The Great Schema is the highest degree of monasticism. The one who accepts this high “angelic” image completely renounces this world. The only path for the schema-nun is to the temple and back to her cell, where he is engaged in prayer and spiritual reading.
On Thursday evening, March 10/23, for the first time in more than 30 years, the monastic tonsure took place at the Holy Ascension Convent on the Mount of Olives. Nun Petronia (Krichun), of Romanian origin, was tonsured by His Eminence Metropolitan Mark. Vl. Mark was co-served by the Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky).
Before the service, accompanied by the abbess of the monastery, Matushka Varvara (Novikova) and with the full complement of the sisters of the monastery, mother Petronia walked to the church from the abbess’s chambers. At Great Compline, Fr. Roman read a special penitential canon relating to his sister, who was about to be tonsured. After the first hour with the singing of the antiphons and at the end of the sedalen “Into the Father’s Arms”, the sister, with fear and trembling, crept up to the amvon under the mantles of the elder sisters.
After professing her vows, metropolitan Mark tonsured the sister for the second time with the name Pavla, in honor of the holy apostle apostle Paul.
May the Lord bless the newly tonsured schema-nun Pavla and give her spiritual strength so that she prays for her salvation and for the whole world.
Tags: Archim. Roman (Krassovsky), Metropolitan Mark of Berlin and Germany, Monastic Tonsure, Mother Varvara (Novikova), Mount of Olives Convent