Lavra

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In Orthodox Christianity and certain other Eastern Christian communities Lavra or Laura (Greek: Λαύρα; Cyrillic: Ла́вра) originally meant a cluster of cells or caves for hermits, with a church and sometimes a refectory at the center. The term originates from Greek where it means "a passage" or "an alley".

History

The Lavrite style of living has its origins in the early fourth century with the founding of a settlement of cells in the Nitrean desert. A community of 600 hermits lived scattered over the area, reliant on Nitria for bread, but with their own priest and church. Saint Euthymius the Great (377 - 473) founded one of the early Lavras in AD 428. The Lavra of Saint Sabbas the Sanctified (†532), known as Mar Saba, is one of the most ancient continuously functioning monasteries in the Christian world.

A similar system was established by Saint Gerasimus, with 70 cells surrounding a coenobium, again with monks progressing into the cells after time spent in the coenobium. Weekdays were spent in the cells, accompanied only by a rush mat, a small amount of food and palm blades with which to make ropes and baskets. On Saturdays they would bring their handiwork to the coenobium and take communion together, returning to their cells on Sunday evening. Cells were left open, and those in need could take whatever they wished from the cell if it were found empty. The lavra had a priest; the lavra’s contact with the outside world, and at least two ordained deacons.

In Muscovy, Imperial Russia, and in more recent times, the largest and the most important Russian Orthodox monasteries were called lavras and were subordinated directly to the Patriarch of Moscow. In 1721, they became subordinated to the Holy Synod.

List of lavras

• Greek Orthodox Church:
• Lavra of St. Sabbas (Mar Saba) (532)
• Megisti Lavra, Mount Athos (10th century): the Great Lavra
• Agia Lavra

• Russian Orthodox Church:
• Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra (since 1744) Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra
• Alexander Nevsky Lavra (since 1797) St. Alexander Nevsky Lavra
• And including the Ukrainian Orthdox Church:
• Kiev Pechersk Lavra (since 1598) Kiev Caves Lavra
• Pochayiv Lavra (since 1833) Pochaev-Dormition Lavra
• Sviatohirsk Lavra (since 2004) Dormition-Svyatogorsk Lavra

• Polish Orthodox Church:
• Supraśl Lavra (since 1505) Supraśl-Annunciation Lavra

See also

• Monastery
• Hermitage
• Skete
• Coenobium
• Pochayiv Lavra

External links

• The Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra
• Photo of "Holy Mountain" (Sviatogorskaya) Lavra in the Ukraine

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Last updated on Wednesday March 12, 2008 at 20:20:38 PDT (GMT -0700)
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