Западно-Американская епархия РПЦ за границей

During the week of January 25th, 2021, Saint Silouan's Monastery in Sonora, CA, enjoyed snowfall. The welcome precipitation to be soaked into the parched land of California was recorded by a monastery laborer, Geoff Brimm.

Your Graces, brother-archpastors, reverend fathers, beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord!

GREETINGS ON THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST!

By God’s ineffable goodness, we enter once more into the joyous days of the great feasts of Christ’s Nativity and Theophany. I sincerely greet you all with this world-saving joy! The feat of faith and its fruit in life must be this joy: from the triumph of the Theophany - God’s manifestation and incarnation - and the sound of the Heavenly doxology and otherworldly peace being sung over Bethlehem.

Everything that transpired in that simple cave in Bethlehem and in the holy River Jordan, both especially revered by the entire Christian world, bore the deep hallmarks of modesty and humility. In His Nativity, the Creator of the universe, Who holds all things in His right hand,...

Christmas Message

by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia

to the Archpastors, Pastors, Deacons, Monastics

 and All the Faithful Children of the Russian Orthodox Church

Beloved in the Lord archpastors, all-honourable presbyters and deacons, God-loving monks and nuns, dear brothers and sisters,

From the depths of my heart I congratulate you all on the radiant feast of the Nativity of Christ.

Today the Church in heaven and on earth is triumphant as she rejoices at the coming into the world of our Lord and Saviour and lifts up praises and thanksgiving to God for His mercy and love for the human race. It is with spiritual trembling that we listen to the words of the hymn: “Christ is born; glorify Him! Christ comes from heaven; go out to meet Him” (Hirmos for the Canon of the Nativity of Christ). With reverence and hope we set our gaze upon the cave of Bethlehem where the Divine Infant lies wrapped in swaddling clothes in a lowly manger.

NATIVITY EPISTLE
of the Ruling Archbishop
of the Western American Diocese ROCOR

Reverend Fathers, Vernerable Monastics, Pious Faithful,

Text may be read here.

The 14th Annual Saint Herman's West Youth Conference
will be held remotely over Zoom
in the evenings
of December 28-30, 2020.

Participation is free.
However, registration is necessary. Registar here.
________

Submit anonymous questions for the clergy panel here.
_______________

Submit  anonymous questions for the youth counselor panel here. 

Your Graces Brother-Archpastors, Honorable Fathers,
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in the Lord!

I sincerely greet you with the 725th Anniversary of the appearance of the miraculous Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God of the “Sign,” and with the Centennial of the founding of the Higher Church Administration Abroad, which later was transformed into the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Church Abroad. We are not marking the events that destroyed all the foundations of Pre-Revolutionary Russia, and which hit extremely hard on our dear Mother – the Local Russian Orthodox Church – having pushed Her, together with the whole country, onto a path of great suffering, repression, martyrdom and confession. Rather, we raise up gratitude to God, Who has preserved us under the shelter of our precious Orthodox Faith, in the traditions of the glorious Russian Church. We bow down before the memory of those ascetics,...

Dear Friends of the St John Memorial Fund,

Please join us on October 18 for a virtual fundraising event in lieu of our annual luncheon!
 
The event will feature a presentation from the Mother Maria,  the Administrator of the Orthodox School in Bethany (Holy Land), beginning with a greeting from His Eminence, Bishop Theodosy of Seattle. In keeping with the tradition of our annual luncheon a live drawing for prizes will conclude the event. Prizes include the hand painted icon of Saint John shown on the left (8 x 11.5 inches, $500 value). 
Event information: Sunday, October 18, 2020 at 1:00 -2:30 pm (PDT)

Zoom Meeting ID: 881 9711 4332

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/ 88197114332

Join by Phone: 408-6380968 (enter zoom meeting ID followed by #)

For more information or to make a donation online please visit our website here.

Your donation is tax deductible and goes entirely toward the cause you choose. Your name will be included in the prize drawing.

Follow up on Facebook

Sincerely,
the Board of Trustees

It is with regret that I inform you that the Feast Day of the St. Silouan Monastery on September 23/24 will not be open to pilgrims this year. Due to the prevalence at the Monastery of thick smoke from the forest fires—which are predicted to continue through September and beyond; the risk of forest fires emerging near the property; the high outdoor temperatures and the possibility of rolling power outages, and the challenges posed by complying with the restrictions associated with the virus situation, it is clear that this is not the time for the Monastery to host a festal celebration.  Accordingly, the doors to the Monastery will be closed to pilgrims. We hope that the circumstances for the celebration next year of the Feast of St. Silouan at the Monastery will allow for our festive gathering. You may send your list of commemorations for the living and the departed to the following address: St. Silouan Monastery, 21285 Old Sonora Columbia Road, Sonora, CA 95370-8807.

+ Bishop James of Sonora

Губернатор шт. Орегон Кэйт Браун объявила «Декрет о чрезвычайном положении», так как лесные пожары распространяются по всему штату.

Есть не менее 35 активных пожаров – больше чем 368,029 акров в штате страдают от огня по данным Oregon Office of Emergency Management.

Приходы Северного благочинического округа Западно-Американской епархии находятся под угрозой стать жертвами огня...

Oregon Governor Kate Brown has invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act as wildfires continue to spread throughout the state.

There are at least 35 active fires, with more than 368,029 acres burning in the state, according to the Oregon Office of Emergency Management.

Parishes in the Northern Deanery of the Western American Diocese in Oregon are at risk of succumbing to the fires...

С болью в сердце слежу за развитием событий в Калифорнии, охваченной огненной стихией, второй по масштабу в истории этого штата, и спешу выразить всем свое глубочайшее сочувствие. Молитвенно сопереживаю архиепископу Кириллу, викариям Его Высокопреосвященства епископам Феодосию и Иакову, клиру, монашествующим и пастве Западно-Американской епархии, жителям Калифорнии, всем пострадавшим от пламени и борющимся с ним десяткам тысяч пожарным.

Слава Богу, огонь не коснулся Казанской церкви на Русской речке...

It is with pain of heart that I am following the events unfolding in California, which is engulfed in flames, making this the second worst fire season in the history of the state. And I hasten to express my profoundest sympathy to everyone. I prayerfully empathize with His Eminence Archbishop Kyrill, the auxiliary bishops His Grace Bishop Theodosy and His Grace Bishop James, the clergy, monastics and flock of the Western American Diocese, the citizens of California, all who have suffered from the flames and the tens of thousands of firefighters battling them.

Glory to God, the fire did not touch the Church of Our Lady of Kazan on the Russian River...

Beginning Saturday, August 8, the weekly Saturday livestreamed Moleben (service of Intercession) to St. John, Wonderworker of Shanghai & San Francisco will now begin at 4:30 pm, 15 minutes later than previously. Please make a note of this.

Link to Holy Virgin Cathedral live-stream here.