Brother Stavros oversees the liturgy and general order of things pertaining to New Skete's churches, including ringing the bells. He is involved in the breeding program, serves as the community archivist, does formation and development work, and helps out in the nuns' bakery. He was born and raised in Washington, D.C. He received a degree in philosophy from Catholic University and studied languages at Georgetown University. After three years in a Ukrainian seminary, he entered monastic life and was one of the founding brothers who began New Skete in 1966.

"I grew up in a row house in the city and was never able to have pets larger than a rabbit. Our farming years here in Cambridge, when Brother Marc and I had charge of the dairy cows, was a terrific education for a city kid. I fell in love with our first German shepherd, 'Kyr,' and have cared for the dogs in various ways for 40 years. For a good portion of that time I was involved in para-veterinarian work," says Brother Stavros.

He is an outdoors enthusiast and has hiked alone or organized group expeditions of monks and nuns along the Appalachian Trail in nearby Vermont as well as several trails in the Adirondacks. He says, "Taking our dogs in the woods is always a joy, watching their delight and seeing them as part of the great natural beauty that surrounds us. I laid out a hiking trail here on our property so our guests can experience it as well."

Brother Stavros and canine companions have encountered lots of animals in the forest larger than a rabbit ... "Years ago I was camping out with an 18-month-old pup named 'Lada' when a bear came a calling. She made the noise of a lioness and scared it off."

His most recent experience was teaching his current dog, "Coli," to ride in a canoe with him on a lake in the Green Mountain National Forest.