![[ IMAGE: St. John the Baptist ]](baptist.jpg)
The Monastery welcomes all visitors though advance arrangements are strongly recommended. Orthodox Christians may stay at the monastery up to two days for a time of retreat at the discretion of the Abbess.
The Holy Monastery of St. John the Forerunner was founded in 1995, when local Doctor Gerald Timmer donated 48-acres to the Greek Orthodox Diocese of San Francisco for the foundation of a women's monastic community, under the auspices of Geronda Ephraim of Mt. Athos. The monastery supports itself solely by the handiwork of the sisters and donations. They practice the traditional arts of the Orthodox church including: writing Byzantine icons, sewing vestments, knotting prayer ropes, hand-rolling incense, and dipping beeswax candles. They also mount icon prints and make natural soap and lotion and bake traditional Greek food and sweets for their bakery and gift shop. There are 17 monastics and novices in residence.
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