Is an education at an Orthodox seminary necessary for a monastery's (see more..)?

[J. K. Amra]

Is an education at an Orthodox seminary necessary for a monastery's acceptance of new people seeking to become monastics?

I ask this because I cannot really afford to attend a seminary, even with financial aid, at this present moment.

[Father David Moser]

Is an education at an Orthodox seminary necessary for a monastery's acceptance of new people seeking to become monastics?

I ask this because I cannot really afford to attend a seminary, even with financial aid, at this present moment.

there is no reason a seminary education would be required to be a monastic - in fact some might say it gets in the way. OTOH there are some monasteries which co-exist with a seminary (St Tikhon's (Pennsylvania) or Holy Trinity (New York)for example) and a monastic could therefore attend seminary while working out his novitiate at the monastery. Many seminaries in Russia do not require any payment once you are accepted, everything is covered. Holy Trinity will provide for a form of "work study" where you tuition, room and board are covered by working at the monastery.

Fr David Moser