The monastery has about ten cats. These are the two newest kittens. They are still quite wild. This is the first time I was able to get close enough to photograph them.
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Dear Father Justin,
Does the monastery have dogs or any other pets/working animals? Is the main purpose of the cats to be mousers?
Regards.
Richard
The cats are here to catch mice. They’re not pets. They live outside all year long. But they all gather at the kitchen when they smell fish being prepared, and they eat well on feast days. There are a few dogs outside the monastery, but inside, the cats are safe.
Oh, they are so cute!
So beautiful! They have lovely eyes.
Dear Father Justin,
Did the monastery have a stable for the pilgrims’ use or act as a de facto caravanserai? Is fish a relatively new addition to the diet or did they traditionally use dried fish in the past? I guess a book could probably be written about the dietary changes since the time of the early desert Fathers.
Regards,
Richard
In the past, bedouin guides would bring pilgrims on camels. They would stay in the area if their visit were short, or come back on the appointed day if the pilgrims were staying for an extended time. As for the food of the monks, fruits and vegetables could be grown in the monastery gardens, or at Wadi Feiran, one day’s distance from the monastery. And the monastery could produce oil from its own olive trees. But wheat, beans, rice, dried fish, and other staples would need to be brought to the monastery by caravans that would make the trek a few times each year. In the past, austerity was an inescapable aspect of life at Sinai. The challenge facing the community today is how to maintain the living spiritual heritage of Sinai, when austerity is no longer inescapable, but must be an intrinsic part of our life, by our own volition.
Adorable kittens Fr Justin! One of my friends has a savanna/serval cat. I think they are native to Africa and Egypt.