In the hills of rural Crawford County, only a few miles north of Boscobel, tucked into a hollow and hidden from view of the winding country lane that leads to their doorstep, are the small cabins that serve as cells for the two Russian Orthodox monks who comprise the monastery of Saint Isaac of Syria Skete.

What you can see as you drive past, or perhaps to, are the clusters of older mobile homes that have been converted into a bookshop, convent, and factory. And just beyond them, sitting next to a small creek that begins at a cluster of three springheads, is the church, built of logs and dedicated to Saint Nicholas.

And yes, we did say factory. An icon factory, to be more precise, dedicated to the reproduction of historic Christian icons from around the world.

For the complete article, please see the Dec. 22, 2016 issue of the Boscobel Dial.