YAHOO! NEWS: Early starts, strict routines and discipline: more and more young men in Finland are being drawn to the rigours of monastic life and its conservative values.
In such a secular and progressive country, where experts had expected the young to be less religious, Christianity has been gaining ground -- among young men at least.
Inside the dazzling white Valamo monastery, the country's only Eastern Orthodox abbey, the day begins at 6:00 am with prayers, followed by breakfast and chores. Life here is much as it has been for hundreds of years.
But despite the spartan life, the brotherhood has been growing fast, expanding from around 10 monks to 18 in a few years. » | Anna Korkman | Monday, September 16, 2024
Video here.