Volunteer stories: James at Saint John’s Monastery

An interview with James on his stay at a Greek Orthodox monastery

This is an interview with James on his WWOOFing experience on a Greek Orthodox monastery in Northern Greece. He stayed there for 2 months in 2019 and in 2020. The interview was done at Dio Pigadia – our small permaculture farm in Greece.

Tell us about the monastery

Saint John the Forerunner is a Greek Orthodox monastery run by sisters from all around the world in the Larissa Region, Northern Greece. It has been functioning for the past 20 years by volunteers and donations. They live, work and die in the monastery all in faith. They seasonally rotate through volunteers with a maximum of 13 volunteers at a time. People come from around the world, friends, volunteers and believers to help contribute to the monastery and its purpose. Their arm was to create a heavenly place, taking care or animals and living in harmony in nature. Most people were believers of their faith, which I was not. They were still happy to host and accommodate people who do not need to share their same beliefs. There’s more information on their mission here

When were you there?

Mid June – End of August, 2019 and again in 2020

How did you find them?

I stumbled across the monastery on WWOOF. I thought, why not, because I looked like a funky place to go visit. I like the absurd path you can take in life. 

Why did you go there?

Because I’m curious. 

What did a typical day look like?

I would wake up quite early because I was there in the summer. It was usually quite hot. I would do vegetable picking in the mornings, and then move on some construction work. I worked on building staircases using big stones, making gates using welding and would make gates or enclosures for the animals. I also helped with cutting down trees. We would have our meals cooked for us, so every lunch we would sit in the main dining area on the patio. After lunch was free time where I could be found hiking on the mountain, creating sculptures or chatting with friends. Then at 6pm we got back to work until around 9pm. 

IMG
IMG
IMG

How did you get to know the people there?

We often did our work together, sharing the same space and time. In the afternoons we would some times spend our time hanging out together or working on side projects together. 

What did you eat?

Every lunch time, the sisters would make lunch for us. Lots of vegetables, fruits and eggs. They did not serve meat, although we had fish twice. They made the best cheese from the goats and sheep we lived with. People used to make desserts and sweets as a little treat. I made a fruit salad once. They blessed the food before we ate it (though it was behind closed doors). We weren’t allowed to cook lunch as there was a sister in charge of cooking for the whole year. But dinner was open season.

What was one of the most important things that you learned?

I learnt some big things about my own life. Spending time alone was important to me. I met a lot of interesting people, had interesting conversations and made connections with people from across the world. 

How did that experience impact your daily life and routine after leaving the monastery?

It made me realize that going somewhere on your own and to a place that you like (or a country like Greece) isn’t that hard. It’s actually very gratifying. People can be scared of leaving their homes and their routines and so was I. My old routines didn’t match my energy or align with my beliefs. And I’m glad that I’ve worked on changing that. 

What others think about us

  • Avatar Alyson Coles ★★★★★ 2 months ago
    I stayed at Dio Pagadia for a month as an active volunteer over the olive harvest. It was such a special learning experience, it really helped me to learn … More about myself and opened my eyes to community living. A huge family made from people of the universe 💞 The animals are super cute too and I especially loved skordo and Vouno the donkey. I'm very sad to be leaving now, and miss the farm and the people so much. We share not only meals, but goals, values and connection. If you want an unforgettable, valuable experience then don't hesitate to give Dio Pagadia a visit!
  • Avatar Foteini Vervelidou ★★★★★ a week ago
    What can I say…how to put into word what being with you all has been for me…At various moments I had to pinch myself to convince me I am not dreaming…Surrounded … More by such natural beauty, walking among the olive and orange trees, cuddling with the dogs and cats who add to the serenity and the magic of this place and this community. A community with a clear vision of how life on Earth can be like when we tune into ourselves and realize what feeds our souls. I leave recharged by spending my day in the sunlight, working with my hands and living in community. I leave inspired by the amazing people I had the chance to get to know here. And more importantly I leave hopeful that a better future is not only possible, but it is already being built and offered to the ones who care to choose it.
  • Avatar We learn as we wander ★★★★★ a year ago
    My daughter and I only wanted to visit Dio Pigadia for one afternoon but we ended up staying three weeks. It was a truly great experience for us and we … More both enjoyed taking care of the animals, gardens and veggies on the farm and fell in love with this little paradise. We ate daily together with the other volunteers amazing fresh meals with very tasty vegetables from the garden, helped out at a beach clean up event and even went sailing together.
    Saying goodbye was a hard one here but we both know for sure we want to come back, so it's only bye for now and thank you for everything Jules.
    Lia, Jenny and Tito
  • Avatar Soizic Brun ★★★★★ 11 months ago
    Amazing place where you can explore sustainable practices including composting, mulching, wood work, lacto-fermentation, low-technologies... in an interacting … More community. Jules is very willing to share his knowledge with you and explore shared governance. Don't miss this opportunity to live an off-grid experience.
  • Avatar Monica Vargas ★★★★★ 7 months ago
    Fantastic place and lovely community, it is really nice to have had the experience to join it for a bit and be I touch with nature, organic food and beautiful … More people. cannot recommend it enough :)
  • Avatar Laura H ★★★★★ 2 months ago
    Dio Pigada is a very special place. I spent 8 weeks there during the olive harvest season which is special in itself because the farm works differently, … More there is an olive harvest schedule and there were way more volunteers than usually live at the farm. I really enjoyed the harvesting which is not the easiest work but really satisfiying. Every volunteer also harvested only for 3-5 hours/3 times a week. Apart from the harvesting we were able to work at the house extension and help with other tasks around the farm. There were two meals shared every day and everybody could take care of their own breakfast. I really appreciated the weekly feedback meetings where we would share how our week has been and how farm and community life could possibly improve. Every person could share their thoughts and the feedback was treated with much respect. I really loved my time there and already miss it. I loved the community life, forming connections, being confronted with new ideas and perspectives, taking part in great workshops and presentations, singing, dancing, playing games, going on trips, watching the stars and so much more! Thank you for everything! I will definitely come back.