the young man who left America to become a monk in Greece and who eventually succumbed to a severe case of melancholy.

John and Jo Ann Pantanizopoulos

Knoxville, Tenn.