JERUSALEM: October 30, 2019
Harvest begins at the olive orchard at Ascension of the Lord Convent on the Mt of Olives

Monastic obedience is an integral part of convent life. Some monasteries have special features, and so the harvesting of olives is a unique factor in the life of Ascension Convent on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. All the nuns participate in this annual event, which was established by Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin) over a century ago. There are now approximately 500 olive trees on the convent property.

Harvesting is done by hand, using "combs" to remove them from the trees. They are then picked clean of leaves and sorted, large ones are kept whole while the majority are designated for producing olive oil, which is used for food and church needs.

For many decades, all the lampadas in the convent use the oil, which is enough to last the year round. This year, the Lord blessed the sisters with an abundant harvest.