Brother Elias [Ippolito], 69, of New Skete Monastery here fell asleep in the Lord on Monday, January 8, 2007, in Saratoga Hospital.
Raised in Stamfort, CT, he studied philosophy at Georgetown University, engineering and arts at Lehigh University, and theology at Saint Joseph Seminary, Yonkers, NY. He earned a philosophy degree at Fordham University and pursued post-graduate studies in theology at Catholic University, Washington, DC. He also took courses in Orthodox theology at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, Crestwood, NY.
In 1965, Brother Elias entered the novitiate for the Byzantine Franciscans in Sybertsville, PA. The following year he joined the Monks of New Skete as a founding member. With the monks he moved to Ridgway, PA, and then in 1967 to Cambridge, NY, where he lived for the past 40 years. He was received into the Orthodox faith with the other members of the community.
At New Skete, Brother Elias taught classes in Sacred Scripture, sang in the monastic choir, supervised construction, served as one of the monastery cooks, and was president of New Skete Farms, for which he developed the mail-order department and recipes for food products. He also raised several New Skete shepherds and puppies through the years.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Vincent and Caroline Adeline, and his sister Carol. He is survived by his brother Richard, sister-in-law Cheryl, and nephew Rainer.
Brother Elias will lie in state in New Skete’s Holy Wisdom Church on Wednesday, January 10, with funeral services beginning at 7:00 p.m. The Divine Liturgy will be celebrated on Thursday, January 11, at 9:00 p.m., followed by interment in the monastery cemetery.
May Brother Elias’ memory be eternal!