~ Home ~
Welcome to our website! We are an Orthodox Christian monastic community for women founded in May 2009 with a special connection to the Holy Land. We are now located in Owego, New York.
-Recent Updates-
Signup NOT IN CHRIST’S NAME, Orthodox Summit for Palestine, November 14, 2026
Signup St. Herman’s Youth Retreat, at our convent, December 24-28, 2026
Just returned from Holy Land with Jonathan Jackson. Recap can be viewed here
Our chapel’s iconostasis was recently installed. Photos can be viewed here
-Recent Media-
A Nun Speaks Out on Life in Palestine | Mother Agapia with Rolla Selbak
She Lived in Bethany for Years. Here's What They Don't Tell You About Palestine.
A Nun Warns the Church Over Gaza | Mother Agapia Stephanopoulos
Jason Jones of the Vulnerable People Project, which supports persecuted Christians around the world, interviews John Kiriakou. Around the 1 hour mark, they discuss recent attacks against Christians in the Holy Land.
A small world connection: John was baptized into the Orthodox faith by Mother Agapia’s grandfather!
One of the best kept secrets in the US is that there are Christians, mostly Orthodox and Catholic, living in the West Bank, which basically encompasses what we call the “Holy Land”.
~ The Convent ~
Monasticism dates back to the first century, when men and women seeking spiritual growth fled into the deserts and wildernesses of Palestine and Egypt to lead lives of prayer and repentance.
Our namesake is Saint Nicholas, the beloved fourth century bishop who took part in the First Ecumenical Council of 318. During his life, he spent time in Beit Jala, Palestine. The town’s parish now sits over the cave where the saint lived during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Our Superior, Mother Agapia, has also called this land her home.
Saint Nicholas, Our Monastery’s Patron
~ Living a Simple Life ~
With God’s Help, the Convent of Saint Nicholas has a new home in Owego, New York. Located just 5 miles from Saint Maximus the Confessor Orthodox Church (GOC). Please email us for the address and to schedule a visit.
Our Monastery grounds in Owego (south central New York)
“Woe to the monk or nun who is not touched by the pain of his or her people.”
~ Our Monastic Roots ~
From Jordanville, New York to East Jerusalem, Palestine…
Mother Agapia Stephanopoulos, our superior, during a trip to the Republic of Georgia.