New Skete

New Skete is the collective term for two Orthodox Christian monastic communities in Cambridge, New York (geographically in the neighboring town of White Creek):

The communities are under the omophorion of the Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church in America. The Monks are best known for their breeding of German Shepherds, and the training of all breeds in basic obedience. The Monks have written several dog-training manuals, including The Art of Raising a Puppy and How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend: The Classic Training Manual for Dog Owners. The Nuns are best known for their gourmet cheesecakes which are available on-line and in their gift shop.

They are unique in that they have instituted wide-ranging reforms to the divine office and eucharistic liturgies of the Eastern Orthodox Church, aimed at rendering the services more comprehensible. They maintain an open stance regarding ecumenical contacts with other Christian groups; the nave of their Holy Wisdom Temple features iconographic portraits of Orthodox saints as well as prominent non-Orthodox people such as Pope John XXIII, Archbishop Michael Ramsey, and Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and the communities celebrate the feast of the Roman Catholic saint Francis of Assisi. This openness has brought them criticism from Orthodox conservatives and traditionalists; but the Monks and Nuns strongly defend their renewal of liturgy and monastic life as a necessity if Orthodox monasticism is to be more than "museum-keeping" in the modern world. The monastery has a chapel community as well as a fellowship of lay people, Companions, who seek to be formally connected with New Skete in order to deepen their spiritual lives. Through their connection with New Skete they look to incorporate monastic values that help them live out the call of the Gospel in a lay setting at the same time as helping to support New Skete's mission. This enrichment program serves those who seek to integrate prayer and spirituality in their daily activities, and enhances the individuals' vocations as members vis-à-vis their commitment to their own Christian life.

...
Wikipedia